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Just picked these RF-7’s up! What amp to use?


Keggerbra

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I already have a few klipsch in my life but I wanted something that would be a bit louder since I play these in a split indoor/outdoors environment. It could possibly be a downgrade from my RP-7000f’s but I just didn’t want to go through the process of replacing the horn diaphragms in them again.

 

I have a few amps and just was wondering what the best one would be to use with these monsters?


Vector Research VRX-9100

Pioneer VSX-LX503

Denon AVR-S540BT

 

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Edited by Keggerbra
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21 minutes ago, TomR said:

what are you using the speakers for , 2 channel or home theater? my son had a pair and they didnt wake up until he put some watts behind them, I think like 2 hundred per channel but I cant remember what amp.


Mostly music and maybe an an occasional movie on the projector outside. I haven’t setup these up yet but I’m planning on doing it Wednesday. I just couldn’t refuse the price on these.
 

I just didn’t want to disconnect my other speakers from their amplifier/receivers until I got some feedback here. I’m on a decent sized property with a few acres and work indoors and outdoors. These would be going in the garage where I have a large roll up door and can open it up depending where I am.

 

I do have a few AW-650’s but they’re not loud enough for my liking lol

 

thanks!

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3 hours ago, TomR said:

what are you using the speakers for , 2 channel or home theater? my son had a pair and they didnt wake up until he put some watts behind them, I think like 2 hundred per channel but I cant remember what amp.

We ended up putting a 200+ watt per channel Carver amp to the rf7s and we could finally here some mid-range. While using my 40 watt per channel vintage Sony amp, we could barely here make vocals in classic rock. When we hooked up the Carver amp while using the same Sony as a preamp, everything sounded a lot better.

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29 minutes ago, dtr20 said:

We ended up putting a 200+ watt per channel Carver amp to the rf7s and we could finally here some mid-range. While using my 40 watt per channel vintage Sony amp, we could barely here make vocals in classic rock. When we hooked up the Carver amp while using the same Sony as a preamp, everything sounded a lot better.


I’m contemplating using two separate amps to drive these, if I remove the binding posts I can use the vector research on the HF and the pioneer for LF?

 

I also have a Klipsch R-120 subwoofer that will be used for LF, so it would make this a 2.1 setup. 
 

I wonder what the power handing on the drivers vs horn is? I understand that what I can do is pretty limited unless I bypass the internal crossover network, I just like the idea of being able to equalize the high frequency range.

 

i appreciate the input! Thanks!

 

 

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I would try to have at least 200wpc to run them properly. I run mine with my Bryston 4B amps in bridged mono (800wpc) at sustained extreme volumes and they stay pretty damn clean. 
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Thank you mark for the info! That’s a very impressive setup you have there, now I’m shopping for amplifiers lmao

Do you have separate channels going to each terminal pair with the straps removed, or is it powering the entire unit with a single bridged channel?

It’s times like this I wish that I kept my fathers McIntosh stack and jubilees, oh how I was young and naive.


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1 hour ago, Keggerbra said:


Thank you mark for the info! That’s a very impressive setup you have there, now I’m shopping for amplifiers lmao

Do you have separate channels going to each terminal pair with the straps removed, or is it powering the entire unit with a single bridged channel?

It’s times like this I wish that I kept my fathers McIntosh stack and jubilees, oh how I was young and naive.


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Single bridged channel (one amp for left, one amp for right).

 

Damnnnnnnn shame you sold Jubilees and McIntosh gear.

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On 3/2/2020 at 3:23 PM, Keggerbra said:

I have a few amps and just was wondering what the best one would be to use with these monsters?

 

Congrats on the new speakers :D  All the amps you listed will work "fine," but if you want to get the full potential out of these speakers I recommend a higher wpc amp.

 

Using a Kenwood Basic M2 (220wpc) on my CF-3's and was pleasantly surprised ... previous amp was a Marantz 2252B (52wpc??). Using a Crown K2 (350wpc?) on my KPT-904's, but think that may be overkill for the RF-7's ... haha; the neighbors come over when I crank it up.  Lots of good and affordable vintage amps with good power out there :)  

 

Good luck!

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Single bridged channel (one amp for left, one amp for right).
 
Damnnnnnnn shame you sold Jubilees and McIntosh gear.

Awesome I have never heard bridged mono blocks, they must sound amazing!

My dad was the president of The Federated Group back in the 1980’s, and I grew up surrounded by excellent HiFi gear my entire life. Unfortunately I didn’t get the bug until a few years ago and never appreciated music or quality gear until recently. I didn’t sell the Jubes I think they were given away or donated to a church back in the late 90’s, I threw away a pair of signed Khorns that were a personal gift from Paul Klipsch to my father in early 2000’s... I didn’t even know what they were until recently. So if only I knew more, appreciated it more, this stuff would have been passed down to future generations.



My pop passed away in 2015 from Alzheimer’s but he always had something playing, I think my interest in HiFi was more or less an interest of connecting with him and trying to understand him. On the flip side I discovered the same passion for music and fidelity of great sound, and it got the bug. I grabbed that vintage vector research off of eBay because I was looking for a quality vintage amplifier, but also because my dad helped design and create it and it sounds damn good!

Most of his McIntosh stuff was top of the line vintage tube equipment, I would estimate today just the value would be in excess of 70,000. I can probably find pictures somewhere and will post them when I can.

Hindsight is always 20/20


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