jeffgeorge

Danartdis, I must disagree a little with Malcom on this one. I have owned Heresy's and Heresy II's, I even had the Heresy's in the rear and the H II's for the front. There was not very much difference in the tonal qualities of the two. I even tested the orininal on the left channel and the II on the right and could not tell a significant difference between the two. Maybe I don't have the audiophile ears that I used to, but I would say most people would be hard pressed to find a significant difference between the two. Just my two cents.

I have also heard good things about the Outlaw 1050. I have a Denon 2801 with 85 watts/channel and it does a very nice job with home theater. My Onkyo power amp sounds better with music, but I cant complain about the Dennon, because I think you get a lot for the money with the 2801. If you decide on the Outlaw, let me know what you think. I may want to go DD 5.1 or 6.1 upstairs one day, and would like a good receiver at a reasonable price. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) Amp: Onkyo M-5000 (2ch.) CD Player: Yamaha

I would say, if you can swing the extra cost, go with the RB-5 as a center and RS-3's for rear. If you want to save a little $$, go with the RC-3... either way I don't think you will be disappointed. What type of reciever and or pre-amp amp combo are you going to use?

I have both, in different systems of course. I can tell you that the RB-5's do very well with dialogue. My wife watches a lot of Fox news for example. Shepard Smith has a very strong and deep voice. It comes through very clearly and robust on the RB-5's. On the RC-3 it sounds about the same, except not quite as deep and detailed in the bass region. The reason I say this is that most of what comes through the center is voices. Many voices give speakers a true test of their accuracy. Come to think of it, the RB-5's are video shielded, so you would not have to worry about setting them atop a TV. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) Amp: Onkyo M-5000 (2ch.) CD Player: Yamaha

If you are definately going with RF-3's as mains, you will get a better match by sticking with RB-5's or RS-3's for surrounds. The tweeters are the same in all and will have a better tonal match with the RF-3's. I have RS-3's as surrounds and really do like them, but you raise an interesting point. The RB-5's will give you better bass for rear surrounds than the RS-3's (larger woofer), but you will not get the diffuse surround that the RS-3's can offer. Some people prefer the sound of direct radiating surrounds, after all I used to be one of those people. That is until I got the RS-3's. I think what they lack in bass, they more than make up for in diffuse surround sound IMHO that is. You can always add a rear channel sub in the future to supplement the lack of bass. Don't get me wrong though, these are not anemic bass re-producers. As for the center, stick to the match of the RC-3, or if you don't need shielding, and can find one, go with a single RB-5. If you buy a pair, you can always use the second as a rear center in the future. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) Amp: Onkyo M-5000 (2ch.) CD Player: Yamaha

Johan, What was I thinking? Of course, Rotel is an amp that you should listen to. Very conservative on power ratings, and relatively warm for solid state. You might also consider NAD. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) Amp: Onkyo M-5000 (2ch.) CD Player: Yamaha

Go with the RB-5's and be done with it. Your right deang, I meant RF-3's. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) Amp: Onkyo M-5000 (2ch.) CD Player: Yamaha

Johan, KG 4.2's are pretty forgiving when it comes to amplification. You might want to stay away from Yamaha, only because I know that a lot of people comlain that they are a little more harsh sounding than some amps. I would say there is a little truth to that in my experience as well. I don't know what your budget is, or availablity of equipment in the Netherlands, but you might try the following in respecive price ranges. Low: Onkyo Mid: Accurus, Parasound, Adcom High: McIntosh, Conrad Johnson, Krell ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) Amp: Onkyo M-5000 (2ch.) CD Player: Yamaha

Choy, Although I am not familiar with your amplification, I feel the RB-5's are one of the best all-around speakers out there. They are excellent for any music, especially jazz. They are missing the lower octave that my RB-3's have, but they are in a smaller room, so the difference is negligable. I do recommend placing them on good stands. Mine are on 20" spiked stands. This gets the tweeter at ear level. I can't say enough good things about these speakers. An A+ in my book! ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) Amp: Onkyo M-5000 (2ch.) CD Player: Yamaha

Charly, I picked up an older used Onkyo amp on e-bay for my two-channel set-up. It may not be the best amp out there, but it made my Denon amp sound anemic when listening to my RB-5's. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) Amp: Onkyo M-5000 (2ch.) CD Player: Yamaha

tBrennen, That's what I was afraid of. My plan was to drive the tweeters with the receiver's output and run the woofer with the new amp's output. It sounds like I need an external crossover... true?

I will soon be receiving a new 150 watt power amp (onkyo), and was thinking about bi-amping either my RF-3's, or RB-5's. The dillema I have is that I will use either of my A/V receivers as the amp for the tweeter section and my power amp for the mid/low frequency. There will be a difference of power between the two, of 80 watts for the receiver and 150 for the power amp. Can I expect any problems with this configuration? I realize that this is only a difference in appox. 3db at max. power, but are there any pitfalls in this set-up? ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) CD Player: old Sony (vintage 1986 - needs replaced)

If you are looking for an excellent demo disk, try "U-571". It has a tremendous amount of "SLAM"... I mean "SLAM" factor. It's excellent in DD and DTS... could not tell much difference between the two. Did I say "SLAM"? ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) CD Player: old Sony (vintage 1986 - needs replaced)

Fried, If I could jump in again and muddy the waters... I like the sound of the Yamaha CD players. Mine is the higher end, approx. three years ago. I auditioned several players, Sony ES not included, but found the Yamaha to have a more natural sounding set of DAC's. Since my profile, I have moved the Yamaha CD player upstairs to use with my RB-5 system, and it is a large improvement. I just thought I would give you another option to look at. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) CD Player: old Sony (vintage 1986 - needs replaced)

I also reccomend a pair of RB-5's. I bought some on e-bay for $450. They may be a bit higher than what you are planning to spend, but in the long run I think you would be happier and less likely to upgrade in the future. Just my $.02. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) CD Player: old Sony (vintage 1986 - needs replaced)

buylow, You are correct... just make sure you are using the two seperate wires in the same terminals on your receiver. For instance, don't wire one strand in "A" and the other in "B". They need to be combined in "A". As for the benefits, the opinions vary. I have tried it with mine and have not been able to tell much difference. The true benefit to two seperate terminals on the RF-3's is bi-amping. In that scenario, you send the same signal to two seperate amps and feed one into the upper and one to the lower terminal. This gives you seperate amplification to both the tweeter and woofers. I hope this all makes sense, I have not yet had my first cup of coffee. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) CD Player: old Sony (vintage 1986 - needs replaced)

I would also go with option 3. I love my Reference series for HT & music, but I always regret not keeping my Heresy II's for 2-channel. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 ------------------------- Family room: RB-5's (Mahogony) Receiver: Denon AVR-2000 (2ch.) CD Player: old Sony (vintage 1986 - needs replaced)

I am going to be purchasing a pair of RB-5's for my living room. I am confused on finishes. According to this website the three that are available are: cherry, maple, or black. I have seen some listed by authorized dealers that the three are: mahogany, medium oak, and black. Are there different finishes for different years of production? Please respond soon... I can't wait to get them. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1

I don't believe that you have to get really expensive cables to get good bi-wireable sound. My speakers are wired with 12 gauge Tributaries at approx. $1.50 a foot and they sound FANTASTIC. Sure, you can spend your 401K money on wires, but there IS a law of diminishing returns. Live long and prosper with Klipsch. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1

taltokeith, Can I become your new buddy?? ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1

I would not reccommend stacking the two, you could end up with standing waves, which will tend to lower your bass output. I would set the 15 where it sounds best and then experiment by moving the 10 around the room. Once you get the best overall bass response... X marks the spot!

Don't worry Z, I think you will be very pleased with the RF-3's as I have been. I have been a long-time Klipsch owner (Heresy) and can truly say that these are amazing speakers, especially for the price. Save up for the RC-3 and RS-3's and you will be a happy camper. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1

I have recently purchased a KSW-12 and have it hooked to my Deneon AVR-2801. When I do the signal test (test tone) I get a strange noise from the sub, I can only describe it as either a rattle, or possibly noise from the port. As far as movies and music goes, the sub sounds great (no noise). What gives? ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1

Oalaf, I must say that it is refreshing to hear somone talk about damping factor. Although I don't believe my receiver has a really good one, some of the best amps have 200 and more. In a receiver, I think you are well off to have 60 - 150. There may be some that offer more, but I don't know which ones they would be. I must confess that several years ago I used to sell hi-fi equipment -- Yamaha included, and with some speakers the Yammies sounded pretty good, but with Klipsch, quite harsh at times. Even though Yamaha usually sports some pretty good specs, that does'nt mean they will sound good in your home with Klipsch. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1

My Father has a Yamaha linear tracking turntable, but I am not sure how much he wants for it. tbalasting is right on the money in regards to a dynamic range expander. I had a dbx before and found it to be quite destructive to tweeters. I'll get back to you on the turntable. ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1