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Is my setup jacked?


jscaldwell

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Hey all,

 

Admitted audio neophyte here who just happens to have become a Klipsch man many years ago by accident, and have never owned anything else. Over the years I've cobbled together the following audio setup for my home "theater":

 

Onkyo TX SR607 (90w per channel 8 ohms)

Klipsch RB-15 bookshelf speakers for front left/right (speaker was first introduced in 2003 and stopped mfg in 2006!!)

Klipsch RC-52 center speaker

Klipsch RW-8 subwoofer

Klipsch R-1650C wall/ceiling speakers (currently being used as surround left/right)

 

So, I really have no idea how well this setup works together since I bought every single item at different times over years...usually while it was on sale...

 

My questions are:

  • Are there any obvious issues/mistakes with the way these speakers 'match up' (or don't match up)? Do I need to worry about it?
  • If I wanted to start upgrading bits of this system, what should I get rid of first (maybe the old RB-15s?)?
  • Do you think the next addition should be? rear surrounds or high fronts or new front left/right? New receiver?

 

The setup sounds o.k., but again not being a true audiophile I wouldn't probably know if there was a big deficiency in my system or not... 

 

Thanks for any and all thoughts on this setup and what to fix, optimize, consider.

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Your RB-15s are quite good for their size. I actually preferred them over their big brother RB-25. The center is a decent match and probably performs better than the "true" match, the RC-25.

Only thing I think is maybe you could upgrade the sub to something like the RW-12d.

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Welcome to the forums.

 

We could begin to offer suggestions on what you could upgrade but there are a lot of factors that will help determine what you should upgrade.

 

1)  How large is your room

2)  Would you be able to move to a floorstanding speaker?

3)  What percentage do you watch movies vs listen to music?

4)  What is your budget

 

Just at a glance, the reason you feel the setup sounds "o.k.", is largely related to the fact that the speakers you have are among the smallest offerings of Klipsch.  Typically, the larger the speaker, the better they will sound.  I would say your center channel is the strongest speaker in your setup.  If it were me, I would upgrade the RB-15 first and maybe use them for height or surround back speakers.  I would then upgrade the subwoofer as an 8" can only produce so much "impact".

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If you need to stay with bookshelf speakers, look for a pair of RB-61.  They are a fantastic speaker for a relatively small cabinet.  The RB-75 are the top end of the bookshelf in the reference series but they tend to be pricey (around $700 / pair).  RB-61 can be found for $200 - $300.

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Welcome to the forums.

 

We could begin to offer suggestions on what you could upgrade but there are a lot of factors that will help determine what you should upgrade.

 

1)  How large is your room

2)  Would you be able to move to a floorstanding speaker?

3)  What percentage do you watch movies vs listen to music?

4)  What is your budget

 

Just at a glance, the reason you feel the setup sounds "o.k.", is largely related to the fact that the speakers you have are among the smallest offerings of Klipsch.  Typically, the larger the speaker, the better they will sound.  I would say your center channel is the strongest speaker in your setup.  If it were me, I would upgrade the RB-15 first and maybe use them for height or surround back speakers.  I would then upgrade the subwoofer as an 8" can only produce so much "impact".

Yes, here are a few more details:

 

Room is decent size 21' x 30', but weird acoustically as one side wall is 1/2 open to the foyer,

I do have room for floorstanding speakers, yes,

Movies 60% of the time, games 40%,

Budget is TBD...

 

Thanks.

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Room is decent size 21' x 30', but weird acoustically as one side wall is 1/2 open to the foyer,

That is a mighty large room for those small bookshelves to try and fill.  I would definitely go with floor standing speakers.   Lots of great options there, especially in the used market.

 

What is your zip code?

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If you need to stay with bookshelf speakers, look for a pair of RB-61.  They are a fantastic speaker for a relatively small cabinet.  The RB-75 are the top end of the bookshelf in the reference series but they tend to be pricey (around $700 / pair).  RB-61 can be found for $200 - $300.
Buy some front floor standers & move those RB's to the back?

 

I was thinking of some new fronts, Crutchfield has RF 62 IIs on sale for $299 each... 

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Room is decent size 21' x 30', but weird acoustically as one side wall is 1/2 open to the foyer,

That is a mighty large room for those small bookshelves to try and fill.  I would definitely go with floor standing speakers.   Lots of great options there, especially in the used market.

 

What is your zip code?

 

78681 - Austin TX area

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I would say get a proper sub, does not have to be klipsch. 2nd I would say a bigger set of mains and move the rb15s to surrounds and get rid of the in walls. Always upgrade speakers before electronics. 

A little surprised you and others are suggesting a new sub...thought that would be last on the list of suggestions for some reason. I must be missing something with my current sub, eh? It is also pretty old...

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Hmmm....not much offerings near you.

 

This would be an incredible upgrade but maybe more than you want to spend - Link

 

These KLF-10 would be a major upgrade over the RB-10 but they are not part of the reference series so a different center would be needed.

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A little surprised you and others are suggesting a new sub...thought that would be last on the list of suggestions for some reason. I must be missing something with my current sub, eh? It is also pretty old...

To really feel the impact of a sub during your movies and gaming, you need to move air.  An 8" driver does not move much air.  You may hear the sound but you likely do not "feel" it very much.  Moving up to a 12 or a 15" would be a HUGE improvement in your movie and gaming experience.

 

For movies, many of us agree that the center channel and sub are the two most important speakers and generally advise buy the largest you can afford.  Again, big speakers = big sound.

 

I've owned all three of the top Reference Speakers (RF-7, RF-7ii and RF-83) at one time.  They offer the biggest sound in the Reference Series.  Fortunately, Klipsch makes smaller Reference Floor Standing speakers to fit a variety of budgets.   

 

gallery_25073_7_242578.jpg

 

 

I've owned just about every Klipsch Reference speaker they have made and honestly, they all sound great...some just better than others.

 

speaker-list-01-08-16.jpg

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