Linaki Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Hello I am a proud owner of Klipsch RF-7 ii for a couple of months now. I bought them new and i would really appreciate your help and opinions for a matching amplifier! I am leaning towards transistor amps, although i prefer the sound of tubes..! Which amps would drive my RFs correctly and powerfully enough? How many watts do my RFs need to play beautifully with a transistor amp? Thank you all in advance! Lina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 This is only for 2 Ch, then something with at leat 100 watts. If you don't listen at high volume then less power is need. I use my speakers with a 200 watt Acurus. I need the extra watts with HT but, not with music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feezelbum Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Jumping in here with my Yamaha plug before Bill replies Depending on what your budget is, Yamaha has several offerings which have many favorable reviews: A-S701 A-S1000 A-S2000 I ran my RF-7ii's with my A-S2100 up until I recently got my scalas. While I haven't had much experience with other integrated amps, and no experience with tubes, I can tell you that I was very happy with the "natural sound" of Yamaha, and thought they complimented the RF-7s quite nicely. The 2100 is rated at 105W at 8 ohms, and it had plenty in the tank to drive the 7's at ear bleeding levels, if that's your desire. I'm sure Bill will chime in with his thoughts of the A-S1000. Also, take a look at what's down in the Garage Sale. There are always some really nice deals down there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 (edited) Linaki, Welcome to the forum. You have yourself there some nice speakers. Jumping in here with my Yamaha plug before Bill replies You beat me. While I haven't had much experience with other integrated amps, and no experience with tubes, I can tell you that I was very happy with the "natural sound" of Yamaha, and thought they complimented the RF-7s quite nicely. The 2100 is rated at 105W at 8 ohms, and it had plenty in the tank to drive the 7's at ear bleeding levels, if that's your desire. I'm sure Bill will chime in with his thoughts of the A-S1000. While I have not run my full range RF-63'w with the A-S1000, I have no doubt that the Yamaha will have an easy time with them. Same with your RF-7II's. "Only" 90w/ch at 8ohms but the guts in this beast(48.5 pounds) begs to differ. Big transformer, 6 bipolar output transistors per channel, 36,000 microfarads of capacitance per channel, and discreet parts all equal some serious ooomph. The mentioned bigger brothers A-S2000 and A-S2100 will have an easier time with them. Bill Edited December 17, 2015 by willland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linaki Posted December 17, 2015 Author Share Posted December 17, 2015 Thank you all for your replies and your kind words! I really appreciate it!! I understand that Yamaha bigger models as mentioned in these series will drive my rf pretty easily. Are they neutral? I wouldn't want my speakers to change the way they sound! Are there other brands that I could also look? I want to be definitely sure before proceeding sorry if I am bothering you with all these questions! Lina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 I understand that Yamaha bigger models as mentioned in these series will drive my rf pretty easily. Are they neutral? I wouldn't want my speakers to change the way they sound! I would definitely say that the A-S1000 and A-S2000 are very neutral while the A-S2100 and A-S3000 supposedly lean slightly to the warmish side of neutral due to the use of mosfet output transistors rather than bipolar. Are there other brands that I could also look? I don't know your budget but you might want to look at the NAD C375BEE/DAC and maybe even the Anthem Integrated 225. Both very neutral sound signature. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddyjenkins Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 I have the old RF7 speakers and they are 10+ years old. I was using a Harmon Kardon AVR 630 (also 10+ years old) but it did not have the HDMI inputs for TV and other components. I have been using a Yamaha as a stop gap until I can find a suitable replacement. I am interested in hearing what you pick for a receiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckster Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 I am running mine with NAD C375BEE and it sounds very nice. Enough power that you could blow your windows out if you want, nice natural sound at normal listening levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayok275 Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 I too am running a NAD c375bee and its rocks the house. I get full range sound without the need for a subwoofer in my two-channel setup. It has been a true gem. Good luck in your search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linaki Posted December 22, 2015 Author Share Posted December 22, 2015 Thank you all! I keep reading and searching for the correct amp and you are all so helpful!! I will keep you posted if anything arises, i would be greatful if more members would share their opinion!! Lina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_kc Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 (edited) Linaki, Based on my experience, I strongly suggest that you consider pairing the RF-7 II’s with an “Inspire Fire Bottle SE Stereo Tube Amplifier HO” custom built by Dennis Had. (I have no affiliation with Dennis, other than being a satisfied customer.) Based on my tube rolling I’ve found the following combination perfect for the RF-7s: Amperex 6DJ8, JJ GZ34/5AR4 rectifier, Groove Tube GT6L6 GE (Gold Series, performance rating 5). I sometimes drive this amp directly from the variable output of my Oppo universal disk player (i.e., no pre-amp). For all pop recordings (i.e., anything other than classical), the Inspire amp delivers ample output volume without a pre-amp. However, for some high-res (24bit/192kHz) classical music (what I usually listen to) there isn’t quite enough gain, and I need to insert a pre-amp (McIntosh MX-110Z) for a little more output volume. The sound quality is outstanding. (In this system the other amps that I have to choose from are: Scott 272, Scott 222C, Fisher KX-200, Marantz 2325 solid state receiver, Pilot SA-260, Scott 210F (mono), Fisher TA 500 (mono), and Scott LK150. Another particularly good sounding combination in this system is the MX-110Z driving the Scott LK150.) FYI, Dennis makes more than one type of SET amp – you can find extensive comments in another hi-fi forum. (And he makes a pre-amp.) The Inspire SET tube power amp is in the same price range as the NAD C375BEE. I have an NAD C375BEE in a different system driving Klipsch Palladium P-37F speakers. (Other amps in this system are Scott 399, Fisher 800B, Kenwood KR-9050, Pioneer SX-1980, Fisher X-1000, Scott 299C, and McIntosh MC240.) I have other systems with a mix of other amps – mostly tube amps (McIntosh MC30s, MC275, Scott 296, Altec 353A, etc). For music I always prefer a tube amp. I use the solid-state amps for movies and background listening. Bottom line: The NAD is a fine solid state integrated amp if that’s the route you choose, but tubes and RF-7s go together like peanut butter and jelly. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions. Robert Edited January 7, 2016 by robert_kc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 The speakers should sound excellent with some of the Pioneer Elite avr's. Very clean, very detailed. I also use a tube/SS hybird amp to run my RF 7's which is only 80w. For 2 ch, the SQ is excellent and ear screaming power. Lots of good choice out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RottenPilot Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I am current running my RF 7 II's with an Onkyo A-9070. The specs are very conservative. It is a nice solid piece, has a nice sounding DAC and sounds very good overall. Sort of a minimalist look but I like that. There is a lot of nice stuff out there. Yamaha makes some nice 2 ch stuff as well. I didn't see your budget but if it is between 3K to 4K, look into the Prima Luna DiaLogue Premium or DiaLogue Premium HP. I recently had the chance to hear the lower power DiaLogue Premium on y system in my home and it was very nice. Nice enough to that I would have bought one if my wife hadn't already bought me a new turntable and cartridge for Christmas. With that said, I am still very happy with my Onkyo. As a comparison, I took one of my Emotiva XPA-2 amps from my HT system to drive my RF 7 IIs and even though it is a higher power piece, I still preferred the sound from the Onkyo. I know that I am comparing apples to oranges, but my point is power is not the last word and specs on paper aren't everything. The RF 7 IIs are efficient and really nice sounding speakers.The choices are endless. Ask a hundred people and get a hundred different answers. If buying new, buy from a reputable dealer with a solid return policy in the event you don't like what you hear and want to return it. Some dealers will even let you take a demo home for a demo weekend. Just pick a quality piece to drive them and I am sure you will be happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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