Hi Everyone,
Well, here I am making my first post to this BBS. I just spent my Saturday at my local Klipsch dealer demoing some of the speakers he had on hand, because I'd never had a really good opportunity to hear some
Klipsch speakers before. I've been intrigued by high-efficiency designs for a little while because I'm tired of the compressed sound of my little monitors
currently in my setup. I figured if Klipsch could deliver the goods, then I'd begin my quest for some new speakers.
Well, the dealer here had a fairly limited selection to choose from, but I did get to compare some KLF-30s to some RF3s and some SF1s. Electronics were top-of-line Onkyo THX receiver and CD player, and the room was probably 5oo sq ft, with a 10 ft ceiling.
Definately different from my home environment where the room is smaller with a lower ceiling, but this was just a demo anyway. Armed with some of my favorite
rock, fusion and celtic Cds which feature a variety of both acoustic and electric tracks, I proceeded to listen. With the receiver set to "direct" mode (bypassing all tone controls), here are my thoughts:
RF-3: Excellent bass and balance, although cymbals (and top end in general) sound a little dull to me (could be the room or the receiver). Cranked up, these really sound great.
SF-1: Remarkably similar to the RF-3, but less weight to the bass, as there should be with half as many woofers. Still, very balanced sound.
KLF-30: Like someone lifted a blanket off the front of the RF-3's. Everything, including the top end, is much more lifelike and just "there". Bass isn't as deep or tight as the RF-3, but still decent nonetheless. Mids are somewhat more forward, especially with some vocals and guitars. Not as neutral sounding as the RF-3's, but certainly more exciting sounding. Could just be the higher sensitivity and other factors.
Which did I like best? That depended on the material played. For Rock, the RF-3's were awesome. For acoustic material, I liked the KLF-30s. Ultimately, I'd have to demo them in my home with my own system to make a final judgement.
I've been reading the "KLF-30 Report Card" thread with interest as I really liked these speakers. I must admit, when I read what some people have written there, I'm a bit hesitant to fork over the $1850 CDN (approx ~$1200 US) for these speakers if for any reason I might regret the purchase later on. The RF-3's are $1100 (~$715 US), and I'm told I can order some brand-new Heresies for somewhere in between those two in price. But I have never heard Heresies, and am not sure whether the gamble is worth it. Some reasons I might want to consider Heresies is the fact that they are Heritage series speakers, and as such, hold their value better (?), they are still hand-made and the craftsmanship is better, and they are available in a wide variety of beautiful finishes (Spouse Approval factor is a consideration). I know they are fairly lean in the bass region, but that is not a problem as I would probably use a sub with them.
So, the question boils down to which to buy: KLF-30, RF-3, or order some Heresies? Help?
Colin