Deang

Thanks for the visit Kosta! I buy from people who have integrity and make a good product -- and I don't care where they are from.

Man Tony -- the list is almost endless. If he doesn't want or need them -- just ask if you can have them. Then handle gently and compile a list of what you have. Whatever you do -- don't give any away or sell for cheap until what you know you have. These are all vintage tubes. You also need to know that many tubes that are now used for audio were originally used for different things. The 6SN7 for example was originally used in televisions -- but is now used in preamps. The 6922 was widely used in medical equipment -- now used in preamps as well.

I see a lot of boxes with labels I can't read. There might be a handful or two of jewels in there!

THAT sounds like the perfect prescription.

Yeesh. Time to up my medication. I can't tell a slam from a compliment anymore.

Craig, I love you like a brother -- which is why I also think you are an ***.

What's so funny that you got such a good laugh? That if you put a Reference speaker on a good amp they sound good, and if you put them on a mass market HT receiver they sound mediocre? Is this any different than what Heritage users have found out with their Klipschorns, Belles, LaScalas, Cornwalls, etc? I was shooting my mouth off about Reference when I bought the RB-5's three years ago and first joined the forum -- and in spite of not being widely reviewed -- have continued to say good things about them based just on listening. Laugh away -- Leo, myself, and a handful of others will continue to enjoy the world class performance of the RF-7's when driven by good gear.

Thanks Don. Hi Jeff, welcome to the forum! Not knowing your musical tastes and listening habits in advance -- so I made an educated guess. The RF-7's will deliver unrestricted dynamics with SET amps up to 90db with no problem -- as long as you are within 12 feet of them. At 95db and above, things begin to compress. I didn't know where in your room you would be doing your listening -- so I figured worst case. You need to subtract 3db for every 3 feet you move away from them. I'm not always a headbanger -- and I've found the RF-7's do better overall with 20 watts or more. Of course, I typically listen at 90db or slightly higher.

Full credit needs to go to Leo who was the first to attack the crossovers -- I just threw myself on his coat-tails. Incidently, the first time I heard RF-7's -- they were hooked up to Integra's $5000 flagship amp. The amp probably weighed as much as my whole rack. I've never heard the RF-7's not sound great. I've had them on both the Bryston 3B-ST and Aragon 4004 MK II with tube preamps -- and they kicked some serious arse in both cases. I do prefer the silky rich midrange of tubes over the drive and force of SS.

What about them? I've never looked inside an RF-3. Why don't you take them out and look.

!

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I guess my hearing isn't as bad as I thought -- or this guy is as deaf as I am. I believe this is the review that Bob Gassel told me about almost a year ago -- I'm surprised it took this long for it to pop up. I think it's safe to say that if your speakers have the Klipsch label, regardless of model -- you are going to enjoying the music. Congrats Klipsch!

Was page two of my initial lame attempt at getting the jpg of the article from VTV in here. Ignore.

Article reprinted in full further down within the thread with permission from Charlie Kittleson of Vacuum Tube Valley. www.vacuumtube.com

"I've come to the conclusion that crossovers are evil, but that there is no such thing as a single truely full range driver, like so many of the SET fans would suggest." Everything in the signal path is evil, including the drivers. That's why I think it's important to keep things simple and use the best parts possible. There several good quality full range types -- the problem is the high IM distortion inherent in using them that way. A crossover with good parts and a design that integrates the chosen drivers, and plays them to their strengths is definitely the way to go. Why limit your options? The type B crossover in the Cornwall has very few parts and would also be a great speaker for SET -- especially in that room you plan on building. I don't know of any speaker manufacturer that publishes all of the design specifics of their products -- especially the crossover circuit. The whole thing is as much art as science, and if I were a designer of a successful design -- I might keep it all pretty close to the vest myself. Of course, anyone with the proper instruments can take a speaker down and test the specifics and reverse engineer the whole thing. Though I have learned quite a bit about the circuit, I am neither an artist or an engineer, and I don't really understand everything going on in it. Even knowing what I know, I won't discuss it openly on the Klipsch public forum -- as the circuit is being used in current production. However, if you were an RF-7 owner, and were interested in this mod -- I would be more than happy to help through email correspondance. BTW -- you might find that room excessively large to accomodate low wattage.

Hmmm. Leo, I don't know about that. I thought it took a doubling of amplifier power to increase a speaker's output level 3db -- which is what the human hear perceives as the next appreciable, or detectable level of 'loudness'. I believe a 10db increase is perceived as "twice as loud". 90db @ 1 watt 93db @ 2 watts 96db @ 4 watts 99db @ 8 watts At the 100db point you would be 'twice as loud'. So, it takes 10 times the power to double the sound pressure level. You also add 3db to the total to account for the output of the other speaker, and another 3 db for room gain. In that room, with 12 watts -- I'd be looking at Scalas

"This is where my DBX 5BX-DS 5-Band Dynamic Range Controller comes in handy to push down some of the overdone transients on CD's." According to what I just read with the link you provided - you're DBX 5BX wouldn't do squat. In the less than a handful of examples given regarding the clipped, or excessively compressed signal -- the data is gone. There is nothing to recover. The other examples showing the signals pushing up to 100% are fine as far as I'm concerned. What the hell is the difference between doing this, and having the VU meter bounce past 0 into the +3/red range while making recordings on a reel to reel or cassette deck? The funny thing here is that I owned that Bryan Adams CD, and it sounded like sh!t -- along with just about everything else produced through the 80's. Further, this guy used two or three CD's -- and declares the whole industry has gone wacko. I don't think anyone can draw any real conclusions from what he presented.

ah...found that picture.

Craig, what is it, and how do I get a copy?

Ha ha -- you're a funny guy. The difference will be going from the best metallized polypropylenes to the best film and foils. This next set will run about $600. Ready to copy that?

You know m00n (what the hell is your name anyways -- do we really have to keep calling you 'm00n' -- I really don't know. The problem is that I don't really know much about HT. I do venture into HT forums every now and the mostly because I'd like to eventually get into some multi-channel music. My understanding with the timbre matching bit is that it is freaking critical for creating a transparent soundfield. Compared to the stock version, my RF-7's are more authoritative on the low end, a wee bit (and I mean a wee bit) less in the face yet still very transparent in the middle, and a top end that's as smooth as glass. They are still RF-7's -- with better bass and without the hash and grain. I think you would have to do the center, but the rears could be done later if at all. You would know for sure after you had the setup for a while. If it was my system, I would do the center just for the improvement it would bring -- not so much for the timbre matching issue. You might want to confer with Horned or Boa -- I'm out of my realm when it comes to HT.

Hey Dave -- you survived 'The Chair', how about helping me move these things with a good word or two.

If it works -- buy it. 6L6 is supposed to be a real nice sounding tube.

...and buy my custom crossovers using some of the best parts in the industry. I would like to build another set based on the AudioCap Theta film and foils. Basically, this next set is going to be cost no object. However, with money being the way it is these days -- I need to recoup the investment from the first set, as well as wait another three weeks before money starts to free up again. The RF-7 is already a great speaker -- but these crossovers definitely crank things up a notch or two. I am offering these for $375 shipped. Kind of pricey -- buy you get what you pay for. I was going to hand these to Bob Gassel next month for him and the R&D guys at Klipsch to play with for a while -- but the budget doesn't really allow me the luxury of building the new ones from scratch without the additional cash these would bring. If you are using the RF-7 in a HT system, it would be necessary to upgrade the other speakers as well in order to maintain perfect timbre matching. The RC-7, or another RF-7 can be upgraded for about $150. The two rears should probably only need to have the tweeter circuit upgraded. If the person who buys these has a HT system, I would do the work for free -- they would only have to send me the original crossovers and pay for parts. These will come with complete installation instructions, and the internal wiring will be labeled. No soldering, as all of the wires are terminated with Panduit gold plated quick connects. The entire process takes less than an hour for both speakers. I guarantee a jaw dropping improvement. You get them for two weeks, and if you decide you don't want them -- send them back. Below is the parts list with prices rounded to the nearest dollar. As you can see, I'm not exactly making a killing on these. Four 1% 12W non-inductive Mills resistors - $14 Four Audience Auricaps - $94 Four ICW SA Series Clarity Caps - $117 Four Madisound Custom Wound Inductors - $10 2 Solen Perfect Lay Inductors 14 AWG - $20 Northcreek Audio copper/silver/teflon wire - $14 Terminals/screws/gold plated quick connects/boards - $20 Approximate Total UPS Charges - $35 Total - $324