Tom Adams

Hey Aaron - it's you friendly KV-3 supplier. What was it about the sound that you didn't like? I got a hunch, try this - go back to the dealer armed with a well recorded CD that you've listened to and know well. Listen to your favorite tracks and note the differences between what you're hearing and how it sounded on your KG's. Then go over to the RF's & RC and take off those blasted flat gold colored plates and re-connect the binding posts with plain 16ga wire. Now listen to your CD again and tell us what you think. I'm willing to bet you'll be shocked. Another thing to remember is those speakers need to be broken in. As for the RS-3's...I'm very happy with them. They do an excellent job with HT and flat rock in 5ch stereo. Tom Adams

<Tom, hoping to beat the sheetrock dude, says> razorback - I would put those speakers directly over the seating area spaced at least 8 or 10 feet apart. BTW, I'd sure like to see a picture of that room. My gut tells me speakers on stands would've been the way to go. But I can understand the esthetics of not having speakers in the way. Tom Adams

<awwww...what the heck Tom - jump into the fray> dougdrake - many automobile manufacturers have transferable warantees. If you design a well engineered product, you should stand behind it. The aircraft my company produces gets touched by many mechanics not in our control over it's life. Our warranty on the airframe is 20 years. We stand behind our product. Not arguing with you, just making a point. Ray Garrison - excellent example of how unauthorized dealers get their stuff. The solution sounds simple - Klipsch should require the DEALER to notify them when they sell off a large portion of inventory and to whom it was sold. Don't comply and they yank the dealer's license. I mean, it sounds like the real issue is between Klipsch and those dealers selling off their stuff. Solve that and the rest will take care of itself. forresthump - you touched on something I'd like to expand on. Call me idealistic, but if I walk into my dealer and our conversation lasts just long enough for me to tell him I want to order a pair of K-horns, I expect to NOT have to pay MSRP. I did not tie him up from seeing other customers and therefore freed him up to make other sales. OTOH, if I'm really unsure about the three widescreen TV's he has and he spends 2 or 3 hours hooking up the sets and A/B'ing them for me, I'm not gonna beat the guy up on price. One last thought...in all of this, I've yet to see a solution by Klipsch (which I greatly admire) for those poor souls who want a Klipsch product, yet live miles away from a dealer and want to purchase an "authorized" product. It seems unreasonable to me that a corporation would not attempt to seek a solution to meet the needs of such a customer. Would "bending the rules" be such a bad thing in the grand scheme of things?? Tom Adams

Razorback - I think I see your dilemma. Is your fireplace a typical modern day type that has a prefab box with a round metal flue? Also, how will the wall above the fireplace be finished - i.e. drywall, stone, brick? The reason I ask is that I have some notions of what you can do (assuming you haven't already done something). Contact me off-line and we'll chat. Tom Adams

Calpod - If you read all the posts, the concensus is to stay with the speakers you have and add a sub (I always like to state the obvious ) Being a Legend series owner, I'd have to agree. LaScalas are sweet (there I go again) and I would stick with them. And since no one has mention it yet, I'll chime in and suggest you give a look at SVS subs. Plenty of testimonials can be found. Lastly, you never clarified what you meant by "a more modern sound". That might enlighten us. Tom Adams

Ok - another dumb question from Mr. Adams. I've seen posts about AVIA and Video Essentials and now these testimonials. Can someone describe to me what these products do? I don't need exact details, but the comments about "calibration" has me very curious. TIA Tom Adams

Razorback - When my new home was under construction, I too was perplexed about what to do with rear surrounds since the room shape dictated the couch be against the rear wall. Spoke to Trey "loose" Cannon and fax'd him a sketch of the room. Initially, I had planned to use in-wall speakers (RCW's)in the vault of my vaulted ceiling for I didn't think RS-3's would work in that location. Trey opined that he didn't think I'd be happy with the in-wall and that the RS-3's would work. I went with the RS-3's and have been very pleased. Are you sure there's no other option for your surrounds?Personally, I wouldn't use the RCR in the ceiling. Rather, I'd use the RCW. As for actually mounting them, I installed a pair of SCW-1's in the ceiling of my bedroom and it was very easy - messy as hell, but easy. First, use this installation as an opportunity to aquire a new tool (mmmm...tools ). Get thee to your favorite hardware store and buy a Dremel or Roto-Zip. Personally, I got the variable speed Dremel since it's more versatile. Next, use the supplied cardboard template and trace the cutout lines onto the ceiling using an icepick. Cover up everything in the room, put on your safety glasses & papermask and go at it. The speaker mounting frame has built in tabs that swing out to clamp the frame to the sheetrock. You'll see what I mean when you get the speakers. Once the frame is secure, the speaker mounts to the frame and presto - you're done. Tom Adams

JPahl - dual 16-46's??? OMG - you da man!! Obviously you're new here. Care to give us a synopsis of your SVS subs and a bit o' info about your system and the room that those SVS babies shakes? Tom Adams

Well guys...I didn't tell ya the whole truth. And that is, after we watched the entire movie, we went back and watched about 20 minutes of it in DTS. The reason I didn't say anything initially was cause I wanted to know if the wife & I's ears really did hear a difference. So I wanted to hear what other folks' ears have discerned. My wife's opinion was that the sound was, and I quote, "more in your face". When asked to explain what that statement meant, she used short, imcomplete sentences followed by hand gestures. It was kinda funny. LOL WHAP!! Owwww...that hurt. I was just kidding Trudy. Anyhow, I too felt the sound was a bit more detailed and that the rear effects gave a sense of more spacialness (sp?). I also felt that the content from the center channel wasn't as harsh and blended with the R/L front mains much better. Right/left pans were better too. Was kinda bummed we didn't watch all of it in DTS. And I'm really pissed cause I'm sure I didn't watch U-571 in DTS. Oh - dougdrake...yes I have a 3300. BTW, I'm dense today - Holy Grail?? Wazzat? Tom Adams

Smokin' Joe - I think the answer to using a wall stud or wall anchors for mounting is obvious. In my discussions with Trey "loose" Cannon about mounting locations for my RS-3's on the vault of my vaulted ceiling, he was very insistent about me using a rafter/joist. FWIW, I made a 1x12 mounting plate to span between two rafters in order to give me some flexibility in locating the speakers after the sheetrock was up. However, having said all that, I think you'll find that there are some wall anchors that can support the weight. A new type I've seen at Home Depot are large diameter plastic screw-in things. Just be aware of the risk involved in mounting with these things. At the very least, your speakers may fall off the wall. At the very worst, they will fall off just as your wife/GF/SO/friend is standing underneath of it and it bonks them on the head!! BTW, can you give us a feel for your room & seating layout? It might help us understand your issues. Tom Adams

Watched a DVD last night (Cyote Ugly. The wife wanted to see it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ) and I had a choice of DTS 5.1 or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. I selected DD and off we went. However, the choice I made kept bugging me. You know, nagging thoughts like, what does it sound like in DTS? Should I have selected DTS? Was DD the correct choice for my HT system setup? So, which mode (DD or DTS) do you guys prefer and why? Tom Adams

Thanks Randy. And I thought I wouldn't learn anything new today.... Tom Adams

This is purely my opinion...but I would not drill holes in order to use the Omnimount. RS-3's were not designed to be focused sound speakers; therefore, having the ability to "aim" the speakers using the Omnimounts is not necessary. RS-3 are designed to disperse the rear effects. I would decide where the optimum location would be and mount them using the supplied keyhole mounting brackets. That's what I did. Tom Adams

mwiener - Since you've settled on a custom built unit, in addition to my suggestion of checking out Home Depot, I would call 4 or 5 cabinet companies in your local area. Have a sketch of what you have in mind (with dimensions) and what your requirements are. Ask them to work something up and give you a firm quote/bid and references. Don't be afraid to let them know they're bidding against other companies and Home Depot. I think you'll be surprise at what you'll get both in terms of price and ideas. I did this in my last house and was very impressed with the outcome - and so were folks who saw the unit. As for costs, obviously it's a factor. But if done right (as I mentioned in my last house), it won't look like an add-on and can actually become a selling point. You won't get all your money back, but just may recoup some of that $1K you're trying to cut out. One last thought...if you're trying to cut the cost of the cabinet, consider having it done all in white. Wood can be less expensive since it's being painted over and the color will blend with any wall colors, window treatments, furniture, etc. now and in the future. This is the wife acceptance factor. And, once again, if you decide to sell the house, potential buyers won't be turned off by a woodstain tone they hate. Just some thoughts.... Tom Adams

dougdrake - I know this is off-topic (kinda), but your comment about the potential cooling problem of the Denon 3300 has me curious. I have my 3300 in an entertainment center and clearance is approx. 4" on top, 2" on either side, and 6" in back. The Denon sits (enclosed) at the top of all components on its own shelf. Early on, I noticed quite a bit of heat build up so I drilled some large 2" dia holes all along the back wall at the top of the equipment area (if that makes sense) to promote convection air-flow. The Denon gets most of its work-outs with movies and music once-in-awhile. I've noticed that even when pressed hard during movies, it's no where near as warm as it was before I butchered the back of the entertainment cabinet. My Denon is going on 2 years old. Do you think I still need to be concerned? Would you suggest I look into forced cooling? TIA Tom Adams

jeffgeorge - I'm using Klipsch RS-3's for rear channels and am very happy with them also. And yes, I have a sub and it's a Klipsch <duh - go figure) KSW-15. In 5 ch. stereo, my Denon 3300 can make those babies rock. Had a friend over this past weekend who wanted to hear this system I've been talking about. They sat there with their mouth open (not the best way to listen to music, but to each their own ) and were impressed. I was like a proud papa. Tom Adams

First of all, thanks to all who confessed to what they paid for their RC-3's. Went to my dealer Saturday, we dickered a bit, and settled on $300 out the door. I know...I coulda got it for less on-line, but Mark has to eat too . Besides, these guys have made a no-charge house call when I totally screwed things up once, have given me free stuff, and always shown a willingness to work with me, so I don't mind paying a bit more. Anyhow.... I know Klipsch's speaker matching chart doesn't show RC-3 as a match for Heresy's, but to my ear, they compliment quite nicely. So far I've only listened to a few music CD's and one music DVD (Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense") and I'm very pleased. Was telling Aaron Norris (who bought my KV3), that although I liked the KV3, I never felt it matched up to my Heresy's well. I bought the KV3 when I was just getting into the HT thing and didn't know about the Klipsch speaker matching chart. Seems like I was always fiddling with level adjustments to get the "sound right". Not with this RC-3. Made one level adjustment and, ahhhh....much better. BTW, if you're a Steely Dan fan, "2 Against Nature" is one helluva recording. Those guys know how to mike and mix. The music is typical Steely Dan precision. It's no wonder it won album of the year. I'd say that for anyone considering using an RC-3 with Heresy's, give it a serious listen/consideration. I'm a happy camper now. Tom Adams

Ok - I'll be the guinea pig and ask the question.... What do you guys mean by "transport"? Is that synonymous with CD player? Tom Adams

Thanks for the link Fat Bob. Interesting components - especially their horns. Definitely not use to seeing horns of that shape. I'd love to hear ID's horns in an auto enviroment. Not sure how/where you'd mount their HLCD's though. Tom Adams

Does anyone know if Klipsch has ever done any research into car audio speakers? Tom Adams

Can any of you who have slant risers on your Heresy's tell me what the slant angle is? Tom Adams

I'm fairly certain they're available. Asked Trey "loose" Cannon about them and he said, "Sure, just place an order with your dealer." My dealer gave me a quote of about 100 bucks for a pair. Tom Adams

I too am looking for some HT furniture. In my case, I want something that is a combo A/V unit and bookcase with a built-in look. Have you been to the cabinet design dept. at Home Depot or Lowe's? Tom Adams

I kinda hate to ask this question, but what the heck.... Would any of you RC-3 owners care to divuldge what price you paid? I know what the MSRP is and in the past my saleman has been nice enough to ask, "What kinda price have you seen people paying for such & such?". While he's never matched a mail order price, he's been damn close. TIA Tom Adams

Sorry myram, just shipped my KV-3 out to Aaron today. Thanks for asking though. Are you listening Aaron?? Tom Adams