samuel r Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 since i had to return one of my rf-3's due to a "rippled" woofer, i decided to dissect it before sending it back to take a look at its vital organs. upon doing this, i noticed the woofers are attached by pretty flimsy wires. i do have some nice wires connecting the speaks. i just need to know if i took apart the speaks and replaced the wires leading to the magnet/driver with a heavier gauge, better quality wire, will that have a better effect on sound? i just want to know since the newer "rf's" are going to be wired with monster. anyone try this before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted June 8, 2001 Share Posted June 8, 2001 As a better writer than I said, "this is the sound of Padora's Box opening." So, welcome to the wire debate forum. I take the position that zip cord (lamp wire) is good enough for long runs to the speaker. I just have never seen any objective evidence to the contrary. On the other hand, credible witnesses report improvements in the context of (long) wire runs from the amp to the speaker. What you're asking about is a slightly different issue. Can the one or two foot run of "thin" wire within the speaker cause a problem, which needs a solution. To some extent it similar to a situation where the run to the speaker system input is very short. I don't think there is a problem, here. Others may disagree. From an engineering point of view, the voice coil and cross over components are recognized as having the qualities of inductance, capacitance, and resistance - - - and there are other similar factors resulting from the interaction of the box and speaker. The amount of these qualities are far, far in excess of those same exhibited by the wire by several orders of magnitude. (Mostly 100, or 1000 times more.) Really. The following is a crude example. Suppose you wanted to make your back yard lawn sprinkler work better where there is a 20 foot run of garden hose. Hooking up fire hose of three inch diameter instead of the regular old vinyl green one inch diameter hose is not gonna help. Note this is the "long run" issue. Within the speaker, it is an issue of whether putting two feet of fire hose near the sprinkler, is going to help anything. I don't think so. Heah, I read that Klipsch has a deal with Monster Wire. Nothing wrong with that. But I'd like to see a documented problem which needs a solution. So far, I've not seen it. The bottom line: Don't monkey with wiring of the interior. There is no engineering reason to do so. Also, trying to mate thick wire to small terminals is a real bear. Let me add an emote =8^o so no one takes this topic too seriously. We're all friends. Regards, Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuel r Posted June 8, 2001 Author Share Posted June 8, 2001 hey Will, i don't want anyone to really take it too serious where everyone starts breakin' out the toolchest to try it, but IMHO, wouldn't a thicker gauged, nicely braded "for optimal performance" wire, be of better use than the little, flimsy red and black wires already supplied? what i'm saying is, if klipsch is going to build a speaker like the rf-5 with all the same aspects of the rf-3, with the exception of a larger horn, wood finishes, and of course monster cable internals, and sell it for almost double the price, then why not change the wiring yourself and replace it with some premium wires.? i personally don't care about a bigger horn and i'm almost positive that most would agree. i think the monster name alone is going to help in the increase of price of the rf-5's. i understand it is "supposed" to be a little more difficult to apply a natural wood veneer(so my sales rep says), opposed to black ash veneer, but i don't think for nearly double the price. and how much more could the bigger tractrix horn really cost? i still feel i, and quite a few others, could replace the wires on there own granted they have a little common sense and wiring knowledge. it may also make them feel better knowing they have some quality wiring feeding the juice to those mean woofers and tweeter.:biggrin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffgeorge Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 I must agree with you Samuel. Why would Klipsch go with Monster internally if it did not somehow benefit the sound quality. I know there are also marketing reasons for the move, but that can't be the only reason. I would be intersted in modifying my RF-3's as well, if it can be done without much of a hassle. Hey Bob G... Any input here? ------------------ RF-3's : mains RC-3 : center RS-3's : surrounds KSW-12: subwoofer Receiver: Denon 2801 DVD: Panasonic DVD-A120 CD: Yamaha CDC-765 Cables: Tributaries Sat Receiver: Hughes Direct-TV DD5.1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BobG Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Without being able to offer support for any of the theories behind wire construction, I admit to believing that different wire sounds different. I've rewired a number of speakers in my time and use high performance wire in my systems. The Z series (also known as M series) wire in the new Reference models uses frequency-specific stranding following their overall engineering approach. This design is particularly applicable in the Klipsch manufacturing process as it allowed us to use the cable without making too many changes to the crossover boards. Even the jumpers between the bi-wire inputs are Monster cable. It is difficult to listen objectively to speakers you've rewired. Certainly we all wish to believe that our efforts produce positive results. In some cases, the differences between wires makes such a large difference that I cannot pass off the changes to anything other than real performance differences. If you choose to rewire your speakers internally, use common sense and be careful when connecting to the network pc boards. It's pretty easy to lift a trace or break a tab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boa12 Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 quote: Originally posted by William F. Gil McDermott: Within the speaker, it is an issue of whether putting two feet of fire hose near the sprinkler, is going to help anything. I don't think so. gil, that hit's it right on the head imho. i think here it's best to go along w/ the klipsch EEs & the ole "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" advice. is klipsch going to come out w/ an rf-3 II w/ monster innards now? using the monster name in the marketing of the new refs looks impressive. but again imho it's more for that marketing appeal than actual audible improvement. ------------------ 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...
JohnA Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Monster Cable in the innards can't hurt, adds marketing cache and looks spiffy, so why not. It IS a perceived value-add by most consumers so the speaker price can be higher for just a little more cost. My experience has bee like Gil's; wire above a certain size for a certain run, even hand braided CAT-5, makes no difference. BTW, hand braided CAT-5 looks so cool I just couldn't take it out. It comes in colors, too, so braiding 3 pair of different colored sleeving would look tremendous and be equal to about 10 ga. I didn't hear any diference with it on my La Scalas. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuel r Posted June 9, 2001 Author Share Posted June 9, 2001 well i'm glad to see i'm getting some good responses. i honestly feel confident that someone could rewire their own speaks and maybe feel a little better knowing that their speaks have some better quality wiring. i understand there may not be a much audible difference in sound quality, if any at all, BUT i do know that after dissecting the speaks and seeing those flimsy wires which send power to those monstrous works of art, i'd much rather install a wire of better quality and gauge(not necessarily humongously thick)and feel a little more confident. even if someone else would disagree with it, i know once they took a look at it for themselves...those beautiful wires glistening to match the rest of the external beauty, the moment they leave to go home, the hands are going to be washed, the scrubs and facemask put on, the tools laid out, and the speaker will be put on the table for some reconstructive surgery. i'm almost positive that more than 50% of the veiwers of this site are thinking about doing it REAL soon. well to sum it up, i'm glad once again, and thankful for the helpful input, whether it be pro or con. overall KLIPSCH rules!!! and i will continue to refer others to the sonic bliss of these and other klipsch speaks. thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forresthump Posted June 9, 2001 Share Posted June 9, 2001 Peace of mind has its value. And minds are all different. What makes the world so interesting! ------------------ go forth & hump the world 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.