The Legends of Audio: Inside the Klipsch Museum with Jim Hunter & Dennis Simpson
Step inside the “Mothership” of high-fidelity audio. In this exclusive deep-dive, interviewer Dennis Simpson takes us on a pilgrimage to the Klipsch Museum of Audio History in Hope, Arkansas. We are joined by the legendary Jim Hunter, a 38-year Klipsch veteran, former plant manager, and the official curator of the Klipsch archives.
This isn’t just a tour; it’s a masterclass in acoustic physics and American ingenuity. Jim Hunter reveals the “fifth career” of Paul W. Klipsch (PWK) and how a man conscripted by Uncle Sam for ballistics testing ended up revolutionizing how the world hears music.
What You’ll Discover in This Episode:
The Proving Ground Origins: Why Paul Klipsch originally came to Hope, Arkansas, during WWII and the story behind his three patents in ballistics—including the method that stopped “dud” Howitzer shells from falling on US troops.
The “Toilet Paper” Breakthrough: The humble 1919 origins of PWK’s acoustic experiments using a cardboard tube and headphones.
The 555 Compression Driver: A look at the Western Electric driver from 1926 that Jim Hunter describes as “virtually state-of-the-art today.”
The “Polished Turd” Experiment: A hilarious and scientific takedown of 1970s speaker inefficiency. Jim explains how placing a horn in front of a standard driver resulted in a staggering 17 dB increase in efficiency—effectively a 50x power gain.
The First Klipschorns: The history of “Serial Number 13” (built by the Baldwin Piano Company) and “Number 20,” which features the very first instance of the Wife Acceptance Factor (WAF)—a speaker modified to look like a liquor cabinet to save a marriage!
Acoustic Secrets: A tour of PWK’s personal listening room and recording studio, featuring unique cylindrical diffusing surfaces designed to eliminate “square bounce” echoes without creating a “dead” anechoic environment.
The BS Button: The true story of the yellow “BS” lapel pins and the 1975 University of Arkansas student who was arrested for “orderly conduct” while wearing the infamous Klipsch shirt.
📍 Visit the Museum: Hope, Arkansas.
Special Thanks to our Sponsors: Jana Cook Taylor Realty, MForce Capital, State Farm Agent Ike Eisenhower, The Home Plate Cafe, The Midnight Tavern, and Domino’s Pizza.