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This Might Be the Most Unique Loudspeaker Klipsch Has Ever Made

An up-and-coming audio brand teamed up with Klipsch for a limited-edition take on the Hersey.

hi-fi loudspeakerKlipsch

By Jack Seemer

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Klipsch isn’t exactly known for new speakers. Its most famous model, the Klipschorn, was patented in 1946 and remains in production nearly 80 years later, with only minor modifications since that fateful debut.

So when the heritage hi-fi manufacturer does do something different, like team up with Devon Turnball of Ojas, whose highly coveted audio gear is in Supreme boutiques as well as Mark Ronson’s living room, you stop and listen.

devon turnball
Devon Turnball, the cofounder of fashion label Nom de Guerre, sells speakers and hi-fi gear under the pen name Ojas.
Klipsch

Meet the kO-R1 — a collaborative, two-way loudspeaker from Klipsch and Ojas that builds off the platform of another iconic Klipsch model, the Heresy, but goes in its own direction in both aesthetics and sound.

Klipsch x Ojas kO-R1

According to Turnball, the COO of Klipsch’s parent company, Premium Audio Co., reached out to the self-proclaimed “DIYer” on Instagram to kick off the project.

“I think if I had approached Klipsch, it would have been an unlikely project,” Turnball said at a recent launch event in New York City. “Luckily, it just happened in the reverse direction.”

When designing the kO-R1, Turnball used the Klipsch Heresy as a jumping off point due to its compact size and approachability.

That speaker measures 15.5 by 24.81 by 13.25 inches, making it the smallest offering in Klipsch’s Heritage Series, as well Turnball’s go-to recommendation for anyone new to high-efficiency speakers.

hi-fi loudspeaker
Measuring 15.5 by 24.81 by 13.25 inches, the kO-R1 preserves the external dimensions of the Heresy speaker.
Klipsch

The kO-R1 shares the Heresy’s same dimensions but it’s built with Baltic birch plywood and assembled using butt joints. It also sits atop a KS-12 stand and comes with an adjustable sandcast aluminum horn, developed by Turnball using a 3D printer.

hi-fi loudspeaker
Turnball used a 3D printer to prototype what eventually became the speaker’s sandcast aluminum horn.
Klipsch

The most notable change, however, can be found under the hood.

The existing Heresy, which Klipsch has made since the 1950s, is a three-way design — meaning it uses a trio of drivers to deliver its full range of audio frequencies. Turnball opted instead for a two-way design, dropping the tweeter.

“Anytime you can simplify something in audio, as a general rule, it’s worth trying.”

“There are a lot of compression drivers that have more than enough high frequency extension,” he said. “I just generally think that anytime you can simplify something in audio, as a general rule, it’s worth trying.”

The kO-R1 also includes a five-step high-frequency gain attenuator to tune the speaker to its surroundings, as well as anti-vibration feet for audiophiles who prefer to use it without the stand.

Pricing and availability

Limited to just 100 examples, the kO-R1 is built by hand in Hope, Arkansas, just like the rest of Klipsch’s iconic lineup.

It comes in two finishes — gray lacquer and red oak veneer — and costs $8,498 per pair. Exclusively available at Ojas, the kO-R1 is available now while supplies last.

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