DanLW

Well, I'll put this thread to rest by making a decision. Since the discontinued Reference lines sell at attractive prices in Germany, I will most likely go that route. There seem to be several RF-7s, and RF-83s to be had. I'm leaning towards the RF-83 as there are also RC-64s out there which timbre match the Rf-83s, whereas I haven't seen any RC-7s for sale, and I'd hate to buy a pair of RF-7s, and then never get my hands on an RC-7. Hopefully they will still be widely available by the time I am ready to buy in 11 months (the countdown has begun!)... it would be even nicer if I could find a store that had both a pair of RF-7s and RF-83s set up so I could audition them both!

If power is a concern, I can think of two practical things you may want to consider. The first is to install either a commercial or hospital grade outlet. These outlets have tighter connections in them, and will assure good solid contact with the power cord. If your outlet is nice and snug already, this may not be a concern. But if it's one of those outlets where you have to bend the prongs on the power cord to get it to stay in... might want to get a better outlet. This is especially important if you are pulling gobs of amps to your equipment. Loose connections create sparks. If you do replace an outlet, PLEASE turn the breaker off and verify that it is off before beginning. If you have an older house, may be a good idea to pull the outlet and verify the screws are still tight, and that the wires are copper. If they are aluminum wires, you need to get the wiring in your house replaced. All of it. The second is you may want to consider a power conditioner. This can vary by area. If you experience things like light dimming when when the refrigerator turns on, frequent summer thunderstorms that make the power flicker, or momentary brownouts, a power conditioner could be a good investment. But if you're pretty confident that the power coming out of your wall is nice and clean, a power conditioner could be wasted money.

I did a search for the RF-7s on google.de, and I'm afraid to mention the results... RF-7s left and right going for 850 Euros! Now, these are the original RF-7s... the RF-7 IIs go for 1900 Euros each. But from everything I've read, the original RF-7s sound very close to the new RF-7s. So my only issue would be finding an RC-7. Those were nowhere to be found. From what I understand, the RC-64II don't tone match to the original RF-7s. If I can still get a pair of classic RF-7s at that price by the time I'm ready to buy (Jan 2012), I may just forgo comparisons altogether and buy them. Looks like I need to research RF-7 center channel combos...

I guess "distinctly," is in the ears of the beholder but given the different Crossover network, Compression driver, Horn and LF drivers I can't see the RB-81 giving you an idea to what the RF-7s will do. Ok, something to definitely think about and consider. I wonder how hard it would be to get my hands on a couple RB75s. I guess the real thing I'm comparing is whether or not I prefer the "forward in your face" horn sound, or the not quite as forward "standard" tweeter sound. But from what I understand, if Klipsch bookshelves are "harsh" to some, the RF7s will be "less harsh". But then again, harsh is probably a word used by people who don't like the Klipsch sound. I wonder if I can find a pair of used RF7s on the German market...

I know that the RF-7s dig deeper than the bookshelves. Thats why if I do this comparison, I'll be crossing over both sets of bookshelves at 80Hz so as to eliminate the differing bass extensions. The crossover point, on the other hand, is a good point. So, you're saying that since the RB81 has a horn crossed over at a different frequency, the RB81 will have a different "sound" than the RF-7? I should probably specify what I would be doing. If I do compare bookshelves, I won't be listening for low end extension (like I said, crossed over at 80Hz). I also won't be SPL drag racing them, as it's obvious that these are not going to go as loud as their tower brethren. Rather, I will be listening for quality of sound, and treble clarity, harshness, etc. The room I will be using will be fully acoustically treated as a home theater room. This will include a back wall treatment which, I have heard, reduces "harsness" in speakers regarded as "harsh". (which both Klipsch and Axiom have been accused of) So basically, if I eliminate low frequency extension, and maximum SPL from the equation, you're saying that the RB81 will have a distinctly different "sound" than the Rf-7?

Looks like I should have clarified that I will ultimately be piecing together a home theater system, not a 2 channel music system. Not too concerned about moving them a couple times. I'll keep the packaging, and the movers get to do the heavy lifting. Part of me does just want to get a Klipsch system, but after tons and tons of research, and 8 years of looking, it has come down to these two brands. So I want to give each a fair shake, and get what sounds best to me. The folks over on the Axiom board have expressed every bit of confidence in the M22s ability to represent the "Axiom sound". Now I just need to determine if the RB-81 IIs would be a good representative of the "Klipsch sound" I can expect from a pair of RF-7s. Thanks!

Well, I have come down to a decision between Klipsch and Axiom. I'm looking at the RF-7II centered system, and an M80 centered system. However, I don't want to hear opinions about the two as I have read enough RF-7 vs M80 threads. I am to the point where I want to just buy a pair of both, level match them, have a few friends over, do some listening, and send the loser back for a refund. Here's the problem. The military currently has me stationed in Germany, and tower speakers are too big and heavy to be sent to an APO address. Standard international shipping involves extraordinary extra cost. And while Klipsch has dealers in Germany, they charge over $1000 more (and that's before the 16% VAT tax) I won't be getting back to the states for 3 1/2 years, but I'd still like to compare the two. So, I have come up with an alternative, but I'm not sure if it will be a good comparison. My idea is to buy a pair of Klipsch RB-81 IIs, and a pair of Axiom M22s Both are bookshelf speakers. I'll set both of those up, and compare the sound of the bookshelves. After all, everybody always talks about the "Klipsch sound" or the "Axiom sound". The loser gets returned, and I'll keep the bookshelves of the winner either for rear surround channels or presence channels. But is it a good idea and a fair comparison to base a purchase decision of either RF7s or M80s off the bookshelf speakers of both companies? As I understand, the RB-81 IIs are still in the reference line. But I'd hate to choose one brand off the sound of their bookshelf, when I would ultimately have enjoyed the other brand's tower better. Comparing the respective offerings, both the RF-7 and RB81 have the same type tweeters and woofers (with the RF7s being simply larger). Looks like with Axiom, the M22 uses one 1" titanium tweeter, and two 5.25" woofers. In essence, the only real difference between the M22 and M80 is the M80 has a larger cabinet, an extra tweeter, and two 6.5" woofers in addition to the two 5.25" midranges. So, should I seriously consider such a comparison in order to decide between the RF-7IIs and M80s? Thank you!