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Klipsch RF7 II amp


AlmostGod

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Heya everyone! 

 

I've purchased a pair of RF7s a while back and been looking for a new amp. My old Yamaha Dsp A1 died so I need a new one. Currently using the Yamaha 3090 which is the previous model of the DSP A1, but I feel I need more power, the sound going out of my Mac is very very low.

 

I was wondering, what amp do I need, and how important is damping factor? I know what it is but I read people using vintage stuff with a damping factor of 40 and such. That Yamaha A1 had a damping of 200 and yet it was capable of driving my friends Tannoy D900 and even the Tannoy Kingdom with ease. Problem is, they're getting quite old and it's at the end of its lifespan. If anyone can help me out with amp suggestions, I live in Europe so we don't have all the US brands here. I don't mind a used amplifier if it's not too old or serviced obviously. I only need 2 channels for now, if its able to run 2 pair of speakers that be great, and an optical input would be great if possible. 

 

 Cheers! 

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Sorry for us neglecting to respond to this post.

 

For music only or movies also?

 

How much $$$ do you want to spend?

 

Are you looking for a stereo integrated amplifier. stereo preamp/amp combo, preamp-AV processor/multichannel amp combo, or an AVR?

 

If stereo music is your goal, then look at an NAD-375BEE/DAC, Yamaha A-S1000/A-S2000/A-S1100, Cambridge Audio 851A, Onkyo A-9070, just to name a few.

 

Bill

 

 

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I just hooked up my RF 63 to a Sunfire 300x2 and I could not be happier in my 2 channel system.

 

For HT I have the RF 63, RC 62 ii, RS 52 ii and two RSW-10D subwoofers, all run through a Sunfire Ultimate.

 

My previous receiver was an RXV-679, so it was quite a jump up, I feel as if ALL my gear is new!!  I am still a newbie, but I can't stress enough the importance of just finding a combination that is right for your ears, not the reviews.  I liked sunfire, so I double down, not necessarily what will work for you.

 

Enjoy your journey towards discovering what will make your speakers sing, and you happy, it is half of the fun!!!

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On 10-9-2017 at 2:05 PM, willland said:

Sorry for us neglecting to respond to this post.

 

For music only or movies also?

 

How much $$$ do you want to spend?

 

Are you looking for a stereo integrated amplifier. stereo preamp/amp combo, preamp-AV processor/multichannel amp combo, or an AVR?

 

If stereo music is your goal, then look at an NAD-375BEE/DAC, Yamaha A-S1000/A-S2000/A-S1100, Cambridge Audio 851A, Onkyo A-9070, just to name a few.

 

Bill

 

 

 

Hi Bill, thanks for the reply! I don't really have a budget in mind, I was hoping to go check out the used market, I can't decide between an intergrated or seperate pre amp and amp. I saw a nice old Meridian, I've also seen a Rotel Ra 980 BX, if I take this route I'll be using it as a power amp, since it has a damping of 1000 and I think I need this high Damping for my Klipsch. Is the damping factor the most important to look at? I need at least a 100 watts since my Mac (my only audio source) puts out an ridiculously low volume. 

I'd like an optical in, but this is not a must, I mostly play streaming audio from Deezer or just MP3's. I have zero interest in going to lossless since a lot of my music is not available lossless.

 

I also like to get a matching center for the Klipsch but in my current setup they're close together so I don't need one yet.

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Regarding the Yamaha amps suggested by willland, I felt the A-S1000 I used to have was a great sounding amp for classical types of music, BUT it was really "laid back".  It's awesome for Jazz/Instrumental/Vocal music, but if you like Electronic/Rap or plan on using the amp for home theater I don't think it's the best choice.  

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17 hours ago, Hasty said:

Regarding the Yamaha amps suggested by willland, I felt the A-S1000 I used to have was a great sounding amp for classical types of music, BUT it was really "laid back".  It's awesome for Jazz/Instrumental/Vocal music, but if you like Electronic/Rap or plan on using the amp for home theater I don't think it's the best choice.  

 

Now I would not label the Yamaha A-S1000 as "laid back" especially with the RB-75's that I am driving, but I do agree that it excels with high dynamic range music like classical, jazz, instrumentals, and subtle vocal arrangements.  As far as the other genres mentioned, well no experience or interest on my part to say either way.  

 

Bill

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17 hours ago, Hasty said:

Regarding the Yamaha amps suggested by willland, I felt the A-S1000 I used to have was a great sounding amp for classical types of music, BUT it was really "laid back".  It's awesome for Jazz/Instrumental/Vocal music, but if you like Electronic/Rap or plan on using the amp for home theater I don't think it's the best choice.  

 

I was thinking the best to do is get something with pre outs. Since the most amps with good damping factor are insanely expensive. The NAD M3 for instance only has a damping of 150 I believe, and those old Rotel RA 980's have one of a 1000... If I have pre-amps I get the best of both worlds, since I want a remote. Having a set of B speakers would be awesome as well to.

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Don't get too caught up in damping factor specs.  My Acurus amps have a damping factor over 400 which is pretty darn good and does equate to very good bass drive.  On the other hand the Luxman R-117 has a damping factor of 80 and it has as much bass drive as any amp/receiver I have ever owned.

 

Bill

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27 minutes ago, willland said:

Don't get too caught up in damping factor specs.  My Acurus amps have a damping factor over 400 which is pretty darn good and does equate to very good bass drive.  On the other hand the Luxman R-117 has a damping factor of 80 and it has as much bass drive as any amp/receiver I have ever owned.

 

Bill

Bill,

 

Will the low damping not kill my Klipsch's? What is then best to look at? I currently look at pure raw power, but since the RF7's drop that low in impedance I think I'd be better off with something that is very stable at low impedances right? I was looking at some Meridian stuff. Used though, new is to expensive haha

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An amp with low impedance driving capabilities does not necessarily mean it will have a high damping factor.  It just means it is a high current amp that is more stable at lower impedances.

 

Any of the amps that I suggested will have no issues driving your RF-7IIs.  The NAD M3 will have an easy time with the 7IIs.

 

Bill

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I had my A-S1000 paired with LaScalas and KW-120-THX subs.  

 

I thought it was the best amp I'd ever heard for some things, but it wasn't versatile for home theater use (although it's not intended to be a home theatre amp).   I'd love to have another Yamaha A-Sxxx amp, but if I had to pick one amp that had to be a "jack of all trades", using Klipsch, I'd pick something else.

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11 hours ago, willland said:

An amp with low impedance driving capabilities does not necessarily mean it will have a high damping factor.  It just means it is a high current amp that is more stable at lower impedances.

 

Any of the amps that I suggested will have no issues driving your RF-7IIs.  The NAD M3 will have an easy time with the 7IIs.

 

Bill

I'll check the amps out and see what there is in the used market. I had a NAD C356 with DAC and I found it to be quite bright, I was using it with Tannoy D700's, is this the amps sound? If so, how do they sound with Klipsch's?

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On 15-9-2017 at 5:44 PM, Hasty said:

I had my A-S1000 paired with LaScalas and KW-120-THX subs.  

 

I thought it was the best amp I'd ever heard for some things, but it wasn't versatile for home theater use (although it's not intended to be a home theatre amp).   I'd love to have another Yamaha A-Sxxx amp, but if I had to pick one amp that had to be a "jack of all trades", using Klipsch, I'd pick something else.

 

What would you pick for Home Theater then? I'm very interested in picking up the centrer channel to match the RF7 II's one day, it's the RC 62 right? Or is it the 64? 

I think my best bed would be a very good receiver with pre outs, or a processor so I can play around with different amps.

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Currently I'm running an Emotiva XDA-2 DAC into a Sansui AU-717 with RF7ii's and KW-120-THX subs.   It's the best 2-channel setup I've used, but it's not what I'd suggest to someone else because it's a 40 year old 2-channel amp.  (Also I haven't run the LaScala's with the Sansui)

 

I've had one NAD reciever (T-748) and I thought it was really good.  From my experience, I don't think AVR's are typically the best sounding for 2-channel music, but I could have lived with the NAD receiver if I had to.

 

 

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32 minutes ago, Hasty said:

Currently I'm running an Emotiva XDA-2 DAC into a Sansui AU-717 with RF7ii's and KW-120-THX subs.   It's the best 2-channel setup I've used, but it's not what I'd suggest to someone else because it's a 40 year old 2-channel amp.  (Also I haven't run the LaScala's with the Sansui)

 

I've had one NAD reciever (T-748) and I thought it was really good.  From my experience, I don't think AVR's are typically the best sounding for 2-channel music, but I could have lived with the NAD receiver if I had to.

 

 

you are running on the very hairy edge simply waiting for the day your supply filter caps in your AU717 go south and you stand a very good chance of losing your RF7ll when they do. Your amp long ago stopped sounding its best. You should take your AU717 to a good tek and have all the electrolytic caps replaced/upgraded you will be stunned by the improvement. A friend of mine has converted a number of Sansui from transistor output to mosfet outputs when replacing all the caps. There are options. What you are doing now is not at all wise. Look into a new amp there are lots out there at the least you need a replacement while you have your 717 rebuilt. Running an amp past 40 years is a very bad bet.

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Amen to that.  I've got a Sony STR-6060F that was built from 1968 - 71 so almost half a century....it hasn't been run on anything in 10 years because of stock caps.  I just placed a $80 Mouser order to replace all of the main caps and some other internal parts that are way out of spec with their age.  Looking forward to working on that over winter time indoors.  One of the best sounding S/S receivers to come out back in those days.

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