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Center for CF-4?


twk123

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I am finishing building a home theater room for my Mom and thinking about putting in a center. So far here is the gear list:

 

AVR: Denon AVR-X2300W

Mains: Klipsch CF-4

Surrounds: Klipsch KSB 1.1

Sub: Dayton Reference HO 15''

Sub Amp: Inuke 1000

 

I am currently running a phantom center but the dialog is pulling to the side i am sitting. What do you guys recommend for a center? There is a KLF C7 and a KV-3 on our local ads. The KLF is bigger but the KV-3 will probably have a better voice match. Will the KV-3 keep up with the massive CF-4 mains? 

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47 minutes ago, twk123 said:

I am finishing building a home theater room for my Mom and thinking about putting in a center. So far here is the gear list:

 

For your mom?  Wow, that's pretty nice.  :)   I hope your mom appreciates the great gift and bakes you some cookies or something. 

 

47 minutes ago, twk123 said:

 

Mains: Klipsch CF-4

 

Sub: Dayton Reference HO 15''

Sub Amp: Inuke 1000

 

I also have the CF-4's (modded) and a Reference 15 with a 500 watt plate amp.  This combination turns the CF-4 effectively into a 3-way system and is the best 2.1 sound combo I have ever heard for the kind of music I like to listen to. (jazz, and brass)

 

I have never heard either the KV-3 or the KLF-C7.  Everything I've read indicates the sound is outstanding for both, so you really can't go wrong.

 

I think for ultra high-performance and louder listening I would get the KV-3.  For lower and medium listening levels I would get the C-7.  Since this is for your mom, get the KLF-C7.

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26 minutes ago, wvu80 said:

 

For your mom?  Wow, that's pretty nice.  :)   I hope your mom appreciates the great gift and bakes you some cookies or something. 

 

 

I also have the CF-4's (modded) and a Reference 15 with a 500 watt plate amp.  This combination turns the CF-4 effectively into a 3-way system and is the best 2.1 sound combo I have ever heard for the kind of music I like to listen to. (jazz, and brass)

 

I have never heard either the KV-3 or the KLF-C7.  Everything I've read indicates the sound is outstanding for both, so you really can't go wrong.

 

I think for ultra high-performance and louder listening I would get the KV-3.  For lower and medium listening levels I would get the C-7.  Since this is for your mom, get the KLF-C7.

lol It is for my Mom and her significant other ie Boyfriend. They just bought a house together that has an ideal Home Theater room. Best Buy wanted to charge him $15,000 to set one up so I am stepping in to do it better for cheaper. (They actually charged him $30 for a basic fiber optic cable and tried to up sell him to a more expensive one). It actually works out pretty well, I get to pick out the gear and set it up and he pays for it. Then my Wife and I come over to vist and my Mom watches our 15 month old daughter while I get to play videogames.

 

I have been extremely impressed with the CF-4s so far. They really slam you in the chest with the dual 12'' woofers. What do you have yours crossed over at? I put them at 60hz for now.

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21 minutes ago, T2K said:

Look at the horns. Get the KLF-C7.

 

I've owned both. No comparo.

 

Keith

I think this is what we will go with if we can, the KV-3 is tiny in comparison to the Epics and I am afraid it will mess with the balance if the dialog is always trying to keep up with the mains.

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1 hour ago, twk123 said:

I have been extremely impressed with the CF-4s so far. They really slam you in the chest with the dual 12'' woofers.

 

That they do, especially with an external amp.  They also give you that tactile chest thump when combined with that Reference 15 sealed sub which hits right in that 80 to 120 Hz range.  That is a very musical sub.

 

What do you have yours crossed over at? I put them at 60hz for now.

 

I think mine are at 80 Hz, never higher than that.  The cones move very little which is why you get that tight bass with extremely low distortion but they don't play that low considering they are dual 12" woofs.  The effect is super clean upper HF and mid-bass and the sub adds that lowest octave with authority.

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27 minutes ago, Shiva said:

I take it this is the C-7 you are interested in?  Grab it.  That one looks great and the price is right too.    

 

I don't follow the C-7 prices but I think the lowest I've ever seen it is $250 plus shipping.  The point is that at $300 you won't find it much cheaper if you can find one at all, they don't come onto the used market all that often.  The C-7 is generally considered one of those legendary 'must have' Klipsch centers.

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1 hour ago, wvu80 said:

 

I don't follow the C-7 prices but I think the lowest I've ever seen it is $250 plus shipping.  The point is that at $300 you won't find it much cheaper if you can find one at all, they don't come onto the used market all that often.  The C-7 is generally considered one of those legendary 'must have' Klipsch centers.

I reached out to Ken (My Mom's SO) to see if he is down to get it on it as he is the one writing the checks for this. The listing is about 60 days old so hopefully its not sold and the ad accidentally left up. I will contact the guy as soon as I get confirmation from Ken. I was hoping to be able to get away with a phantom but even being off to one side by a foot or two breaks the stereo imaging and pulls the dialog over.

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On ‎4‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 11:53 AM, T2K said:

Look at the horns. Get the KLF-C7.

 

I've owned both. No comparo.

 

Keith

Sorry, wrong answer.  The KV-4 is the correct matching center for those CF-4 speakers accept nothing less it also has the largest MF/HF driver of any Klipsch center ever @ 2".  The KV-3 will be close with 6.5" woofer but a smaller MF/HF driver.  Anything else won't match timbre' wise regardless of the opinions here.  Why in the world would you recommend a center that is designed to match the Legend (KLF) series.

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41 minutes ago, Frzninvt said:

Sorry, wrong answer.  The KV-4 is the matching center for those speakers accept nothing less.  Anything else won't match timbre' wise regardless of the opinions here.

"Wrong answer?"  "Accept nothing else?"  Hmm.  We have a quandary.

 

The CF-4 was produced 1994, 1995, and 1996 and the KV-4 was NOT the "matching center" all three years. 

 

Since the KV-4 was not produced until 1996 and discontinued in 1997, what was the "timbre matched" center for the first two years of the CF-4?

 

Quote

 

The two-way KV-4 center channel was first introduced in 1996 and manufactured by Klipsch until 1997.

http://www.klipsch.com/products/kv-4

 

 

FYI the KLF-C7 was the successor to the KV-4 running from 1997-2001.

http://www.klipsch.com/products/klf-c7

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On 4/17/2018 at 10:47 AM, wvu80 said:

 

For your mom?  Wow, that's pretty nice.  :)   I hope your mom appreciates the great gift and bakes you some cookies or something. 

 

 

I also have the CF-4's (modded) and a Reference 15 with a 500 watt plate amp.  This combination turns the CF-4 effectively into a 3-way system and is the best 2.1 sound combo I have ever heard for the kind of music I like to listen to. (jazz, and brass)

 

I have never heard either the KV-3 or the KLF-C7.  Everything I've read indicates the sound is outstanding for both, so you really can't go wrong.

 

I think for ultra high-performance and louder listening I would get the KV-3.  For lower and medium listening levels I would get the C-7.  Since this is for your mom, get the KLF-C7.

 

Klipsch--seems to bring out the best in people! 

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44 minutes ago, wvu80 said:

"Wrong answer?"  "Accept nothing else?"  Hmm.  We have a quandary.

 

The CF-4 was produced 1994, 1995, and 1996 and the KV-4 was NOT the "matching center" all three years. 

 

Since the KV-4 was not produced until 1996 and discontinued in 1997, what was the "timbre matched" center for the first two years of the CF-4?

 

 

FYI the KLF-C7 was the successor to the KV-4 running from 1997-2001.

http://www.klipsch.com/products/klf-c7

Just because it wasn't being made at the same time does not mean it wasn't designed for them.  The center came after the line became a hit.  I have the KV-4 user manual and it states the speaker line it was designed for.  You can speculate all you like.

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Just now, Frzninvt said:

Just because it wasn't being made at the same time does not mean it wasn't designed for them.  The center came after the line became a hit. 

Well, it was only a hit for two years!  :P

 

And you forgot to mention what the center that was "timbre matched" for the first two years of the CF-4.  That rhetorical, you don't have to answer.  There might not even be an answer, I have no idea.

+++

 

Let me make a point;  OK, maybe a couple of points.  :rolleyes:

 

I do know the KV-4 was designed for the CF-4, but "timbre matched?"  I doubt it.  They did share the same K-63-KN compression driver but the CF-4 has dual 12's, the KV-4 dual 8's.  If you run a pink noise across the CF-4's and KV-4 I think the sound would be very different.  They are supposed to be, they do different jobs.

 

If you have a set of crappy front speakers, "timbre matching" the matching crappy center isn't doing to sound good.  A center speaker that is high quality will sound good because it sounds good.

 

I am not a big fan of "timbre matched."  I am a fan of "get the best center speaker you can find."  The principle job of a center is accurately reproduce the male and female voice.  If the sound is accurate, it will sound good with nearly any L/R speakers you are likely to find.

 

My bottom advice/opinion to @twk123 is to get the best sounding center within the budget.  When choosing between two excellent sounding centers, it will sound good.

 

It's always good to have conflicting opinions so raise different issues.  Food for thought.  :emotion-21:

 

 

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3 hours ago, Frzninvt said:

Just because it wasn't being made at the same time does not mean it wasn't designed for them.  The center came after the line became a hit.  I have the KV-4 user manual and it states the speaker line it was designed for.  You can speculate all you like.

I do see what you are saying here and agree with you regarding the matching lines. However, the reality is that the KV-4 is nearly impossible to find and probably not in the budget if it can be procured somewhere across the country. As always, speakers are about managing compromises for each option:

 

Free- Option 1 Phantom: Perfect "timbre match" but voices not locked to the screen.

$60- Option 2 KV-3: Better timbre match but much smaller speaker that may cause issues keeping up with the CF-4's leading to possible volume issues.

$300- Option 3 KLF-C7: Not as good timbre match but a larger speaker that can better keep up with the CF-4 speakers. Timbre match could be better meshed after running system through Audyssey. 

 

So far, in weighing the options, i am more concerned about a center that is too small to keep up with the massive CF-4 mains than the LCR sound stage being a perfect match. If someone else here has run a KV-3 with CF-4's with good results at theater volumes then that will of course sway my decision.

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On ‎4‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 12:29 PM, wvu80 said:

that Reference 15 sealed sub

 

Do tell, please... I am looking for, not the grandest of sound, but the most musical sub to mate up with my CF-4s (when I finally pick them up) in a smallish room. Have not yet heard them so I don't even know if I need/want a sub.

 

Rick

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