Aaron N Posted March 28, 2001 Share Posted March 28, 2001 Sad, but true, I went to a local dealer and listened to the RC-3, RS-3's, and RF-3's and didn't like the way they sounded. I was shocked, I have a KV-3, KG 5.5's, and Infinity RS-425's as surrounds, so I thought for sure I would be impressed. I was thinking of switching to the RS-3's as surrounds, but now I'm thinking of going with a smaller set of the KG's. Question, those of you who have some or all of these speakers, what do you think about them? The problem could have been the way they were aimed, crappy receiver, or the salesman didn't know what he was doing. For those of you who purchased these speakers, especially the RS-3's, did you have a similiar experience in the store and buy them anyway? Did you discover, once you got them home, that they sounded better once you had them properly set-up? Just in case I decide to go with a smaller set of KG's, does anyone know where I can get some good information, pictures of this particular series? I'm want a set that has at least a 6 1/2" mid driver. I'm sure they all come with horns, but which, if any, of the them have a better tweet (similiar to the ones in my 5.5's)? Any and all information is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted March 28, 2001 Share Posted March 28, 2001 Aaron,the KG1.5,KG2.5,had 6 1/2" woofers.The KG3.5 an 8" woofer,and the KG4.5 had one 10" woofer.The KG5.5 and the KG4.5 both had the K85K Tractrix tweeter.Check E-bay for the 2.5's and .5's.If you want KG5.5's I know of a couple pair that are available. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefnel1 Posted March 28, 2001 Share Posted March 28, 2001 Aaron: You may have answered your own questions...the dealer didn't know what he was doing (maybe), crappy receiver (maybe), speaker placement (maybe), etc. What kind of receiver do you have driving your KV's & KG's? I would revisit the dealer and bring your own CD and/or DVD to test out the speakers. Have the salesperson use a receiver or amp that is comparable to what you already have and are happy with. Also, if the dealer you are buying from is reputable, they should allow you to take the speakers home and demo them for a week or so. Speaker selection is a matter of personal preference. I listened to Bostons, Mirage, Paradigm, Acoustic Research, etc., and chose the Klipsch Reference series over all others. The clarity of the highs, and the deepness of the lows drew me in. I have the RF-3, RC-3 set for the front, and Synergy SS-1's for surround (because the RS-3's are so huge in size). Driven with a Pioneer Elite receiver, these speakers rock for music and home theater. Good luck in your search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted March 28, 2001 Share Posted March 28, 2001 Hey Aaron - it's you friendly KV-3 supplier. What was it about the sound that you didn't like? I got a hunch, try this - go back to the dealer armed with a well recorded CD that you've listened to and know well. Listen to your favorite tracks and note the differences between what you're hearing and how it sounded on your KG's. Then go over to the RF's & RC and take off those blasted flat gold colored plates and re-connect the binding posts with plain 16ga wire. Now listen to your CD again and tell us what you think. I'm willing to bet you'll be shocked. Another thing to remember is those speakers need to be broken in. As for the RS-3's...I'm very happy with them. They do an excellent job with HT and flat rock in 5ch stereo. Tom Adams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron N Posted March 28, 2001 Author Share Posted March 28, 2001 Keith, I already have 5.5's and recently acquired a KV-3 center(thanks to Tom). I might look into the 2.5's, but I still want to consider the RS- 3's. Jefnel1, I'm using the Marantz SR 880 reciever. I love this receiver, but I wish it had DTS decoding. Your probably right about the salesman. My first clue should have been when he couldn't figure out the switcher. He must have tried 20 times to get a receiver to work. I was trying to get him to use a Denon receiver(they don't carry Marantz), but he ended up using the only one that he could get to work. He didn't like to "talk shop" either. I can't stand it when you talk to a salesman about home audio and they seem to care less about discusing it. As for them letting me take home a pair of RS 3's, I don't think they'll let me. It's a chain store, I said local because it's the only place I can buy Klipsch in my area, and there policies are probably different than a "locally owned" stereo shop. Tom, I've been meaning to e-mail you and ask how you like your newly acquired RC-3. The overall sound was muddy. The salesman played some scenes from the "Gladiator" DVD(I wasn't really interested in music because I don't use my surrounds for music, I might have to change my mind about this). He was using DTS and seemingly had no ear for good sound, even on a general level. The adjustments on the receiver the salesman was using were probably wrong. So, I'm not against the Reference series, I think I just had a bad experience. I was really looking forward to hearing the RS-3's, but came away disappointed. On a good note, I re-wired all of my speakers and the sound was definitely improved. Even my wife noticed a difference!! I switched from Monster Cable XPHP(center and mains) and XP(surrounds) to the standard Monster Cable(white casing with wires inside). I used 12 ga. for the front section and 14 ga. for the surrounds. What an improvement! As for the RS-3's, I think I'll have to do what you and the others have suggested. Also, I'm absolutely going to find a different salesperson. Thanks for the feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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