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How to upgrade your 1st Gen Klipsch Jubilees to

2nd Gen (Heritage) Jubilee Acoustic Performance
This is aimed at those owners and potential future owners of first-generation Klipsch Jubilees that want
to upgrade them to meet and/or exceed the acoustic performance of second-generation Jubilees.

Figure 1 Second-Gen and First-Gen Jubilees, Side-by-Side in Hope Arkansas Listening Room Next to Anechoic Chamber

The following areas of acoustic performance will be discussed below for upgrades:

1. A short description of the first-generation Jubilee

2. The 2” compression driver and optional output phase plug extension
3. Extending bass performance down to 16-18 Hz (-3 dB)
4. DSP crossover upgrade (hardware and software tweaks) to achieve flattened phase and excess
group delay

[This thread does not deal with improving the visual appearance--which of course can be achieved via
several approaches, as evidenced by the second-generation Jubilees (shown above to the left).]

For reasons unknown, the first-gen Jubilee has been retroactively dubbed the “Underground Jubilee”
after production had ceased. We will continue to call them “first-gen Jubilees” in this document. This
was the original home version two-way Klipsch Jubilee, then available via special order through an

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existing pro-cinema dealer (American Cinema Equipment) until discontinued by Klipsch due to the
introduction of the much higher priced “Heritage Jubilee”.

Physical and price data on the two Jubilee versions:

Jubilee version Price (New) Weight (per pair) Dimensions

First (“Underground”) $6.8K (less DSP) 500 lbs. (277 kg) 41.5” W x 24.5” D
105 cm W x 62 cm D
Second (“Heritage”) $35K+ (with fixed DSP) 816 lbs. (370 kg) 50.25” W x 30.25” D
127 cm W x 77 cm D

A short description of the first-generation Jubilee

The first gen Jubilees were actually a kit--integrated via DSP crossover
by the customer--who was also responsible for inputting the preset
data for the PEQs, delays, channel gains, and crossover filters. A small
handful of Jubilee owners had built passive balancing/dividing
networks, but passive hi-fi implementations as designed by Klipsch cost
in excess of $3500 in component and materials alone, are very large,
do-it-yourself, and, most importantly, lack time alignment of the bass
bin to the HF horn/compression driver. They also must be completely
redesigned if the owner decides to change compression drivers.

Notional DSP crossover preset files for the stock compression drivers
and bass bins were provided via spreadsheet around the time of
delivery, which was via drop-shipment from Hope, AR.
Figure 2 A single passive first gen
Over the years, at least one other compression driver (TAD TD-4002) Jubilee crossover
was offered on special order through a third-party supplier. These
drivers were EQed with the K-402 horn in the anechoic chamber in Hope and the resulting 4002-specific
DSP presets made available to Jubilee owners.

First Gen Jubilee 2” Compression Driver History

The original 2” compression driver provided with the initial purchase was the Klipsch K-69-A, which is a
modified-phase-plug P.Audio BM-D750 driver. This was a “good enough to get started” compression
driver with a 2” titanium-dome diaphragm. This driver experiences fairly audible dome diaphragm
breakup (non-pistonic motion) above 14 kHz, which can be heard using a recording with conspicuous
ride cymbal accompaniment such as that used in bebop jazz. Klipsch DSP crossover support for this
compression driver included text-based DSP settings support for either an ElectroVoice Dx38 DSP
crossover or Crown DSP amplifiers (XTi 1000).

About two years later, TAD TD-4002 drivers were offered via a group buy option (about $1600 USD for
each driver, $3200 for a stereo pair in 2009). These drivers represented a large leap in acoustic
performance over K-69-A drivers. However, due to the price, perhaps only about nine of the first gen
Jubilee owners opted to buy the beryllium-dome drivers. (This driver is still unsurpassed in terms of its
subjective sound quality, and in any discussion of upgrading the compression driver in the following text,
it should understood that, to date, there are no “upgrades” in compression drivers from the TAD TD-
4002, now discontinued.)

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Later, the K-69-A driver was replaced in the special-order two-way Jubilee (the home hi-fi version) with
the Klipsch K-691 driver, a phase-plug modified B&C D-75 2” driver. The performance of this driver
above 14 kHz was better than the K-69-A, but dome diaphragm breakup is still audible from its 2” exit
titanium dome design. This was the compression driver that was used until the discontinuation of the
first gen Jubilee in mid-2022 when the new second gen Jubilees began shipping.

New 2” Compression Driver/Phase Plug Extension for the Second Gen Jubilee
The second gen Jubilee uses an unmodified Celestion Axi2050 2” compression driver on a K-402 horn
(more about this combination here, including DSP settings and measurements), crossed at 350 Hz.

Figure 3: Celestion Axi2050 Driver mounted on K-402 Horn

There is an added “phase plug extension” between the driver’s exit and the horn throat entrance. This
device helps to widen the polar output of the Axi2050 driver on the K-402 from 6.8 kHz-14 kHz. The 6.8
kHz frequency corresponds to a half-wavelength fitting across the 2” horn throat entrance—at which
point compression driver output will tend to become detached from the horn walls and begin to beam.
A free 3D printer file approximating this plug geometry is available for local 3D printing:

Figure 4: 3-D Printed Phase Plug Extension

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A 3D print file is embedded, below:

Figure 5: 3D print file of Phase Plug Extension

Other 2” compression drivers can also be used to upgrade the first-gen Jubilee. The Radian 950BePB
(beryllium dome diaphragm) goes for about the same price as the Celestion Axi2050 and will have a bit
more sparkle on the high end than the Celestion, but have an octave higher high-pass frequency on its
low end (~550 Hz).

Figure 6: Radian 950BePB Beryllium Dome Driver

Another driver worthy of consideration is the BMS 4592ND (dual diaphragm) driver. Bi-amped/dialed in,
this driver will turn your Jubilees into three-way loudspeakers. The BMS driver also has the distinction of
being able to sustain very high SPL for PA duty because of its dual diaphragms (separate diaphragms for

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treble and midrange) and their ring radiator design, which precludes audible non-pistonic diaphragm
motion (chattering):

Figure 7: BMS 4592ND Dual Diaphragm Ring Radiator Driver

The BMS 4592ND does require bi-amping in order to provide the necessary one wavelength of time
delay at crossover on the high frequency diaphragm relative to the lower frequency midrange diaphragm
to time align its two diaphragms.

Both of the above alternative drivers will sound very similar to the TAD TD-4002 (beryllium dome)
compression driver when they are dialed-in to achieve time alignment and flat amplitude/phase
response. The BMS driver provides a lower cost alternative, but at the added cost of another
amplification channel.

Extending Bass Bin Performance Down to 16-18 Hz (-3 dB)

Description of the second-gen Jubilee bass bin design, acoustic performance, and price
A schematic illustration of the now patented second-gen Jubilee bass bin configuration is provided below
showing the internally loaded horn-loaded bass reflex ports (the three smaller round holes in the lighter
cream-color baffle):

Figure 8 The Heritage Jubilee bin illustration

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Some Jubilee owners might be satisfied with the low frequency cut-off of their first-gen bass bins when
placed within one foot (30 cm) of a room corner. Typical low frequency cutoff performance of 28-31 Hz
using DSP crossover is achievable with the first-gen exponential horn expansion.

But other first-gen Jubilee owners may be inclined to upgrade to the 16-18 Hz performance of the
second-gen Jubilees, and there is good reason to do so from the standpoint of its visceral listening
experience.

The second-gen bass bin uses a different horn expansion profile in order for it to be EQed to flat
response down to 18 Hz using the Klipsch-supplied fixed DSP crossover. This crossover provides
significant low bass boost EQ—roughly 20 dB at 22 Hz, 1-octave bandwidth PEQ filter (as shown in figure
10, below). The reason for this lower bass extension point is the apparent avoidance of using an
exponential horn profile with its attendant hard “cutoff” frequency. The figure below, taken from Harry
Olson’s Acoustic Engineering text, shows the various acoustic impedance profiles for horns of the same
length and throat size for comparison of their acoustic impedance properties:

Figure 9 A comparison of relative throat acoustic loadings vs. frequency of different horn profiles

The real part of the impedance, i.e., acoustic resistance is plotted as solid black traces for each horn
profile shape, above, represents the acoustic loading that the horn supplies to the output of the
attached acoustic drivers, which is the effect that gives us horn loading. Conical or straight-sided horns
have reduced loading relative to both exponential and hyperbolic horns, as shown above, starting at
much higher frequencies. However straight-sided horns have no distinct cutoff frequency, as shown
inside the red circle on the plot, which shows conical still providing horn loading at the point where both
hyperbolic and exponential horn profile acoustic resistance has dropped to zero. Using a straight-sided

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horn profile bass bin requires suitable equalization to offset this loss of horn loading as frequency
decreases.

The design of the second-gen bass bin uses the back chamber of the bass bin, with twin 12” woofers
shown above the bass reflex ports, to provide horn-loaded bass-reflex augmentation that feeds the
folded horn at its throat (at the beginning of the horn, not after the horn). While the bass reflex ports
inside the horn increase the efficiency of the horn below the woofer equivalent resonance frequency,
the ports themselves can only bring <3 dB increase in throat response, i.e., not quite doubling the
acoustic power over that of a closed-box configuration used by conventional horns, but only for about a
half octave below the frequency at the horn’s ¼ wavelength axial length. There are also trade-offs with
regard to phase growth and AM distortion, which will also be discussed, as well as size and weight.

If the internal bass reflex ports and back chamber are designed to have a low-enough tuning frequency
(as it does), the actual bass bin cutoff is not quite an octave below that of the first-gen Jubilee bass bin--
18 Hz vs. 31 Hz. However, it should be noted that the second-gen Jubilee bass bin requires a full 20 dB of
EQ boost centered at 22 Hz to achieve its in-room performance, and while placed away from the
listening room’s walls, as is shown below in the electrical output of the Klipsch DSP output for bass bin
(fixed EQ response):

Figure 10 Second-gen Jubilee equalized output from its Klipsch-provided DSP crossover

Both the first-gen and second-gen bass bins use a “W” cross-section dual-mouth (“bifurcated”) horn that
can easily pick up room boundary gain if placed near a room wall or corner, that extends their -3 dB
response more than one octave below their free-air response--just like the Klipschorn bass bin.

The depth of the first-gen bass bin was designed to fit into a room corner of approximately the same
footprint as the original Klipschorn, while the second-gen bass bin was allowed to grow in depth by
about 7 inches (~18 cm), and its width by almost 9 inches (~23 cm), thus making the new bass bin design
significantly larger and heavier. It also requires equalization to boost its performance below ~80 Hz.

Additionally, the approximate price of the new 350 pound/160 kg weight is responsible for about $25K-
$30K of its breathtaking $35K asking price (when compared to the first-gen bass bin), which should give
the potential buyer pause to consider its value/price implications. It is also made of MDF, a change from

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the plywood designs of the first-gen bass bins, reportedly due to post-CNC instability of plywood holding
its shape over time in this design. This implies that the new owner can no longer move these bass bins
by themselves without the aid of piano movers or significant in-home moving equipment. Its size can
preclude movement or placement into owner’s listening rooms if narrow stairs or corridors block the
access to the room because of the bass bin size/shape/weight, as has been mentioned in many forum
threads.

An Alternative Approach to Extending the Bass Performance Down to 16 Hz

As can be seen in the above description of the second-gen Jubilee bass bin, there are significant
considerations as to the design choices made in order to extend its bass rolloff frequency from 31 Hz to
18 Hz using only two “ways”: high frequency K-402 horn/Axi2050 driver with phase plug extension, and
internal bass-reflex bass bin.

One topic not yet discussed is the contribution to distortion of deep bass reproduction below 28-31 Hz
(first-gen bass bin cut-off frequency) to higher frequencies up to ~350 Hz. If the excursions of the
second-gen bass bin’s dual 12” drivers at very low frequencies become large (i.e., loaded like direct
radiating woofers due to the low horn loading of the horn profile at those low frequencies) while playing
deep bass program material, amplitude modulation (AM) distortion becomes significant and causes the
sound quality of the higher frequencies well above 28-31 Hz to sound opaque and muddled—not at all
like the horn-loaded bass of the first-gen, Khorn, La Scala, and Belle bass bins. AM distortion, which is
the predominate type of bass distortion in addition to thermal compression distortion, produces non-
harmonic frequencies not found in the input signal driving the loudspeaker. Because these modulated
frequencies are not related in integer multiples of either the lower or higher frequencies being
reproduced, these distortion-produced frequencies are much more audible and objectionable than
typical harmonic distortion.

The figure below illustrates harmonic and modulation distortion versus frequency, which shows up on
higher frequencies reproduced than on the deepest bass frequencies:

Figure 3: Visualization of harmonic and modulation distortion

One alternative approach…

Another approach that has at least equal merit is a separate DIY horn-loaded subwoofer box of the
appropriate dimensions, sized to extend the bass response to 16-18 Hz, but which doesn’t suffer from

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deep bass AM distortion at higher frequencies because it is cross over to the first-gen bass bins at 40-50
Hz. There are many horn-loaded subwoofer designs that are available to choose from.

One approach that appears to be tailor-made for upgrading first-gen Jubilee deep bass response and is of
about the correct shape and dimensions is the “TH-SPUD” subwoofer design, based on the Danley Sound
Labs “SPUD” tapped horn design (also available for purchase directly from DSL). A photo of a first-gen
Jubilee with a covered DIY TH-SPUD box just behind it, as well as a picture inside the subwoofer box after
one side baffle has been removed in figures 11 and 12, below.

Figure 11 A first-gen Jubilee in front of quilt-covered DIY TH-SPUD

Figure 12 DIY TH-SPUD on floor with side removed showing drivers, baffles, and horn mouth

A plot of the raw response of a single TH-SPUD positioned in a room corner is also shown in fig. 13,
showing smooth and flat natural SPL/phase response that is easy to EQ and time align, and -3 dB cutoff
point (14.3 Hz).

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Figure 13 SPL and phase response of DIY TH-SPUD in-room

Two of these TH-SPUDs are recommended in-room--placed just behind the first-gen Jubilee bass bins to
each Jubilee and TH-SPUD forming a unit, and a backstop to the Jubilee bas bin to co-locate the bass
generation for greater mutual reinforcement in order to provide sufficient deep bass response to 14 Hz
for any kind of deep bass program material.

The measured harmonic distortion of the KPT-KHJ-LF bass bin with DIY TH-SPUDs at very high SPL output
is shown below in figure 14. The TH-SPUDs produce extremely clean output down to 14 Hz, which far
exceeds the distortion performance of direct radiating subwoofers. The harmonic distortion levels are so
low, in fact, that localization of the subwoofers in-room is not possible, or even if one subwoofer is on vs.
two.

Figure 14 Measured DIY TH-SPUD subwoofers and KPT-KHL-LF bass bin harmonic distortion in-room (105 dB@3m)

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The cost of the DIY TH-SPUD and Tang Band W8-740P drivers is less than $400 per subwoofer box,
including drivers and associated fasteners (subwoofer amplifiers of sufficient output power are also
relatively inexpensive and often already sit on the shelf of owners). Plans, build photos, and acoustic
measurements are available here. The price and simplicity of the build, as well as the
dimensions/relative shape to position just behind the Jubilees, and weight (less than 150 lbs.) make this
an extremely attractive alternative as compared to the $25K-$30K Jubilee bass bins. Distortion is actually
lower with the SPUDs than second-gen bass bins, especially phase distortion, which is extremely difficult
to correct at frequencies below 40 Hz due to the time delays introduced by FIR filters in this frequency
band.

DSP Crossover and Settings

The second gen Jubilee comes with a non-adjustable DSP crossover, with only gain controls for balancing
the output amplifiers:

Figure 15: Klipsch-provided fixed DSP crossover for second-gen Jubilee

There is no provision to equalizing the in-room bass amplitude response below the room’s Schroeder
frequency (~ 150-200 Hz for most listening rooms) using the Klipsch crossover, something that is quite
easy to do with a general-purpose DSP crossover, such as a Xilica or higher-quality miniDSP crossover.

Phase Growth Due to Embedded DSP Crossover Filters

The crossover filters used in the Klipsch DSP box appear to be fourth order IIR filters, (apparently
Linkwitz-Riley type) low-pass/high-pass filters without FIR filter phase correction. The plots below
compare a first-gen Jubilee converted using a dialed-in Celestion Axi2050 driver and a Xilica XP DSP
crossover (orange traces) to the second gen Jubilee using its Klipsch-provided DSP crossover (yellow
traces).

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Figure 16 First-gen (orange) vs. second-gen (yellow) Jubilee phase response

Figure 17 First-gen (orange) vs. Second-gen (yellow) SPL Response On K-402 Axis

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Figure 18 First-gen Jubilee excess group delay response (i.e., SPL output only above 31 Hz)

Figure 19 Second-gen Jubilee excess group delay response using Klipsch DSP crossover (SPL output to 16 Hz)

With a loudspeaker the caliber of the Jubilee, the sudden growth of phase and excess group delay (i.e.,
the instantaneous slope of the phase curve) is very audible. In order to remedy this in the crossover

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design, the entire DSP crossover must be replaced with a third-party unit due to the inability to adjust
any settings in the Klipsch DSP crossover (except relative output overall channel gains). Note that the
quality of the replacement DSP unit must be high enough to preclude noisy operation and lower
resolution digital processing (96 kHz sampling rate vs. 48 kHz) since the loudspeaker itself has something
like 105 dB/1m sensitivity and extremely clear output response.

Without the use of FIR filters to correct phase and group delay, this produces a large phase/group delay
discontinuity throughout the crossover interference band, as shown in figures 16 and 19 above, resulting
in the large phase growth across the loudspeaker’s passband. Removing this phase growth and its
attendant large excess group delay at the crossover point will result in a much different subconsciously
engaging sound presentation. Below is an excerpt from a forum thread on the subjective/subconscious
effects of achieving phase correction of Jubilees to explain what that difference is. This effect was one of
the most exciting discoveries that this author has made in his Hi-Fi experiences:

Increased Perception of Bass

One of the interesting changes that occurred when reworking the first-gen Jubilees crossover filters to
achieve flat phase response [ref. figure 15] is that my wife started to comment on how much more bass
response there was. While this may seem farfetched, Toole talks about this subjective effect in his
book:

Craven and Gerzon (1992) stated that the phase distortion caused by the high pass
response is audible, even if the cutoff frequency is reduced to 5 Hz. They say it causes
the bass to lack “tightness” and become “woolly.” Phase equalization of the
bass...subjectively extends the effective bass response by the order of half an octave.

This effect occurred in my listening room even though the measured on-axis SPL response was flat or
slightly rising to 17 Hz both beforehand and afterward. The crossover frequency between the
subwoofers and the first-gen Jubilee bass bins is 40 Hz.

Elimination of Harshness:

Others have mentioned that they are no longer hearing harsh sounds from the loudspeakers. Any time
that we play a recording that hasn't been multitrack recorded in recording booths, i.e., symphonic, solo
concertos and sonatas, choral pieces, etc., the sound is like sitting in the audience of a large music
hall. It’s actually difficult now to stop listening to these recordings once they're turned on.

Recently, I've seen people asking how to reduce the "fatigue factor" and the harshness of sound in
various home theater threads. I believe that I now know exactly how to achieve that--but the price of
admission is bi/tri-amping and DSP crossovers to flatten not only the frequency response, but also the
phase response of all of the loudspeakers in the array. In stereo mode, the effect is actually heightened
over this effect in multichannel mode.

Quasi-linear-phase response has further improved upon the overall subjective sound quality. Phase
response flatness does have a large part to play in the hi-fi reproduction of music.

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Apparently, a large part of the "little monitors on stands" or full-range drivers experience/preference is
wrapped up with this effect. When flattening the phase with a full 5.1 array, the effect is pronounced
when playing the best acoustic recordings.

It is recommended to use Xilica XP, XD, or Solaro series processors for DSP units for this upgrade. Trying
to use DSP crossovers of lesser quality will be audible in the output of the Jubilee in the form of noise
floor and reduced overall fidelity.

FIR filtering can also be used in the crossover or upstream in a PC if the user desires steep slope
crossovers. This will also achieve flat phase/excess group delay response through the crossover band,
but requires significantly more real-time computing horsepower, and also significantly higher insertion
time delays (which can be a problem in home theater setups synchronizing video).

However the response seen above for the first gen Jubilee uses PEQs only combined with naturally
falling driver/horn acoustic response to accomplish the low phase growth.

Summary Costs and Required Effort of DIY First-Gen Jubilee Upgrades

To say that the difference in sound quality from the Jubilees as they sounded from the factory using K-
69-A drivers, XTi-1000 amplifiers, and no subwoofers is like the difference between the living and the
dead…would be an understatement. I suppose no amount of hyperbole could match the audible
differences in what we hear now. That makes it difficult to report on the net result of the upgrades.

To be sure, the upgrades mentioned above were arrived at incrementally by the author over the span of
15 years in the author’s listening room. However, you don’t have to wait 15 years or even a year to
upgrade first-generation Jubilees to match or exceed second-gen Jubilee performance in-room. The
upgrades mentioned above can be priced:

Price Item

$2K 2 x Celestion Axi2050 2” compression drivers (BMS 4592ND drivers cost roughly 2/3rd that price)

$100 2 x 3D printed phase plug extensions for the Axi2050 drivers (none needed if using BMS
4592NDs)

$1K Xilica XP-4080 DSP crossover or equivalent (i.e., but not Behringer, DriveRack, miniDSP 2x4, etc.)

$800 2 x DIY TH-SPUD subwoofers (assumes user supplies stereo amplifier already on hand)

$3.9K…or as little as about $2.3K using alternative components

These upgrades applied to first-gen Jubilees with stock K-69-A or K-691 compression drivers will equal or
exceed the sound quality of the second-gen Jubilee in-room. Cosmetic upgrades are at the discretion of
the owner, but in no case should the cost of veneer, horn-mouth plywood frames and acoustic cloth to
cover the bass bin mouths exceed $1K, even for exotic applique wood veneers.

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Clearly, the effort required to build DIY TH-SPUD subwoofers is the most time-consuming task listed
above, but 40 hours (max.) is probably a conservative estimate, along with any added time to make the
exterior finish look pretty--not included in the 40-hour estimate. A quilted cover, like the picture shown
above, is a way to avoid large investments of time and “elbow grease” on making the TH-subs look nice
and inviting in-room. The rest of the upgrades takes only the time to unbolt/bolt-up compression drivers
and reconnect associated cable connectors for the DSP crossover.

Comparing even the $3.9K higher price shown above with the price of buying new second-gen Jubilees
($35K+) is a motivating factor to achieve the same (or better) sound quality from your first-gen Jubilees.

Dialing-In the Setup Using REW and DSP crossover after hardware upgrades

Contact the author via private message for assistance in the task of dialing-in your setup using whichever
compression drivers and subwoofers you choose. The author has helped many on-line owners dial-in
their setups using email as the communication medium for the REW measurement files and the DSP
crossover preset files (*.xdat or *.xml, etc.). It usually takes an afternoon of measurements and email
exchanges to properly dial-in a setup using 7-8 round-robin updates. (This is a no-cost service for first-
gen Jubilee owners.)

Chris Askew 19 February, 2023

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