Best Buy Klipsch Listening Room

[mark1101]

Just a comment.

Last night I was in Best Buy. Hadn't been there in a couple of months. I was happy to see a dedicated Klipsch listening room (synergy only). There were also dedicated Bose, JBL, SONY, and misc. listening rooms.

I must have spent about an hour checking out all the 2 CH. and HT offerings from each company, switching in and out of all the speaker systems.

I have to call an Ace an ACE.

Synergy products just don't have it. I tried playing with all the adjustments, stepping the KSWs in/out. In every case Synergy was beat by all the others.

I have never been exposed to the Synergy product line before, and anyone who knows me knows I have been a dedicated and huge Klipsch fan forever.

Since I am in marketing myself, I understand.

But it's a disappointing situation. The reality is that everything since the Heritage series seems to have been a step down.

Sorry. Love Klipsch.

[Frzninvt]

At least your Best Buy has them in a dedicated room, our Best Buy just has them all crampt together right in an aisleway. I have also demo'd an all reference system at a dealer it consisted of RF7's, RC7, RS7's, RF5's and an RSW-15 all connected to the big Denon 5803 receiver and I am not sure what Denon DVD player. They had it in a dedicated room with a projector and screen. It did sound awesome had lots of intensity, we watched portions of "The Tuxedo" and "xXx" the RSW-15 did a tremendous job with the bass content literally moving the room and ceiling tiles. However, it did not compare to the level of detail that I am used to in my all Heritage HT. It certainly was no slouch though.

[ricktate]

I have been to three best buys in kc area all had something wrong with the set up,,,,one had hometheater option not working right,one had some of the speakers with static,one had it working ok but it sounded bad for some reason. I think bestbuy is not setting these up right,while i dont have a sub woofer i figured out one system had the sub hooked up wrong...i hooked it up right,also one wire was not even hooked to it,,lol,,,sounded better.When i did ask bestbuy salesboy to fix the hometheater setting, he said he couldn't.I still think Klipsch needs to set this stuff up in the stores.rick

[mark1101]

While it may not be practical, I agree that Klipsch should have a factory field representative be responsible for their demo equipment at authorized dealers.

I could not see any amplification equipment at our Best Buy (Athens, Ga.). But the set up were pretty nice. They had a switching console that selected each speaker product. They had a bank on the console for the HT systems in the room. They also had subwoofer switching.

Maybe there was a junk amp involved. Maybe Bose sets their own up to sound a certain way. Probably not! But maybe Klipsch should.

Whatever. It sounded surprising to me. I figured the Synergy line was better than I heard. Sorry, but it was poor.

I should have probably not been so harsh with the comments though. I know there are alot of satisfied RF users out there. And I know those do compare to the competition.

[dodger]

Hello:

Our Best Buy has the Synergy line on shelves and various single amplifiers connected to them.

With the black plastic look, I have heard comments from customers walking by talking of the "cheap look and feel" of the line. I was there to look at them and get some cable adaptors.

The sales clerk was quite pro-Bose.

Given those conditions how many speakers will be sold? How many will bother to go to listen to Reference line, besides those familiar with them.

I am not knocking all Best Buy, I did get the adaptors I wanted for less than at Circuit City.

But if you couple the above example, with a possible slowing of the Reference line and the strange looks you see if a customer wants to order a supposed to be available Heritage line Speaker How much will klipsch make. Pwk must be spinning.

Sorry gang. I wish all Best Buy had knowledgeable people as those that our on the Forum that work there, or even if they had dedicated rooms.

The one I went to did - for car audio.

[Bruinsrme]

Best Buy is selling an above average entry level speaker to the masses. It is tough for them to hire "experts" and maintain the profit margin. Comparing Cornwalls, LaScalas, or the reference line is not fair. The next item is the equipment being used to power them. I am sure it isn't something many of us would use for our systems.

I listened to the synergy system at the Worcester, MA and Framingham, MA stores and for the money and how they were set up I was impressed, very impressed. Now compared to the RF7s in my HT well there is no fair comparison.

Best Buy has dedicated a large amount of real estate to Klipsch and IMHO they have executed the intro well. BB is not a Tweeter ETC by far but for what they are and the resources they have, I would give them a B+.

Bose is a tough competitor. Women love Bose for their characteristics. My fiance asked why I needed the eqipment I purchased for the HT and not simply buying bose. It all sounds the same......

I stated next time you want me to pick up tampons at Wal Mart I will buy the Wal Mart brand they do the samething just cheapers.

Well imagine her reaction

[JLL]

The best buy store by me has all of the setups you guys are talking about. All the speakers athena, jbl, bose, sony, yamaha and klipsch are all connected to the same yamaha receiver and all setups play the same music. And yes the klipsch beats them all by far. I have visited this best buy numerous times and did listening tests each time. The klipsch had by far the best imaging, upfront, clear, dynamic sound of them all. All the other brand name speakers sound like they have a towel over them compared to the klipsch. The last time I went to best buy I noticed on all of the other speaker setups except the klipsch they had the bass boost and treble nob turned up past neutral close to 3/4 but not on the klipsch it was neutral smack right in the vertical position. The synergy line is a major step up vs. all the other brand name speakers and of course is a step down compared to the more expensive klipsch reference series just my 02.

Joe

[Fish]

Has anyone noticed the price of Klipsch at BB? If they sell any I'll be surprised.The ksw10 is 399.00,yes I am a Klipsch fan but I would do without a sub before I'd pay 400 bucks for a ksw10.Klipsch if you're looking this is a 250.00 sub.Also the sf2 were like 600.00 a pair,WHAT,what what what what!I hope these were mis marked.

[Unreal]

We sell tons of Klipsch at our store. Probably cause thats all I push, and explained to the other employees why they are better than the rest.

[DrPyro]

Fish-

I happen to be in BB for a little stroll to pick up a wireless lan card for my HTPC. I also noticed that the Klipsch prices were WAY the hell high! I'm almost positive that a full 5.1 synergy system they were advertising for $3000.00 (it might included a Reciever, but i really didn't look close since I was too shocked) The KSW-12 was like $450ish and the SF-2 was $650ish. The $3000 price tag was MORE then what I payed for my Ref3's with a Denon 3801 + Denon DVD-1000 dvd player, and I didn't even haggle my price down with the sales person.

-Dave

[IndyKlipschFan]

This is my opinion and my observations... I apologize in advance, I may be way off, but wanted to talk about it anyhow in a positive light.

I wanted to be clear what I "feel" is perhaps the marketing plan with Klipsch is. I may be right or wrong but hear me out..

Klipsch has begun or does in fact dominate the computer speaker lineup for people with better ears and those who wanted to upgrade. They have had, and looks like with the new line ups they now enjoy, huge success. (Only the Boston setup- 4 speakers and a sub in the larger one (cubes) seemed to be a great sounding deal offered by Gateway.) They were too expensive, but people slowly got around to the idea especially in college, or kids rooms where space is at a premium, to offer better sounding speakers.) How Bose missed the boat in larger cubes in this arena amazes me. Computer games had better sound, and required better speakers to experience the thrill of the experience.

Klipsch used this money and success to re do the reference lineup. They have always made great speakers.. Some better than others throughout the Klipsch lines. That's why we have the purists that know the heritage line was a fantastic start.(Some even go as far as say it ended there too.) Face it, everything after the Klipschorn was not as good... but a different variation that served a specific purpose. Again, not as dynamic or full range as the Klipschorn.

Klipsch had many lines afterwards, some not as successful as others, as our (general public) needs changed, so the company changed. To make for purchase most of the heritage lineup today, was semi cost prohibitive because most of the buying public could not afford them. Add to that, we learned some of the driver manufactures were changing and or going out of business too. And lets be honest, not everyone wants an expensive big box, even if it does sound fantastic as an audio speaker.

When they "reloaded" with cash and better research and engineering behind them, out came the reference line. Indy has been a great place to re invent the company and being around some of the guys here has given me a feeling of a new energized second generation that has taken over and going forward with the company while still preserving what is the "heritage" of the line. I have to admit, even as a heritage guy, this (The reference lineup) was a slam dunk - home run.(Thats Indiana talk for major success!) While not cheap, it certainly was a great step forward for the company (They had a new product to sell, it was great, and people liked it a lot too.) The reviews came in good, people were also impressed, and they filled the lineup up and down the mid to upper price gap as well.

The original thought of, "How do you run a company corp. office here in Indy while having manufacturing in Hope Arkansas or elsewhere" I am sure was scary at first, as well as a little bumpy. But this is 2003, people have parts made and assembled all over the place everyday today. With computers and information shared today is "almost" as good as being there and besides leaving people in Hope, Arkansas that had been there and done that was critical also to move forward. Especially in the older lineup where things were so much so hand built to exact standards for many, many years.

As the reference lineup expands into other areas again with great success, the new RB-35's IMO are fantastic bookshelf speakers for people with entertainment centers in need of a speaker on a shelf added with a sub wow... Head over heals better than a lot of the competition.

Most of the reference lineup is being sold, or all of it being sold really, by specialty audio shops which are surviving on customer support. Many have died in the last years, trying to compete with the big box superstores like Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. They now have many esoteric (read somewhat high end, limited supply, costly audio gear, all with glowing reviews and their own fan clubs too.) Klipsch has long had success with these dealers, and did not want to get rid of them as marketers of the Klipsch lineup.

So the dilemma was how do you get a mid level line between the computer setup, and the reference line. How do you introduce people to the Klipsch line when they are also going from college to their first set of speakers in a little apartment for the living room? I think this is the whole concept of the line at Best Buy. (Hey Mom, look computer speakers with the new computer and some for the living room in my apartment too.) If Mom or you, yourself, were buying..LOL.

Make affordable a line that takes them from point A to B. When they get more successful in life and can afford point C and they also might consider the reference line later, and get even better sound for the house. Think General motors which does this with Chevrolet to Caddilac.

I am sorry this is so long I just see Klipsch expanding the company lineup much like any of us would to be successful. Comparing it to the Reference Line is silly. You get what you get at best buy, a kid with little or no experience that sells features, sells names like Klipsch, JBL, Bose, whatever, and you the consumer get to demo it along with others ... buy it.... and go home. It is buying speakers for the "average Joe" consumer, not brain surgery. And probably where the newer generation has spent most of his time as a kid growing up buying computers, DVD's, CD's, Telephones, and yes, audio.

Just as a last note, if we all run out and tell these kids at Best Buy, "Well it is not as good as the reference line, or the other Heritage lineup," we, ourselves, are hurting the Klipsch name too. They were not made or priced to compete with the upper end Klipsch. Lets compare them to what is also in the store. I think we all can agree it sounds wonderful to that competition too. If we get excited with the Klipsch line at Best Buy and they have great success, I am sure we will also see a lot more technology and other new products in the high end stores for us too.

PS. I have personally helped I know 5 customers in the Best Buy store choose Klipsch by hanging around and answering questions as people look at it. I do not work for Best Buy, or Klipsch, but am happy as heck on the inside I was able to steer them to Klipsch.

[Unreal]

Complete sf2 package, including sf2s, sc1, ss1s, and ksw12 and a yamaha 6.1 reciever is $1999, not $3000.

KSW12 is $499

KSW10 is $399 and probably the most popular "higher end" sub. Most people just get the $99 sony sub.

[formica]

----------------

On 8/12/2003 1:03:58 PM Unreal wrote:

Most people just get the $99 sony sub.

----------------

Which basically supports IndyKlipschFan's point... nice post.

[Unreal]

Most people want the cheapest crap they can buy. We sell tons of KLH and other no name brands. People are stupid and don't spend money wisely. Ohh well, I guess it keeps the economy going or something.

[avman]

good post IK fan!

also, i have to take exception to two things mark said:

first, i can't think of ANY bo$e speakers that sound better than synergy price-for-price and sony speakers that sound better? lmfao! i've heard two sony speakers that really sound good, the weird-shaped es full size speakers sony had about 3-5yrs.ago, and some Extended Definition Sony/B&W knockoffs(they had the same tweeter'tube' and kevlar mid woof as the B&W)that i doubt anyone outside of the 'biz' has seen or heard.

secondly,heritage Klipsch do kick a$$, but i am an EXTREME fan of my legends. i've heard lascalas and hereseys and cornwalls and love my klf-30's sound,punch,clarity, and sheer kick a$$ over-the-top blaring volume capability-and YES! the heritage can play beautifully and VERY loud(my hearing won't ever be the same after several cornwall blasting events), but i am STILL extremely impressed w/my klf-30's and RSW-15 combo..so THERE!

[mark1101]

Guys,

Glad to hear some of these comments. I never meant to bad mouth Klipsch. After reading all the comments, I have to say that I did not do a price for price comparison between brands. My fault. I mostly just listened. I was interested in comparing sound. I suppose the Bose probably cost more, so would be expected to sound better.

Besides, I think it was "Village People" music playing on the Best Buy systems. Maybe that's why the Klipsch didn't sound so good.

I heard "In The Navy" rocks on KLF-30s.

[avman]

Har-de-har-har

avman.

[BBB]

Today its young men playing a young mans game and the good old U. S. of A is now known around the world as Young Mens Country. In order to cater to the most demanding audiophiles in the world we now offer an alternative to all those over priced Bose hawking chain stores.

Welcome to YOUNG MENS COUNTRY AUDIO!

Yes! Thats right! Its the YMCA!!!!!

Young man, there's no need to feel down

I said, young man, pick yourself up new sound

I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town

There's no *NEED*TO*BE*UN*HAP*PY*

Young man, there's a place you can go

I said, young man, when you're short on your dough

You can shop here, and I'm sure you will find

Many *WAYS*TO*SAVE*A*FEW*DIMES*

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

We have everything that were sure youll enjoy.

You can hang out and buy new toys.

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

You can get your CDs

You can find a good deal

You can buy whatever you feel.

Young man, Are you listeneing to me

I said, young man, whats your purchase to be

I said, young man, you can make real your dreams,

but you've *GOT*TO*KNOW*THIS*ONE*THING*

No man, buys it all by himself

I said, young man, pick an amp off the shelf

And just come here, to the Y.M.C.A.

I'm sure *WE*CAN*HELP*YOU*TO*DAY*

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

We have everything that were sure youll enjoy.

You can hang out and buy new toys.

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

You can get DVDs

You can find a good deal

You can buy whatever you feel.

Young Man, I was once in your shoes,

I said, I was down and out with the blues

I felt salesmen, thought I wasnt alive

I felt *THEIR*WHOLE*WORLD*WAS*SO*JIVE*

That's when someone came up to me

and said young man take a walk up the street

There's a place there called the Y.M.C.A.

Theyll sell you *AN*NEE*THING*ON*YOUR*PAY*

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

We have everything that were sure youll enjoy.

You can hang out and buy new toys.

Y.M.C.A.

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

It's fun to shop at the Y.M.C.A.

Young man, Young man, there's big bass to be found

Young man, Young man, blast yourself off the ground

Y.M.C.A.

just shop at the Y.M.C.A.

Young Man, Young Man, break out those dancing shoes,

Young Man, Young Man, you can bang out those blues

YMCA YMCA YMCA YMCA

Visit the YOUNG MENS COUNTRY AUDIO store near you.

And dont forget to follow the man in the Indian head dress for savings!

[IndyKlipschFan]

BBB

You know I also sing Karaoke... HAHAHA That would be a great bit...YMCA... Thanks a lot.. Now I have that stupid song in my head I am sure for the rest of the day!!

[Guest BobG]

FWIW, Klipsch is using a very well respected team to work directly with the Best Buy stores. We expect them to check all demo gear and see to it the Synergy product is presented in an appropriate manner. My own experience indicates that in some stores different brands of speakers are connected to very different quality receivers. This may be why the Synergy models sounded bad in the store mentioned at the top of this thread. Feel free to PM me about any inferior demos and I'll get that information on to the team for action.