Newbie to Klipsch products and wanting some opinions!

[stereoaddict]

Hello,

I'm new to the forums here and have some questions for some of you die hard Klipsch fans. I currently have a system that consists of a Yamaha 795 reciever, Sony 7000 series DVD (I know its old but it works), Infinity Reference 3 Mains, Infinity Reference 1 rears, a custom made center channel with Focal 6.5" Kevlar drivers and a Vifa dome tweeter, 2 12" Eminence dual voice coil subwoofers in custom enclosures driven by a Kenwood M-1 amplifier with a Paradigm electronic crossover.

What things should I be looking for when comparing the Klipsch speakers against the likes of Definitive Technologies, Polk, and Infinity? I listen to mostly heavy metal but also like some modern rock although this system is mostly used for movies and watching sporting events. I would love to hear some opinions on the Synergy series products in comparison to the Reference series. What made you choose Klipsch over the other brands?

Thanks

[Groovie]

I am certainly a newbie and not an expert, from which I am sure a few here will entertain your request for info, however I compared Klipsch Synergy, Klipsch Refernce, JBL, Bose, Yamaha, Polk, Advent, Paradigm Reference/Cinema/Performance series and 2 more brands over at Tweeter/HIFI Buys. Klipsch to my ear had the best clarity and overall sound reproduction. What really blew me away was at my local Klipsch dealer, I got to here the paradigm (which were my second choice!) and Klipsch reference in the same room an rf-15 compared to a paradigm performance series tower which was about $100.00 more per pair. When the saleman switched over to the RF-15 it sounded twice as loud, it blew me away. I asked if he cranked the volume, but he hadn't touched it. The efficiency/sensitivity is so much better with Klipsch, you just don't need the amps to drive these bad boys. Go listen and you will become a believer.

[Bill H.]

Stereo, Welcome to the Form.

The previous quote says it very clearly................ Clearly look at the Reference series........for Rock music, you can't beat it!

efficiency/sensitivity is so much better with Klipsch, you just don't need the amps to drive these bad boys. Go listen and you will become a believer.

[stereoaddict]

Thanks for the information guys. I went to Best Buy and Ultimate Electronics last night to listen to the different brands that they have to choose from. When at Best Buy the Klipsch Synergy series speakers were by far the best sounding speakers to my ear of anything that they carry (JBL, Cerwin Vega, Yamaha, Bose, Athena). When I went to Ultimate Electronics I was able to compare them to the Infinity, Definitives and others. Not having a whole lot of time at either place since the wife was nagging me the entire time I really couldn't get a good feel for what I thought was going to be the best for my set up. I really like the Klipsch, I believe they were the RS-35? I can't really remember the exact model number they had dual 5.25" cerametalic drivers. They sounded great as did the Synergy Series that were sitting right next to them. I will be heading down to the Nebraska Furniture Mart this weekend with one of my buddies so that I can get a better feel. Thanks again for the responses, it is always nice to get other peoples opinions when you are about to drop a significant amount of money on something that in all honesty I really don't need.

[Bruinsrme]

Welcome to the forum.

My opinion is;

No matter what is done with lima beans they still taste nasty.

Now for audio;

I can tell you wonderful things about my Klipsch but it all comes down to what your ears hear. Some like the way Klipsch sound other say they don't. Some would not be able to recognize a great speaker if they walked into it while other that frequent this forum already know what a great speaker is.

Keep and open mind and leave your options open.

Like trying to choose RF35 or RF5 or RF7.

All kidding aside there are many great sounding speakers but ultimately it comes down to what your ears tell you is great; whether is be Klipsch, Polk, Def Tech, Paradigm, Axioms, Rockets andso on.

Scott

[SteelerFan]

It's when you compare Klipsch to something else that the bug bites. That's the way I remember it. I compared them to Infinity and a few others back in the early 90's and the Klipsch's made everything else sound like they were playing at the bottom of a well.

[skonopa]

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On 11/18/2003 12:41:05 PM stereoaddict wrote:

What things should I be looking for when comparing the Klipsch speakers against the likes of Definitive Technologies, Polk, and Infinity? I listen to mostly heavy metal but also like some modern rock although this system is mostly used for movies and watching sporting events. I would love to hear some opinions on the Synergy series products in comparison to the Reference series. What made you choose Klipsch over the other brands?

Thanks

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

I think everybody else pretty much said it here, but here are some of the things to listen for.

- How detailed is the sound coming from the speakers. That is, how easily can you pick out the individual instruments, or can you even hear more subtle things, such as the sound of a pick agaist a guitar string, the sound of the drumstick actually hitting the cymbel (not the sound the cymbal itself makes), and so forth. That is one sign you got some very good, revealing speakers.

- How dynamic does the music sound. Does it sound very "alive" and full, or does it just sound flat and laid back?

- How about imaging? That is how well does the speakers depict the apparent location of the instruments and vocalist. For example, does the vocalist seem to be coming from the center? Does the guitar seem to be somewhat to the right and kinda behind. Does the drums appear to come from behind the vocalist?

- How about that vocalist? Does the voice sound natural and full, like there is actually somebody there singing, or does it sound "shrill", "honky", "nasal (like the person is singing through their nose), or "chesty" (like they are singing from thier gut instead from thier mouth).

- More importantly, when listening to the speakers, can you just close your eyes and the music just seems to sound like it is coming from an actual performance instead of a pair of boxes in front of you? This is what is refered to how "transperent" the speakers are.

There is a really nice speaker buying guide on Sound And Vision Magazine's website.

Now, to answer your question as to what made me choose Klipsch over brands.

First, I found that I loved the shear dynamics and clarity of the Klipsch. Also, I found the Klipsch to be able to render the music with wonderful detail. I can easily pick-out the individual instruments in a piece - even the individual violins of a string section in an orchestra - that is the strings actually sound like a bunch of individual violins playing together instead of just one mass of sound. Also, the Klipsch are incredibaly efficient. I can get a big, full sound without needing the equivalent output of the local powerplant for an amplifier.

I also listen to a lot of metal, mostly power/prog metal, such as Stratovarious, Luguna Coil, Hammer Fall, Fates Warning, Dream Theater, Symphony X, and so forth. This music just sounds friggan incredible on the RF-7s. It is almost like these speakers are made for playing this kind of music. I also like to listen to electronica and new age type music, ala David Arkenstone. This music just sound so clear and clean on my Klipsch, especially through my B&K amplifier w/ a Denon AVR3802 being used as a pre/pro.

I do know where you are coming from as far as a system goes. Before I got the Klipsch and B&K and other stuff I currently have, I had some Infinity RS2000.5 reference towers with a Yamaha center and surrounds, paired with a Yamaha YST-SW40 sub, all ran through a Yamaha R-V702 ProLogic reciever. I have a pretty good idea how your Infinities sound with that Yahama. I'll admit that it is actually a pretty good sounding system. I had mine for about 5 years before upgrading (and still do down in the basement game room). However, the Klipsch are definitly a step up, though.

[dkp]

Stereoaddict,

Welcome to the forum. I am also a newbie but may be able to offer you a small bit of insight on the DefTechs vs. the RF-7 series. In your post you mentioned the type of music that you will be listening to but didn't state whether or not you will be using this system for music and home theater use. Since you have rears, I'm guessing that you will be.

I just purchased the RF-7 lineup. I shopped around for quite some time before settling on the Klipsch system. My local dealer carries Klipsch, DefTech, Jamo and VMPS. I spent hours comparing the Klipsch RF-7s to the top of the line DefTechs (I can't recall the model number). The comparison was literally side by side. Here's what I found.

The DefTechs really are a marvelous sounding loudspeaker. Their design, especially for 2-channel listening, really fills the room. They put out very nice sounding bass and are a very nice speaker. I felt that for vocals they actually outperformed the Klipsch system. However, this was the only area that I felt that they were slightly better than the Klipsch system.

The Klipsch RF-7 system just blew the DefTechs away when listening to any sort of rock or modern country music. The margin was just not even close. Don't get me wrong, the DefTechs do a great job here, but they just can't recreate the sense that you are actually at the live event. Klipsch was BY FAR the superior speaker here.

For home theater the difference was also absolutely staggering. I remember listening to the lobby shootout in the Matrix on the Klipsch system and just sitting there in awe. The gunshots sounded lifelike, bullets hitting the floor, the walls, you name it-this scene was incredible. Then the explosion in the elevator scene immediatly following the lobby shootout-phenomenal.

When we listened to the same scene on the DefTechs, my decision was made within 20 seconds. The DefTechs just couldn't do the job here. Again, they sounded good, but the Klipsch made me want to just keep turning the volume up, up and up.

The earlier post was exactly right. I just told you what my experience was, but you need to take the time necessary when you can go to your local dealer, sit back, relax and just listen. One thing that I did was to take some of my own CD's with me and listen to MY music, not theirs. Fortunately for me, I could listen to the same song in the same room first on one system and again on the comparison. This is extremely helpful. It was very difficult to listen to Paradigm at one dealer who uses different amps/receivers/etc and then drive to another dealer and listen to jamo on another set of amps/receivers/etc. If you can find a dealer that has a couple of great speakers running on the same equipment, I think you will get a better comparison between the two since you will be only comparing the speakers and not the amps, etc.

One last suggestion for you. Don't settle on an (in your opinion) inferior sounding system for budgetary reasons if you know that you will think about that other system every time you are listening to the one you purchased. (sounds like marriage, doesn't it?!) Where there's a will, there's a way.

David

[stereoaddict]

Wow! What a great forum this is! Thank you all very much for your input this is starting to get me pumped up. The wife and I had a very long discussion last evening about what I want to do with this system and I think that she is officially on board. I have her blessing to get what ever system I see as the right one for my needs without just getting over the top stupid. This being said, now I am leaning toward the RF-7 mains for the first stage of the upgrade, I figure it would be best to get this out of the way first since the mains are going to make the most dynamic impact on the system. I have a bit of a time frame that I have to wait for so it looks like it will be February or March before I will be able to drop the hammer on this purchase. This weekend my buddy and I are heading down to KC to do some auditioning and I plan on really soaking in the sound of the RF-7s. With all of the info that you guys have given me and the information from the different reviews that I have read online it sounds like the Klipsch speakers are going to be what will reside in my basement. Heres to hoping that the Mortgage business stays strong!

Thanks again for all the information!

[marksdad]

welcome, and stay away from the synergy, they sound on level with your current infinity stuff

[Deang]

The Reference Series speakers have no equals until you start looking at things near double the money and more -- and even then, the extra smoothness in response gained isn't worth the clarity and dynamics lost. Actually, it's kind of depressing to see just how far the rest of industry is lagging behind Klipsch.

I love the immersive soundfield of the DT's, but you need to pump 300 watts into them before they "open up". The very nice sounding Paradigms have a different problem -- get some wattage into them and the sound goes brittle and falls apart. I've owned some very nice speakers in the past -- but only the RF-7's let me have my cake and eat it too.

Be forewarned however -- the RF-7's aren't very forgiving of mediocre sources and amplification, and though you'll love them, it won't take you long to figure out you need to start upgrading the rest of your stuff to get the most out of them. Trust me on this, if you hear something through them you don't like -- it ain't the speakers.

When you do start to upgrade, keep in mind that unless you have a really big room -- don't waste your money on mega-watts, instead, put those bucks into quality lower watts.

[ricktate]

Hey stereoaddict...if your comming down to KC and want to hear some real speakers...lol...come on by and listen to my LaScalas,,,,,just kidding but if you need anything give me a call,,,im working saturday though...dang forum members comming to my area and i got to work...rick