Zen Traveler

Well then I must be one of the New Breed of Forum members. I own an embarrassing number of Klipsch speakers, all of which I purchased new from local retail establishments.[] I like the sound of Heritage products and went to great lengths to hear them again as an adult (What Arkansas boy doesn't know about Klipsch speakers []). I see their size being a deterrent for multi channel configurations. I also agree they would sell better in our market than most. I feel that the upper end Reference products to be the happy medium between size and acoustic capability for Multichannel sound, and what customers with a discerning ear can appreciate upon audition. Now if I can just get a local Reference or Heritage dealer who appreciates this sentiment to PM me.[6]

If I was in the business of selling Klipsch speakers I would log on to this forum to see what the people are saying and see if I could help someone (and at the same time get my name out) as several seem to be doing on this forum. Too bad there aren't any DFW outlets willing (yet) to cultivate a relationship with the faithful. [^o)] I showed off my SACD/DVD-A collection at a party we hosted using my Klipsch Legend HT. There were 60+ people there who never experienced High-Rez music and most seemed impressed. I posed this Thread after realizing that I had a handful of people asking questions about my system and looking for advice, but I had no place to send them. My last venture out to find the elusive Klipsch dealer was not a good experience so I thought I would try a different approach. I feel once found a good symbiotic relationship could follow.[H] I also rethought my involvement in this cult but decided to do my part by keeping Hope (i.e. the Plant in Arkansas[]) alive by espousing the virtues of Klipsch Speakers because imho, some models are truly Art in themselves , and most upper-end products can reproduce Art in the privacy of your own home. My continuing 2 cents.[]

I have gone through that exact process including go by those two locations you mentioned to audition the THX system, which they said they had. When I went to BOTH places on the same day I called, NEITHER place could audition the system for me because of various problems (one said their Amp was out in their HT room and the other had a problem with the sub's amp). I also called 3 other places that were within 30 miles of me and only one place was I able to audition the THX line and that place appeared to be a persons house and they ONLY had THX speakers to audition and nothing else.[:|]

Are there any Dallas area Klipsch Reference or Heritage dealers/retailers that want me to come listen to the new products?[:^)] If so, please send me a PM. []

I can't let this thread go to two pages and only one Denon recommendation.[] Yamaha makes good products but after owning 3 Yammi's I switched to the warmer sound of Denon and wish I would have started with them in the first place (I'm cheap and didn't want to spend the extra money)IMHO, if you find a Denon AVR 3805 (discontinued) for under $600 YOU may never feel the need to upgrade.[H]

I know it pisses me off! [:@] I only have 2 RSW series subs in my small Home Theater and evidently not enough speakers. [6]

Oops. I guess you weren't responding to me.[:$] The Yamaha RXV-4600 is THX Select 2 and retails for $1900.

Wow THX Ultra 2 for under a $1,000. Things must really be coming down in price.

Which Yammi under $1000 is Ultra 2 certified? [:^)] BTW, I prefer Denon AVR's after having both Yamaha and Pioneer's in my home.

Nice Home Theater setup. [] I am not familiar with your DVD player and the resolution of your SD TV. If your DVD player isn't progressive scan then that would be my first upgrade. If it is, I don't know what the difference would be between an HD set or your SD tv. On my display (listed below) DVD's played on Progressive scan are PHENOMINAL and only slightly below High Definition material I get off my satellite.

FWIW, I have a 7.1 setup (Klf 20's/C-7/RS-3's and Synergy Ksb 3.1's for rears w/ksw-15) being run by a Denon AVR-3803 and have NEVER had it shut off. The room is 1600 sq ft that is sparsely furnished and we play that system LOUD! [] I bet his problem is a short. []

Me too.[] Welcome to the forum ram2500. We would also like to hear your impressions of your very nice Home Theater. [H] I am also a fan of using towers for surrounds. [Y]

I couldn't agree with you more! I gave that DVD away I was so disappointed. [:|] Off the top of my head and always on my rotation are: Sarah Mclachlan--Afterglow Live depeche mode--One night in Paris INXS--Live Baby Live To name a few...[Y]

FWIW, I would lean towards going for it then. [Y] I don't regret purchasing the RB-75's for rear surrounds and moving my RS-7's to "B" surrounds (ala my Denon). I prefer my RF-3 towers ("A" surround) to both the RB-75's or the RS-75's for multi channel music and concerts. If additional towers wouldn't work in your setup then I feel the RB-75's would do the job nicely especially if they are mounted on bookshelves on the side. Keep us posted.

I switched from RS-7's to RB-75's for my rears in a 7.1 configuration and have to admit it was my least cost effective purchase. They both sound good, but in a rear surround situation (for most things) it was a lateral move. The largest benefit would be on well recorded multichannel music (although I gather some people like to listen to 2 Channel on AVR's multichannel settings) or if your surrounds were directly to the sides of your listening position. IMO, for concerts and movies the advantage would depend on your ears and your room. [H]

I would like to thank Art for inviting this multi channel fellow to my first 2 channel event. I remembering listening to "Stereo" as a younger guy but it was nothing like what I was privileged to listen to yesterday. We listened to DVD-A, Sacd, and redbook cd's on Art's Dunlavy speakers and Seadog's Cornwalls which he was nice enough to lug over. It was the first time I had ever heard tube amps (see Arthurs profile) and it sounded sweet. My initial impressions were different than what I thought since returning home and listening to my system. At first I compared apples to apples speaker-wise. I played my RF-7's in two channel mode with some of the material I heard at Art's. It sounded good, but nowhere near as dynamic as either the Cornwalls or the Dunlavys ( I am sure my room and electronics also had something to do with it). I then included my subwoofers with my mains and then the smile returned to my face. I couldn't help myself. I put everything back in multi channel mode and let 'er rip. [] I now understand the passion of 2 channel aficionados, although with my listening habits I won't be getting rid of any speakers. I also see why Fish misses DFW. Not only was Arthurs a gracious host, the other participants were fun to be with and brought some great (along with a few interesting) listening material. My only regret was that the neighbor didn't come over and enjoy the music.[] Have a good week fellows.

Thanks for the invite Art. [] I will be driving in from Denton and can help load speakers if anyone needs a hand. I also have a couple of portable 2 wheelers (130 lb limit). I wasn't planning on bringing any audio equipment, but can bring a pair of Klipsch RB-75 bookshelf speakers if someone wants to hear them. Let me know if any of these things are needed. I look forward to seeing everyone.

Good morning rmlowz, If the RF-83's sound more like the THX ultra II system (with a bigger sound stage) than the upper end Reference system I own then I definitely want to hear the complete new Reference HT. I was ready to purchase the Klipsch THX Home Theater but after hearing them on 4 occasions (including at Klipsch HQ last year) I didn't like them as much as my HT even if they were comparable in price, much less 3 times more expensive (as what I paid for my "9.2" system listed below). Thanks for sharing your opinion. []

It sounds like the audiophiles are uniting. [] I have owned my RF-7's for over 2 years and will listen to the RF-83's. I don't doubt they are a quality speaker. The comment, "If you are an audiophile you will without a doubt upgrade and rid yourself of -RF-7's," needed at least a response from someone who has enjoyed the hobby for 20+ years and own RF-7's. IMO, if the RF-7's sounded harsh with an Aragon 2007 and Parasound equipment, I wouldn't even consider a horn (tweeter) speaker.

[] Now there's an opinion for us wannabe audiophiles. [H]

I too love the Netherlands. Over the last 20 years I have gone an average of once a year. Most of the time I fly into Schiphol, take a train to Centraal Station and then the train to Gasperplaas and walk to the campground. Amsterdam is one of the most incredible cities I have ever been to. The art and architecture is second to none. The Dutch are very hospitable people. That being said, I will leave my observations of how the people that I came in contact with feel towards Americans, post Iraqi invasion as opposed to pre war. Getting back to the topic at hand, let me share and experience I had 10 years ago: When you leave the beautiful city of Amsterdam and go towards the outskirts by train, you run into neighborhoods of extremely high tenement buildings that house generations of immigrants. The last several visits I did not notice the Africans loitering on the train as they had in the past. Back then as I rode with them to my campsite and looked at the massive run down buildings, I wondered what these people did to survive. On one particular trip I was the only white guy in train car full of black youth that evidently spent a lot of time riding the trains with nowhere to go. Pretty much everyone in the car was expressionless until the next stop when 3 police officers boarded the train to check for tickets. I was curious how many of the people I was riding with had purchased tickets. When the police boarded, I noticed that everyone was appearing to look at me. [:^)] To my surprise everyone had tickets. I showed my ticket and as the police left the train, and in a moment I will never forget, all of the people staring at me as well as myself, started to grin uncontrollably. [] It wasn't until I relayed my experience to a Dutch friend that I learned 2 things. One: Evidently Americans are notorious for riding public transportation in Amsterdam without paying because it is based on the honor system; and two:The Dutch government subsidizes transportation to the poor. They also subsidize housing, but it appears to me the people in those houses aren't as privy to the educational system as they are in the United States (my impression). I heard on National Public Radio the other day that the Dutch Government has a video that is geared to the Middle Eastern and African population that is considering immigrating to the Netherlands. It depicts how liberal they are by showing women bathing topless, 2 men kissing, while expressing how populated (read, crowded) the Netherlands are. The story on NPR was highlighting the fact that conservative folks from those regions may not want to not move there. Regardless, I can see why the Dutch are proud of their society and aren't eager to move. Insofar as art is concerned I can't believe timmikid left out Vincent Van Gogh! His genious is exhibited en masse at the museum with his name in Amsterdam and on the German/Holland border in Otterlo's Kroller Muller museum. I highly recommend both. I also want to say those of you that like cheese need to check out their "Old Amsterdam" cheese (Black label) which is incredible. This week I found some in Kroger and was ecstatic. []

For those of you that don't like concert DVD's I can highly recommend Peter Gabriel's "Play--The Videos." It has a 5.1 DTS 96/24 mix that is phenomenal! I agree that some older concerts don't transfer well to the DVD 5.1 format, and of course a live performance is not going to be as polished as a studio recording. I agree with Def Leper about Rush not sounding good on DVD but I disagree with the video footage on Queen being outdated. Out of the four Queen DVD concerts I own, the "We will Rock you" is at the top of my list for both audio and video. Insofar as another DVD that I like--REM's "Perfect Square," is a good concert performance. That being said and to agree that studio mixes are sonically better than a concert, after watching this DVD I seem to always put in the DVD-Audio of REM's greatest hits (i.e. "The Best of REM") and am floored with the quality in sound. E-Bow the letter REALLY makes the ole RSWs cook! [H]

Concert DVD's rock! The Eagles "Farewell tour" took the place of "HFO," as my favorite Eagles DVD. If you liked either one of these I can recommend Don Henley's " Live-Inside Job." It sounds and looks good. Both Peter Gabriel's concerts are excellent on DVD. My current fave is "Live in Paris-The Exciter Tour," by depeche Mode. It's recorded better than the earlier "devotional," DVD. My favorite female artist by far is Sarah McLachlan. Her "Afterglow Live" DVD will bring a tear to your eye (songs are sped up and sang at a faster pace than her CD's). I appreciate this being a 2 channel thread, but as others have said-- multi-channel DVD's took the place of my CD collection. My only complaint is that on some concerts the crowd noise is overwhelming (especially between songs). Welcome to the world of live perfomances in your home with all of their visual and sonic glory. [<)]

I believe you purchased the wrong surround speakers and if you love your RF-35's but don't listen to your system THAT is easily the problem. You didn't mention what you were using as your center, but if it's part of the quintet series you should be ecstatic by upgrading to the Reference series. The RC-35 and RS-35's have just been discontinued and you should be able to find a closeout price in retail stores. They should also give you a time limit that you can return them and get your money back if you are not satisfied.

I own 2 pairs of RB-75's. One set is used as mains in the Bedroom and the other are these that I use as rears in a 7.1 configuration (or 9.2 depending how you look at it [H]). I am EXTREMELY happy with both, but I have to admit they are overkill in each situation. IMO, for rear surrounds the RB-81's would more than suffice. That being said I feel the RB-75's would keep their resale value more. Good luck on your decision. []