RF7 tweeter in RF5s

[RockOn4Klipsch]

I enjoy the tweeter in my RC7 which is identical to that in the RF7 if I'm not mistaken. Are the crossovers on the RF5's and RF7's the same? Could/has anyone tried to trade the tweeter and horn out of the RF5's? would this be a waste of time?

[RockOn4Klipsch]

I found the crossover frequency, The RF 5s ar 2500 hZ and the RF 7 is 2200 Hz.

If i was able to switch the tweeters and horns out would it be neccessary to switch xovers out as well? Or would it be ok since there would be no loss in frequency response. Dean???

Or should I just leave them alone?

[Saturn5]

RF-7 tweeter - K-67-DV 1.75" (4.45cm) Titanium dome compression driver

RC-7 tweeter - K-67-DV 1.75" (4.45cm) Titanium dome compression driver

RF-5 tweeter - K-119-KB 1" (2.54cm) Titanium dome compression driver

[RockOn4Klipsch]

yeah i got that off the specs page too. Would it be beneficial?

[Deang]

All of the parts (including the cabinets) are engineered to work together. Mixing parts without re-engineering the filter will result in degradation.

[Callum Scotland]

I have been looking for a post like this for a couple of years but there does not seem to be too much information out there on modifying the reference range of speakers. I hear what Dean is saying about degredation but I for one will not be happy until I have tried this modification for myself. Like I have said this has been on my mind for quite a few years - well about 4 years actually, since getting my RC-7 and hearing the greater open clarity of its horn compared to that of the RF-5's.

I am always up for a bit of modification and enjoy making improvements to the sound quality of my system (all so I can further enjoy music and movies []). I live in the UK where Klipsch is still little known and not really available at all. I took a gamble had Klipsch RF-5's shipped to the UK a few years ago not having ever heard them but having been lucky enough to be influenced by a set of La Scalas in my earlier years. The RF-5's were the biggest of the Klipsch reference range that I could have posted to the UK for a reasonable price and I have to say that I have not been dissapointed at all.

So far I have modified the crossovers by changing to Kimber caps after receiving very helpful advice from DeanG (Thanks Dean). This was a very worthwhile upgrade, which greatly increased the clarity of the speakers generally but also improved the depth and quality of the bass. I have also added thin bitumen sheet sound deadening to the internal surfaces of the cabinets and better sound absorbing material.

I am now ready to try swapping the RF-5's 1" compression driver for the RF-7's 1.75" driver. Having kept an eye out on the net for quite some time, I have not seen any RF-7 horns for sale (there have been a few woofers but never a horn). Last week I took the plunge to contact Klipsch to purchase a pair of RF-7 horns and I am currently waiting for a reply.

If anyone has already tried this modification and has found it to be a failure I would be pleased to know before I part with my hard earned cash, if not I will proceed and report back on whether it has been a positive or negative experience.

For any others out there that may be thinking about making this modification, for me this modification follows a long road of modifications/upgrades and would suggest that to get the most out of modifying any system that the greatest improvements come from addressing mains power issues first (dedicated ring main, low impedance main cables, I use Kimber (in fact I have even used a Kimber mains cable on a Klipsch iGroove SXT - iPod Docking Speaker Sound System and this makes a very worthwhile upgrade - yes, I did that too!!)). Room acoustics play a major part in the enjoyment of reproduced music and it is really worth addressing unneccessary rattles in the room like glass ornaments in contact with each other, hard reflective surfaces etc.

Happy modifying to you all!, Callum.

[colterphoto1]

I found the crossover frequency, The RF 5s ar 2500 hZ and the RF 7 is 2200 Hz.

If i was able to switch the tweeters and horns out would it be neccessary to switch xovers out as well? Or would it be ok since there would be no loss in frequency response. Dean???

Or should I just leave them alone?

Since the woofer drivers and cabinet size mean that the RF7's would have considerably more bass output, it's horn, tweeter motor and crossover are carefully engineered to BALANCE the frequency response of all these elements. It's not simply a matter of using parts that have close to matching crossover points. Klipsch also frequently employs passive parametric eq filtering in it's networks so that would be a major difference also.

Be my guest, but my money is on the Klipsch engineers getting it far more right than any of you.

Michael

[Callum Scotland]

Well I eventually carried out the horn and high frequency driver modification to my RF-5's and replaced them with new ones out of the RF-7. I purched the parts direct from Klipsch, having failed by obtain them second hand.

It must be almost a year since I carried out the modification (it's taken that long to get back on here - password and login probs!), I can confirm that I am very satisfied with the modification and I will not be changing back!

To give a review, I need to put the modification in perspective, I live in the UK where Klipsch is not easy to come by, so simply upgrading to RF'7's is not a viable option due to the high import duty and postage costs. I first heard Klipsch La Scala's at my school in Hong Kong and became influenced by the Klipsch sound from a relitively early age. Recalling the Klipsch sound from my early years, I imported the RF-5's about 7 years ago. About 5 years ago, after reading Dean G's threads, I upgraded the crossover networks using Kimber capacitors, this improved the speakers significantly by giving far superior deep and crisp base and improved clarity all round.

I always thought that the HF drivers were the weak point of the RF-5's as I was able to hear very clearly the superior smooth sound that came from the RC-7 centre speaker. When I eventually changed over to the RF-7 HF drivers, the mid and high frequency sound was so much more smooth and the soundstage across the front three speakers was far wider and matched giving a more realistic impression when watching concert DVD's or Blu Ray's. In the beginning, although the modification was obviously an improvement, the improved efficiency of the HF drivers resulted in the midrange being slightly overpowered, I resolved this by lowering the 5000Hz band on the room equalisation of my Tag Mclaren processor.

I have to say that replacing the HF driver without first upgrading the crossover caps and without having the facility to alter the frequency output would result in a speaker which is very prominent in midrange frequencies due to the higher sensitivity of the RF-7 driver. However, with the modifications I have done, I am extremeny pleased with the result.

Happy Modifying,

Callum.