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Klipsch KL-650 THX or RF-7s?


jcasemusic

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Fwiw, I don't believe the KL-650 are more power hungry than the RF7IIs.

I don't know for sure but they need more power than any other Klipsch product I've owned and quite a bit more.

Opusk has owned just about everything twice over , so when he says they are a little more power hungry I would believe him !

Anyone else have an opinion?

:)

Edited by Zen Traveler
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I haven't heard them myself but according to specs, THX Ultra2 are 97db vs 102db for RF7ii. If those specs are accurate, the RF7ii would take less power to reach the same volume as the Ultra2

Third party tests show that each of those are about 5 db off but the difference is pretty much the same. Basically at 92 db, a speaker would almost sound like a bunch of others out there. At 5 db difference, you're talking about nearly 4 times the power just to break even. Klipsch cinema like the 904's are more like 10 db or more higher. Yes 92 is on the low side as far as klipsch goes.

Edited by MetropolisLakeOutfitters
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I haven't heard them myself but according to specs, THX Ultra2 are 97db vs 102db for RF7ii. If those specs are accurate, the RF7ii would take less power to reach the same volume as the Ultra2

 

It is my understanding that the KL-650s don't have the impedance dips/swings as the RF-7IIs and got the THX Ultra II rating because they aren't as difficult to drive. It's not about watts per channel as much as the impedance dips.

 

Also, if you go into the FAQ section of the Website Klipsch gives a formula based on the Power Handling capabilities of the speakers and with their formula they recommend more power to drive the RF-7IIs than the KL-650. Again, I think it's because of the impedance dips and once those are covered then it doesn't take as many watts to drive the RF-7IIs compared to the KL-650, but the latter is easier to drive. That's my take.

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It is my understanding that the KL-650s don't have the impedance dips/swings as the RF-7IIs and got the THX Ultra II rating because they aren't as difficult to drive. It's not about watts per channel as much as the impedance dips.

If this is why you bought them it was probably for the wrong reason. :) If you read the last article I posted you'll see that they dip down to 4.15 ohms at 174 hz. RF-7ii's dip down to about 3.8 at maybe 160 or so.  Difference of less than half an ohm, probably more like 0.3 to 0.4, and 15-20 hz.  

 

That being said, personally I believe that 5 ohm dip around 40 hz is a bigger deal, but, it's not like the THX is capable of reproducing that frequency in a decent manner.  Not really comparing apples to apples there.  

 

http://www.soundandvision.com/content/klipsch-thx-ultra2-speaker-system-ht-labs-measures#3r5tUFBLbVItIsHU.97

 

(KL-650-THX) Impedance reaches a minimum of 4.15 ohms at 174 Hz 

 

 

Klipsch%2520RF7%2520II%2520Impedence%252

Edited by MetropolisLakeOutfitters
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they recommend more power to drive the RF-7IIs than the KL-650.

They tend to publicly recommend power numbers solely based on what the RMS handling of the speaker is. If it can handle more power, they're going to recommend more power.

 

Again, I think it's because of the impedance dips and once those are covered then it doesn't take as many watts to drive the RF-7IIs compared to the KL-650, but the latter is easier to drive. That's my take.

They're more sensitive because they have two big 10" woofers and a 1.75" compression driver whose area is 3 times as big as the 1" THX. :)

Edited by MetropolisLakeOutfitters
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For what it's worth you should put a link to where you got that RF-7 graph, which I believe was by GAGO on the AVS forum and you will see that I was in that discussion as well.  :) That said, I was under the assumption that the original RF-7s dipped down to 2.8 Ohms  a couple of times over 100 Hz but never saw a graph depicting that.

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(I) know the 7's sound good but I wasn't as impressed with them as I thought I would be.

This never was expanded upon. I'm real curious about this at this point. What didn't you like? What was the setup?

 

 

Before I leave this thread I hit on this earlier, as well as how large of a center channel he is going to be able to accommodate.

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Maybe the KL-650 is OK for a pure movie room that is not too big, but they are way beyond par when it comes to music. The RC 64 II is a much more versatile speaker and is superb for music, and is also great for movies. It also sounds richer and more powerfull. The RC 64 can take a beating ;)

I have the onkyo 1030 as a surround reciever.

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Hi guys, I am new to this thread and I have some questions for you Klipsch fans.  I am planning to purchase the Ultra2 THX system minus the subs.  I will doing a 7.2 setup and using KS-525 for my side surrounds but I am having a difficult time choosing between the KS-525 vs KL-525 for the rear surround.  I feel the KS-525 is more versatile as far as seating position but I don't want to hinder SQ either.  Any thoughts?  

 

Also, I am in the market for a seven channel amplifier to power these speakers and I would like some recommendations please.  I have researched so many amps and the more I read the more of a headache I get because you can find good and bad for all amps and so many mixed opinions.  I don't hundred percent trust professional reviews either.  

I have owned the Emotiva XPR-1 in the past and I liked the amps as far as SQ but it did have a low level hum that I did not like.  I called Emotiva and they told me that it was normal.  I am looking for a dead quiet amp that runs cool.  Outlaw sounded good until I read that they run extremely hot.  I live in Arizona and it gets really hot already during the summers.  What are your thoughts on the NAD M27 or Sunfire TGA-7401 with the Ultra2?  Has anyone tried these combos or what are you guys powering your Ultras with?  I prefer an amp with balanced connections to pair with my Marantz AV8802a.  

 

 

:D

Edited by DON480
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I will doing a 7.2 setup and using KS-525 for my side surrounds but I am having a difficult time choosing between the KS-525 vs KL-525 for the rear surround.  I feel the KS-525 is more versatile as far as seating position but I don't want to hinder SQ either.  Any thoughts?

Different people have their preference, but if you want to be the most correct, look at the THX guide:

http://www.thx.com/consumer/home-entertainment/home-theater/surround-sound-speaker-set-up/

"Surround Back Left & Right Speakers (SBL & SBR)*: The SBL & SBR speakers should be the direct firing type and placed together on the back wall. "

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If your receiver can process the HD Audio Codecs (DTS Master and Dolby TrueHD), they recommend separating the back surrounds

 

Dolby® TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio™ Set Up

If you use Dolby® TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio™, your back surround speakers should be separated to produce a 60° angle from the main listening position. In addition, you should go to the “THX Set Up” Menu in your THX Certified AV Receiver/Pre-amp and set the ASA Surround Back Speaker setting to “Apart (greater than 48).”

 

dolby-truehd-dts-hd-speaker-setup-400x30

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