Klipschtastic

Its funny, Dennie is reffering you to the exact receiver that I am listening to right now with my KLF20's! It isn't a true avr however. It is a two channel stereo with a zone 2 feature which I am using to signal another receiver for my kitchen and bathroom speakers. In addition to that it still has the traditional A/B speaker capability. It also does have an optical but no HDMI. I would comment on the sound quality of the Onkyo, but my KLFs are new (to me) and I've never powered them with anything else plus I've only owned a small handful of receivers in my life. No complaints though. These KLFs do rock the house! I'm not clear if you're wanting a true avr or a stereo receiver. If it is a stereo reciever you want then I will second Denie's notion to buy the Onkyo. It was $199 for a refurbished one at accessoriesforless.com last time I looked. That is where I got mine and no worries with the refurbished part.

Thanks to all for your thoughtful replies. I'm going to have to get back on Pandora. I set up an account but haven't used it much since the sound quality isn't as good as my cd's. Pandora is an awsome way to find new music. I sampled some of the jazz recomendations and will be ordering a cd or two. Thanks again Jon

I often check in on the right this minute thread to see what other members are listening to and then go to amazon and listen to samples. I have a found a few cd's I like this way. I like a wide range of music, the cornerstone of my collection being 70's and hard rock such as AC/DC, Neil Young, Stevie Wonder, Grateful Dead, Cat Stevens, Blck Sabbath, Supertramp, Yes, Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Bob Dylan etc(the list goes on and on, the usual 70's suspects). I also like Cake, Black Keys, Jack Johnson, Adele, Modest Mouse, Pearl Jam, Amos Lee, Metallica, Michael jackson, Florence and the Machine and the list goes on.. Some country such as Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, bluegrass. I also like rap in small doses and some pop. Now on to the main point of this post. One of my favorite bands however, and one that I would like to find artists similar to, is Steely Dan. I love the Jazz infused classic rock. As they progressed in their carreer they leaned more toward the Jazz side of things. I love everything about Steely Dan, the beats, grooves, horns, piano, vocals, lyrics and the way they blend it all. I don't really know of anyone who sounds like Steely Dan but I am open to exploring more Jazz sounds. The problem is I don't really know where to start. So fell free to throw suggestions my way on this or other genres that are a departure from the pop rock genres I initially listed. I am open to things like electronic or .....I 'm not even sure I know what that is....lol. Just looking to try some different stuff. Feel free to chime in with ANY artists you favor however.

Wow, if someone told me they were going to paint their K horns blue I would have said they were crazy. But those look really cool!

So I'm still enjoying my new KLF20s which already have the Crites tweeter diaphragms and I'm wondering how they will sound with the mids upgraded as well. I've read that some people do the Crites mids and some order a titanuim mid from Klipsch. So let's hear those of you who have upgraded the mids as well. What are your impressions?

The original owner painted or stained my KLF20s black from the original oak color. I like them black but the current finish has runs in it and is chipping. I would like to strip it off and refinish it in a nice satin black or I wouldn't be opposed to possibly leaving it the original oak if I could strip it back to that. The thing is I know nothing about veneer and don't want to mess them up. I understand the veneer is very thin and can be sanded through if not carefull. I definatly want to do a better job than the first owner and make it more durable and not so prone to chipping. Also what is the finish on the KLF comprised of? Is it stained and clearcoated? Can it be sanded much? Could someone link me to a site that better explains the process of stripping and refinishing veneer?

I guess this thread is basically dead but just wanted to add that I am loving these speakers more the more I listen to them. I broke out some my guilty pleasure rap music to test them out and the bass from these just blows my mind! It also exposed a rattling rear baffle which I have repaired. I really think my speaker upgrade curiosity is satisfied with these. I doubt I will look any furthur for a long time if ever.

Hey t-man did you just glue the 1x1s in the inside thefront and rear baffles or were some of them loose and you removed them first? I am in the process of fixing a loose rear baffle and not sure whether I should glue some 1x1s inside the front one too or wait and see if it rattles.

Yes I will predrill the oak. I just like that it is rigid and dead straight plus won't strip out easily. Probably overkill though.

Just bought some titebond polyurethene adhesive and some oak 3/4 strapping for half price from the local hardware store going out of business. I am going to use some of the small finishing screws with the square bit head to hold the back untill the glue dries. If I can stop listening to them long enough. It only rattles on the deepest of notes....lol.

Thanks again everyone.

So on the reinforcement job I'm thinking about some pine 1x2s around the perimeter of the baffles and number 6 screws like you mentioned. I am not sure which glue to buy because of the melamine surface of the baffles. These materials are all new to me as I had never heard the "melamine" untill I read some older posts on repairing the klf's. I have read about Gorilla glue or titebond 3 as possible adhesives for the job. What do you prefer?

Yes I beleive the 30s are prone to the same loose baffle problems as the 20s. You can take the heel of your hand or the side of your fist and bang around the parimeter of the rear baffles to see if you can get a loose sound. I heard some rattling on some deep bass notes that I thought was some nearby furniture but upon closer inspection proved to be the rear baffle on one speaker. Congrats on the new speakers! Mine sound great. They already have the crites tweeters so and I have never heard them stock.

Thanks to all who replied. I am enjoying these speakers as I type and they kept me on the couch half the day yesterday. I can't believe how these speakers rock! Powerful AND detailed! I have been listening to some of my same rock albums since elemetary school, about 25 years or so but I've never heard them properly untill now. Moray James, I have found that one of the rear baffles is loose and rattling on deep bass notes so I will be reinforcing them soon. I will refer to your previous writeups but may email you some questions about the details. I have tried to post pics but don't really know how. If anyone could help me with this I would really appreciate it.

Thanks Heli001. I just used a q-tip and cleaned lots of wax and junk out of her left ear, the one that she was pawing the most. Her right ear looked clean. I'll wait and see what she does now.

It's kind of funny, you know that car commercial where everyone is singing Elton John's "Rocket Man" and saying the wrong words on the chorus? Well I've recently been playing that album alot on my Rf3's (I guess due to that commercial resparking my interest...lol) and it sounds great but I played "Rocket Man" again this morning on the KLFs and I swear that verse "burning out his fumes up here alone" is even more distint and understandable on these speakers. Maybe it's the midrange drivers.

My dog has recently been having some ear irritation. I'm going to take her to the vet this week. She twists her head and rapidly a flaps her ears like she's drying off and sometimes paws at her ears. She does this at night when no music is playing so I don't mean this directly coincides with the music playing. It make sme wonder if I'm playing my music too loud and hurting her ears or if this is unrelated. So to any of you who own dogs, how do they react to your speakers? How much more sensitive are their ears? Thanks Jon

Also, I think the music optimizer function helps add some punch even though they it is for mp3 files.

Oops I forgot to mention that the tweeters already have the Crites upgrade. I bought the speakers from talmadge. I drove from WV to NC to meet him. Nice guy and a generous deal on the speakers. $350 for them. They were repainted by the first owner from Oak to black and the black is chipped off in a couple of spots and the finish has drip marks here and there. I'll probably refinish them but still these speakers are structurally, sonically and mechanically excellent. Not to mention the Crites tweeters. A wonderful deal and I really appreciate them.

I just got a home couple of hours ago from driving 450miles round trip to pick up a pair of KLF20s. And it was worth every mile and certainly every dollar spent as the forum member I bought them from gave me a great deal. He was also a pleasure to deal with and a really nice guy. I knew they were bigger than my rf3s but it didn't hit me how much bigger untill I carried them in and set them next my 3s. OMG these things could eat my rf3s for lunch. I am still trying to get used to the visual impact of these beasts. I can't imagine the 30s. Must be ridiculous! So I sat down with my girlfriend to give these babys a try. WOW! Adele is in the living room and she asked me if I was enjoying the show (its my gf's cd...seriously). And I WAS enjoying the show. The rf3s are good but these are just on the next level. Much bigger presence, better midrange, better bass and they're more natural and composed at higher volumes. After playing several other recordings from rock to aucoustic my initial impressions are reinforced. These are great speakers!

I agree that you are going to have to be willing to drive farther. At least entertain a 300 miles radius.

The room they will be in is about 16x20 with a small dining room off to the side. I am leaning towars the Forte 2s now. I go back and forth between wanting them and Klf20s. There are more Fortes popping up for sale closer to me thsn the KLFs so odds are I'll spring for them.

SWMBO?

SWMBO?

Thanks for the encouragement guys, this is great site. I definately expect to do some driving to get these. I think the KLF20s and 30s will be may first choice by a small margin but I am very open to any of them given the right price and proximity to home. Oh, and Joey's has been closed for several years now. It was a popular place though.