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RF-7 II vs RP-280F vs RF-7 III Appearance Comparison


Youthman

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I guess I’ll weigh in since i was tagged. Three vertical LCR will trump ANY horizontal center in seamless proper soundstage for theater use. I’m not sure how anyone can make so many assumptions about a speaker that they haven’t even taken out of the box? Lol. However I’ve owned a handful of 64’s. Along with most the other reference centers. The Palladium center is the exception in the Klipsch lineup. But i believe, due to its arrangement, is why it’s such a nice sounding horizontal center. However I’d still take a lower end vertical center over the Palladium if we are doing an AT screen. I tried a vertical tower a few years back. Never have looked back. Owned a few different LCR setups including rf-63 trio, Kl-650, and have settled on a kpt-904 trio now. It’s just as good as it gets. 

 

Op your choice for 3 7iii’s is a WISE one.  

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On 12/19/2017 at 10:59 PM, ACV92 said:

I have to agree with matched L/C/R, but, why is it that every manufacturer builds centers horizontal with multiple/smaller drivers?  Width of sound, stage, space, I'm not sure.  RC-64 as an example.  I feel that if I were running matched components, I would run two towers matched to my mains as my center versus one.  80/20 rule applies as I understand.  If 80% of the audio/vocals during movie playback is coming from my center might as well beef it up more.  I think everyone here can admit to noticing a significant difference with playback between a large set of Klipsch mains with a smallish center.  If exposed to such a scenario.

 

I wonder about those that run Jub's.  What in the world are they going to run in the center to play with them, unless another Jub, or a smaller version.  So, if I had the wallet, (4) RF-7 III's for me.  L, R, LC, RC.  Blow holes in this theory as you will.

Just to keep size down really. If your gonna have a center they try to keep them slim to they can sit on top of a tv stand. And the wider ones make it easy to set a tv on top of them. So it’s an easy marketing choice really. I run a diy setup in my living room and have a huge horizontal center. It has the exact same drivers as my mains. It sounds fantastic for a horizontal center. But like i said it’s HUGE. 

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On 12/20/2017 at 5:29 PM, MetropolisLakeOutfitters said:

I had a custom RF-7II behind my screen, it was basically RF-7II components but in a slimmer sealed box.  Most things were about the same except for the bass.  I can't say there was any excessive 3' taller than it should be voices coming from the center channel, that's just wild speculation, I can't buy into that.  

With all due respect, you haven't got a genuine RF-7II in your case.  Your experience with your modified version may not show the higher sound stage that a true RF-7 II shows.

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12 hours ago, Scrappydue said:

"Three vertical LCR will trump ANY horizontal center in seamless proper soundstage for theater use." 

 

Answer:   You made a wrong observation.  Unless the LCR configuration is IDENTICAL in EVERY respect, the soundstage will not be so seamless as a sound source pans across the screen.  In Youthman's case with the 3 identical La Scala placed identically (i.e. all three speakers in upright position), I can wholeheartedly agree that any panning of sound source (example:  bullet flying across the screen) will be nearly seamless.   This won't necessarily be the case with L/R tower speakers standing up and an identical tower speaker lying sideways. 

 

Specifically in the case of the RF-7II, laying it horizontally will guarantee a sound field that will lack left/right symmetry because the tweeter horn is very directional.  Unlike a dedicated center channel such as the RC-64 II which has perfect left/right symmetry, the RF-7 II does not have any left/right symmetry when laid sideways.  Using an RF-7II as a center channel in the horizontal position will result in one side of the room having exaggerated high frequency sounds coming from the tweeter horn, while the other side will have diminished high frequency sounds from the same tweeter horn.  This will defeat any "seamless transition" benefit you touted.  Now, if you would set up an LCR using three RF-7 II all placed in the upright position, then I would agree that it would produce a nearly seamless sound field.

 

"I’m not sure how anyone can make so many assumptions about a speaker that they haven’t even taken out of the box? Lol." 

 

Answer:  Hey, I wasn't the only one making assumptions.  Youthman made some assumptions too, as did you, the only difference being that I openly highlighted instances where "I conjecture" or "I think" as appropriate.

 

I am in no hurry to open the box of my RC-64 II because I am quite happy with current setup of RP-280F L/R and RP-450C in my theater room.  The sound is nice and the sound stage is symmetric and depth/height correct.

 

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7 hours ago, StevieQ said:

"Three vertical LCR will trump ANY horizontal center in seamless proper soundstage for theater use." 

 

7 hours ago, StevieQ said:

Answer:   You made a wrong observation.  Unless the LCR configuration is IDENTICAL in EVERY respect, the soundstage will not be so seamless as a sound source pans across the screen.  In Youthman's case with the 3 identical La Scala placed identically (i.e. all three speakers in upright position), I can wholeheartedly agree that any panning of sound source (example:  bullet flying across the screen) will be nearly seamless.   This won't necessarily be the case with L/R tower speakers standing up and an identical tower speaker lying sideways. 

If I am not mistaken, Scrappy was referring to identical floorstanding, bookshelf, etc. speakers oriented identically in an L-C-R configuration.

 

Bill

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9 hours ago, StevieQ said:

In Youthman's case with the 3 identical La Scala placed identically (i.e. all three speakers in upright position), I can wholeheartedly agree that any panning of sound source (example:  bullet flying across the screen) will be nearly seamless. 

Likewise you made a wrong observation as well.  It's completely seamless.  :lol:

 

9 hours ago, StevieQ said:

Using an RF-7II as a center channel in the horizontal position will result in one side of the room having exaggerated high frequency sounds coming from the tweeter horn, while the other side will have diminished high frequency sounds from the same tweeter horn.  This will defeat any "seamless transition" benefit you touted. 

@WakeJunkie made a custom horizontal RF-7 II placing each woofer to the left and right of the tweeter which he rotated.  I've heard it on MANY occasions and I cannot tell where one speaker ends and the other picks up.  Pretty much seamless in his setup as well even if he doesn't technically have an LCR.  It sounds amazing.

 

9 hours ago, StevieQ said:

Youthman made some assumptions too

Just curious what those assumptions were.

 

StevieQ, hopefully you do not take my difference of opinion as an any form of an attack.  I just find this conversation fun.  LOL  You have a different perspective on it but unless you have experienced an LCR firsthand, it's really impossible to accurately make an assessment.

 

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10 hours ago, StevieQ said:

With all due respect, you haven't got a genuine RF-7II in your case.  Your experience with your modified version may not show the higher sound stage that a true RF-7 II shows.

 

Of course but I also had two to each side of it and never noticed anything awkward like that.  There's plenty of movies where voices and effects pan across the front stage.  If this were true it ought to be pretty obvious.  

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