MrMcGoo

This thread was about RF-7 v. the KLF-30, not the RSW-15. The RSW-15 that I've owned since the earliest days of its manufacture has performed flawlessly within its design specs. As far as Klipsch support is concerned, it is one of the main reasons that I buy Klipsch. First, I'm not likely to need it unless I abuse my gear. Second, Klipsch support is some of the best support available for ANY consumer product. Bill

Home theater PCs use video cards with an HDMI port built in. Windows 7 SP1 fixed problems with the audio drivers over the HDMI port. The video cards are not terribly expensive for blu-ray. The big advantage to an HTPC is that it can run a huge (many terabytes) amount of storage for video. Since a single blu-ray can run up to 50Gb, the storage can be used up rapidly. The problem with an HTPC is that blu-rays are subject to as many as two layers of encryption and that the OS was originally designed to enforce the copy protection. There are software workarounds, but they are not worth the trouble IMO. A blu-ray carosel is a better solution IMO. On the other hand, blu-rays are sold with digital rights to download the DVD level of software. This is where an HTPC can shine as a server, but the resolution is lower in both video and especially the sound. Any good DVD player ot TV will upconvert video to 1080p that usually looks good on TVs up to 60 inches. There is no upgrade on the sound though. I buy blu-rays for the sound more than the picture. Folks with giant screens and projectors probably want the best picture that blu-ray has to offer. Bill

Tweeter, Room acoustics and speaker positioning and aiming are at least as important as amplification. Flat screen TVs cause problems with the need to place center channel speakers beneath the TV. The center need to be aimed upward toward the listener's ears and protrude a little beyond the front of the stand. Floors should have carpet or rugs to reduce reflections and so on. Once you have done the best you can with the room and speaker setup, then worry about amplification and room correction. Bill

Both the RC-7 and RC-64 are much better than the RC-3. The center channel is over used by the mixers so it is by far the most important speaker. Seamless pans across the front are also important. The RF-7s that I used the RC-64 with were modded. The 7s had more presence than my RF-63 array, but the 63s have a better attack are more neutral and are more seamless. Bill

The RC-7 has two threaded internal bolts at the rear to allow legs to be added to raise the rear of the RC-7 to aim it at the ears of the listener. The RC-64 has a single bolt toward the front to use a leg to raise the front to aim it at the listenrs ears. An owner can always find other ways to aim the speaker, but most folks do not want to bother to reinvent the wheel. These two speakers are about the transition from RPTVs to flat panel TVs. Both are good speakers, but I'd give the edge to the RC-64. However, dialog is better from above than below even if the speakers are well aimed. The RC-64 is a better match to the RF-83 and 63 series. It did well with the RF-7s, but the four RF-63s disappear better with the RC-64 than the Rf-7s could. Bill

There are fundamental design differences between the RC-7 and the RC-64. The 7 is a vented box design intended to be used above your video display. The 64 is a sealed design intended to be used below your display. The sealed design eliminates echos from your cabinet and the smaller woofers fit in a narrower but longer shelf. The 64 does not go quite as low as the 7, but works well with the crossover in your processor. Both speakers need to be angled up or down at the ear level of the listener to get a seamless front sound stage. The down side to the 64 is that you may later want to upgrade to RF-83s. With room correction processors that are properly run, both speakers will work well. Make your pick based upon whether it will go above or below the display is my advice. I have owned both systems. Bill

The ugly duckling, colloquially known as the Caspian Sea Monster, flew a few feet above the water. It used ground effect to fly low to avoid radar detection. It carried 6 anti-ship missles. I thought the US military was inefficient, but this thing takes the cake. A $1,000 hammer is nothing in comparison to the Sea Monster. Bill

daddy, I have sent the picture (url) to a friend that is super fluent in Russian. His father was a red air force general, so he has some interest in these things. I will report back with his comments. Bill

This year we have had one snowfall that needed clearing with a snow blower. Last year we had a record 97 inches which is a 100 year record. The year before last was the second highest snow year on record, but the climate is not changing. The last two years it was very difficult to find a snow blower to buy. In preparation for another bad year, I went out and bought a tracked 28 inch Honda and a wheeled 24 inch Husquvarna with power steering. This did not stop me from buying four RF-63s and a RC-64. After all, when you finish clearing the snow, a home theater is a great way to relax. Bill

Be advised that some drivers have been known to lose a wire during shipping due to vibration. Hence, if only one wire is properly attached, merely attach the secon wire with correct polarity and your problem may be solved. Bill

Welcome to the forum! My educated guess is that Klipsch is freshening up the Reference line. The first step is to discontinue products that do not move enough volume. The second step is to clear out excess inventory in the discontinued items. Next they will introduce the new items, probably starting with the new subwoofers. The only question is whether they will go from the Reference IV line to a Reference V line. Historically, the new Reference speakers were fully compatable with the prior series in both appearance and voice. Discontinued products usually sell at a deep discount, which means that it is a buyers' opportunity. Klipsch is the best in the business with continuity in their product lines. Klipsch evolves and refines thier products, but keeps the winners updated. Bill

The sound of the information seems to be that the industry is building machines to limit analog output quality to make it harder to copy. It was originally planned to use and Image Constraint Token in the software to tell the player to limit analog video qiality. Software is easily defeated, so now it will be done in hardware. The deal with HDMI is that v. 1.4 is already upon us. Next will be 1.5? Large conduits should be used for inwall installations so new cable can be pulled. Bill

I tried a 140 watt 2 channel B&K amp with RF-7s in place of a 140 watt Ultra2 receiver. There was a small, but noticeable improvement. An upgrade to a 200 wpc Sunfire amp was much more noticeable. The speakers that you have are an easier load than RF-7s by most accounts, but they do have excellent bass. No matter how you slice it, bass takes more power. In your place, I'd skip the 2 channel 125 watt amp and move up to the 3 channel 200 watt amp. The fronts would be a better match and the power increase would be more likely to get improved results. I would also wait for someone that has Fortes and has experimented to give their view. Much depends on the actual impedance curve of the Fortes and how the speaker actually interacts with a bigger amp. Bill

There are two critical points to keeping the RC-7. First, it needs to be angled up toward the listenrs' ears. The sound stage will not be what you are used to without aiming the horn at ear level of the listeners. Second, the RC-7 is vented to the rear. The noise from the vent can create echos, if the RC-7 is enclosed. Bill

Thanks for the review. Good movies for the whole family are rare these days. Even then, not all Pixars are created equally. Hence the review helps as this brand tends to be a bit more expensive. Bill