While the physical size of the Klipschorn doesn’t make them practical for most rooms, the Heritage Forte III loudspeakers are practical the updated version are much easier to use in most listening spaces. Paul Klipsch developed the legendary Klipschorn with the premise of recreating the sound of live music in the home, and the Klipsch “sound” has remained true for over 70 years. If you crave an intense listening experience, these JBL’s are well worth an audition. The L-100 Classic still require a lot of space and a powerful amplifier, but they fill a large room with ease and are one of the most dynamic sounding loudspeakers available for the price. The L-100 Classic utilizes JBL’s pure-pulp cone five-inch midrange drivers, 12-inch bass driver, and 1-inch Titanium dome tweeter in a stand-mounted loudspeaker that delivers all of the accuracies of the world’s best studio monitors, but with a lot more finesse and a warmer tone than the original.
JBL re-introduced the L-100 Classic in 2018 and after the sticker shock wore off, audiophiles discovered that decades of driver innovation at JBL were something to appreciate in the new design. Their trademark orange, blue, or black foam grille covers are still coveted by collectors today. The L-100 Century were detailed and dynamic sounding loudspeakers that worked well with classic rock but were not the last word in refinement. Priced at $250 each, the L-100 Century were derived from JBL’s 4310 studio monitors and the home version were fussy beasts that needed space and a lot of power. JBL introduced the original L-100 Century in 1970 and they soon became one of the best-selling loudspeakers of all-time. If your budget can stretch to $1,500 which includes the stands, the Linton should be on your short list. They deliver scale and image rather well considering their boxy looking cabinet. The Linton Heritage offer all of the midrange resolution and natural sound of the original, but with a lot more detail, speed and transparency. Wharfedale designed the Linton with two rear ports which require giving these loudspeakers some distance from the wall behind them the 8-inch woofer can deliver the goods playing Led Zeppelin with only 20 watts so don’t confuse old with polite.
Listeners may decide to ditch the woven grille covers, but they also give the Linton that old-school look that makes them stand out. The modern Linton features an 8-inch Kevlar cone woofer, 5-inch Kevlar cone midrange driver, and 1-inch soft dome tweeter. The three-way loudspeakers are larger than most bookshelf loudspeakers and the stands a logical accessory to maximize their performance. Wharfedale has also designed a custom stand for the Linton Heritage that puts the tweeter around 36-inch from the floor and includes room for records as well. The model disappeared from their line-up in the 70s, but was recently reintroduced as the stand-mounted Linton Heritage.
Wharfedale introduced the original Linton in 1965 the loudspeaker utilized three drive units and developed a strong following with its smooth midrange, punchy low end, and sense of scale.