DaveVsTheWorld

Just wanted to update you guys with where I got to. Klipsch sent me a new 8" and I swapped that out. New speaker does not rattle at all, so I can push it harder. Next thing I found out is that the grills on the front were also making it rattle at high volumes, to which I foolishly thought the speakers were peaking. So now that I got a new 8" speaker and took off the grills (only when the toddlers aren't around) this is sounding much better. Definitely keeping these bookshelf speakers. Also, I saw a sale on newegg and I grabbed one of these for $300 new. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882780078 Ah, how I have missed you 30hz. Why on earth was I originally saying I didn't want a sub? I was crazy. Since my amp doesn't have a sub out, I copied the stereo signal and sent one pair into the sub, so I have to work the volume separately, which is no problem at all. The volume is actually right on the front top of the speaker, I kind of prefer it that way anyways. So in the end, I'm very pleased. It took $1290 to get here, which was a few hundred over original budget. But considering how it sounds now, no regrets at all. Thanks ---------------------- Onkyo a9555 Klipsch RB-81 II Klipsch RW-12d

So I talked to Klipsch. They believe one of the 8" woofer's is blown. It starts rattling when it goes under 90hz on a frequency test, so they're sending me a replacement. This may have been the reason bass is lacking. We'll see in a few days.

I think I'm going to return these RB-81s. They're great speakers, but they need to have a sub accompaniment. I've talked with the wife, and now she's sorta OK with floor standing speakers, after I explained that they aren't any wider, just taller. I think I'll get the RF-82s. Two more 8"s should add some woomph. Hopefully this onkyo amp has enough power.

Yeah, I'm thinking I'm gonna add a sub to this mix. These 8"s just aren't pushin what I thought they would. Is the Klipsch SW-308 a good sub for $550 new?

I just got them hooked up and watched a movie and put in a few songs. Clarity is amazing, no hiss AT ALL. I didn't have to turn on subtitles to understand the dialogue. I think though I expected there to be a bit more bass. This amp only has bass and treble knobs, and I am running bass up the whole way. It does punch through at higher volumes, but I kind of wanted it to do that at lower volumes as well. Maybe I need a band EQ for this system, I'd like to boost the <80hz. My ears are still getting used to this, maybe I'm just used to bad boomy bass and that's what I expected. I'll give it another week of listening.

If it was up to me I would have gotten the floor standing speakers, but the Mrs. would hear none of it. I'm limited to bookshelf speakers as long as she shares this living room. So do I have to calibrate or anything for just a 2.0 setup? I thought it was pretty straight forward in setting up only stereo.

I got each "open box" speaker for $300, and the onkyo for $350 new. It seemed pretty good priced compared to klipsch's direct price. What would make this a more complicated setup? Like do you mean adding surround and a woofer, or more preamps and stuff? I'm not familiar with the electric components at all, so if something will make this rock even harder, let me know.

Is there a way to set it up "wrong"? As far as I understand, it's just plug in the amp, run cable wire to the speakers, connect the RCA, and crank it. Or am I wrong already?

Well I just ordered a pair of RB-81s, and an Onkyo a9555 all for right under $1000. This better be good.

So I'm about to purchase my first ever sound system, and I want to make it a good one. I only want a 2.0 system, no woofer or surround, I'm not too crazy about multiple speakers, and I want them compact. That leads me to think that the Klipsch RB-81 II series should be right for me. The only problem though is that I know NOTHING about amps/preamps/receivers/tubes and whatever else it is that people think is important to make it sound good. So, my question is, what receiver should I get with a pair of RB-81s? I'm looking at the Sony STRDH130 at only $150, that seems really cheap and says it pushes over 100w stereo. But then I look at others such as Harmon Kardon and Denon that run like $500, and they also push 100w each channel (plus channels that I wont use), and they add hdmi and other home theater junk that I will never use. What's the difference between all these amps in terms of audio quality? Will they make my speakers actually sound better? I don't want to pay $300 for extra features that I'll never use, however, if it will minimize distortion, EQ automatically, and just make the whole audio mix much clearer in any way, then I'm interested in paying more. I'm just going to run analog red and white RCA signals into this system, so I don't need any digital capabilities, so I'm hoping that the cheap sony recevier works out. Thoughts? Thanks, Dave