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RF-15 system with what sub?


om13934

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I've been seriously considering getting the RW12. Don't want to get any smaller than that. I can get it for $500. It would be used in a 16 by 14 room (a little larger if you count the bar area) Is the RW12 gonna be enough to shake, rattle, and otherwise roll the room, or will I need more?

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It is enough to keep up with the biggest of them speakers. I think anything over the RW-12 will drown out your RF-15's. Oh, and I must say for someone on a "high school budget," you're doing pretty damn well. No 16 year old I ever knew had anything more than an all-in-one table top system.

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That's my set up. RF-15 with the rw-12, it is a marriage made in heaven! My room is 17 x 23 with two 6' openings on the 23' dimension to a 10' x 23' foyer. Its a big area and the rw-12 shakes the house. You will feel this sub! When you get it try the THX optimizer on any THX DVD. When you test the sub cross over, mine is at 80hz, the sound goes so low it it no longer audible, but you can still feel it!

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Groovie... You set your crossover at 80hz? I heard that your supposed to put the x over at 1 octave above the bottom of your mains (which would make it about 94hz.) I was planning on setting my x over at 100hz. but was wondering if I wanted the sub responding that high. How does it sound with the x over at 80 with the RF15's?

Nicholtl... It helps to have a father who understands klipsch. (cornwall owner) And yes, I too only had an "all in one table top" until I heard the klipsch RF7 7.1 system at the local audio shop with the RSW15. 2 Years and a few ebay sales later, and I had enough money to buy the RF15 system. Now comes the sub. 10.gif

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I set my crossover at 100hz, but I guess it's best to experiment and see where the sub picks up best. Not sure how low the freq. response is for the RF-15's, but 80hz (which are THX standards) might be a tad too low and require the RF-15's to work harder than they need to be.

You're lucky to have a dad who knows his stuff. My parents own really crappy stereo equipment. I only became interested in home theater after I started fixing up my SUV's sound system.

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Nicholtl... so you're saying that the rw12 responds well up to 100hz, and that works for you? The RF15's go to 46hz, but when they get down low and are trying to reproduce the mids with clarity, the lows get boomy and distorted. (without a sub) I'm not sure how putting the cut off at 80hz and adding a sub would effect that, I was just told that 1 octave above the bottom of your mains is best and for the 15's the closest is 100hz on my receiver.

Groovie... I noticed that you had the CA-5T's outdoor in zone 2. How do you like them? Been looking at getting some for the back yard. Not sure if I'll go klipsch or something else.

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You're very right about the speakers getting boomy, muddy, and unnatural sounding when trying to reproduce such low range frequencies. Subs are made to reproduce only low frequencies so by adding one and setting it at 80hz or 100hz, you're effectively taking the strain off your mains which will allow them to concentrate on simply the mids and highs. You just want to set the sub freq high enough to they blend seamlessly with your mains...and I"m suggesting 100hz because even at 80hz, the RF-15's might struggle a bit to hit that low and still sound natural.

Sorry for the confusion, I don't own the RW-12...I have the SVS PB2+. But the principle is the same. Although the Rf-15's respond down to the mid 40hz range (as do my RF-7's), I never make them hit that low. Ever. They simply don't sound right. I've never heard of the one-octave rule, but for all I know it might be accurate. I just know that cutting the speakers off at 100hz, and letting the sub woofer take over at that point works for me, and generally offers quite pleasing results for most. Even if you were a strict 2-channel music listener, the RF-15's would definitely benefit from the use of a properly calibrated sub.

To do this, set the cutoff freq on your receiver (80hz, 100hz, etc.), and then either disable the frequency control on the RW-12 completely (that is, if it has an override switch), or just set it to as high a freqency as possible, so as to allow for headroom before the receiver electronically cuts it off. I know for a fact I'm not speaking eloquently here, most likely far too verbose, so if you have no clue what I'm talking about (haha) I hope one of the older, wiser gentlemen here can explain more succinctly.

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I understand exactly what your saying. I have my x over set at 100hz now and my RF15's set to large, just until I get the sub.(15's will then be set to small.) So 100hz. works. Thanks for the help and input.

In responding to your compliment of my system for my age I thank you, but would also like to point out that most 16 year olds I know,(friends) spend all their time and energy on car systems. I honestly don't see the point, so I spend it on home theater.

-Jeff

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On 2/15/2004 6:29:14 PM om13934 wrote:

Hey, BTW, if I place a heavey board under the sub, will I get any better output. (I have a carpeted floor) I'm thinking it might increase the flow of air a little with the ported design of the RW-12. Any thoughts?

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Thanks to TheEar told me this like few weeks ago:

When u place some chairmat or anything board under the sub, it increases it's volume at low(not really significant at high). I just got my chairmat few days ago and tried out, nice modification for 15bucks and improving sound at low(I still listen to music or watch movies at night while rest of the house already fell into sleep)

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On 2/15/2004 9:47:39 PM TheEAR wrote:

Oh I said someting a few weeks ago!
6.gif
Do not remember ha just made my post number 6000
3.gif

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Sure you did 9.gif . However I was asking about using chairmat to isolate the bass to downstairs of my landlord's bedroom, anyway it still helps now(still turning up higher at the night than before) 11.gif

You got 20 more times as much as the post I'm having 14.gif

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Sorry, been on a hiatus, anyhow, yes cross over is set at 80hz, I tried 60, 80, 100, and 120. 80hz had the best responce from the Onk. I also occasionally forget to turn on the sub and the rf-15's sound perfect! Very strong on the lows, they are great all around speakers, they certainly outperform the competitors larger speakers! I prefer the 15's to the rf-25, listened to them side by side before making the purchase. I may switch the cross-over to 100hz, now that I am use to the 80hz and see if there is much of a change. What ever you do don't let the 15's have the entire sound range, I switched them to large once and damn near cracked them. I now fully understand the term clipping!

As for the ca-5t's they have a very true sound, not much for bass, but when openned up they sound like a concert in my back yard. They are very loud speakers! I have not heard a klipsch speaker yet that I didn't like.

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What ever you do don't let the 15's have the entire sound range, I switched them to large once and damn near cracked them. I now fully understand the term clipping!

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I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "almost cracked them." I had them set to large since I got the system because I didn't have a sub and the owners manual said that they could be set to large. Also, I've never heard the term "clipping" What is it, and should I be worried having been using the rf15's at large for a month or so?

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If you ever run something with heavy low bass that is below the range of your rf-15's, below 45hz at loud volumes you may end up with clipping. It litterally sounds like a clip or a crack, like metal smacking metal or parts of your speakers inards crashing into the magnet repeatedly. It sounds really bad and since the rf-15's are not meant for deap bass, which they are not protected from when set to large, you need to be aware of the potential problem at high volumes. The rf-15's when married with a good sub like the rw-12 sound awesome!

By the way I tried the THX optimizer test with my amp set to both 80hz crossover and 100 hz cross over. There was no real audible difference, the 15's handled the +80 to -100 range very nicely, and there were no gaps or loss of sound between 200hz and 20hz which is the range played. I am sticking with the 80 hz since it is the THX recommended cross over and the speakers have no issue with it.

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On 2/17/2004 9:34:55 PM Groovie wrote:

I am sticking with the 80 hz since it is the THX recommended cross over and the speakers have no issue with it.

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Just so you know, it's only THX recommended assuming you have a full THX setup. But that said, 80hz does work for many people.

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