KeesGuy

Location? Will you split it up? -J.

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My first real system consisted of the following: Scott 399A receiver BIC 920 TT BIC T-1 two speed cassette BIC Formula 4 speakers (horn Mids) Audio Control 120B EQ Of that stuff, I still have the T-1 and the 120B (both in the closet) Speakers since then: Thiel 04's, Maggie SMGa's, Infinity RS-111b's, Thiel 1.2's, Maggie MMG's, Paradigm Titans, Paradigm 3SE mini's, Klipsch KG-3.5's, Klipsch SF-2's, and currently---an older pair of Paradigm 11's. Hey, I'm Klipschless right now! - Help Me!! Help Me!! -Jim

While surfing around on the net I came across Vann's website. Seeing Klipsch in the list of offered products prompted me to look. They carry a bunch of old Synergy - not terribly surprising. But then I notice they offer the Synergy floor models in CHERRY. I sold mine a while back because I couldn't stand looking at the black finish any longer. If I'd known they were offered in cherry I would have bought those to begin with. Interestingly, according to the Klipsch site, the SF's were never offered in cherry. What gives? Are they possibly non-Klipsch copies? Or are they real Klipsch intended for another market? Hmmm... http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/542557317 Actually, they're quite handsome in cherry!! -Jim

While the "Made in China" label is not new to Klipsch products, it sparked quite a debate a while ago before the moderators shut the thread down. You can check the archives in the Home Theatre forum. The original thread was titled "Reference series Made in China???". If you have philosophical issues with buying products from China you may need to look elsewhere for speakers. Not all Klipsch are made in China so you might want to check specific models. One thing for sure, if you're shopping speakers at Best Buy in the Synergy price range, you'll not likely find any speakers made in the USA. In that price range, Paradigm makes some nice speakers most, if not all of which are made in Canada. However, if you're in love with that Klipsch sound, nothing else will suffice. -Jim

I wouldn't put much value in a Best Buy audition. I had a pair of SF-2's that I bought from my local dealer before they went to just Reference. I compared them side by side with RF-3's when I bought them. Both speakers sounded great at their price points. Later, when the Synergy showed up at BB, I stopped by the Klipsch room one day and I was simply amazed at how bad the SF-2's sounded. I don't know if it was the switching unit they use or what. Perhaps they roll off the bottom end of everything to get you to buy a sub. The sound was grainy and lifeless. Unfortunately, you'll never likely hear Synergy anywhere else.

Here's an idea: Since Art didn't do a greatest or most important INTEGRATED amplifier list, perhaps we should make one for him. Sure, well, OK then, I'll start - 1. NAD 3020

Well, I really don't have much more factual information to share. Here's a link to what I read: http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=general&n=300838&highlight=klipsch+china&r=&session= This same sort of debate came up a while ago around here so my goal wasn't to repeat the China free trade debate as much as it was to find out if the RF-15's are truly made in China. Whether it belongs there or not, I put Klipsch in the same category as companies like McIntosh. These are American companies that were present at the dawn of Hi-Fi. (Yes, I know Mcintosh was purchased by Clarion several years back but I believe they still are manufactured here and the "soul" of the company is still very American). The soul of McIntosh is still very high-end as well. I think it is important for a company like Klipsch to maintain their high-end status because they will never be able to compete with the low cost and cheap labor of products designed and manufactured overseas. H.H. Scott tried to do that in the sixties and look where they are today. Klipsch needs to take the higher ground. People will pay more for quality and even some will pay more for products made in the USA. In Paul's biography he said something like he didn't want to compete with companies like JBL on sales volume. He'd rather build a better quality product. Bless you Paul.

I saw a post on the Asylum board that a guy was hooking up his RF-15's and saw the label said "Made in China". Can anyone verify if this is true? I saw that some of the centers and bookshelves at BB were made in China but I assumed that was just happening in the Synergy series.

I saw a post on the Asylum board that a guy was hooking up his RF-15's and saw the label said "Made in China". Can anyone verify if this is true? I saw that some of the centers and bookshelves at BB were made in China but I assumed that was just happening in the Synergy series.

The Reference series is a notch above the Synergy series. Reference gets copper colored woofers and titanium compression drivers and a few other goodies like the capability of Bi-wiring. Synergy gets IMG poly woofers and aluminum compression drivers. Both are good, Reference is a bit better. Most dealers will discount Reference models, RF-25 for example, to almost what Best Buy sells the comparible SF-2 for. (Best Buy's prices are rarely more than a few dollars off of list on Synergy) If you plan to buy new, you're probably going to be better off going with Reference through an authorized dealer. FWIW - Jim.

Actually, there's not as much difference as some might lead you to believe. At one time before Klipsch rearranged the distribution network, Synergy and Reference sat next to one another in a lot of dealer showrooms. Smallest to largest the floorstander line went SF-1, SF-2, RF-3, RF-5, RF-7. I directly compared the SF-1, SF-2, and RF-3 side-by-side. Yes, they got better as you moved up the line but they were obviously related in design philosophy and sound. One would, (or at least should), be able to expect they would get better as the price went up. Now this is when things got more complicated. Klipsch yanked the Synergy systems from the dealers and gave the line to Best Buy. This left the dealers without smaller towers (6 1/2" woofers and under) and Best Buy's top speaker was the SF-2 with 6 1/2" woofers which might pale next to the seemingly bigger systems from Athena and JBL. So Klipsch created the RF-15 and RF-25 to fill in the gaps for the dealers, and they created the SF-3 to give Best Buy a larger model. If you look on Audioreview.com you will find the SF-1 and SF-2 rated almost as highly as the reference models. Not a surprise really, kind of like comparing a Honda Civic to an Accord. Both are good, but one's a little better. What does all this mean? Well it comes down to this. My local dealer discounted their Klipsch Synergy and Reference about 20 percent and I chose the SF-2's because they fit in my smallish listening room better. Since Best Buy picked up Klipsch, I've never seen the SF-2 more than a few dollars off of retail. BUT, my reference dealer still will discount their product 20 percent. The SF-2 and the RF-25 now sell for about the same regardless of their respective list prices. A Reference model at a discount versus a Synergy model at list? That's a no-brainer!! Pick the Reference.

***What exactly is the spat between JGH and Dudley???*** I guess the exchange started in September based on an article of Art's in the June issue. I renewed my subscription when my boy's school was selling magazines this past Fall, (after a lapse of a few years), and I missed the actual beginning. But from what I've been able to gather it involves the absolute definition of "fidelity" and audiophiles preferring their systems to live music, etc... I also noticed the Paul Klipsch ad on page 59. It was placed by Rutledge books which I believe published Paul's biography. Still, it was more of a rememberance than an ad and was classy IMHO. Would be nice to see a nice K-horn review in 2004. Unfortuately, people would flock to their dealers to find no K-horns in sight. It would be a nice wake-up call though wouldn't it? -Jim.

Got the new March Stereophile in the mail today. Why is that significant? Well usually it's not. But, this month in the letters section, a reader goes on about the recent ongoing spat between Art Dudley and J. Gordon Holt. The reader states that he loves the "big old fully horn-loaded Klipsch speakers". He also states that he recognizes that there are a lot of fairly large colorations going on but some of the things they do right are things that no other speaker he's heard does right. They make him smile when he plays music on them and he has fun listening to them. He's had Thiel, B&W, Martin-Logan etc. but found himself listening to music less and less and said he always ended up selling them and returning to Klipsch. JGH goes on to say he agrees with him completely. Explaining basically it's the honest middle range of those speakers that makes them appealing and that's the range the rest of the music is built on. John Atkinson states in "As we see it" that he's intrigued by the exchange between those two and is trying to arrange a full Klipschorn review from Art Dudley for a future issue. Just thought I'd clue you guys in on the drama!! -Jim

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Asking $350 OBO. These were purchased in March of last year from my local dealer. They are in mint condition - no nicks or scratches and the grills are perfect with no broken pins. This is a great opportunity for someone who is assembling a Synergy HT system to save some money along the way. They are also nice for stereo listening and go about 10 hz lower than their RF-25 cousins. Local pick-up is possible in Northwest Ohio or they can be shipped at the buyer's expense. Thanks for looking - Jim. jimmattoni429@cs.com

==> the DYNAMICS of DEF TECH are amazing I think you're going to have a hard time trying to convince those around here that Def Tech's are more dynamic than Heritage Klipsch. Good Luck though! -Jim

Too bad about the AG's - they sure LOOK the part though!! -Jim.

Just curious - Has anyone heard the megabuck AvantGarde horns I've been seeing ads for? I think I remember Stereophile doing a review of one of the smaller ones a while back. Here's a link: http://www.avantgarde-usa.com/basshorns.html -Jim

Wow, Moon! A lot of those are hitting pretty close to home. Interestingly, #26 was omitted from your list. #26. Yes honey, I agree, the Bose system would look better in our room. Hopefully none of us are THAT grown up!!! -Jim.

I've listened to Def Techs on several occasions and they are OK. You know, OK in the sense that they sound nice but don't really grab you and make you pull your wallet out. I've heard them at shows, like CES, and in dealer showrooms. They look nice, sound OK, but don't really grab you and involve you musically in my opinion. It's not the bipolar thing either for me. I've spent a lot of time over the years with Magnepan speakers so it's not that I'm a "controlled directivity" guy. If your friend likes them - good for him. Smile and tell him they're nice. Which company is better? Klipsch has been around a lot longer and seems to be going strong. Whether Klipsch is getting better or not is up for a lot of debate. Klipsch seems to be moving more mainstream and seems to want to join the likes of Polk, Infinity, JBL. I believe quality and reputation are being traded for a better bottom line. That is not meant to criticize, it may be a necessary move to remain competitive in the market. Still, I fear traditional Klipsch products such as Heritage and the philosophys our their founder are rapidly becoming things of the past. Paul said "It is not my ambition to compete for sales volume with JBL. I'd rather compete for a share of the market in high-quality speakers...I'd like to be compared to Mercedes rather than General Motors." It seems that the Klipsch we know today has strayed somewhat but, at least they're still using horns!! -Jim

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These were purchased in March of last year from my local dealer. They are in mint condition - no nicks or scratches and the grills are perfect with no broken pins. This is a great opportunity for someone who is assembling a Synergy HT system to save some money along the way. They are also nice for stereo listening and go about 10 hz lower than their RF-25 cousins. Local pick-up is possible in Northwest Ohio or they can be shipped at the buyer's expense. Thanks for looking - Jim. jimmattoni429@cs.com