mattSER Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 There's a nice pair of KSP-400s for sale near me for $700. Anybody have experience with these? I like the idea of having 15" subs in my front channels, but these speakers seem like they may be suited for HT instead of 2-channel music. I think I would always be worried about the built in amplifiers going out, as well. What do you guys think? If I don't grab these, I'll just continue searching for a nice pair of RF-82s or Fortes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 MattSER, I have not heard that they are bad speakers but IMO, you could do so much better for $700.00. Maybe $350.00 tops would be a "fair" price. Amp failure would be my concern also. Finding "matching" speakers(center, surrounds) would also be one of my concerns. They may be worth a shot for a second stereo system but for a much lower price. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 There's a nice pair of KSP-400s for sale near me for $700. Anybody have experience with these? I like the idea of having 15" subs in my front channels, but these speakers seem like they may be suited for HT instead of 2-channel music. I think I would always be worried about the built in amplifiers going out, as well. What do you guys think? If I don't grab these, I'll just continue searching for a nice pair of RF-82s or Fortes. I've got KSP-400's and I like them. I have owned quite a few Klipsch speakers and I like the sound of the KSP's better than any of the others that I have heard. Including Klipschorns. Most other Klipsch speakers are too bright for my ears. Apparently I am not alone noting the thriving modification bidness that you read of here. The KSP-C6 center can often be found on E-blay as can the KSP-S6 surrounds. Average price now for the center is $150 and the surrounds $250-$300. In my opinion $700 is too high for the front pair. The speakers were discontinued around 2000 so the amps will probably need attention in the near future, which may or may not be problematic. The KSP-400's sound will vary depending on your room and your amplification choice. A brighter receiver for example will get back some of the detail of the earlier named speakers without the fatigue of those speakers. As always your mileage may vary. Good luck. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattSER Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 thanks, guys. I'm not too worried about finding matching centers/surrounds as I am sticking with 2.-channel, but I was under the impression that $700 was a good deal? There's a pair on ebay right now for $1,100!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 thanks, guys. I'm not too worried about finding matching centers/surrounds as I am sticking with 2.-channel, but I was under the impression that $700 was a good deal? There's a pair on ebay right now for $1,100!! I saw those and they may be awesome speakers but given their rarity on the used market, I say proceed with caution above $700.00. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthews Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 for informational purposes: -I saw a pair of RF-7's in a local pawn shop this morning tagged at $779. I am sure we could have walked out with them under 700 cash... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 thanks, guys. I'm not too worried about finding matching centers/surrounds as I am sticking with 2.-channel, but I was under the impression that $700 was a good deal? There's a pair on ebay right now for $1,100!! I wouldn't pay over $400 to $500 tops, after auditioning, for them myself. But that's me. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattSER Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Points well taken. There was a pair of RF-7s about 70 mi from me for $800. I think I'll hold out for a nice pair of References. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchist Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 $700 is a good price. Shipping is what kills you. Some on this board are very cheap. I see them routinely for upwards of $900. As someone who has refurbed the amps, you can rebuild them completely for less than $50 or so if you know how to use a soldering iron. Biamp them and you have fantastic sound. You can also easily acquire the matching surrounds and center channel. I won't let mine go and frequently look to add more to the mix. I prefer them to the reference series myself and think the S6's were amongst the best surrounds Klipsch made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 I bought a pair a few years ago hoping they'd replace my Fortes. They didn't. The were way too laid back for my taste. Didn't have the lively sound the Fortes had. One amp hummed and the other didn't work at all. I paid $400 and that included an RC-3 center and RS-25 surrounds. They certainly looked impressive. Probably the tallest home speaker Klipsch ever made. They are huge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchist Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) I bought a pair a few years ago. Didn't have the lively sound the Fortes had. One amp hummed and the other didn't work at all. I paid $400 and that included an RC-3 center and RS-25 surrounds. $400. Bad amps. Wrong center channel and surrounds. Sound sucked. Exactly what I would have expected. To kill two birds with one stone: I bought mine used for $900 (so I remember) and bought the matching surrounds and center channel new for more than that. The sound is impressive enough that I never considered the reference series, KLF's, or anything else after auditioning them. For a mixed purpose system they can't be beat; for a dedicated two channel system, yes, I would stick with Khorns. Edited February 10, 2014 by Anarchist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattSER Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'm getting enough mixed opinions here that I've decided to go audition them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'm getting enough mixed opinions here that I've decided to go audition them. Good move. Make sure the bass knob isn't turned up too high. Lots of available adjustment/hook-up options. You can't beat 'em IMO. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattSER Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 right, I'll be sure to check that. I don't care for over-emphasized bass, but I do like that they are rated down to 27hz. Very interesting. I think if I can get another $100 off his asking price, there's a good chance I'll walk away with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 (edited) right, I'll be sure to check that. I don't care for over-emphasized bass, but I do like that they are rated down to 27hz. Very interesting. I think if I can get another $100 off his asking price, there's a good chance I'll walk away with them. If he can demo them for you make sure all the drivers are working. You can remove the front grill easily and listen for sound from the tweeters, the two midrange should move. You can hold your hand over the 15" woofer grills and feel air movement. The 15" subs put out lots of bass, you won't need an additional subwoofer. If the seller doesn't have the owners manual you can probably still download it from this site. I possibly have a spare, I'll have to look. The speakers are bi-wire/tri-wire capable and have a low level input for both LFE and low level. There is a switch on the rear lower panel for on/auto/off. They sense a signal and are auto on and auto off. Ask if he has the flat feet and the original spikes that came with the speakers. Good luck to you. Let us know how it turns out. http://www.klipsch.com/ksp-400-floorstanding-speaker/details#downloads Keith Edited February 12, 2014 by T2K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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