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RP-8000F vs Rp-280F


JeffreyQC

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Did anyone compare the RP-8000F and the RP-280F? Is the RP-8000F a major evolution?
I want to change my R28F .... and for the price of RP-280F at the moment, I am very interested
to upgrade and at the same time the RP-8000F intrigues me. 

So,  the RP-8000F or the RP-280F ?  (i can't listening in Montreal....not available right now)

I have a home theater with R-28F, R-25C, R-14S, R-12SW.
For a home theater, it's fine, but I don't like the R-28F .. (Kids are happy, but not the dad  :) ) 

I know the RP and the Reference serie are different, but, for my 2 channel listening, i need to upgrade the front speakers. 

 

I don't care for, now, to mix 2 series together. 

 

I'm a NAD and KEF guy for years....  but for my home theater Klipsch did a great job! Musicaly...it's another story.

 

Reference series "sound signature"...is not what i want. It's not bad...but less musical. (I'm a musician ;) )

 

Thank you for your help !

 

JF  

 

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19 hours ago, JeffreyQC said:

Did anyone compare the RP-8000F and the RP-280F? Is the RP-8000F a major evolution?
I want to change my R28F .... and for the price of RP-280F at the moment, I am very interested
to upgrade and at the same time the RP-8000F intrigues me. 

So,  the RP-8000F or the RP-280F ?  (i can't listening in Montreal....not available right now)

I have a home theater with R-28F, R-25C, R-14S, R-12SW.
For a home theater, it's fine, but I don't like the R-28F .. (Kids are happy, but not the dad  :) ) 

I know the RP and the Reference serie are different, but, for my 2 channel listening, i need to upgrade the front speakers. 

 

I don't care for, now, to mix 2 series together. 

 

I'm a NAD and KEF guy for years....  but for my home theater Klipsch did a great job! Musicaly...it's another story.

 

Reference series "sound signature"...is not what i want. It's not bad...but less musical. (I'm a musician ;) )

 

Thank you for your help !

 

JF  

 

So are what are you trying to verify?  Have you listened to the RP-280F vs the R-28F?  Perhaps you should go listen since you do not like the sound of the R-28F.  A lot of folks own them so of course they must like them, or they settled (so not sure what you'd expect), but either way, your preferences are all that matters. Go listen and tell us.

 

If you have listened to the RP-280F and how does that seem to compare to your R-28F?  Seems the more common sense is how does the RP-8000F or RP-280F compare to your current R-28F, since that is your reference.  Seems both RP's should be fairly close on paper at least.

 

Welcome to the forum BTW.

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Hi Pzannucci 

 

The problem is that the RP-8000F and the RP-280F are not available to listen in Montreal. I've heard a lot of positive comments about
the RP-280F, so I want to know if, for example, the RP-8000F's "new" tweeter is really a "evolution".

There may be someone in the forum, who may tell me, that a store X in Quebec, has the RP series in store, where I could listen.

Or someone else will tell me how "sound"  the new RP-8000F.

 

In short, I am looking for information about these 2 products...positive and negative. 


You're right, on paper the R-28F and the RP-280F are close....but you know spec and reality it's 2 things. 

R-28F are not bad . Again, if I could make a "live comparison" it would be ideal!

 

Thanx for the welcome  ! :)

 

Thank you Mallette too ! ;) 

 

 

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4 hours ago, JeffreyQC said:

 

Hi Pzannucci 

 

The problem is that the RP-8000F and the RP-280F are not available to listen in Montreal. I've heard a lot of positive comments about
the RP-280F, so I want to know if, for example, the RP-8000F's "new" tweeter is really a "evolution".

There may be someone in the forum, who may tell me, that a store X in Quebec, has the RP series in store, where I could listen.

Or someone else will tell me how "sound"  the new RP-8000F.

 

In short, I am looking for information about these 2 products...positive and negative. 


You're right, on paper the R-28F and the RP-280F are close....but you know spec and reality it's 2 things. 

R-28F are not bad . Again, if I could make a "live comparison" it would be ideal!

 

Thanx for the welcome  ! :)

 

Thank you Mallette too ! ;) 

 

 

You state you don't like the R-28F on music and are asking if the new tweeter is a major evolution over the RP-280F.  My assumption is that you are thinking of purchasing and really without knowing what you don't like about the RP-280F, it's hard to say if the tweeter is a major improvement.  The main thing is if either of these two are a major improvement over the R-28F.  The horn and tweeter are definitely improved but depending what you like in music and your hot buttons, it may not be to you.  For instance a hot top end to some would be described as "detailed", to me who is more into something not tilted up, I'd call it screechy.  From what I have heard from the RP line (and I have the 160Ms, they have a hint of lift on the top end and to me, need a fair amount of damping in the room.  Your room will define much of the character for these speakers.

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  • 2 months later...

Not sure why everyone thus far has been focusing on his old R28Fs that he's looking to replace. Unless I'm reading it wrong, his question is asking whether or not it's worth buying the RP-8000F over the RP-280F. Other than cosmetics, the only technical variance between the two that stands out is the newer ported tweeter, and he wants to know if that is worth the extra money and whether there is anything else superior about the 8000F over the 280F.

 

I'm currently in the same boat which is why I'm dredging this thread up. Cosmetics are secondary, so ignoring the fancy new copper rings and slightly different finishes and bases, is the 8000F worth the extra moolah over the outgoing 280F, which is already dropping significantly in price?

Edited by Valensiakol
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I have a pair of 8000fs. I replaced some Polk signature s50s with them. I can't comment on the 280f but I can say that the 8000s look really nice and sound really natural. I think the difference between them is a new Tweeter and a tatrix port. It's not just the Tweeter that's vented. The whole cabinet is. Now compared to the Polk s50 which has 5 inch woofers they actually put out more bass. Must be something with the power port design. The Klipsch definitely sound better in my opinion. Sounds just seem natural and detailed at all volumes. These are the first speakers I've owned that I can listen at low volumes and still hear everything. I also have them paired with the rp 504c center. Hope this helps some?

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

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On 11/13/2018 at 12:17 AM, Valensiakol said:

I'm currently in the same boat which is why I'm dredging this thread up. Cosmetics are secondary, so ignoring the fancy new copper rings and slightly different finishes and bases, is the 8000F worth the extra moolah over the outgoing 280F, which is already dropping significantly in price?

Since Klipsch speakers have sound that holds up over time getting the RP-280F to me means getting quality sound.  Is the 8000F an upgrade in sound?  I don't know, but they would be in the same mid-tier category that Klipsch offers.  I would not exchange one mid-tier speaker set for another.

 

The bigger issue IMO is if a person were starting out with a new system or a complete upgrade I would go with the newest speakers.  Not because of superior sound but because it will be easier going forward to match the L/C/R and surrounds.

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One side-by-side comparison...  Between the RP-280F and RP-8000F,  one vote for the 8000.  (Now you can google at least one opposite YouTube opinion.)
 
I don't like to pay more either, and hoped to like the 280's.  280's also still are available in Cherry finish, to match adult furniture.  But in part the 8000 minimizes risk.  The higher price also puts the 8000 into competition with more good non-Klipsch speakers, but those are beyond the scope of this note.
 
In testing,  bring a wide selection of your own favorite music, which you know how you want to sound.  The more demanding the source material, the better, and bring .Wav files of various sine frequencies.  I have reasons to be vague about my credentials, material, and the store.  In the end, those don't matter in this case.  I never even needed to get to the frequencies.
 
I compared one only of each, not a pair.  90% of my music sounded exactly the same, so you might take a chance.  However 10%, including the demanding 5%, was undeniably harsh thru the 280's tweeter.  Personally I don't buy the occasional argument that the 280's are just brutally accurate.  I planned for my source material to vary,  but my future music also will vary to a similar degree.  ALL my material is fine through studio headphones, or a good Klipsch bookshelf set (horn, port, and 1x 5.5" diam "copper" -- RB25).  I included in "demanding" -- purposely or incompetently clipped at 16 bits by the artist.
 
Think about it.  Klipsch mainly changed the tweeter.  Why bother?
 
There are some counter-arguments.  Stores have been widely found to cripple lower-margin products to steer towards higher margins, but in this case my 90% was the same.  The particular 280 was older, and speakers do not last forever.  Also in a store environment, the 280 may have been damaged some.  Infant mortality long ago.  Or although highly discouraged, customers can over-drive them.  Or employees after hours.
 
Thus from my one data point:  8000's.  Cheers
 
Trying to grasp what your saying here?

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On 11/26/2018 at 5:31 PM, Prest said:

smallsmx3 replied:
Trying to grasp what your saying here?
-----------

Ummmm, "8000's" to the OP (original poster) ?

---
smallsmx3 replied:
The 8000f gets a plus one for sounding exactly the same 90 percent of the time?
-----------

Uhhhh, nooo, for sounding notably better the other 10%, to me.

The rest is just color commentary, as all such discussions devolve to personal taste and experience at some level. Hope my boiling it down to one word helps you. Glad you like your 8000's too. Indeed superior to Polk and probably most any 5" speakers. (However now I have doubts about replacing my 1 x 12" midrange.)

Some people own and like their 280's of course. But personally I had a substantial objection to the specific 280 which I compared A-B. That was the OP's question. Buying a 280 now, it is possible that one might receive a better specific new other 280. But I would not take that chance, just for the 280 price difference to the better 8000's.

And since you didn't "Think about it."... Klipsch brought out the whole new model 8000 very much spec'd like the 280, mainly changing the tweeter, yes? To me, their only sensible reason would be to fix a problem with the 280 tweeter (/ crossover), or to make a notable improvement to the 280 tweeter, vs average-buyer taste. Indeed, that is the difference which I discerned. Regards

So what do you like better about them?  The 10%? Treble or bass?  Lifted or more subdued / better balance?  What is the same 90% of the time?

 

Also are you using a receiver with built in eq such as MCACC or Audyssey enabled?

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Hello.

 

I read that 8000F has an open backed tweeter/horn and the 280F has an closed backed tweeter/horn.

 

What is the difference in sound compared to opened or closed?

In this video, the listener prefered the 280F sound.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzxEpNjxoYo&t

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