ottscay

If you're ever on your way to Yellowstone, stop by Thermopolis and you can listen to mine []

You certainly did nothing wrong, and the customer(s) certainly sound like a-holes. That said, in my personal experience you are the exception at Best Buy. I don't know how much it varies by region, but I have recieved such shoddy service from BB that I catagorically refuse to buy any large ticket item there, regardless of price. As far as I'm concerned your customers didn't know how lucky they were!

Wow, the RF-83s are larger than I realized. I can't wait to start reading specs, user opinions, and reviews. I hope you guys hit another home run!

Thanks Amy, I'll be watching (hopefully some will be in silver!). I didn't actually mind that they were refurbs, but being new they will of course be more desirable...albeit more expensive too. If I can sell my old car, I'll be in the game for one, so I'd better get on that!

If you can get a great deal, especially from a forum member, that's awesome. On purely acoustic grounds, however, let me weigh in on the side of the RB-75. Those are truly awesome bookshelf speakers. They produce more bass than the RB-35s, but more importantly they have the professional 1.75" tweater that the RF-7s use, which gives them a much smoother high end. Ihave only heard old Hereseys (which were themselves nice), so I can't really compare A/B, but the RB-75s are the best bookshelf speakers I've heard apart form B&Ks high end stuff. Whichever way you go, good luck and enjoy!

Thanks Stephen for your information. I'm not sure that the Aragon "defies physics". The Sunfires are well regarded, but they can't drive all of their channels at the levels they list either (that's why they don't list their wpc as being driven simultanously). Fewer parts may mean less degradtion to the signal, although of course this would depend on the quality of parts. I know the 2007 has gotten some stellar reviews (albeit mostly 2-4 yeasr ago), but then amps don't really get updated that much, and physics remains more or less constant, so if they were good then they'll likely be good now. On the other hand, there is much to be said for seven monoblocks (although convenience isn't always one of them...), and I have not done much research into Sherbourn. Since the Aragon is steadily moving out of my price bracket (probably heading where it belongs...), I'll definitely take a look into it. I've also been taking a peak at the Flying Mole Cascade system. I like the expandability, especially if we are going to see additional channels added to HT audio over time. Also the modularity will keep the cost of entry fairly reasonable initially, although over time it isn't the least expensive option. Thanks everyone!

I was thinking of bidding on the refurb unit that Klipsch is selling on ebay, but it looks like it will end up out of my current price range. I've read good reviews about the 2005 and the 2007, but I was curious if anyone had any specific knowledge of them used in Klipsch RF-7 based systems. Mr. Magoo and others have pointed out that RF-7s need amps that can drive low impedance, and to find them you should look for amps that come close to doubling their power from an 8 ohm to a 4 ohm load (and preferably again to a 2 ohm load). The 2007 goes from 200 wpc into 8 ohms to 300 wpc in 4 ohms. Now, 300 watts is still a lot but does the Aragon have the gutts to drive the bass in the RF-7s, especially in occasional 2 channel music playback? Also, are these amps truly silent? I love the soundstage of my Carver Pro, but there is an audible hiss when the speakers are supposed to be silent, and it's annoying enough that I'm trying to replace it (preferably with a quality multi-channel amp so that I can go seperates and never go back). Thanks guys!

That sounds promising...does it have as much bass extension as the RF-7? I know the press release said something about improved bass response, but it wasn't clear if this was referring to the RF-83 in particular or the new Reference floorstanders in general. If the RF-83 has a smoother midrange, better bass extension, and possibly more airy highs (since the horn doesn't have to cover as much range) that would be quite a coup, in my opinion. I can't wait to start seeing reviews and specs.

Are the forums back online? ---- Yay!!! It's sort of ironic that the forums went down right when the new product lines were announced, preventing discussion by the Klipsch faithful. Thanks to whoever got them back up!

Got my vote. Now I just have to get one of those!

The RF-83 enclosure looks to be deeper. I assume that geometry must play a role in resonance, so I wouldn't make off-hand assumptions about spl, although with the high efficiency of Klipsch speakers spl won't be a problem as long as they have reduced the impedance of the woofers. My half-baked guess is that they sacrificed a wee bit of bass extension in favor of better midrange and improved highs. The Reference series is usually used with a subwoofer (e.g. in home theater applications) so this would be a good sacrifice for most users. But time will tell. I don't suppose any forum members are at CES and could report back???

I just realized that my post may have made it sound like I wasn't really enamoured by the look of the new Ref IVs. Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but I really like the new look...as long as it comes coupled with sound quality (I expect it will, but you know, confirmation is always nice). I personally have always preferred the all-copper dust covered woofers (although I admit bullet-covers etc would have looked sharp). I also prefer the elegance of the magnet grill attachment, and the cleaner lines. Others will obviously have different opinions, although if the sound quality is there, most will come around. I was just confessing relief that the new Refs didn't look too much like the Reference Premier demos, because at this price point I'd have mortgaged my house in order to get them right away. Now I can take a more leisurely route...and wait to make sure they sound sweet enough to justify the total upgrade. Note: Not that I love everything about the new lineup...I'm irritated that there is no real wood veneer on the top of the line bookshelfs...WAF will be much harder on getting four new surround bookshelfs that way. She's a musician, so I sure hope the sound quality justifies it and/or the timbre matches wewll enough that I don't have to replace my rb-75s.

I like them. Personally I'm glad they don't blow me away too much visually, then I'd have to upgrade like, right now. Now what I can't wait for is to start reading reviews of how they sound (sure, sure, I want to hear them for myself, but I just moved to BFE Wyoming, and it could be a while before I get to hear them in person). They look good enough to me Klipsch, now I just hope they up the sound quality enough to make the RF-83 and RC-64 compellings buys in the next 6-18 months (my realistic tie frame for getting together that kind of $)!!!

I sometimes wonder if bass-hungry people don't mistake tighter bass for less bass. I know my girlfriend likes to turn up the sub on her PromediaUltra system until it distorts, because she really likes bass-heavy sound. To me it's ruining the music. I do know that watching Revenger of the Sith on my system with an RSW-15 lets you really feel the rumble when it's called for. I get comments all the time, and I a) haven't fiddled much with placement yet, because my theater has limited space, and don't have the side volume knob turned up all the way (usually between 12 and 1). Those subs have guts when you need it, but if they aren't enough, wait for a week or two for the new Reference line subs to be anounced...sounds like they may be even heavier hitters.

I had an RF/RC/RB-35 system, and it really rocked. I decided to upgrade to the -7 series (and RB-75s), and IMHO the difference was astounding. Also, the difference when I switched the RF-7 mains from my excellent Arcam receiver to a Carver Pro amp was very noticeable (especially in terms of sound stage). So to me they are most certainly worth the money, even when you already have some good speakers. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I've enjoyed mine!

Please can we have pictures? Plllleeeeaaaaassse? Pretty please with sugar on top? Not only is this super-cool, but I want to get some idea of how hard I'm going to be bitten by the upgrade bug... [H]

I sooooo can't wait two more weeks for photos. Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!1 Ok, sorry, got that out of my system...

I have a 7.1 system, and I think the rb-75s are better, hands down - even for movies. I had dipoles when I was running a 5.1 setup, and they were better for movies in a 5.1 system, because they didn't overly localize ambient surround noise. With the 7.1 system you want more localization, because otherwise things don't pan behind you as realistically. And of course the music performance is much better. Some people point out that there aren't any "true" 7.1 sources, but if you get a pre/pro or reciever that has a good DD PLIIx implimentation it makes a HUGE improvement on the quality of surround sound in movies. Things don't just jump from one side to the other, sounds actually move fluidly around you, which is awesome when you are watching a Starwars spaceship battle, or hearing the bullets fly around you in Master and Commander. If you can afford them, go for four rear rb-75s, you won't be sorry!

I agree with Westcott; go for the upgraded center channel, especially an rc-7, which is one of the best center channels available for any price. 70%+ of the sound from dvds comes from the center channel, so don't skimp on that one. Afterwards start saving up for a sub, which would be your next best option, IMHO. Holiday cheers to all! Scott

And a shot of the front of the theater room: Sorry it's a bit of a mess, I need to build a shelf for the center speaker, and until then it's displacing the DVD player... Still, it looks the same when the lights go down and the movie comes up!

After (mostly) conquering the surround system with a 7.1 Reference -7 system, I was ready to upgrade my TV. After months of reading reviews while pinching pennies, I bought a Sony KDS-R50XBR1 over the internet. All I can say is it is awesome. I only watch movies (too much junk on tv, and not enough HD content to make watching it worthwhile), so hookup was a snap - I connected an HDMI cable from my DVD player to the TV. The TV up-reses all images to 1080p, sot he first thing I did was to test combinations of output from my Denon 955; 720p output combined the best with Sony's internal scaling, producing a remarkably sharp image from DVDs. I spent 10 minutes tweaking the tv settings (turn off most of the extra processing in the "advanced" control panel, switch tv color mode to "Pro" and color balance to "warm"). Then I ran the THX Optimizer off of one of my DVDs to finish tweaking the color balance and black levels. Then I stuck in the Revenge of the Sith DVD. Holy mother of god it is sweet. Bumping up from my 30" widescreen CRT to the 50" SXRD is just an insane upgrade in terms of image size, with almost no sacrifice in image quality. It is simply the only RPTV I would own (well, possibly the 60" or 70" versions if I had room and $ for them...). It's not all peaches and cream; the useless (to me) side speakers are attractive, but not removable, which makes the TV much wider than it needs to (that's why the 60" model won't fit in my room). There is a very slight loss in shadow detail compared to high quality CRT TVs, albeit much, much less than in plasma, lcd. and (other) RPTVs. Obviously you can't hang it on a wall, although at 94 pounds it's pretty light for a 50" TV. And finally, much like Klipsch speakers themselves, the TV is very revealing in the quality of your source material. If you are watching an 8 year old dvd, it looks like it. You can aleviate this by turning on a bunch of Sony's internal processing, which does a good job of making all source material watchable, but it also makes them all less accurate, so you lessen the truly spectacular images on DVDs that are made well. That said, I am thrilled with my purchase. For those of you who have similar watching preferences, I cannot recommend this TV enough. Boy, now I can't wait for a Hi-def DVD format to emerge this spring (go Blu-ray!). After that I will finally done with my home theater...expect I'd like to get my amps all outboard and just use my reciever as a pre/pro. Stupid upgrade bug... Scott

My speakers are 3-6 feet from me during normal use; I wouldliketomovetem further back, but until I getthe home office completely rearranged, this will be problematic. In regards to other posts, it will be nice if/when Klipsch addresses the computer market, but I'm sure they are looking at the cost/benefit ratio. Noneof us know what sales figures look like, so maybe it makes sense to delay those changes (or maybe they need to sell out the first batch). With the introduction of the systems at Ultimate, etc, often being featured prominantly, this may be encouragement to try and market ifi's to a wider audience. I'm sure Klipsch is not intentionally shorting themselves out of sales. And the ifi really rocks!

Ok, I recieved my iFi system. I excitedly took it downstairs and unpacked it. I don't own an ipod, so I intend this strictly as a computer audio system. Here are my impressions: The good: Mostly it's good. Except for an initial hook up issue (see below), the RSX-3s sound good right out of the box. After playing them for a few hours, I took another poster's suggestion and used my EQ to bump up the highend a hair. It's head and shoulders above the cruddy $20 speakers I took off the computer (no surprise there...). The subwoofer integrates well with the satelites, although the mid to low range doesn't sound as full as a large system (simple physics pretty much requires this). That said, the sound is much more detailed then my Promedia Ultra 5.1's are, without sounding harsh. This is easily the best media sound system I've heard, and I haven't broke them in yet! They certainly aren't as good as my rf-7s upstairs, but that's a manifestly unfair comparison. These small speakers are surprisingly musical even compared to big boy audio equipment; the sound quality is well worth this price. I'm tempted to upgrade to a better audio card so the speakers will sound their best. In fact, I think the two biggest compliments I can pay to the sound quality are 1) I am comparing them to highend floorstanding speakers to put them in their place, and 2) They are causing me to be bitten by the upgrade bug! The bad: Ok, I understand that this is primarily an ipod system, and as such the following limitations may or may not be justified to other buyers: After unpacking my box like a kid in a candy store, I hooked the sats up to the sub and then...was crestfallen to discover absolutely no way to hook the auxillary jack to my computer. I guess you're expected to buy your own mini-jack connector if you want to hook an iFi to a computer. I had to run back to the office and steal one from my Polk media speakers I have hooked up to my work computer. This certainly put a damper on my initial excitement. I also think the instructions should make it very clear that when hooking the iFi up to a computer (with or without an ipod in use) you need to lower the volume output your computer to abut 40% and then control the audio with the iFi remote. Here's what happened to me: By default my iFi was on mute/standby (probably because there wasn't an ipod in it..?). I already had a cd playing in the computer. I tried turning the iFi up, thinking it was set low. Then it occurred to me to hit the mute button, and the speakers blared. After regaining hear (ok, it wasn't that bad), the speakers kept crackling, and I thought for a horrified 5 minutes that I'd blown them already. Believe me that feels cruddy! I tried a number of things, checking cord connetions, etc. Eventually I stumbled upon the need to turn the audio down on my soundcard, and the music started to sound beautiful (see glowing audio endorsement above). Final observations: So what's the verdict? I love these speakers. They sound fantastic, and considering the Reference-series technology they bring to my desktop, I have no complaints about price at all. Although I don't own an ipod, I certainly don't mind that the iFi is made specifically for them. I do think that in a future revision Klipsch could enhance the experience of ipod and non-ipod users alike by adding brief installation guidelines for computer hook up, and by including a mini-jack cord. These really are small problems, and (personal scare not withstanding) are easily overcome with a bit of fore knowledge. I'm sure anyone reading this already knows that the IFi is hands down the best sounding ipod system; for those of you worrying about the computer experience I can say it's worth it. Take this information, go get one (check out those half price referbs Klipsch is offering on ebay!) and enjoy the best media experience your computer is likely to have.

I soooo wish you had posted that a week ago [] I got a good deal on mine from ebay, but I would have rather bought it from Klipsch and sent you guys the money. I hope the rest of you guys snap them up, this is a hell of a deal!

Right now just a cd/radio alarm clock. But what I want is an Arcam Solo with a pair of RB-75s hooked up to it. Yeah, and as soon as I make an extra $2,500 to spend on my bedroom system, I'll have it...