Leaving the Klipsch Fold

[drdiaboloco]

So... To make a long story short, I went to my local Klipsch dealer to give the RF-5's a listen before buying, and the dealer suggested that I listen to more of their stock (Boston, Definitive, & Klipsch are their primary lines).

I am now going to buy Boston Acoustics.

After extended listening with material of my choosing, and using equipment on shelf that almost exactly approximated my own (f'rinstance, a Denon 3803 when I have a 3802), and I was simply blown away by the Boston Acoustics VR3. Side-by-side, volume matched, the RF-35 and the RF-5 simply fell short.

The absolute truth is that I went there to buy the RF-5 and was underwhelmed whem the comparison was made with the Bostons. I guess I am just not a Klipsch guy, though I thought I was until last week. Just spent two hours listening to the equipment again today, and the deal is done. Believe you me that I didn't make this decision lightly... I thought I was a lock for more and better Klipsch, but...

Boston, here I come.

[yromj]

The most important thing to remember is this hobby/obsession is to make YOURSELF happy. It sounds like you will be happy. Enjoy your new gear!!

John

[Q-Man]

You can't say that your not a Klipsch guy untill you listen the the Heritage fully horn loaded speakers, and then walk away.

Glad to hear that you found something that you like.

An A/B comparison is the only way to tell the difference in a speaker.

[HDBRbuilder]

"An A/B comparison is the only way to tell...."

True, but to REALLY tell the difference, it is BEST to do that A/B test in YOUR listening environment...with YOUR upstream components...if at all possible!

[drdiaboloco]

True, the only way is to listen in my own room with my own equipment. However, to listen in their room with the speaks literally side-by-side with a similar player and amp, there was simply no comparison to MY ears.

Please, Klipsch fans, don't take this as a knock on Klipsch equipment. It's just that my auditory apparatus found much more to like in the Boston VR3 over the RF-35 and RF-5. I admit that I was shocked to find that I liked another speaker more... When I went into the dealer I literally said "SHOW ME YOUR KLIPSCH!!! BUAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

No joke. That is precisely what I said.

Imagine my befuddlement to find that I liked another speaker better... But my ears didn't lie, I listened on three occasions with my favorite tunes, 3 Peter Gabriel SACD's (PG3, Security, Us... Almost three hours of the preceding in total), Pink Floyd DSOTM on SACD (all the way through), Rush "Chronicles" (Disc 2),the DVD's of U2's "Rattle and Hum" and "U2 Go Home", Eagles "Hell Freezes Over", "U-571", "The Matrix", and assorted other music.

I hate to admit to a Klipsch forum that I found something I like more, but I can't deny it.

Luckily it appears a friend will buy my 6-ch Synergy series setup for a steal (for him!), which will defray the cost of the new setup (over 2 grand).

I like my Klipsch, but I found something that THESE ears liked more. I enjoyed the journey, though.

Best of luck to you all!!

[skonopa]

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

On 2/18/2004 11:06:02 PM drdiaboloco wrote:

Imagine my befuddlement to find that I liked another speaker better... But my ears didn't lie, I listened on three occasions with my favorite tunes, 3 Peter Gabriel SACD's (PG3, Security, Us... Almost three hours of the preceding in total), Pink Floyd DSOTM on SACD (all the way through), Rush "Chronicles" (Disc 2),the DVD's of U2's "Rattle and Hum" and "U2 Go Home", Eagles "Hell Freezes Over", "U-571", "The Matrix", and assorted other music.

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

Kinda funny, because it was the opposite for me. I listened to several brands, including some pretty high-end stuff like Vienna and Sonus Faber, but I found the RF-7s to be much better. Would be interesting to compare the RF-7s those Boston Acoustic VR-3s. I think the local dealer has a pair, may have to check them out while they install my new car audio system next week. I still go in there and listen to thier Martin-Logan Ascent speakers, which costs nearly twice as much as my RF-7s, on the same equipment that I have, but man, I just cannot believe how much better to me the RF-7s sounded. I am still flabbergasted over the clarity and imaging!

But, hey that is my tastes. The Boston Acoustics are no slouch either, and as was mentioned, it is you that has to sit in front of them, not me. Enjoy your new gear.

Also, that does not mean you have to leave this forum. There are a few folks on here that don't have Klipsch but still participate. There is one guy that has a pretty sleek set of Def Techs. Another guy on here sporting a pretty impressive kit of B&W speakers backed up by Krell, a third with some pretty darn nice JBL bookshelf speakers.

If you still have questions or comments about audio to throw out there on this forum, please continue to do so.

Now, if you came on here and chose the Bose over the Klipsch, well.... (Honey, where is that tar and the feathers?).

[drdiaboloco]

Bose??? Give me a LITTLE bit of credit!!!

I didn't listen to the Rf-7's as they are a little bit too dear for my 7-spkr budget. Besides, if I found the RF-5's lacking (again, to MY ears), I think it is likely that I simply have an aversion to the Klipsch "sound" when compared to the non-horn sound of the Bostons.

I don't think I will abandon this forum entirely, there is way too much helpful info here to do that. Just... I will feel like an outcast!

Not that I didn't feel that way already for having "only" the Synergy Series...

Pre-Best Buy, mind you!!!

[MrMcGoo]

I wonder if the comparison was valid. There could be many explanations for the difference in apparent sound quality. You might try to listen in a different environment.

If you prefer the Bostons, then enjoy them! This hobby is about the sound that pleases the listener/buyer.

Bill

[Griffinator]

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

On 2/18/2004 11:30:08 PM skonopa wrote:

a third with some pretty darn nice JBL bookshelf speakers.

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

Guilty as charged.

When I first showed up here, I was a BB rep who was just thrilled to be carrying Klipsch. I bought my S-38's a year before, and still love them (despite the crossover issues mentioned by several people here)

My plan at that point was to squirrel up some cash and invest in a 6xSF-2 system, with my employee discount to leverage the sale.

Since then, I've left BB, and have a new goal - to assemble an all-Heritage HT for my basement theater room. Have I gotten anywhere on that goal? Not yet. I'm working on it, though!

[Freak On A Leash]

I listened to a nice pair of Boston speakers up at Audio King and have to say that I was VERY inpressed. At the time I was looking at downgrading my system to smaller speakers because I was worried that my virtually MINT Chorus II's were going to get ruined with a little one around. Not to mention things to hit his head on bothered me. In the end the EX talked me into keeping the Chorus II's.

My point is that I listened to a set of M60's with a set of VR-MX's running for surround and a vr-mc center channel and I being a Klipsch man was VERY IMPRESSED. I think the one thing that gravitated me towards liking these speakers almost more than my Klipsch was because they were ABSOLUTELY crystal clear. They reminded me of my Chorus II's only in the way that the clarity of them was very similar. Out of all the speakers that I've listed to only Klipsch and Boston's have clear and accurate sound. I'd have to give the edge to Boston for how smooth the music comes through though. While I love Klipsch they have a sound to them like no other and sometimes tend to be a bit bright because of the horns.

I think you made a good choice because Boston is a very nice sounding speaker. In the end it's only you that needs to be happy with your purchase.

Enjoy.

[stream]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but...

I'm going to guess if you were in an electronics store, you were listening to the RF-5's on a SS amp. The RF-5's were probably not broken in, either. These two things could seriously affect how you like the speakers.

With over a 100 hours on them and a good tube amp running them, the RF-5/7's can sing. You should perhaps reconsider.

-Jesse

[wheelman]

Klipsch take a seriously long time to break in. I hope you enjoy your new speakers. I know how hard it is to find a speaker that is right for my personal taste. And no need to leave the forum we won't stone you to death or anything.

[MarkBK]

I recently purchased RF5s after listening to several brands including the Bostons, Vienna, Martin Logans, B&W, and Def Tech. The RF5's were clearly superior to my ears. I owned Cornwalls for 20+ years and sold them due to WAF.

Did you use a sound meter to balance the sound levels? Was the front end equipment exactly the same - CD player, etc. Now that I've run the RF5's for about 2 months, I'm even more amazed at the RF5s. I use McIntosh front end gear - C22 pre with MC240 power amp. The sound is simply amazing.

I would recommend seeing if you can audition them at home before finally settling on the Bostons. In any case, enjoy your selection whatever it may be.

[JewishAMerPrince]

I think part of the reason so many different speaker brands and types exist and flourish is the fact that besides having different tastes and likes we all hear a bit differently. Hearing is a complex function that involves not only our ears ability to convert sound waves into electrical signals for our brains to interpret, but also our brains manner of interpreting them. This is very, very, very subjective. Using myself as an example, I am a former US Navy test pilot and after 15 odd years of exposure to high SPL from jet engines my high frequency hearing is a bit "rounded" to be blunt. This is the result of damage to the ears mechanism, plus the fact that my brain has learned to ignore some high frequency components of sound. Than G-d for Klipsch because the so called "brightness" that Klipsch speakers afford suits ME perfectly, but may not suit everyone. I have listened carefully to many other brands but nothing, even much more costly brands seems to come close.

I am happy to read that you have found something that suits YOU better than Klipsch. All I can do is to wish you good listening with your Bostons. Please be sure to keep coming back to stay up to date on Klipsch's newer developments. Someday I hope you may choose to return to our fold.

Jerry Rappaport

[HornEd]

Sometimes life offers up a Sonic Fruit Smoothie at a price one cannot resist. May your enjoy your Boston Cream Pie-in-ear experience now so you can (we trust) return to the more natural horn of plenty of a greater Klipsch tomorrow. -HornEd

PS: Beware that downsizing audiophile Boston "cream puff" Acoustics may erode your earning capacity and lead to chronic Bose-iness. Repent while ye can... we will keep the Forum open 24/7 so you CAN find your way to Seventh Heritage Heaven.

[hwatkins]

Congratulations on your purchase. It is so nice to see someone spend some time comparing and being so concerned about what pleases their ear that they aren't completely swayed by preconcieved biases.

Finding the type of colorations in your system that please you most is the foundation - from that point on you can get extremely concerned with numbers, opinions, etc that impact the colorations you prefer. I followed my ear to this horn passion - yours may take you elsewhere (although keep an open ear - I wandered into stats and planars for a time thinking that the Holy Grail had finally been uncovered to discover that moving my chair three inches to right created a situation that sounded like two left speakers )

My only regret here is that you weren't consumed by this horn thing and as you changed preferences you would offer the board fantastic deals on your used horn and tube gear....

[drdiaboloco]

My my my! So many replies! And thankfully not a one saying "you bought crap".

I can't vouch for the break-in status of the speaks in question, but they were definitely playing from an equivalent source player and an almost identical HT receiver (again, a 3803 to my 3802... Neither of which offer any bass or treble adjustment when using the "ext. in" jacks, if I am not too much mistaken). The switching equipment had been set up to volume-match the speakers, though I didn't bring my Rat Shack SPL meter to confirm this. Even if they hadn't been matched, as in straight-through with no attenuation when applicable, I'd think that this would actually FAVOR the Klipsch as they are more efficient speakers and would thusly play louder with the same volume setting.

I don't think my objection to the RF-5's had anything to do with a break-in problem, as the things I liked more about the Bostons went up and down the frequency range...The "problems" with the -5 included thinner mid-bass, seemingly muffled highs, and a roughly equivalent bottom end that seemed "tighter" to me with the VR3. Male voices, especially (and that's all I used as far as music is concerned, aside from a few tracks off of No Doubt's last CD), seemed more "honky" than with the Bostons. The soundstage, too, in terms of "airiness" seemed to totally collapse when switching from the VR3s to the RF-5's (and the -35's, too). I assume this is a matter of tweeter dispersion, and the Bostons seemed less directional, which nicely suits my soon-to-be-set-up listening space. A single "sweet spot" won't do me any favors when moving a couple of feet left or right down the couch disturbs the experience.

The center channel (VRC) definitely suffers by comparison when the bass output is considered, but I'll just set that to "small" and let the sub take up the slack. The rest of the frequency range is a nice match to the VR3's and the front three speakers sound simply fabulous together.

Not to mention the VR3 was a useful bit cheaper than the RF-5. And as the RF-7 goes, well, there's no way I could afford those even if I waited (or wanted to). Simply too much money.

My hearing, as well, has suffered from 10 years and 5000 hours of prop-plane flying. Perhaps it's messed up my ears to the point that I don't prefer Klipsch anymore?

Anyhoo... I'll leave my Bose listening to the car. At home, I'll always feel like I'm in Boston.

[Deang]

You bought crap.

[kev313]

My goodness, HornEd! That post really made me realize me how much I have missed hearing from you over the past year.

[Dylanl]

I also had a slight let down after listening to the RF5's. The horn was a litle overpowering. That is why I purchased the RF7's. I however was set on Klipsch and did notice a large difference not only between the RF7 & RF5 but a clear distinction between them and any other speaker on the show room floor. I think you should have given the 7's a serious audition. I bet you would have walked out with them.