The Klipschorn AK7 in Black Ash — the Newest Generation of an American Original
This is the Black Ash finish of the Klipsch Klipschorn AK7. Black Ash is the most understated of the three AK7 finishes, with a tight, low-contrast grain and a satin sheen that reads more like modern furniture than a vintage hi-fi speaker — a good option if you want the AK7’s sound without the more traditional wood-tone look of Walnut or Auburn drawing the eye in a contemporary room.
What’s New in the AK7 Generation
The AK7 is the newest generation of the Klipschorn, succeeding the AK6 and inheriting the same three-way, fully horn-loaded corner-horn architecture that Paul W. Klipsch introduced in 1946. The headline change is a larger 3" K-1133-HP midrange compression driver — a full inch bigger than the outgoing AK6’s driver — mounted to an all-new K-406 Tractrix® horn with a shorter 2" throat. Klipsch also added a newly patented extended phase plug to the K-771 tweeter driver and reworked the I/O panel to add dedicated active-crossover inputs alongside the standard passive connection.
Three-Way, Fully Horn-Loaded Design
Every stage of the AK7 is horn-loaded: the K-771 compression tweeter fires into a K-792 horn, the new 3" midrange driver loads into the K-406 Tractrix® horn, and the 15" K-33-E woofer is fully enclosed in its own folded bass horn. That all-horn design is why the AK7 reaches a rated sensitivity of 103 dB and a maximum output of 120 dB at 1 meter — figures that let a modest 20-30 watt tube amplifier drive these speakers to concert-hall levels with ease.
Optional Heritage Active Crossover
The AK7’s modified input panel supports Klipsch’s optional Heritage Active Crossover, which replaces the stock passive network with an external, time- and phase-aligned active crossover for tighter integration between the three drivers. The speaker ships fully functional on its passive crossover, so the active upgrade is something you can add later rather than something you are required to buy up front.
Audition the Klipschorn AK7 in Our Ottawa Showroom
The Klipschorn is the speaker that built Klipsch’s reputation, and hearing an AK7 pair driven properly in a corner-loaded setup is an experience every serious listener should have at least once. Book an appointment at our Ottawa showroom and we will set up a pair for you, walk through corner placement and amplifier pairing, and let you compare the AK7 directly against the La Scala AL6 and, if you want to go all the way, the Jubilee. We deliver and install Klipschorn pairs across Canada.
Product Highlights
- Three-way, fully horn-loaded corner-horn loudspeaker — newest generation of the original 1946 Klipschorn
- High frequency: K-771 compression driver with new extended phase plug on K-792 horn
- Midrange: K-1133-HP 3" compression driver on all-new K-406 Tractrix® horn (2" throat)
- Low frequency: K-33-E 15" woofer, fully horn-loaded enclosure
- Frequency response: 34Hz–19kHz ±4dB passive / 34Hz–20kHz ±2.5dB active
- Sensitivity: 103 dB (2.83V/1m)
- Power handling: 100W continuous / 400W peak
- Maximum SPL: 120 dB @ 1m
- Nominal impedance: 8 ohms, 4 ohm minimum at 50Hz
- Crossover points: 380Hz, 2900Hz
- Modified I/O panel with passive and active inputs, Heritage Active Crossover-ready
- Dimensions: 31.5"W x 53.25"H x 28.125"D (each)
- Weight: 260 lbs (each)
- Book-matched Black Ash veneer over MDF/1-2" plywood enclosure
- Hand-built to order in Hope, Arkansas
- Warranty: 10 years (Klipsch Heritage warranty — explicitly covers current and future Heritage models, so the newest generation is fully protected)
What's in the Box
- 2 Klipschorn AK7 loudspeakers (each shipped as woofer cabinet + mid/tweeter cabinet)
- 2 grilles
- Assembly hardware for mating upper and lower sections
- Owner’s manual
- Klipsch “Congratulations” letter and brochure
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Klipschorn AK7 still need to sit in a corner?
The Klipschorn family is designed around corner loading — the horn geometry uses the room’s two adjoining walls to reinforce bass output, which is part of why these speakers are so efficient. Since the AK6 generation, Klipsch has given owners more flexibility to pull the speakers slightly off the corner and angle them inward to fine-tune the stereo image, and that flexibility carries over to the AK7, but corner placement is still where these speakers perform best.
What is actually different between the AK6 and the AK7?
The AK7’s biggest change is the midrange driver, which grows from the AK6’s driver to a full 3" K-1133-HP compression driver on a new K-406 Tractrix® horn, plus a newly patented extended phase plug on the tweeter and a modified I/O panel that supports Klipsch’s optional Heritage Active Crossover. It is an evolution of the same three-way, fully horn-loaded architecture rather than a ground-up redesign.
Is the 10-year warranty the same on a brand-new AK7 as it was on older Klipschorns?
Yes — Klipsch’s Heritage warranty explicitly covers current and future versions of the Klipschorn, so your new AK7 carries the full 10-year Heritage warranty from the date of purchase, the same as every other model in the Heritage lineup.
