Why This Iconic Loudspeaker Is Still in Production After 78 Years

Klipsch is every inch a modern audio company. It makes everything from home theater systems and Dolby Atmos soundbars to portable Bluetooth speakers and wireless earbuds. You can even find its gear at Costco.

On the other hand, Klipsch is an old-school hi-fi brand, and few brands deserve the moniker more. The company manufactures its iconic loudspeakers, known as its Heritage line, in the same Arkansas factory that it did in the mid-1900s.

The oldest of these loudspeakers is the Klipschorn. First sold in 1946, the Klipschorn holds the distinction of being the longest-continuously produced speaker in history. You can still buy one today. It costs $7,499 — or $14,998 for a pair.

Klipsch

Innovative and horn-loaded

The Klipschorn is the company’s oldest and second-biggest loudspeaker in its Heritage line (the Jubliee is now the largest).

Each Klipschorn stands nearly four-and-a-half feet tall and weighs roughly 160 pounds. More impressive than its size, however, is its innovative, fully-horned speaker design.

Klipsch

The original Klipschorn was a two-way loudspeaker consisting of a midrange driver and a woofer, each coupled with a horn. That made it incredibly efficient … and loud, which it managed with very low distortion.

The woofer’s cabinet also had an exposed, wedge-shaped design. From the side or the back, it looked unfinished but for good reason: it used walls to extend its low-frequency range.

Even today, the Klipschorn is commonly referred to as the “corner-horn” speaker.

Booming, spiritual sound

The Klipschorn is a loudspeaker that delivers a big sound with a wide soundstage. According to Roy Delgado, Klipsch’s chief acoustic engineer, someone hearing a Klipschorn for the first time might describe it as an near “spiritual” experience.

“They remember where they were, what store it was, what they played,” Delgado says. “That’s what grabs you: the realism. You don’t just hear it, you feel it.”

Klipsch

Vintage look, modern guts

Over the years, the Klipschorn’s general look hasn’t changed much. But modern innovations have refined — and improved — the loudspeaker’s drivers, crossovers, cabinet design and sound quality.

Klipsch

The Klipschhorn AK6, the latest version, has a new three-way horn-loaded design and an all-new tweeter. The spacer between the upper and lower cabinets on the original was removed in 2005 for “a cleaner aesthetic appearance,” Klipsch says.

The AK6 also has a fully enclosed woofer cabinet, as opposed to the open design of the original. This gives the listener the flexibility to place each loudspeaker anywhere in the room, not just in the corner.

A towering legend

One thing about the Klipschorn hasn’t changed. Hopefully, it never will: the speaker is still made, by hand, in Hope, Arkansas — just as it was nearly eight decades ago.

Today, Klipsch offers the Klipschorn in three wooden veneer finishes: cherry, walnut or black ash. Each pair is made to order and takes at least eight weeks to build.

Klipsch

Klipsch Klipschorn AK6 (Pair)

Specs

Frequency response	(+/- 4 dB) 33Hz – 20kHz
Sensitivity	105dB @ 2.83V / 1m
Power (Cont/Peak)	100W/400W
Maximum SPL	121dB Continuous
Nominal impedance	8 ohms Compatible
Price	$7,499/ea (or $14,998/pair)

• $14,998 at Klipsch

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