Need opinion on RF-82 II Home Theater System and RF-7 II Home Theater System package

[bsdme2]

Hi Folks,

I'm preparing to get a HT system for myself, mostly for movies and video music.

I would like to know the quality of this two system. For receiver, am looking at

TX-NR1009

9.2-Channel Network A/V Receiver OR TX-NR5008

I would to hear everyone opinion on this setup especially those who already

use these two system. My budget is on the RF-82 II but could also save

some more for RF-7 II system.

Thanks folksss.

[JasonJCarney]

The 5008 is not nessasary... Go with the 3008.

[SuBXeRo]

The RF-7 system is great but you need a room that lets them breathe to truly benefit from their large stage. The rf-82 system is also very versitle but the comparison between the 2 system is night and day. I will say though, if you do get the RF-7 system you should get a power amp and pre/pro combo instead of a receiver. Receivers just wont feed the need of the 7's to let them really shine. The 82 system would also benefit from that pre/pro power amp combo as well. Check out emotiva gear at www.emotiva.com or www.outlawaudio.com or rotel, b&k, parasound, anthem, integra etc. Some are more expensive than others but the power abilities and quality blows away a receiver. If you can fit/afford the combo is great to get it. Onkyo is a great receiver brand as is harman kardon and denon, other prefer yamahas but i always bypass them as a personal preference.

welcome to the forum btw.

As a suggestion, get what u want even if it means saving for longer. Many many many of us have had the upgrade bug and returned or sold our speakers in order to get larger ones. In the end it comes down to your listening space size and setup.

[bsdme2]

Hi folkss,

Thanks you for your input.

Question: Would the quality jeopardize if I break down the parts and choose this instead:

RF-7 II Floorstanding Speaker x 2

RC-62 II Center Speaker

RS-62 II Surround Speaker x 2 OR

RS-52 II Surround Speaker

RC-64 II is wide for the space I have and also trim down the cost.

I will look into the AMP later and probably consider it into the package

to maintain the power these speaker deserve. These speaker will be use

in the living: L x W x H >>> 13 x 21 x 8

So to make a complete package, I should get: Speakers (list above), Receiver (may consider 3008),

and last is the AMP. Anything else?

Thanks you for your help as I am learning and saving to get my dream HT system.

[CECAA850]

The center channel is one of the most important speakers in a HT. Don't skimp there. Is there any thing you can do with your current space to accomodate it?

What are you going to use for a subwoofer (the other most important speaker in a HT)?

[bsdme2]

I don't need the subwoofer yet cause I need to keep the budget down for now

but will get it as soon as I get RF-7 II. I'll buy the subwoofer separately.

Any recommendation for the subwoofer? I will use this HT for most movies

man watching video music.

So RF-82 II package is not quite good? It within my budget so that why I ask.

But if RF-7 II package is much better that I will have to save more and sacrafice

my spending just for this HT system.

Thanks you for all your input.

[JasonJCarney]

From the reviews I have read the rf7ii's may not be worth the extra $1200. Not that anybody complains about them. I think you would be better off skipping on the rf7ii's and putting that $1200 into a really good sub. A home theatre without a sub is useless IMO. Recommendations for a sub.... Elemental designs a5-350... A2-300.... Emotiva sub 12 gets great reviews... Svs subs also have a nice following on this forum. I had a paradigm dsp 3200 that I thought was really nice but a tad expensive.

[Beechnut]

I'm in your boat. Could have RF-82 system today. I'm not settling though. I know I'll get the upgrade bug and always wonder "What if" if I dont get the flagship system. Save up, get what you dream about. Don't settle.

[SuBXeRo]

the RF-82 II system is not not a good system, it is a very good system in fact. I upgraded from rf-5's to rf-7's and that is a similar upgrade from rf-82's to the rf-7. One of the biggest things that stand out to me is music at louder volumes with the rf-7's You can really crank it and the 10's are extremely tight and accurate and have a larger sound stage than the 82's. I cant tell you would you would prefer or what is best, i can tell you from experience that my decision to upgrade from rf-3's to rf-5's was tough but the lower bass extensions in the 5's made the upgrade worth it. The decision to upgrade from the 5's to the 7's was even more difficult. My room didnt cater to the 7's that well since my setup was very tight. I listened to both speakers in a/b comparisons and i noticed that i liked the 5's for music and the 7's for HT. At higher volumes the 7's sounded just as good. I took the 7's as i knew that in the future i would have the proper space for them and it would be worth it to keep them. I havent looked back since i made the decision.

The size of your listening space would cater well to either system, the 7's would definitly work. My wall was 10' wide with 9' ceilings and i was about 8-9' from the wall so about 6-7' from the speakers themselves.

Keep this thought in mind too. For the most part you will like the speakers that you buy. Some speakers may have a sound that you just dont care for or some speakers are just really crummy and therefor sound it as well. If you compare speakers side by side you can pick which one you like better. If you cant, ignorance is bliss and you dont know what you're missing. I thought my rf-10's sounded great but i noticed they lacked in the bass department and needed a good sub. I would't buy a speaker with anything less than 6.5" drivers in it, maybe 5.25 depending on its purpose and use but this is because i know some what the limitations those size drivers have and i know i dont like that. Every speaker and its size has a place and purpose, i have developed a preference over time as to what i prefer.

If your budget was tighter and the rf-7's werent in your reach i would say screw it, go with the 82 system and you would be a very happy camper. Its not the case and its somthing you can get. Make sure that the front L/R and Center all match, you can get away with different rears alot of the time since they are sort of ancillary. A subwoofer doesnt have to timbre match anything since it has no tweeter and you can buy that at a later date. As a preference, i like having 2 subs, i prefer 12" or 15" drivers and would like to explore 18" drivers in the future when i am rich and can do whatever i want haha but for now i have 2 emotiva ultra sub 12's and have been happy with their performance even though they havent really been fully tested.

[cornfedksboy]

I've basically got the RF-82 5.1 system in a 11 X 24 X 7.5 dedicated theater room. It sounds great, but I've not EVER heard RF-7s or 7 IIs so I might just be ignorant. Also, with a narrow room, I don't need the bigger speakers as much. That said, I do aspire to one day own the top end Reference speakers. They look great and have a better fit/finish to them. Is it $2000.00 better? I don't know. Either way, I've basically decided not to upgrade my front three speakers until I can buy the RF-7 II and RC-64 II or equivalent when such a time comes. Oh and by the way, even the RF-82s look REALLY big when you first get them into your house so if size is a concern...

As for subs, I also recommend two for HT. I've got dual 12s and couldn't be happier (although perhaps I'm still ignorant). For a limited budget, one will obviously do and a few recommendations for under $500.00 would be the Emotiva Ultra or the Epic Legend. As you go up in price there are numerous other recommendations.

If you can't but the whole system right now, definately get the front three and a receiver. Follow that up with a sub, then side surround speakers. Amp next then back surrounds. Also, you can save a bunch of cash on rear surrounds by getting bookshelf speakers. Those are probably recommended over bipoles for that application anyway.

[JasonJCarney]

I have heard the 7ii's side by side with the 62ii's off a parasound amp. The 7ii's are not worth the extra money For sound quality alone. The wood veneer is much nicer than the vynal however. Also a small amount of reading on this forum will have you reading advice about crossover settings for your speakers. The most advised setting is to put all your speakers at 80hz and let the subs handle your lows in HT use. Not sure how much the 10 inch woofer helps with low end sound when your xover is set to 80hz! Lol but at the end of the day it's your money. I like the wood veneer so much I am thinking about buying 7ii's myself. My room is small and the 7ii's are more than I need. But the looks are killer IMO

[Heritage_Head]

Value is always a big debate you could probably go back and

read other posts on this subject. Your ears and your wallet are the only ones

that can really answer that. I owned the entire rf-82 set up and loved it. However

being an audio junkie and moving out of an apartment and into a house I wanted

more. I got a great deal on the rf-7ii set up plus I had a friend who was ready

to buy my whole rf-82 set up. The sound is night and day to my ears. Rf-82 is a

good ht system and I was never unhappy with it just wanted something better.

[cornfedksboy]

Reference Head, How big your room? Your system is packed tight in there and looks amazing! Just curious based on my current narrow room and thoughts that I'll eventually go bigger.

Thanks!

[Heritage_Head]

The room is 12x26x8 and it looks pretty packed with so much

on that front wall. Both those subs are huge and the rf-7ii is pretty big as

well. I would really like to have my front set up like yours with just the center,

subs, and fronts. I’m kind of waiting tell I decide if I’m going to go

projector or a 70+ LCD/led. If you put the rf-7ii in your room I think you

would definitely be happy with your upgrade. It’s not really louder it’s just

bigger, cleaner, and more refined. I was a little worried about the room being too

small when I was waiting for the speakers to come. I did a lot of reading and some

people had said they needed a big room to breathe. That might be true because I

haven’t had them in a big room but from the first movie I watched I have had a permanent

smile on my face. We all want to love what we buy, but I would be one of the

first people on here saying don’t waste your money if I didn’t feel these

speakers had that next level and worth the extra money.

http://www.blu-ray.com/community/gallery.php?member=Reference_head

[bsdme2]

Thanks you for your valuable opinions and advices.

I am thinking like confed mention and go with RF-7 II system.

Save enough money to get the front three with receiver then move

onto get the next slowly. Since most of you not quite satisfy with the lower

model and upgrade later, well I'll just grab one piece at a time and probably

better for me that way cause I don't want upgrade later and have other hobby

to play with. I will come back to get more opinion on other parts. Just want to

save for front three speakers of RF-7 II and Onkyo receiver for now.

Now the next important question, where can I get a better deal than the price

on Klipsch website? Anyone know any good reliable dealer?

Thanks FOLKSS for all your help.

[Heritage_Head]

Thanks you for your valuable opinions and advices.

I am thinking like confed mention and go with RF-7 II system.

Save enough money to get the front three with receiver then move

onto get the next slowly. Since most of you not quite satisfy with the lower

model and upgrade later, well I'll just grab one piece at a time and probably

better for me that way cause I don't want upgrade later and have other hobby

to play with. I will come back to get more opinion on other parts. Just want to

save for front three speakers of RF-7 II and Onkyo receiver for now.

Now the next important question, where can I get a better deal than the price

on Klipsch website? Anyone know any good reliable dealer?

Thanks FOLKSS for all your help.

Well I got mine from ultimate electronics that are unfortunately

out of business (had a friend that worked there). I would say your best bet is finding

a dealer who will deal with you on price. Places like best buy probably won’t

do much less than 10% off. Internet companies like vanns have sales that

probably can save you closer to 25-30%. I think I read somewhere that they had

a buy one get one free deal a few months ago (that would be cool). So try and be

patient and aggressive at the same time. When you find a good deal jump on it. As

far as getting it right the first time I agree with that 100%. Great advise

that will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. It’s always so easy

in this hobby to talk yourself into the cheaper model (I’m so guilty). But that

doesn’t mean you have to buy the flagship model to get it right. The rf-82 set

up sounds very good and honestly is more than a lot of people need. Not only do

you have to spend more on the fronts but then you need the flagship center, and

rears. Then when you get a sub you will probably want to get a good one to keep

up. And don’t forget about the amp you will want to power all those huge

speakers lol. The rf-7ii will be a great starting point and if you have the

patience and the budget you really can’t go wrong.

[JasonJCarney]

Keep in mind a couple things when you Say "most of you are not satisfied with the lower Model". 1. Most of those people upgraded from the rf82 system not the rf82ii system. 2. Good luck finding a person that went from a $1000 L/R to a set of $3000 L/R's that will admit it maybe wasn't worth the money sound quality wise. Lol also you need to remember that the rc62ii does not have the same tweeter as the rf7ii's. So honestly if your going to spend top dollar on the rf7ii's then you should be using the matching center channel. If you can only fit the rc62ii then you should get the floor standers that match in the rf82ii's. Now any mix matched fronts will still sound good with the rc64ii IMO.... But many on this forum will advise to timbre match your front 3.

[cornfedksboy]

Thanks you for your valuable opinions and advices.

I am thinking like confed mention and go with RF-7 II system.

Save enough money to get the front three with receiver then move

onto get the next slowly. Since most of you not quite satisfy with the lower

model and upgrade later, well I'll just grab one piece at a time and probably

better for me that way cause I don't want upgrade later and have other hobby

to play with. I will come back to get more opinion on other parts. Just want to

save for front three speakers of RF-7 II and Onkyo receiver for now.

Now the next important question, where can I get a better deal than the price

on Klipsch website? Anyone know any good reliable dealer?

Thanks FOLKSS for all your help.

If you are patient and watch various sites (Vanns, Amazon, Newegg, etc.) you will be able to find a pair of "B stock" speakers for $2000.00-$2500.00. They usually have some sort of a scratch on the veneer that can only be seen in certain light or on the back or bottom of the speaker. Sometimes they are just open box.

A second option would be to find a local or semi-local dealer that has them in stock. If you develop a relationship with the seller over a couple of visits and discuss your plan, you should be able to get 10-20% off of the items you purchase.

[cornfedksboy]

The room is 12x26x8 and it looks pretty packed with so much on that front wall. Both those subs are huge and the rf-7ii is pretty big as well. I would really like to have my front set up like yours with just the center, subs, and fronts. I’m kind of waiting tell I decide if I’m going to go projector or a 70+ LCD/led. If you put the rf-7ii in your room I think you would definitely be happy with your upgrade. It’s not really louder it’s just bigger, cleaner, and more refined. I was a little worried about the room being too small when I was waiting for the speakers to come. I did a lot of reading and some people had said they needed a big room to breathe. That might be true because I haven’t had them in a big room but from the first movie I watched I have had a permanent smile on my face. We all want to love what we buy, but I would be one of the first people on here saying don’t waste your money if I didn’t feel these speakers had that next level and worth the extra money.

http://www.blu-ray.com/community/gallery.php?member=Reference_head

Thanks for the info! I bought my screen knowing that hypothetically I could add the RF-7 IIs and RC-64 II while maintaining the full viewing area, but it is just a paper diagram. It is helpful to see that set-up in a similarly sized room. I don't have the upgrade bug right now, but I still assume that in a year or two I will have a few thousand extra dollars burning a hole in my pocket.

[SuBXeRo]

If you are planning to use just an expensive receiver and not get a power amp and processor combination, get the rf-82 set. The 82's will work better than the 7's will in that scenario since receivers are notoriously terrible with all channels driven. My power amp ways 70lbs and my pro weighs another 19lbs i think. An expensive receiver rarely tops 40lbs. They just arent made to muscle through things like a dedicated amp is. The 82's would benefit from a power amp as well but if you dont want that to be the case, they would work fine with just a receiver.

The dual 10's in the rf-7's are very tight and accurate and need decent power to perform and create quality sound. Putting less than adequate power to them can make them sluggish and sound muddy. I look at it like this, you are spending all this money on the flagship speakers but then skimping on what you need to power them.

You can always buy a receiver. If you do buy one, ensure it has preamp out connections so you can throw an external amp on it later. If u do this, u are just using the receiver as a processor and not using its amp section at all.

I wanted to add since i didnt before, i only upgraded to the rf-7's because i got a killer deal on them used and i was able to really only shell out 400 for the set after selling my old set so it cost me very little. Im 24 and not in a position to shell out the money needed for any brand new klipsch sets really but i worked with my abilities and did what i could and made something amazing happen. We are all in different positions monetarily as well as how deep into this hobby you want to get. I am very into this hobby, i have a discerning ear and it only becomes more and more discerning as i delve deeper into the hobby.

To help you fully decide I came up with this list:
1. Budget (would you rather save to go a notch up or just get what works and fits your needs and no more?)
2. Seriousness with the hobby (do you want the best because its the best or because you can actually hear, feel or see the difference)
3. Room Size/Acoustical Needs as well as Home/condo or apartment
4. Powering and Processing Abilities and Needs (pro/amp or receiver)
5. Size Contraints (will your spouse or sig other care about size?)
6. Does your spouse/sig other care about the styling?

Just some pointers that might help you decide.