collins8 Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 I am trying to piece together a home theatre system for my house. The room is 15x24 and I will be using a Sony STR-DA5ES receiver to drive my system. A guy I know has these speakers for sale and I am trying to decide what speaker would work best in my room?? I have been told by a friend the KLF-20's would be better for me. What do you guys think and what do you think a fair price would be for these speakers?? I am looking for a speaker that will produce clean precise response to music and video's. I know these speakers will play as loud as I would ever want but I do not know if they will produce the crisp sound I am looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easylistener Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 I like the 30's for music better. I had a chance to listen to both at a friends house. His system was very nice, 30's front and 20's rear. This was great for sacd and dvda. They are not shielded though so you can't put them close to your tv. I would sajust to listen to both. What type of music do you listen to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flason Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 30's are as close to the Chorus or Cornwall as you are gonna get. I have had them and still would had I not picked up a set of Cornwall's. If you listen to rock, you can't ask for a better pair of speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snails_Pace Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 ---------------- On 6/9/2003 11:32:18 AM collins8 wrote: I am trying to piece together a home theatre system for my house. The room is 15x24 and I will be using a Sony STR-DA5ES receiver to drive my system. A guy I know has these speakers for sale and I am trying to decide what speaker would work best in my room?? I have been told by a friend the KLF-20's would be better for me. What do you guys think and what do you think a fair price would be for these speakers?? I am looking for a speaker that will produce clean precise response to music and video's. I know these speakers will play as loud as I would ever want but I do not know if they will produce the crisp sound I am looking for. ---------------- I had a similar decision to make about 4 years ago when I started up my Legend-based HT. I'm sure you'll have many people chiming in on the pros and cons of this model or that, and like another poster thoughtfully advised, it's always best if you can listen for yourself and choose what sounds best to YOU. Having said that, since the Legends aren't commercially available anymore, you'll probably have a hard time finding a set of 20s and 30s next to each other to make an informed comparison for yourself. FWIW, when I auditioned my Legends, I had enough money to buy either the 20s or 30s; space also wasn't an issue--I based my decision solely on which speakers I liked the sound of better. I took a few CDs into the store with me that I know VERY well and listened to each disc critically and repeatedly noting any perceived differences in sonic character, transient response, headroom, bass extensions, etc. I was fortunate in that both sets of speakers were wired right next to each other from the same receiver (ADCOM) running the same CD player (Denon), so there weren't any appreciable source selection or room effects to color the sound one way or another. One of the discs I brought with me was Metallica, ...And Justice for All. Lots of tight, heavy bass guitar and drums. Another was Sarah McLachlan, light, airy, very bright and breathy. Finally, some acoustic/electronic new age-jazz fusion--no vocals, just a lot of very complicated musical passages with big swings in the frequency range from one movement to the next. Personally, I like a full-bodied sound that still handles delicate highs and complicated transients very well. I like my bass tight, responsive and punchy, not boomy or slow. To MY EARS, I thought the KLF-20s were just a bit more dynamic in the mids and highs than the 30s. As for bass, I felt the 20s were a little tighter and snappier in the low end while the 30s were a bit more thunderous and "forward" down low...probably due to the slightly smaller woofers the KLF-20 sports up front. There's no doubt the 30s are a TREMENDOUS speaker, great for rock and roll and HT, but I preferred the slightly less "aggressive" sound of the 20s...to me, they just sounded a bit more smooth and refined. The 30s had so much presence in the low end that I felt the sound was just a hint of muddy or slow in the areas of the music that were more critical to my ears. I'm sure there are those who would lambaste me for dissing such a fine speaker as the 30, so again, I say this is just my opinion of what sounded good to ME. For the record however, the salesman agreed with my assessment as well (even though he lost a higher $$ sale on the more expensive KLF-30s) and felt the KLF-20s had ever the slightest edge over the 30s in terms of how accurate and tight they sounded on all the music I played. Having said all that, I don't think you could wrong with either the 20s or 30s in your home. As to a fair price, I've been seeing the 20s on ebay go for somewhere in the high 600-700s for a pair in great condition...your mileage may vary. Good luck! - J.T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collins8 Posted June 9, 2003 Author Share Posted June 9, 2003 I really appreciate the great feeback! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
space_cowboy Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 Nice post Snail's_Pace, I have read similar reviews on the 20 vs. 30. collins, since your friend has both, listen to your fave tunes and decide since I can't imagine a huge difference in HT if your running subs. Without ever hearing the 30's though, I can't really offer good feedback. Almost two years ago, I got my 20's at Tweeter for $800. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted June 9, 2003 Share Posted June 9, 2003 Its always nice when there's no bad choice. Either will shame most in their price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collins8 Posted June 10, 2003 Author Share Posted June 10, 2003 I am leaning towards the 20's. The only thing that is bothering me is it has a dent on the side of the enclosure, which I have not seen. He assures me it does not affect the performance of the speaker. If the dent is no big deal once I see the speakers, How much is a fair price for the 20's?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snails_Pace Posted June 10, 2003 Share Posted June 10, 2003 ---------------- On 6/10/2003 5:55:31 AM collins8 wrote: I am leaning towards the 20's. The only thing that is bothering me is it has a dent on the side of the enclosure, which I have not seen. He assures me it does not affect the performance of the speaker. If the dent is no big deal once I see the speakers, How much is a fair price for the 20's?? ---------------- Since you are now looking at essentially a scratch-n-dent of a very fine speaker, I would say somewhere around the low $600s for the pair might be reasonable given what a mint set have been going for on ebay (figure the B&M stores usually take about 10-15% off sticker for floor models, maybe a little more with actual damage) and how bad the dent looks once you see it in person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbflash Posted June 10, 2003 Share Posted June 10, 2003 Rob, I can't add anything to this but I would take your amp with you when you listen to these speakers. I am using the 20's for HT. Until I bought a pair of Cornwalls I was using the 20's with my tube amp. The speakers are very good for both HT and 2 Channel. Like all Klipsch they reproduce what is being sent to them. I am not sure how good or bad the Sony is going to sound with them. With the wrong front end they will cause MAJOR ear fatigue. I have heard more people state that they hate Klipsch because they are so "bright". It's not the speaker, but the chain feeding the speaker. You can't go wrong with either speaker. Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collins8 Posted June 10, 2003 Author Share Posted June 10, 2003 Thanks for the input. What is a descent inexpensive amp to try and pick up on E-bay to drive the front speakers that will go good with the KLF-20's?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbflash Posted June 10, 2003 Share Posted June 10, 2003 Rob, Are you talking 2 channel or HT? 2 channel alot of people like HK for SS. If you want tubes (which the 20's sound very good with) try getting in touch with NOSValves. He rebuilds amps. Do you want a seperate pre amp and amp? For HT I'm using a Denon. Speaker wire and IC's also make a big difference. Speaker placement is critical with these speakers. Go to the 2 channel section and get some ideas there. You will find alot of good information. You don't have to spend thousands to get a very good system. Good Luck, Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collins8 Posted June 10, 2003 Author Share Posted June 10, 2003 I plan on using the Sony STR-DA5es which I just bought and have not hooked up yet. I was previously listening to an old Pioneer pro-logic receiver that had Advent Legacy II's up front. I bet this will be a huge improvement. How much should a good used Solid State or Tube amp which makes good clean power run for the front speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onionrings Posted June 10, 2003 Share Posted June 10, 2003 I am running a Sony STR DB930 with my 20's and I think they sound amazing. Most of my friends are blown away by the overall sound, too. They can be aggresive, but if you take the time to set them up properly you will be very pleased. If you need a KLFC7, the center for the Legend Series, I am going to be selling mine shortly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.