While social media has diluted the word quite a bit (everything is “iconic” now), some products earn the word icon. The Klipschorn actually qualifies here. Paul W. Klipsch’s corner horn loudspeaker has been in continuous production since 1946, longer than any other speaker on the planet.
And now, with the big 8-0 here, Klipsch is celebrating the only way that makes sense, by going back to where it all began.
Back to the Original Blueprint
Modern Klipschorns like the AK7 use a three-way driver configuration, a change the brand made back in the early 1950s to shore up midrange performance. The 80th Anniversary Limited Edition tosses that out entirely and returns to the two-way, fully horn-loaded architecture from PWK’s original patent.
That doesn’t make it a museum piece, though. Up top sits a brand-new K-5-K high-frequency horn mated to a 4-inch compression driver that borrows its motor structure from the massive Jubilee, while the cabinet still houses the signature eight-foot folded bass horn. A new-generation active crossover ties the whole affair together.
And because this is a Klipschorn, sensitivity is borderline absurd. A flea-watt tube amp will push these to room-shaking volumes without breaking a sweat.
Dressed for the Next 80 Years
Of course, an anniversary edition needs to look the part, and this one delivers. It’s gorgeous. Each cabinet wears a rich Tigerwood veneer with book-matched grain, set off by real brass inlays and a sandcast aluminum horn flare.
Like every Heritage model, each pair is hand-built by Klipsch’s artisans in Hope, Arkansas, and backed by a 10-year warranty. This is furniture-grade audio, the kind of speaker that will end up getting passed down and enjoyed for future generations.
There’s a Record in the Crate
Klipsch also tossed in a really rad extra: a 180-gram vinyl pressing of KlipschTape recordings, which are the stereo demonstration tapes Paul W. Klipsch made in the early 1950s. Some of them have reportedly never been heard publicly before.
It’s a time capsule you can actually play, straight from the man who started it all. Hard to top that.
Spec Sheet
Model: Klipschorn 80th Anniversary Limited Edition
Design: Two-way, fully horn-loaded
High-Frequency Section: K-5-K horn with 4″ compression driver
Low-Frequency Section: Eight-foot folded bass horn
Crossover: Active
Finish: Tigerwood veneer with real brass inlays
Horn Flare: Sandcast aluminum
Warranty: 10 years
Limited Edition?: Yes, 280 pairs
Included: 180g KlipschTape vinyl pressing
Pricing & Availability
Klipsch has yet to announce pricing, but considering the standard Klipschorn AK7 already commands around $18,000 a pair, you might want to sit down before the number drops. The 80th Anniversary Limited Edition is capped at 280 pairs worldwide and is available to order now exclusively through authorized Heritage dealers.
Recap
Klipsch Klipschorn 80th Anniversary Limited Edition
Limited to 280 hand-built pairs, the 80th Anniversary Klipschorn revives Paul W. Klipsch’s original two-way design and dresses it in Tigerwood and real brass. Welcome back to 1946.
