JamesD1957

Glad to see that you like the set up you have. My set up is virtually the same and I'm really enjoying the quality of sound I get from it. Enjoy!

I would seriously explore any of the Yamaha A-S options. I have one of the step up models A-S1000 and it sounds wonderful with my RB-75's. Look at the A-S501, A-S701, and A-S801. All have built in DACs and subwoofer preout and can be found factory refurbished at www.accessories4less.com. Bill I own the RP280-F's and they are being powered by a Yamaha A-S500 integrated amp. Plenty of power, great sound, and I couldn't be happier with this combination. No subwoofer needed for 2 channel in my humble opinion I think the A-S501 is now the current model and wouldn't hesitate to go for it.

Enjoy your 280's. I love mine! Let us know how you like your speaker/amp combination after it's had a bit of a break in period.

This is from Klipsch: "90x90 HYBRID TRACTRIX HORN Redesigned Tactrix® Horn utilizes a circular horn throat paired to a square horn mouth to further improve high-frequency response and extension, while enhancing imaging and dynamics. The compressed molded rubber construction adds high frequency damping to reduce harshness and improve detail. This creates the cleanest, most natural sound possible" I think this makes a HUGE difference in the sound. That rubber surround is in response to a bunch of owners performing "putty" modifications to earlier models to reduce the harshness of the treble. The 280's are much less harsh than the 28's. As for bass response, I believe the 280's are 32 Hz, the 28's are 35 Hz. Don't know if that really makes a big difference, but I know bass response is quite good with the 280's. I'm quite happy with my 280's, and I REALLY wish I could have gotten 'em for the price they are listed at now. My two cents.

I have the RP 280F's and really love 'em. I've had them for a month, so I'm still breaking them in, but they sounded great right out of the box. I have a sub available, but I ended up moving it to the bedroom system. These do not require a sub unless you have to have chuffing, knock the pictures off the wall bass. For stereo listening, these give a LOT of bang for the buck. Crisp highs, clear mids, and bass, while I wouldn't call it massive, is quite abundant and clear. I listen to jazz, classical, and mostly, 60's and 70's rock. Best speaker choice I've ever made.

The RP-280F's arrived today. First impressions are great looks and build quality. I really like the way the grills are fastened magnetically. Nice feature. After getting them hooked up, I have to say I'm amazed at how good they sound right out of the box. Can't wait to hear them after 50 or so hours! I was running a sub with the old set of speakers and turned it off. Just listening to these without the sub, I can't imagine why anyone would need a sub unless they want to peel the paint! Now granted I'm just using these for music, theater might need the rumble of a sub. The Yamaha A-S500 seems to be PLENTY of amp! So far, without a doubt these are the best speakers I've ever owned. I'll post back after I get a few more hours on them!

I have a slightly different take on this thread. I retired from band directing about a year and a half ago. Spent 30 years teaching fantastic kids and loved (almost) every minute of it! But, one of the hazards of the job is that you become a very critical listener, and it's not something that you can just leave at the office. No matter what music I was listening to, part of my brain was busy hearing the flaws, problems, and how I would make corrections. Without realizing it, I had stopped enjoying music for music's sake and was always thinking technically. About six months into retirement I caught myself listening to a song and just flat out thinking how beautiful it was, warts and all. That put a smile on my face that lasted the rest of the day! Every since then, I've been "enjoying" music more than I have in decades, because for the most part, music is an art, not a science. On the other hand, now I want better speakers!

Okay, I feel pretty confident that my amp will produce sufficient power for what I'm looking for. Now comes the hard part, I'm looking at the RF 82 II's because of price point, but I see the RP 280 F's out there which I believe are the updated versions. For anyone in the know, if I were to run these without a sub, which of these choices would deliver a more "classic rock" type of sound? Looking for good (not bloated) bass response, and nice clear mids and highs. I tend to listen to jazz, classical, and a lot of 60's and 70's rock. Thanks!

Thanks for the explanation and for giving me a clearer idea of how the match would work! Much appreciated!

Thanks, and I did get and read your message. My current speakers are the Pioneer SP-FS52's. The Andrew Jones entry line. Are you familiar with those? What I'm getting from them is okay bass, but the mids and highs tend to get muddied from time to time, especially if the volume is up a bit. They have great reviews, and seem to perform above their price point. But, there just seems to be holes in the sound if that makes sense. I'd like to think these RF's can fill the holes. I'm much appreciating the responses that I'm getting from this forum! And, I don't want to be disappointed in these speakers! ; )

Thanks for the responses so far! Yeah, I've heard that Klipsch doesn't hide the problems with not so great recordings. That shouldn't be considered a minus in my opinion. If the speakers hide the flaws, what else are they hiding? I'd like to keep this going for the power concern. The A-S500 has "85 W X 2 High Power Output". That's from the Yamaha site. I'm not an engineer, so I really don't understand the whole watts per channel specs, and what they really mean. Some say you have to have 150 w per channel, others say differently. My gut tells me that this is a nice amp, and I see that the sensitivity ratings for the RF 82 II's is great. I feel they should be fine together. I do like to listen to my music at a fairly loud level, but what I'm calling loud others might call whispering! Besides, I have a built in volume limiter, and her name is Nancy : ) So, if anyone feels that the 85 just won't be enough, please respond! Thanks!

Hi folks, new to the forum. I've never owned a Klipsch speaker, mostly because of the reputation of being too bright sounding. Well, I'm starting to crack a little and want to get a couple of questions answered. I realize these will be opinions, but I think this is the best source of information. 1. I have a Yamaha A-S500 integrated amp. I'm looking at the RF-82 II's which are now on sale at an attractive price. will my amp do justice to these speakers? 2. My listening room is wood floors and a window with blinds, but no cloth treatment. Will the Klipsch most likely be too bright for this room? Will a rug help? Honestly, I probably prefer a more "warm" sound, but I really like the Klipsch quality reputation. My budget is going to be around $1000 for the pair, so I really can't go much beyond these as choices. Also, for the record, I prefer a sound with a lot of "clean" bass. Don't want the chuffing sound that you hear coming out of cars, and I don't need the house to rattle. I just don't want to have to pretend I hear the bass. Thanks! Jim