RF-7 Question

[derrickdj1]

No, I am not a DJ. I purchased the SC 35 form BB for around $700. I demo 2 denon's and a Sony over 3 months( not there entry level avr's) and just felt that something was missing. Seeing that the SC 35 is a 20011 model on closeout I gave it a try.. Many people said the amp was over valued to my setup, an Icon V 9.1 system. I had concerns of possible blowing a speaker also. The SC 35 is rated 140 watt all channel driven at the same time. I called Pioneer and was told that peak wattage could be around 280 depending on the source being used and omh dips below 8 ohms. They said I would not get the power drop, like a lot of avr's due to the ice amps while running multiple speakers. The MCACC is excellent for room correction seeing that I used this system in my family room and do not want to use sound treatments. My VF 36's rated 150-600, VF 35 rated 100-400, VC 25 rated 75-300 and 4 VS 14's rated 50-200 watts may be in danger of blowing a speaker at high volume. I have run this setup to +5 on the avr, which is above reference level. I have not ran it for long times at that level because it is just way to loud. The speakers, which are much lower rated than RF 7's responded above average to the power load. No distortion or his from the system. At one point I thought about upgrading my speakers, but since I purchased this system in the later half of 2011 and really am impressed with it, I changed my mind. I have been in custom HT shops and compared my setup to B&W towers, Paradgim towers, Klischp RF series and Golden Ear. I felt that my setup was holding with the best, dollar spent wise. I personally think the Icon V series is under valued by a lot of people. But to conclude, I feel this avr made a middle of the road system into a great system for music and HT. There is a post on this site where a forum member that owns the Klipsch Palldium Series, he also feels that the I con V series is a good speaker(s). The SC 35 gives me the internet radio without the use of an FM atennea, Pandora and other online content through my PC and BD player. The features in the SC 35 are great. The ability to deliver clean power to my system is the key feature of the SC 35. You may not need separate amps depending on you personal taste. The SC 35 and SC 37 can be purchased for under $700 now brand new with Pioneer's wanrranty. After reading this forum and others, Pioneer avr's are not the ones that people are having a lot of trouble with. Since Klipsch speakers are very efficient, the SC 35 should be able to run your system without a problem. My family roon/ Kitchen area is around 20 wide and 40 deep with 9-10 ft ceiling. So this setup is covering a large area. The Rference Series is a bit more refine for music but the EQ on this system is so good I do not feel I am missing anything. Without this avr I am sure that I would want to upgrade to the Reference Series. The RF 7II's rated 250-1000 may require and amp for higher power demands at high volume. Either way this avr can be a good preamp if the quest for more power becomes an issue. I am sure other knowledgeable forum members will chime in on this post and shed additional helpful information.

[Zen Traveler]

Derrick, as your name implies, I take it that you are a DJ? Therefore, I assume you play your speakers at a louder-than-normal volume--is that accurate? Given that, are you referring to Reference towers (RF-82 or RF-7).

Fwiw, Derricks speakers are considerably different than the RF-7s and don't have the impedance dips so they don't need as hearty of a power supply.

[derrickdj1]

The RF 7II are rated 8 ohm compatible as is my V series speakers. Since I do not own RF 7's , I wonder if the rated 250 RMS/1000 peak wattage implies that 250 watts of power is needed for normal listen. Under powering the speakers and clipping may be an issue. My comments are based on my experience with the SC 35. Many forum members use power amps on their RF 7II and RF 83's that can chim in on their experience running these speakers with an avr.

[Zen Traveler]

The situation with the impedance dips that the RF-7 have been discussed here since their inception and using the search function at the top of the page will get a ton of hits. Fwiw, it is probably why Klipsch suggests more "watts" but it's also rated at 101 db/1 meter which also implies that you don't need that much power to drive them. They may be "8 Ohm Compatible, but have dips that go down to 2.8 Ohms in some frequencies which means the need sufficient current to drive them at loud volumes...Not very many AVRs can do than and only a few could in Medium sized rooms at loud volume without distorting. {Note: I said "loud" verses Reference because not many listen that loud.}

[StephenM]

The situation with the impedance dips that the RF-7 have been discussed here since their inception and using the search function at the top of the page will get a ton of hits. Fwiw, it is probably why Klipsch suggests more "watts" but it's also rated at 101 db/1 meter which also implies that you don't need that much power to drive them. They may be "8 Ohm Compatible, but have dips that go down to 2.8 Ohms in some frequencies which means the need sufficient current to drive them at loud volumes...Not very many AVRs can do than and only a few could in Medium sized rooms at loud volume without distorting. {Note: I said "loud" verses Reference because not many listen that loud.}

Just to illustrate the point, using the sensitivity of 101dB w/ 2.83 volts at 1 meter, with a speaker at 15 feet, to reach reference level (105dB peak), you need a ~ 20V output from your receiver or amplifier. Translating to 8 ohms this means 50 watts and 2.5 amperes of current, which won't present a problem for even a modest receiver. Enter a nasty 2.8 ohm dip. Now you're looking at ~143 watts of power and ~7.1 amperes of current. That's where you can run into trouble.

[derrickdj1]

Thanks tkdamerica and StephenM for the additional imformation. I was really glad that you responded to this post. It is good to see forum members help others to get the most out of their systems.

[Flicker]

Thanks for that. I see you are running RF-7s, though, so I must ask what YOU recommend?

[Flicker]

I was looking at the sensitivity rating on the RF-7IIs, and I thought I would not be listening at make-your-ears-bleed levels, but I would like the ability to really let them breathe at a later date, when I have the space to do so. I will check out the forums. Thanks for your suggestions.

[Flicker]

Thank you for the clarification--not all of it makes sense to me, but it makes me think buying separates is much safer for the system. It looks like I will probably head in that direction, but I will keep doing some research in the meantime.