New Cornwall IIIs vs RF 7IIs

[jacksonbart]

Cornwall vs. RF7s...  Well do you have the space for console style speakers.  To me Cornwall's are warmer, the RF7 in original form do great (as mentioned above) with a sub in my opinion as that tweeter can sing at volumes.  That tweeter is different that a Cornwall.  You should listen to both.  I believe the set up and the room will impact the sound more than the choice of the two, but that set up should drive the selection.  I believe the RF7s are a bit more forgiving in terms of placement, but I am concerned that you won't be able to let either one shine in a condo, unless the space is there.  Please no ferns or other plants on either speaker.  Enjoy your new home.  

[Paducah Home Theater]

I do think however that the RF-7II's need a sub to sound "complete".

I like subs with them just because I like subs, but with a fairly flat response in mind, I don't know that I've listened to much music where I thought entire octaves were just AWOL or at least very weak without them. My subs are ran hot for movies so when I listen to two channel music it's not uncommon to turn the subs off, and I'm happy with the way they sound on their own. When they do crap out it's usually my receiver, it gives up the ghost before the speakers do, the amp clips with bass drums at high volume. I need a separate amp for them.

It may be what you listen to though. Mine is typically Jack Johnson and Rodrigo y Gabriela at low to medium levels, but Jack still has a bass drum and bass guitar. I do fire up the subs with Ice Cube or Tool.

Edited September 14, 2015 by MetropolisLakeOutfitters

[jacksonbart]

I leave my tool in the bowl

[psg]

 

Wouldn't it vibrate?

I'm sure it could be measured or felt but not seen. Guaranteed to ouperform a Khorn with one whole side missing, either way. You could make it only 3 feet without sacrificing too much, since even Khorns need subs below 60 hz. anyhow.

 

 

I used an Ikea tabletop for a few years, one that is about 1.5 inches thick. Worked well.

[YK Thom]

Cornwall vs. RF7s... Well do you have the space for console style speakers. To me Cornwall's are warmer, the RF7 in original form do great (as mentioned above) with a sub in my opinion as that tweeter can sing at volumes. That tweeter is different that a Cornwall. You should listen to both. I believe the set up and the room will impact the sound more than the choice of the two, but that set up should drive the selection. I believe the RF7s are a bit more forgiving in terms of placement, but I am concerned that you won't be able to let either one shine in a condo, unless the space is there. Please no ferns or other plants on either speaker. Enjoy your new home.

Thanks! We sort of got off track with the klipschorn bit. I really don't feel the room is right for them as my listening position would not be far enough away. Being a condo - fairly soundproof, I would still not be cranking anything too much. I never do anyway. Not the environment for room/wall/floor/window shaking thunderous bass . Still thinking about this and have been all over the map. I was assuming that the 7s wouldn't require a sub. If a sub must remain in the picture my original idea (which I keep coming back to - must be a sign), is a new pair of P17Bs for front mains. It doesn't look as thought any of the Heritage line will be suitable for this space. Although they are nice in the right room I am by no means married to line. I quite like the Reference and the Palladium are even better sounding. They have horn tweeters and midrange, so all the detail I like will be presented. Edited September 14, 2015 by YK Thom

[Scrappydue]

Dude the p-17's are sweet!!! If I ever moved into a small space they would be #1 on my list. I wish I could have afforded to keep mine for a rainy day. They would have been great computer speakers too lol.

[derrickdj1]

The 7's can stand on the their own.  Two 10 in. woofer sound like plenty for your listening habits.  When I am lazy, I run the 7's full range and leave the subs off.  Definitely not a night and day difference.  But, I listen to a lot of soft music at -35 to -40 on the avr.

[YK Thom]

Dude the p-17's are sweet!!! If I ever moved into a small space they would be #1 on my list. I wish I could have afforded to keep mine for a rainy day. They would have been great computer speakers too lol.

My listening/living room/dining room an open space. The Living room area is aprox 16 X 15 which continues on but narrows to aprox 15 x12. The whole place is 1088 sq feet in total.

I still kick my own behind for not taking the plunge and buying your set. I got mesmerized by what seemed the perfect storm: shipping + duties + the Canadian dollar falling through the floor along with oil prices. The dollar has fallen another nickel since that time.

I'm sure yours would have been handled with kid gloves and hard to tell from brand new out of the box.

Lesson learned: he who hesitates....

[YK Thom]

The 7's can stand on the their own.  Two 10 in. woofer sound like plenty for your listening habits.  When I am lazy, I run the 7's full range and leave the subs off.  Definitely not a night and day difference.  But, I listen to a lot of soft music at -35 to -40 on the avr.

You may be 100% correct. From the specs they should be fine for what I want and like. As I mentioned before I don't like crazy bass, just appropriate. I have fiddled around with my sub to the point that if you closed your eyes you would think I had a pair of appropriate for the room size floorstanders. This is the sound I'm after, especially if the sound is scalable in different volume levels. Have heard far to many speakers that are great full blast but half dead at normal or softer listening levels.The CW and all other Heritage are officially off the table. It will be between the RF7IIs and P17bs after a listen this November when I'm in Ottawa on business. That will tell the tale.

[derrickdj1]

Even though I have a lot of subs, music is with no bass boost and most of the time a reduction in bass.  I like music, not boom, boom.  HT is a different monster all together.

[YK Thom]

Even though I have a lot of subs, music is with no bass boost and most of the time a reduction in bass. I like music, not boom, boom. HT is a different monster all together.

I hear you there. I listen to old jazz for the most part and we both know it dosent sound like a Hip Hop sort of mix. I tend to have the bass about the same with movies. For me it's more about an immersive sound in 5.1 rather than explosive (I find movie theatres too loud). My wife dosent care for big blasts either. I think it is all about what you are looking for and I think you have accurately intuited listening preferences.

You find your 7s more than adequate without subs for music? If they have the Reference sound but even more so- THAT is what I'm searching for. Having heard the Hereseys I can say I much prefer the Reference II 61Is.

Edited September 15, 2015 by YK Thom

[ClaudeJ1]

 

Well that information may be a game changer. I've wanted a pair for decades.

I don't think you will ever regret Khorns. they are the official flagship, after all. the rest are all trying to get close, and for some people the compromise in distortion and efficiency is acceptable. Never has been for me. I have ALL HORNS in my setup.

 

And I have had many Heresy's, Cornwalls, LaScalas, Forte's, Forte II's, Chorus, Chorus II's. Had KG4's in my CAR. But always had Khorns as the main setup. My fave of all were the Chorus II's that were not all horns, but I only used those for surround channels, never the mains.

Edited September 15, 2015 by ClaudeJ1

[YK Thom]

Well that information may be a game changer. I've wanted a pair for decades.

I don't think you will ever regret Khorns. they are the official flagship, after all. the rest are all trying to get close, and for some people the compromise in distortion and efficiency is acceptable. Never has been for me. I have ALL HORNS in my setup.

And I have had many Heresy's, Cornwalls, LaScalas, Forte's, Forte II's, Chorus, Chorus II's. Had KG4's in my CAR. But always had Khorns as the main setup. My fave of all were the Chorus II's that were not all horns, but I only used those for surround channels, never the mains.

Just picturing the KGs in your car. Takes me back to the late 70s and my first car: a Fiat 128 sedan with no radio or anything. I had a monstrous JVC Boom Box buckled into the back seat and plugged into the lighter. The thing had more power than the car itself!

[Paducah Home Theater]

The 7's can stand on the their own.  Two 10 in. woofer sound like plenty for your listening habits.

Somewhere scrappy has a video of an electronic drum set, not sure the frequency but I can turn the sub off and the RF-7ii's alone shake the whole place when the kick drums hit.

[fuzzydog]

You may be 100% correct. From the specs they should be fine for what I want and like. As I mentioned before I don't like crazy bass, just appropriate.

 

I'm not a big bass head, but I feel like the RF-7II's sound much fuller with a subwoofer to round things out.  The subwoofer I use is a modest sealed 12" unit which is completely hidden by a chair in the corner of my family room.  I set the crossover at 80 Hz and think it blends seamlessly with the towers.  You don't notice it when it's on, but you miss it when it's off. 

[Scrappydue]