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  1. Home
  2. Klipsch Speakers
  3. Klipsch Heresy IV vs Klipsch Heritage Rebellion

Klipsch Heresy IV vs Klipsch Heritage Rebellion Comparison

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Klipsch Heresy IV

Passive Floor-standing | 48-20k Hz

Klipsch Heritage Heresy IV
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Klipsch Heritage Rebellion

Passive Bookshelf | 60-20k Hz

Klipsch Heritage Rebellion
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Klipsch Heresy IV Klipsch Heresy IV
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Klipsch Heritage Rebellion Klipsch Heritage Reb...
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Klipsch Heresy IV
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Klipsch Heritage Reb...
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Klipsch Heresy IV vs Klipsch Heritage Rebellion Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Klipsch. Klipsch Heritage Heresy IV is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Rebellion is a Bookshelf speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Klipsch Heresy IV and Klipsch Heritage Rebellion first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key SpecsKlipsch Heresy IVKlipsch Heritage Rebellion
Design3-way2-way
Tweeter1" horn-loadedCompression Horn
Midrange1.75"—
Woofer12" Fiber-composite8" Paper
Frequency response48-20k Hz60-20k Hz
Sensitivity99 dB95 dB
Impedance8 ohms8 ohms
Power rangeup to 100 wattsup to 200 watts
Weight20.45kg / 45lbs14.51kg / 31.9lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)24-13/16" x 15-1/2" x 13-1/4"
631.0 x 394.0 x 337.0mm
19-1/8" x 12" x 9-3/4"
485.0 x 305.0 x 247.0mm

Heresy IV and Rebellion are members of Klipsch's Heritage series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Klipsch Heritage Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Klipsch Cornwall IV
  
Floor-standing 34-20k Hz 102 dB8Ω 1 x 15"
Klipsch La Scala AL6
  
Floor-standing 40-19k Hz 103 dB8Ω 1 x 12"
Klipsch Forte IV
  
Floor-standing 38-20k Hz 99 dB8Ω 1 x 12"
Klipsch Heresy IV
Floor-standing 48-20k Hz 99 dB8Ω 1 x 12"
Klipsch Klipschorn AK7
  
Floor-standing 34-19k Hz 103 dB8Ω 1 x 15"
Klipsch La Scala AL5
  
Floor-standing 51-20k Hz 105 dB8Ω 1 x 15"
Klipsch Klipschorn AK6
  
Floor-standing 33-20k Hz 105 dB8Ω 1 x 15"
Klipsch Heresy III
  
Floor-standing 58-20k Hz 99 dB8Ω 1 x 12"
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion
Bookshelf 60-20k Hz 95 dB8Ω 1 x 8"
Klipsch Heritage Klipschorn 80th Anniversary
  
Floor-standing 34-20k Hz 103 dB8Ω 1 x 15"

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.


**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Heresy IV is a 3-way design whereas the Rebellion is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.

Tweeter - 1 inchMidrange - 1.75 inchWoofer - 12 inch
Klipsch Heresy IV
Woofer - 8 inch
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion

TweeterMidrangeWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver Klipsch Heresy IV Klipsch Heritage Rebellion
Driver Setup 3-way 2-way
Tweeter 1-inch -inch
Midrange 1 x 1.75-inch -
Woofer 1 x 12-inch 1 x 8-inch

Heresy IV features a 1" titanium-diaphragm compression horn-loaded Tweeter, a 1.75" Midrange and 1 x 12" Fiber-composite Woofer. On the other hand, the Rebellion features a " K-702 driver Compression Horn Tweeter and 1 x 8" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 715Hz.

Frequency Response

Heresy IV has a frequency range of 48-20k Hz whereas Rebellion has a frequency range of 60-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Heresy IV can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Rebellion's min frequency of 60Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.

Low Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Heresy IV
Rebellion
Min
Average
Median

Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

Heresy IV and Rebellion have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Heresy IV sensitivity is rated at 99 dB and the Rebellion's is at 95 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Klipsch Heresy IV a more sensitive speaker compared to Klipsch Heritage Rebellion, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Heresy IV
Rebellion
Min
Average
Median

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.

Rebellion can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Heresy IV has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Rebellion.

Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays on a real amplifier.

Which plays louder on your amplifier?

Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are considering, and watch both numbers move.

Klipsch Heresy IV
 
Klipsch Heritage Rebellion
 

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Heresy IV features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Rebellion has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Physical Specs

The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Klipsch Heresy IV's and Klipsch Heritage Rebellion's external dimensions. Klipsch Heresy IV has external dimensions of 631.0 x 394.0 x 337.0mm (24-13/16 x 15-1/2 x 13-1/4inch) whereas Klipsch Heritage Rebellion has external dimensions of 485.0 x 305.0 x 247.0mm (19-1/8 x 12 x 9-3/4inch).

Klipsch Heresy IV is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 89mm wider, 146mm taller and 90mm deeper than Klipsch Heritage Rebellion.

Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited. The base surface area of the Klipsch Heresy IV is approximately 1327.8cm2 / 205.8inch2 and base area of the Klipsch Heritage Rebellion is approximately 753.4cm2 / 116.8inch2. The Heresy IV requires 76% more surface area than the Rebellion which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of Klipsch Heresy IV?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Heresy IV:
  • 2 Floor-standing loudspeakers
  • 2 Detachable grilles (installed)
  • 2 Base risers (installed)
  • 8 Self-adhesive rubber feet
  • 4 Jumper-straps (installed)
  • Owners Manual
  • Congratulations letter
  • Klipsch brochure


Reasons to choose Klipsch Heritage Heresy IV over Klipsch Heritage Rebellion

Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity 99 dB vs 95 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size 12 inches vs 8 inches Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response 48 Hz vs 60 Hz Generates deeper bass
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring Yes vs No Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections

Reasons to choose Klipsch Heritage Rebellion over Klipsch Heritage Heresy IV

Max Input Power 200 watts vs 100 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
Height 485mm vs 631mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area 753cm2 vs 1327cm2 Takes less floor space

Klipsch Heresy IV vs Klipsch Heritage Rebellion Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications
General Klipsch Heritage Heresy IV Klipsch Heritage Rebellion
Brand Klipsch Klipsch
Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Bookshelf speakers
Power Range up to 100 watts up to 200 watts
Sensitivity 99 dB 95 dB
Impedance 8 ohms 8 ohms
Impedance n/a 3.3 ohms
Frequency Response 48-20k Hz 60-20k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity 1 1
Woofer Size 12" 8"
Woofer Composition Fiber-composite Paper
Woofer Surround Material Treated cloth n/a
Tweeter Size 1" -
Tweeter Type horn-loaded Compression Horn
Aimable Tweeter No No
Midrange Driver 1.75" No
Crossover Frequency n/a 715Hz
Firing Direction n/a rear
Physical Specs
Height 631.0mm (24.8") 485.0mm (19.1")
Width 394.0mm (15.5") 305.0mm (12")
Depth 337.0mm (13.3") 247.0mm (9.7")
Weight 20.45kg (45lbs) 14.51kg (31.9lbs)
Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
Finish MDF/Wood veneer 18 mm MDF with real wood veneer
Available Colors Black Black Ash, Walnut
Mounting Bracket No
Grille Yes Yes
Moisture Resistancy No No
Connections
Biamp Inputs Yes No
Other
Parts Warranty 10 Years 5 Years
Labor Warranty 10 Years 5 Years

Verdict

Siblings in Klipsch's Heritage series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

AreaBetterWhy
Bass A Klipsch Heresy IV digs deeper - 48Hz against 60Hz.
Amplifier needs A Klipsch Heresy IV is more sensitive (99dB vs 95dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom B Klipsch Heritage Rebellion takes more power (200W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size depends Klipsch Heritage Rebellion is easier to place; Klipsch Heresy IV is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type depends A Passive Floor-standing against a Passive Bookshelf - a different job rather than a better one.
Expandability A Klipsch Heresy IV: bi-amping.

A Klipsch Heresy IV   B Klipsch Heritage Rebellion
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

Klipsch Heresy IV has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 60Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Klipsch Heresy IV has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Klipsch Heritage Rebellion is the easier speaker to get right.

And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.


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