The Official Klipsch Speakers Thread

[sandman6662]

Well I guess I can join in on the old school Here. My 1st klipsch purchase was in the early 80's in Naples Italy , Okay no laughing okay but Kenwood was good back then NO CD players yet. Back then it was cassette's & records.LOL. Anyways Nakamichi made the Dragon this cassette player sold for like $3,000 in the states but was like $900.00 there.This was the Holy Grail of the best there was .. I was putting a system together , Just MUSIC. and had everything but the speakers , so iwent to check them out , had a okay budget Si i was looking at the Infinity's and they sounded good but no bottom end for me and some other brand forgot , they guy said close your eyes and listen to these ,so i did and man the room was alive , it was rock heaven the highs were crisp clear like I was in the concert with the bad. and the low end bass was tight , I really was impressed , open my eyes and said what are they he said guess , i did'nt have a clue he started playing them agian , and said they were Klipsch , I said okay I know I can't afford them as I heard of them and in the ststes they were quite expessive, and he replied there cheaper than the Infinity's I said I'll take them , they were the Klipsch KG2.2 they were small a 8' driver & horn in the front and a 10" passive raidiator in the back , They were awsome, back then a pair for $257.00 what a steal , took them and my othe goodies Kenwood intgrated Amp & Dragon Cassette deack back to the ship to have some fun oh yeah I was in the US Navy at the time , got back and it was awsome every one loved them a couple of buddies were goin over to buy system's also . A friend in my shop came back with the Heresy's oh man iwas pissed these thing's rock even better than the KG2.2's so that was my 1st encounter with Klipsh , And all I can say is I have'nt found a speaker that even comes close to ever changing my mind a Klipsch fan for life,. Now I have tried some others , also my wife bought me some Bose once they sucked I had a Parradigam center , nope did'nt like it had some advents really sucked. did come close once with a pair of Magnapans but different class of speaker electrastatic , these I traded for they were 20 years old and still mint condition they were 6 feet tall 2 feet wide and 2 inches deep they were awsome with Jazz, Country, Pop Rock & some Hard Rock as long as you had a subb for the bass ,But still sorry I went back to the Klipsch , Chours II these rocked hard , awsome , I actually got my wife to listen to a pair of Cornwalls one time she was blown away , said they were butt ugly but sounded perfect. I jst saw a use set at one of the shops this past spring for sale well they were sold , because if they were I would have bought them thy sold them for $600.00 for the pair ,mint condition, what a steal , he said no one wanted big speakers no more, all compact, also my last system I had a pair of Klipsch KG5.5 for Music with a Klipsch KSW- 15 " sub , Man these were like heavy rock days , had them in a system with 5 (five) Klipsch KG2.5 for home theater with the KSW-15" sub also , Also have heard the Klipschorns and I can agree if I had the money & the room I would have these for sure as my wife also says they are here's too.. So My self I have heard alot of the Klipsch lines they all are great, as now I have the RF-82 for Fronts the RC-64 center & RS -42 for Surr's, and RW10 for a sub aswome speakers for today , had the smaller bookshelfs a few monts ago and just upgraded, this will be my last speaker upgrade, well I want to go up to the RW-12d subb, sometime, but my system is complete for now , Just go up to a 1080 TV in time and I'm done , time to sit back and watch the Movies and listen to Tunes,,LOL ,,,I feel you can go wrong with any Klipsch speaker line , and the customer service is parr to none, they are awsome to the fans,,

Spelling sucks tonight tired, sorry ..to lazy to correct it.


Actually I jaust want to say THANK YOU KLIPSCH for all the enjoyment you have ever given me...RoCK ON ..

ps My son has Klipsch speakers toooo....

[allstar780]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

Side note - have we YET to actually GET a Klipsch RF-XX owner in this thread yet?!

Come on, chaps! You guys are always around and you decide to hide tonight?!

I was the second response in the thread!!!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

I drool to afford Rotel's new 2008 offerings - perhaps if early 2009 is very good to me. I know Scoobs has already put a down on one of the Rotel preamp units, going to have to hit him up for his views when he matches them with his own 683s...

Of course I'm going to, hmm, shall I say - 'toot my own horn' (heaven forbid you do that with Klipsch Reference series, the pun jokes just write themselves) - with my B&Ws, but - I cry a little inside every time I listen to them, all I've known prior to them where HTiBs. For the same reason I never listened to the Logans, I also avoided listening to the 700s - like test-driving a car you can't have! Definitely do need pictures of that Heritage set-up though, I'm gauging their size very poorly, I think - and their power!

Change your thinking JJ - even it you can't afford them...listen to them. It gives you a reference (pun on Klipsch RF series not intended ). After listining to speakers you can't afford, you know what you are looking for in a speaker. I used to do this all the time (Duntech Black Knights, ML Monoliths, K-Horns, just to name a few). Always expose yourself to something more - even if you can't afford it - at least you can say that you have heard some of your favorite music on some of the best gear - and who knows, the day may come when you finally can afford it !!!! The size of the klipsch are short and thick but very powerful! I watch Iron Man again last night and my wife was not pleased (she was in the bedroom with the door closed trying to sleep - hey its the weekend, I didn't know she was sleeping ) Anyway this morning she states the walls were shaking (we have solid timbers in our house its about 100 years old that wood is like cement)! She likes the system but she hasn't experience that type of raw power since my old days (when I had that type of cash). She went out just now for a nail appointment but called me and told me I scored big with those speakers.

[Slec]

Originally Posted by JJxiv1215

Side note - have we YET to actually GET a Klipsch RF-XX owner in this thread yet?!

Come on, chaps! You guys are always around and you decide to hide tonight?!

<------RF82, RC62, RB35's as surrounds.

My guess is there are many here who have not heard the classic Klipsch line. lurking in other klipsch threads, sandman clearly has a passion for the brand which is so great to see. I kind of like there aren't a lot of responses in this thread, its kept if from the usual anti-RF line banter.

On that note, prerich, have you trialed the RF-82/83's in home? Just curious what your comparison between them and your Heresys would be.

[prerich]

Oh, biggest craigslist deal I missed - 4 pairs of LaScallas for 400.00 a pair. Looking for Martin deals now !!! They may be out there!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Slec

<------RF82, RC62, RB35's as surrounds.

My guess is there are many here who have not heard the classic Klipsch line. lurking in other klipsch threads, sandman clearly has a passion for the brand which is so great to see. I kind of like there aren't a lot of responses in this thread, its kept if from the usual anti-RF line banter.

On that note, prerich, have you trialed the RF-82/83's in home? Just curious what your comparison between them and your Heresys would be.

I haven't tried the RF's in my home - I heard them with some Aragon Amps in a show room - sound was good but didn't impress me (in comparison to other Heritage Klipsch I had heard in Rota Spain - that has always been my Klipsch reference pun not intended again ). I don't know, there's a sweetness that seems to be missing with the RF's IMHO, to me they were good speakers...but didn't sound like Klipsch. Maybe its nostalgia, cause I am a vintage type person. Now I do like the offerings of some of the newer companies, but the older companies like Klipsch, Infinity, and Polk are all turning into mass market type companies (Glad that Klipsch kept the Heritage and added Palladium - Infinity has yet to put together a new real high-end offerinig, Polk has the LSis but can do even better ). Once proud companies are now common - maybe that's why you dont see Heritage and Palladium around just anywhere.

RF's 82's are very powerful - but with that power - they didn't "move" me. I hope that Martin Logan is not trying to go the mass market route either - I thought that's were they were headed with the Montage stuff, but then they came out with some more ESL's - thats a real ML - it has to have an ESL! I would love to put some RF-82's next to my Heresys for a one on one showdown! For HT however - the Heresys have an unfair advantage - their height makes it easy to have three across the front for perfect pans!

[Slec]

Originally Posted by prerich

I haven't tried the RF's in my home - I heard them with some Aragon Amps in a show room - sound was good but didn't impress me (in comparison to other Heritage Klipsch I had heard in Rota Spain - that has always been my Klipsch reference pun not intended again ). I don't know, there's a sweetness that seems to be missing with the RF's IMHO, to me they were good speakers...but didn't sound like Klipsch. Maybe its nostalgia, cause I am a vintage type person. Now I do like the offerings of some of the newer companies, but the older companies like Klipsch, Infinity, and Polk are all turning into mass market type companies (Glad that Klipsch kept the Heritage and added Palladium - Infinity has yet to put together a new real high-end offerinig, Polk has the LSis but can do even better ). Once proud companies are now common - maybe that's why you dont see Heritage and Palladium around just anywhere.

RF's 82's are very powerful - but with that power - they didn't "move" me. I hope that Martin Logan is not trying to go the mass market route either - I thought that's were they were headed with the Montage stuff, but then they came out with some more ESL's - thats a real ML - it has to have an ESL! I would love to put some RF-82's next to my Heresys for a one on one showdown! For HT however - the Heresys have an unfair advantage - their height makes it easy to have three across the front for perfect pans!

Maybe I missed them, but do you have any pics of these bad boys in action? I found the RF-82's actually sounded better in home then at the stores. They were a touch bright initially, but have since really started to shine with music playback. I think like with any setup, it just takes time and tweaking to get it right for ones listening tastes and listening room. After a week of use the speakers DEFINITELY sounded different to me (I believed in break-in, but never noticed any difference in sound, it was more of a preventative maintenence thing). Had to tweak some more.

The RF line is such a different animal (and price point) from even the Montage speakers. I like ML speakers, but I've always tried to make my comparison to my dream speakers (Focal 836's). I heard a few speakers that sounded a bit more like my end goal, but they were twice as much per speaker, I flat out didn't have that kind of cash, and the difference wasn't enough to convince me to be patient. The ML Vista's came pretty close to the sound I like, but they're more expensive than the Focal's! and 1 of those bad boys costs as much as my current setup.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Slec

Maybe I missed them, but do you have any pics of these bad boys in action? I found the RF-82's actually sounded better in home then at the stores. They were a touch bright initially, but have since really started to shine with music playback. I think like with any setup, it just takes time and tweaking to get it right for ones listening tastes and listening room. After a week of use the speakers DEFINITELY sounded different to me (I believed in break-in, but never noticed any difference in sound, it was more of a preventative maintenence thing). Had to tweak some more.

The RF line is such a different animal (and price point) from even the Montage speakers. I like ML speakers, but I've always tried to make my comparison to my dream speakers (Focal 836's). I heard a few speakers that sounded a bit more like my end goal, but they were twice as much per speaker, I flat out didn't have that kind of cash, and the difference wasn't enough to convince me to be patient. The ML Vista's came pretty close to the sound I like, but they're more expensive than the Focal's! and 1 of those bad boys costs as much as my current setup.

Maybe that's the problem - they were very bright for my taste. They were new in the shop, but were supposedly broken in. I'm going to post a picture of the Heresys real soon (although I would like to wait until I get the badge for the one that's missing).

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Slec

Maybe I missed them, but do you have any pics of these bad boys in action?

Posted a picture in the Home Theater Pics section

[RIPSeanTaylor21]

Originally Posted by prerich

Posted a picture in the Home Theater Pics section

[prerich]

What's up, I see you didn't go to the Icon series yet (I checked them out this weekend, but the jury is still out - I'll wait till they have been broken in a bit more). Did you check the picture that I have posted out yet?

[Slec]

Originally Posted by prerich

Posted a picture in the Home Theater Pics section

Excellent! Looks like you've got them on angled stands (?).

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Slec

Excellent! Looks like you've got them on angled stands (?).

Yes, sir !!!!

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by prerich

Posted a picture in the Home Theater Pics section

The pic is really dark! I'd like to see some more/larger/brighter pics of your setup!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by aramis109

The pic is really dark! I'd like to see some more/larger/brighter pics of your setup!

Yeah, I gotta learn how to take a good pic I will mess with this camera (its cheap) and see what I can do.

[prerich]

Hey everybody - I know we have a bunch of Klipsch owners out there but not many replying to the thread. I'm going to stir the pot a little bit and quote an interview with Klipsch Engineer, Jim Hunter concering the Cornwalls vs the RF-83's

"Cornwalls vs. RF-83s: what is your opinion on the older technology vs. new stuff, do you think listening is a very personal thing? Is the 2000s reference line better than the 1980s Heritage line? Is this even something you can answer without political consequences"?
"Ah, you DO want to get me in trouble……. The older technology was “more to the point”. That is, it took the path of least resistance in terms of form vs. function. Today the W.A.F. rules, and mamma wants slim, i.e., essentially no-width baffles. Well, the woofer “likes” an ample baffle such as is present on the Cornwall. In the case of the RF83 (and family), its virtual absence demands more drivers and stronger motors to get back to roughly the same place".


Anybody's take on this...For or against. As you answer and I see the points (if the come out like I expect them to) I will have another question to ask everyone regardless of their speaker manufacturer or preference.

[Slec]

Sir Terrence's thoughts on the brightness of Klipsch

Folks need to give the new Klipsch speaker line a listen. The problem with earlier Klipsch speakers had nothing to do with the material the tweeter was made of. It was the differences in sensitivity of the tweeter and mid/bass drivers. The tweeter(because of the horn loading) had a much higher sensitivity than the mid/bass drivers, so when the volume went up, the tweeter was always louder than the cone driver. This made the speaker bright at normal listening levels, and VERY bright at louder levels. The newer designs have a tweeter and mid/bass cone much closer in sensitivity, so they maintain their balance much better when turned up.

[allstar780]

I think what he said is pretty accurate... I would love to have bigger cabinets for my 35s... they have beautiful bass performance but the drivers could surely use more room to play and more air to play with... if I knew anything about it i would likely build a new cabinet for my towers

[allstar780]

Originally Posted by Slec

Sir Terrence's thoughts on the brightness of Klipsch

Agreed on that too... they aren't as "bright" or "harsh" as anyone tells me they should be and if I took the klipsch badges off and left the grilles on, many nay-sayers would probably not think they were too harsh or bright

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Slec

Sir Terrence's thoughts on the brightness of Klipsch

PWK had the nerve to state "If my speakers don't sound good in your room - you need to fix your room" On a serious note, I've heard Klipsch sound bright and shrill, I've also heard them sound smooth and mellow. In my current room the latter applies, but the ceiling in that room is composed of acoustic tile. I belive the room also has a lot to do with it - along with break-in periods ect. I know many RF series owners who are happy with their purchases - and I have only heard them and the Icons at a disadvantage. I would love to hear a used pair in my home. Any volunteers to come to the Panhandle with their RF's for a movie, music session?