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Klipsch Try #3 - Synergy F-3


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Hello again nice Klipsch folks.  We're here today to talk about try #3 at a set of Klipsch speakers that suit me - these being a friend's pair of Synergy F-3.

 

After moving, his wife banished these monsters to the cupboard, and he was looking to free up some cupboard space.  And as someone who has heard a number of modern Klipsch offerings (which were not bad BTW), I figure I can have a lot of fun for a reasonable price.

 

Now for these speakers, they will be attached to my Jolida Tube Amp, and will (may for CD) use a Proton preamp.  In short, I want the same bass impact one gets from going to a concert, with clear and effective highs.  I also hope that the two-way, single horn design of these will avoid much of the midrange distortion that bothered me so much when I demoed the Fortes.  

 

In my brief time with a set of RB-61, I was not disturbed by the horn-loaded tweeter, and did not find it tinnitus-inducing.  Unfortunately, I did find them to not perform as well as some other bookshelves I had on hand; almost as if some mid texture was missing.  However, I am hopeful that the F-3 teamed with the tubes will be a great match.  

 

So what should I expect?  I know online opinion is somewhat mixed, and there are some negative connotations from using speakers purchased at Best Buy.  That being said, my main room currently has a set of $1,200 Wharfedales, so I expect the Synergy to be in the same ballpark as they are.

 

Thank you again all for your gentle education.

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If I remember correctly the Synergy F3 was one of the better synergy models, I would think they will do well. 

 

Sounds like your friend does not have a speaker problem but a wife problem, monsters don't fit in a cupboard. :lol: Hope she still lets him listen to music or he's really out of luck, sorry never understood the wife sets all the rules thing, always thought it was 2 people's wants to work out. 

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14 hours ago, dtel said:

If I remember correctly the Synergy F3 was one of the better synergy models, I would think they will do well. 

 

Sounds like your friend does not have a speaker problem but a wife problem, monsters don't fit in a cupboard. :lol: Hope she still lets him listen to music or he's really out of luck, sorry never understood the wife sets all the rules thing, always thought it was 2 people's wants to work out. 

 

Well, dtel, I never figured that one out either.  Mind you, a happy marriage is full of compromises, so possibly the speakers weren't as important to him as whatever other compromise he worked out from the relationship.

 

My biggest hope is that these are good rock speakers.  I have various quality speakers around my home which could be described as refined, musical, and excellent at soundstaging.  I do not, however, have any good rock speakers.  In fact, my last try at a set of rock speakers was a set of CV that I refurbished, then was ultimately disappointed by.

 

Hopefully they'll get dropped off in the next few days and I can report back as to what they do well.

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Well, speakers were dropped off this AM, and I have one of my reference discs in (Lonestar's Greatest Hits) to listen to the overall presentation of the speakers.

 

So far, not bad, plenty of bass on tap if needed.  Vocals sounds warm and resonant, and not shouty like they have with some horns I've listened to.  Piano, ditto; full and warm.  Part of this is likely due to me running them on my Jolida tube rig, which has "warm" sounding EH KT88 output tubes.

 

Top end info such as cymbals do sound a bit splashy, and not as crisp as some other speakers with a sharp top end I've owned.  My Soliloquy 6.2 were clinical in their top-end dissection, but also over middy.  The F3 are not as clinical, but also not as mid pushy.

 

In fact, for my mid sensitive ears, I'd suggest these have a -2dB hole between 1-4kHz, which in my case, is not a bad thing.  Initial introduction is so far, good.  For a reasonable price?  It's a no-brainer.

 

In an act of "Heresy" (hahaha) I'd say that I prefer the sound I'm hearing today to what I heard when demoing a set of Forte.  I'm not saying the sound is that much better, it's just that it doesn't have my tinnitus flaring so bad that I want to break into tears.

 

Will listen to some more, and report back more.

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Next up is Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms", a disc I used in my Forte demo.

 

Confirms I am not getting the harsh mid-push from the Synergy speakers that I was getting from the Forte.  Also noticed that during the Lonestar disc, one track started with static coming through the tweeters, possibly due to the speakers sitting unused for a few years.

 

Noticing the better mixed highs are crisper on this disc, and it seems that the snare is a bit splashier than cymbals on this recording.  That being said, I am already comfortable stating I prefer the sound of these speakers to anything in the Paradigm Monitor line I've ever heard.

 

Hmmm, "Your Latest Trick" just came on, and I'm finding the highs on this track are missing the splashiness, just a very very slight hint of sibilance on the high hats.

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Interesting - listened at decent volume all afternoon, and no real tinnitus.  In fact, likely the normal background ringing caused by me eating fried chicken for lunch.

 

I have to say the horn tweeters are certainly different.  They project the sound differently than I am used to, and give it a different sort of character that I get from my direct speakers (Wharfedales), or my omnipolars (Ohm, Mirage).  It's not harsh or fatiguing, but it certainly is very present.

 

The listening adventure continues.

 

Though I've now put the grilles on and aimed them straight with no toe-in to my listening position.  Quite the difference, and they sound less "horny".  

 

So, how do others listen?  Grilles on or off?  Toe in or not?

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