Sure. Happy to share.
I'm a quality engineer for a living, so this is going to sound a little like a test report. : )
I listened to these at a local independent Klipsh dealer for about an hour and a half. The dealer had all of the speakers on an switch, allowing me to directly compare. I brought my own CDs (Mostly Super Audio CDs) and used a Denon player.
The room was fairly harsh sounding, with little furniture or sound insulation.
Comparing the speakers directly against each other:
RF-62: Capable, but sounded a bit light weight compared to the other 3 speakers. As expected, they had the least bass response of the 4, especially compared to the RF-82s. Good midrange and high end. I spent the least amount of time listening to these speakers, but I felt they had reasonably flat, solid response across their frequency range. Due to their size, they would fit into almost any room.
RF-82: Solid speakers, but slightly lacking in midrange. The RF82s sounded noticeably boomy to me, but were placed in the rear corners of the room which I suspect greatly emphasized this quality. Good sharp sound. They are larger than the RF-62s, but should still fit in most any room. When I demoed them at Magnolia they didn't sound boomy at all. However, I felt they still under emphasized the midrange.
I did a fairly in depth comparison of the RF-62 to the RF-82 at a local Magnolia. The magnolia had a proper listening room, but I didn't have any of my own music. The RF-82s still lacked a bit of the midrange when compared to the RF-62s, but did sound a little sharper on the highs, and much better in the lows. I'd go with the RF-62s if I had a budget, space constraints, or if my receiver lacked a proper EQ. In all other cases, I'd spend the small extra amount for RF-82s.
RF-63: Amazing speakers. Incredibly flat & extremely sharp across the entire frequency range. They are noticeably taller than the RF-82s, but I don't recall them needing much more floor space. Much better controlled than the RF-82s, but not quite as much low end (a touch more would make them perfect.) These speakers need absolutely no EQ.
The choice between the RF-82 and RF-63 was extremely easy: the RF-63s are absolutely worth the extra expense. If you can't afford them, you can't afford them... But, I'd constantly be wondering "what-if" if I went RF-82.
RF-83: My personal favorite: The same sharpness of the RF-63s with amazing lows. The sound from the RF-83s is naturally full and rich; slightly more so than the RF-63s. I'm impressed by how low they dig. IMO they didn't sound quite as flat as the RF-63s, but better than the RF-62 & RF-82. The deep low end comes at a small price in the mids. They are extremely controlled with absolutely none of the bass overemphasis I was hearing in the RF-82. The RF-83s are far larger than the RF-63s.
IMO, all of the speakers benefit from a good sub woofer. A sub woofer can produce the smooth, low bass response to make the stand-up bass sound out-standing in many Jazz disks, and bring out the big drums in orchestratal music. Forget organ music without one (I'm a huge fan of Bach's Toccata and Fuge in D Minor.) The RF-83 was the only speaker here that could get possibly go without a sub, and even then it's not my preference.
Choosing between the RF-63s and the RF-83s was extremely difficult, even without considering the price difference.
The RF-63 has a number of benefits over the RF-83s. IMO, it's a better for home theater. It's a perfect match for the RC-64 and RS-62s, which should help surround sound in moves. It has a slightly flatter frequency response, and is also much more reasonably sized.
I would absolutely choose the RF-83s if I planned to run without a sub woofer, however given the size and price difference between the RF-63 and the RF-83 I can't see many reasons not to get a sub. The RF-83 would be a much better choice for someone who needs to fill a large room.
Where I really expect the RF-83 to shine is when I add a RC-64 center and RS-62 surrounds. Since my primary love is music, I expect the center and the surrounds to add the mids I loved in the RF-63s, while taking advantage of the RF-83s slightly fuller sound and better bass response.
IMO, if you have a pair of RF-63s you shouldn't even consider upgrading to RF-83s until you've done absolutely everything else you can to improve the sound. You made a great decision to get 63s, and I had a very tough time deciding between the two.
Ultimately, my decision was fueled by the following reasons:
- Although I have the RF-83s in a small room, I still plan to have them by the time I can afford a big place.
- I love the imposing look of the RF-83s. When you see them there is absolutely no question that I'm serious about music.
- I like having "the best" Klipsh reference speakers.
- If I decide to sell them (for Klipshorns! : ) I can advertise them as absolute top of the line models.
- I negotiated them much closer to the RF-63s in price.
- I personally prefer the RF-83 sound.
You'll notice that most of these reasons have very little to do with music. : )
I also Demoed the RF-7 & RF-5 a different shop. IMO, the RF-7 sufferers from the same midrange problems as the RF-82 (although the RF-7 is much more controlled.) Again, I haven't directly compared them, but I do feel that the RF-63 and RF-83 are a big step forward.
There is one downside to having RF-63s or RF-83s: You start to realize how bad most CDs are.
I love a huge range of music. From Jazz, to Classic, to Classic Rock, to Pop, to RAP. The RF-83s expose how bad modern CD mastering techniques are. Even on good CDs, I feel like I can hear the limitations of the medium. Beyond messed up production quality, many RAP and POP CDs sound flat and uninspired without the distortion of more conventional speakers. Most of the CDs have obviously been mixed with low end hardware in mind.
Overall, RF-83 vs RF-63 is very much a personal choice. IMO, if someone only wants it because it's "the best" they should be honest with them self about it. If not having the best speaker is something to be unhappy about, then I'm sunk for not getting Klipschorns.
I also feel that unlike most other electronic equipment, speakers are a good place to put money. A few hundred difference isn't going to matter 20 years down the line, but how much you enjoy your speakers will.
Anyway, I'm really feeling tired. I'll check back tomorrow.