Klipsch · Horn-loaded · 1957–1985
The Heresy got its name when someone told Paul Klipsch that a speaker of his that didn't go in a corner would be heresy, and he answered that was exactly what he'd call it. He introduced it in 1957 as the center speaker between two Klipschorns, and it played that role at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair and at the 1959 American exhibition in Moscow. It's a small sealed box, about 21 inches tall, with a 12-inch K-22 woofer, a K-55 midrange compression driver on the K-700 horn and a K-77 horn tweeter. Klipsch rates it at 96 dB for one watt, so a few watts go a long way. It sold well to churches for sound reinforcement, and Klipsch built it in Hope, Arkansas, until the Heresy II replaced it in 1985. Collectors call the original the Heresy I, and it has a removable back, which the II doesn't.
With the grille off
Ask for a photo of every driver with the grilles off, on both speakers. They should match each other and this list.
After decades of use many Heresys carry replacement drivers or rebuilt crossovers, and drop-in substitutes for all three drivers are sold. That's fine when the listing says so and both speakers match.
New to old speakers? How to check a used pair walks through every driver, the crossover and the cabinet.
We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for photos of both speakers with the grilles off and the serial labels on the back, and pass on any seller who won’t send them.
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