mike_smith@cmfz.com Posted April 16, 2001 Share Posted April 16, 2001 I'm running KG5.5s as mains (love em!), KV-1 as center and KG.5s as surrounds. I'm going to upgrade either the center or the surrounds. Would I be better off starting with an RC-3 center, or go for the RS-3s for surrounds first? Which would give me the most noticeable improvement (gotta figure in the spouse approval factor!) Thanks mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornEd Posted April 16, 2001 Share Posted April 16, 2001 JoeorLaurie had a somewhat similar question in Bang for Buck post... any my reply to them may fit you as well. If your primary interest is music, then the mains become important... but if you want to please the wife with every nuance of romantic dialogue... by all means get a really good center channel early on. And the RC-3 does a fine job until I could find a new C-7 to better match the Legends. Most "experts" tend to recommend having the same surrounds as mains but that is a more thorny issue than may appear at first glance. Aggressive discrete channel program material benefits most from this approach... but most program material available today on cable and DVD is more suited to the "aural clues" of early surround systems... and they can be handled by much less robust speakers. I think you would be wise to set your sound table first with a good center channel and sub-woofer... and then add on your "just desserts" as mains and surrounds become available as "good deals." ------------------ "Klipsch by the Dozen" KLF 30's Front Mains KLF C-7 Front Center KSW-15 Front Pwr Sub SB-2 Front Effects KSW-12 + KLF 10 Rear L&R KSW-12 + KLF 10 Rear Ctr. Speaker Support Systems: Mitsubishi RPHD1080 65" Yamaha RX-V3000 Receiver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted April 16, 2001 Share Posted April 16, 2001 Mike, I'm going to cut to the chase and just tell you to run out and drive like heck to wherever you can latch onto a KLFC7.And drive carefully on the way back home. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_smith@cmfz.com Posted April 17, 2001 Author Share Posted April 17, 2001 Thanks guys. With two very strong recommendations for the C-7 over the RC-3, I'm definitely leaning that way now. Thanks for steering me in the right direction. I hate it when I buy something, and then realize I really should have gotten the next level up. Doh! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornEd Posted April 17, 2001 Share Posted April 17, 2001 I am an example of Keith's advice. I ran across a brand new C-7 for $320 on the 'net that was supposedly in the SF Bay Area. Well, it turned out to be half a day's drive which I did immediately. I did not want to chance some other surfer swooping in and "unmaking" my deal. And there were those who tried, but my seller felt that since I had made the commitment to drive all that way that he would stick with the deal. I arrived home in the wee hours with a big smile... that continues to this day. By today's standards, the C-7 is big and, perhaps, "old fashioned"... but they epitomize what the center channel concept is all about... matching the mains sound with a speaker that lays flat across (or below) the screen... and allows the dialogue to come across clearly. Some say that the ideal center speaker is the same as the ones you are using for mains. And while that does well for timbre matching... it usually places the center channel sound source too high above the TV to be in keeping with the illusion of "being there." Further, when it comes to the ability of having the dialogue be clearly heard against the background center channel sound... the C-7 really excels. In fairness, I hasten to say that my RC-3 did a much better than average job on this point... and its svelte modern design may be a hit with those who are not as "decor challenged" as this observer. There is also something to be said for the RC-3 in that it is still being made... not so for our beloved C-7's. At least you can enjoy your dilemma... either choice is not a bad one. HornEd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake Posted April 17, 2001 Share Posted April 17, 2001 quote: Originally posted by HornEd: Some say that the ideal center speaker is the same as the ones you are using for mains. And while that does well for timbre matching... it usually places the center channel sound source too high above the TV to be in keeping with the illusion of "being there." Ed - I must say that your posts are a welcome addition to this board. The word-craftsmanship and sense of humor you display are a joy to read. Also, your insights are terrific. I only wanted to add to your comment about using an identical left/right speaker as the center...I agree that if someone placed the speaker in the normal orientation (tweeters on top, woofs on bottom), the sound source for most center channel sound WOULD be too high above the screen. If the speaker were flipped over, though, the tweeters are at about the same height as a traditional center channel, give or take a couple inches. Granted, some speakers are just too big to use in this manner, but for those who have the space it's a nice setup -- perfect timbre!! Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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