belial Posted May 24, 2001 Share Posted May 24, 2001 I know a lot of you will think this is a no-brainer ... I have heard the SF-2 and really like its design. I haven't heard the RF-3, and don't think it looks anywhere as nice as the SF-2. I don't like the grill or those weird (IMO) little feet the RF-3 has ... But I know a the RF-3 is supposed to sound a lot better. My question? How much better do you think it sounds? I'd like to hear from everyone, even people who've only listened to the RF-3 and don't own it, because I suspect if you own it you might naturally be biased towards that model. I want to hear from you RF-3 owners as well, don't get me wrong, I just want to hear from anyone who has heard both and has an opinion, period. I had the SC-1 center, that goes with the SF-2, and am trading it in towards the RC-3 center, because I wasn't all that impressed with the SC-1. So that is one strike in favor of my buying the RF-3, I guess. What's your opinion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted May 24, 2001 Share Posted May 24, 2001 It is a no brainer. Although the RF3 is a little more sensitive, handles more power, has larger woofers and weighs more, it also costs about $150 more retail. Yet there is no comparison between the Synergy models I have heard in the dealers room and the Reference ones. Of course the Synergy models sound good. And so do the Reference speakers. All of the music is there with the S models, as it is with the R ones. But the R models seem to be able to provide the sound without effort. While the lower models work at producing the music, the Reference ones seem to be able to handle it all in stride. Bass is a bit better defined, but what I really noticed was that the treble, especially the cymbals seemed better. On lower cost speakers, the high end often gets mashed together into a hissing or sizzling sound we recognize it as cymbals, but that is not really what they sound like. There is also better separation of the notes with the Reference speakers I have heard. For the difference in price, I would buy the best speakers that you can afford the speaker end of the stereo is where you get the most bang for your buck buy the best that you can get. The Reference series is just that a standard for which other speakers can be compared. The larger horn makes a difference, the lower cross-over point makes a difference, the larger woofers make a difference, the greater weight makes a difference, the slightly greater sensitivity and higher power handling makes a difference too. And while all these differences do not add up to a walloping contrast between the two, they do add up to a better speaker with longer lasting appreciation. I could foresee a Synergy owner trading up to the Reference series, but I think that a Reference owner will only add more Reference speakers to his system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boa12 Posted May 24, 2001 Share Posted May 24, 2001 touche' colin. bel, i take it u had/have the sf-2 or some synergy mains since u had an sc-1(?). anyway, i think you've already answered your ? by choosing your new rc-3. same reasons to get the rf-3 only magnified. happy listenin! ------------------ Klipsch KLF 30 (front), KLF C-7, Cornwall I (rear) Velodyne HGS-18 sub woofer Monsterbass 400 sub interconnects & Monster CX-2 biwire & Z-12 cable Marantz SR-8000 receiver Sony DVP-C650D cd/dvd player Sony Trinitron 27" stereo tv Toshiba hi-fi stereo vcr Technics dual cassette deck Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable box Boa's Listenin Lounge: Klipsch RF-3 (front), RC-3, cheap little Technics (rear) Monster MCX Biwires Sony STR-DE935 a/v receiver Kenwood KR-9600 AM/FM stereo receiver (vintage 1975) Russound AB-2 receiver switch to RF-3 Teac PD-D1200 5-disk cd changer Technics direct drive turntable Sega Genesis game player Sub: None yet rock on! This message has been edited by boa12 on 05-24-2001 at 10:58 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bensilb Posted May 24, 2001 Share Posted May 24, 2001 I have the Rf-3 and the RC-3. I am extremely happy with the quality of sound. I recently compared them to my fater's Herseys. I was very happy. They sounded almost the same. (mine were a little better, but my dad would never admit that...LOL) So yes with some biasness, I do recomend the RF-3. Good luck. Too many choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bensilb Posted May 24, 2001 Share Posted May 24, 2001 Also...are you willing to give up sound quality for looks. I am not trying to be harsh but I think the sound quality is more important. Why do people buy Khorns? THey sound great. But they are huge! What 167 pounds...you need two people just to lift them. I know there is a huge market for people who like the way speakers look and don't care so much about the sound quality. After all Bose is still in buisness!!! PS The RF-3 do look nice; the feet are not the focal point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boa12 Posted May 24, 2001 Share Posted May 24, 2001 yea & u can put the spikes or pads directly in the rf-3 cabinets w/o the feet. i find the feet w/ spikes give them more stability on my carpet though. my only complaint is the spike length isn't adjustable like w/ the legends. they're too long on the thinner carpet. or does someone have a fix for that ------------------ Klipsch KLF 30 (front), KLF C-7, Cornwall I (rear) Velodyne HGS-18 sub woofer Monsterbass 400 sub interconnects & Monster CX-2 biwire & Z-12 cable Marantz SR-8000 receiver Sony DVP-C650D cd/dvd player Sony Trinitron 27" stereo tv Toshiba hi-fi stereo vcr Technics dual cassette deck Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable box Boa's Listenin Lounge: Klipsch RF-3 (front), RC-3, cheap little Technics (rear) Monster MCX Biwires Sony STR-DE935 a/v receiver Kenwood KR-9600 AM/FM stereo receiver (vintage 1975) Russound AB-2 receiver switch to RF-3 Teac PD-D1200 5-disk cd changer Technics direct drive turntable Sega Genesis game player Sub: None yet rock on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belial Posted May 25, 2001 Author Share Posted May 25, 2001 As always, it is great to see the rapid, thoughtful responses one gets on this board! You guys have all but convinced me--especially when Collin said this: "On lower cost speakers, the high end often gets mashed together into a hissing or sizzling sound" That was what I didn't like about the SC-1! I've posted about this before, but had trouble explaining what the problem was. On some high sounds, like a woman's voice, I would get almost a kind of crackle that was distracting. I think the fact that Klipsch speakers are known to sound bright didn't help either. So if the Reference series is better in this respect, then that is a very BIG factor for me. Of course a lot of people have the SC-1 and don't seem to have the problem I had, and thought it was my reciever or something else, so who knows. boa12--no, I haven't actually owned the SF-2's--I just listened to them in the local shop and thought they sounded terrific. I bought the SC-1 first, as my first step toward building a HT setup (I also have the KSW 12). As I said I didn't like the SC-1 and have sent it back and ordered the RC-3. I've been agonizing over whether to go with my original choice of the SF-2, or bump up to the RF-3, and I think I know which I'll choose now. Thanks for letting me know about the options with the feet--believe it or not that makes it easier for me to choose the RF-3, because if I don't like the way something looks, it always bugs me! ( but I also have thin carpet, so I hope that won't be a problem ... no pets or kids to knock the speakers over though. )That reminds me--I read someone's review where they said the feet made a HUGE difference in the quality of sound. Is this true? bensilb--thanks for your input too! I would disagree with someone who argued that bose looks better than Klipsch though. Not only do Klipsch sound better, they beat those little black cubes in looks anyday of the week. Thanks again for your thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boa12 Posted May 25, 2001 Share Posted May 25, 2001 bel, well as for the spikes for me not a HUGE dif but i found they do make an audible dif. they do more isolate the speak from the floor for what i found to be better bass definition. anything to tighten up dat bass is good ------------------ Klipsch KLF 30 (front), KLF C-7, Cornwall I (rear) Velodyne HGS-18 sub woofer Monsterbass 400 sub interconnects & Monster CX-2 biwire & Z-12 cable Marantz SR-8000 receiver Sony DVP-C650D cd/dvd player Sony Trinitron 27" stereo tv Toshiba hi-fi stereo vcr Technics dual cassette deck Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable box Boa's Listenin Lounge: Klipsch RF-3 (front), RC-3, cheap little Technics (rear) Monster MCX Biwires Sony STR-DE935 a/v receiver Kenwood KR-9600 AM/FM stereo receiver (vintage 1975) Russound AB-2 receiver switch to RF-3 Teac PD-D1200 5-disk cd changer Technics direct drive turntable Sega Genesis game player Sub: None yet rock on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bensilb Posted May 25, 2001 Share Posted May 25, 2001 Belial, I totally agree with you on the look of Klipsch verses Bose. I was just commenting on the fact that Bose's advertising campaign is basically all about the look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted May 25, 2001 Share Posted May 25, 2001 Well,I'd like to voice an opposing view to all of the people that say they don't care about looks.Did you ever approach an ugly woman interested in,uh,dating her?I haven't.I am interested in looks.And sound quality(loudspeakers only).I own lots of Klipsch loudspeakers and none of them are ugly.Which do you notice first when you're out at the mall,say? The good looking blonde with the curvaceous body or the 167 pound practical woman walking with her?I'm sure that I speak for BobG as well as myself when I say that looks are important! Sexist Pig(Keith) And one more thing.Although I don' own any Bose speakers,the thought of a small box with big woofers is appealing to me. This message has been edited by talktoKeith on 05-25-2001 at 05:06 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BobG Posted May 27, 2001 Share Posted May 27, 2001 Talktokeith, thanks for dragging me into this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USparc Posted May 27, 2001 Share Posted May 27, 2001 Just one thing: RF-3 IS NUMBER ONE find out why :www.klipsch.com ------------------ ------------------------- Receiver: Onkyo 676 DVD: Pioneer DV-525 Screen: Thomson 46" RetroProjection Front: RF-3's Rear: RF-3's Center: RC-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belial Posted May 27, 2001 Author Share Posted May 27, 2001 Uspar, what is this "klipsch.com" of which you speak? And I always thought the RF was number 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USparc Posted May 27, 2001 Share Posted May 27, 2001 belial, check out the home page of klipsch :"www.klipsch.com" You will find it there (RF-3 IS NUMBER ONE) LOL ------------------ ------------------------- Receiver: Onkyo 676 DVD: Pioneer DV-525 Screen: Thomson 46" RetroProjection Front: RF-3's Rear: RF-3's Center: RC-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belial Posted May 27, 2001 Author Share Posted May 27, 2001 I know Usparc. I'm just being silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted May 27, 2001 Share Posted May 27, 2001 You're welcome Bob. Lookin good! Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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