Jump to content

Suggestions please


Jo-Jo

Recommended Posts

Okay, I'm starting my second job soon, so I'm going to have some extra cash... I want to buy a pair of decent speakers (turning to Klipsch here). I don't want to spend a whole lot... say... not much over $1000- preferably a couple hundred. I know I can probably buy some off ebay cheap, but I'm not sure what to look for. I'd prefer floorstanding, but I'm open-minded. I don't really care about bass so much as I do just having a clear, full sound, and I don't care what they look like (size, shape, etc.) That could probably describe a lot, but I was hoping for some input, so I don't have to look at every single speaker this site offers. Suggestions? Favorites?

This message has been edited by Jo-Jo on 06-26-2001 at 11:33 PM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's see... You don't care about bass (I'll assume you mean low bass extension), you don't care how it looks, you are willing to buy used and spend in the neighborhood of around $1000. The one speaker that will meet all your requirements and will sound great is the La Scala! Unless you can find a great deal on K-horns, that would be my recommendation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good suggestions from JMON. I would add Heresy 2's to that list. They are smaller and more managable but from the same range (Heritage) and certainly not base strong. You should be able to pick them up for rather less than your budget (even new).

Of course any suggestion would be greatly helped if you could supply some idea of what music you listen to, what your room dimensions are and what other equipment you have / intend to buy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jo-Jo

My suggestion would be to take three CD's that represent what kinda music you generally like to listen to and spend some time listening to as many different types/brands of speakers as you can (except for Bose. You even consider listening to them and you're banned from this BB for life Smile.gif). Let your ears decide. Naturally, all us Klipsch fanatics would tell you that Klipsch is the only way to go, but what we say don't mean squat if it doesn't appeal to your ears.

As for Klipsch - well, listen to DwK's Heresy's and try to decide if you like that sound. Also, try to find a pair of RF-3's and see if that appeals to you. If the Heresy's are more appealing, and assuming you like the "Klipsch sound", then a used pair of Heresy's or Legends or Kg's or Chorus will have a "similiar" sound. OTOH, if the RF-3's appeal to you, then maybe go for a pair of those or RB-3's or RB-5's.

Principly, take this opportunity not to just get a pair of speakers, but to learn about what's out there and what you like. Sometimes the journey is just as nice as the destination.

<egads - that sounded like something HornEd would say Smile.gif>

Tom Adams

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, this is sorta a mixed reply...

I took my better pair of crappy speakers (they're "all frequency" speakers) to DwK's house last night. We compared them to his Hereseys and then to a pair of small Fishers he had. Mine beat out the Fishers, but I was in awe, I guess, of the Klipsch. Very nice... (as if I didn't know that...)

My speakers are the typical generalized kind- they came with my sterio. Any speakers I have are going to be hooked up to it until I replace it as well. It's a 120V system, but it's actually pretty decent for what I want.

Music... depends, I don't listen to a whole lot of heavy stuff anymore, but I guess to give you an idea, I listen to stuff anywhere from Metallica to The Beatles. Also, before you doubt my sterio and all, I'm looking for sound quality- clear sound, not something to annoy my neighbors with. I don't really like insanely loud music unless I'm moving around the house.

My room is approx. 12x12, give or take a few inches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guyz..

She will be hooking these new speakers up to her Stereo.... a RCA system.

5 Disk changer, Tape deck, Radio.. all in one Mini system you know.

I remember someone else asking about hooking up newer speakers to one...

Is it , is it not a good thing??

should she look into a Reciever also?

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

Living Room:

Yamaha Natural Sound A-500 Stereo Amplifier

2 Klipsch Heresys on A switch

2 Fisher STV-873 on B switch

My Room:

Klipsch Pro Medias

2 Fisher Surrounds

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alright... last Saturday I paid a visit to a Hillcrest audio store with DwK (as posted somewhere else). I listened to some Klipsch there as well as some

?Paradigms?... Looking at smaller speakers to go with my room and lacking sterio system, I listened to the SB3s and the RF3s... I fell in love with the RF3s, personally, so now I want to know, if I can get my hands on a cheap pair of RF3s, do I need to look into a reciever too, or will they work alright for easy listening on my RCA system?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome Jo-Jo's Ears to the wonderful world of the Klipsch cwm38.gif Sound... the more you hear it the better it gets... the better it gets the more incentive one has to broaden one's sound stage.

As to the question of upgrading your easy listening RCA Tom Adams might say, "A journey of 10,000 x-clamations starts with a single y-not?" And, thus, you have gained the ear-joy of RF-3's (a good choice for an cost-effective 12' x 12' beginning). And here is the single "Why not?" you must cross. To be sensitive enough to reveal all the joy that they do, Klipsch speakers must also expose all the shortcomings of your music sources and amplifiers. It is doubtful that you will enjoy the RF3's as much plugged into your RCA Stereo... but, take heart, at least you didn't get stuck in a dB (dead Bosend). Although RF3's are likely more efficient than your RCA "all frequency" little Fisher eaters. You might also check ohms and watts just in case you come across Boa's constrictions.

As often found in posts around this Forum, spend your first money on the best speakers you can afford... and let the rest come as the nature of the beast dictates. Opps, that was not meant to be a personal affront, Jo-Jo, I was just trying to live up to Tom's eloquence and Talk-to-Keith's economies. cwm36.gif

You didn't mention any HT (Home Theater) connection, but that should be a factor in picking an amp path. TV manufacturers seem to pander to eyes not ears... and hooking your TV, videotape, DVD, etc. to your new sound system is much kinder to your ears as they find more sound hidden in your old program sources.

Ah, yes, I see a lot more JOy-JOy creeping into the old JO-JO. (Egad, the dread "old" faux pas... think lightly milady, 'twas only praiseworthy of thy fairest grey matters now Klipsch enlightened. Oh, gee, now how do I get the grey out? There's no backing up with a sound case of Klipsch Fever)

With a little poking around the 'net, the neighborhood newspapers, and perhaps posting a receiver wanted notice in some strategic place... you might be surprised at what you may find. After all, with all the upgrading thrust driving this market... there needs to be some lucky secondary consumers to ease their new sticker shock pain. High volume shops put out discounted stuff all the time. Once you have a basic receiver and mains... all the rest can follow at a leisurely pace... and that is when the better bargains seem to come along. I even picked up a pair of KLF 30's for $300 from an authorized dealer... so you never know unless you drop by from time-to-time. It can be a fun thing if you make it so. Enjoy cwm17.gif enJO-JOy! HornEd

PS: Someday you could even follow maxg's lead and sheath your RF3's in Grecian marble!cwm9.gif

This message has been edited by HornEd on 07-04-2001 at 02:06 AM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Someday you could even follow maxg's lead and sheath your RF3's in Grecian marble"

Just to let you know it is on hold at the moment. A couple living up the road have a rather nice pair of Belle Klipsch that are rather big for their living room (12" * 12). They have come and listened to the Heresy's and are considering a swap. I will probably have to throw in the Accuphase amp to sweeten the deal, especially as their existing amp (a Luxman) is failing to drive the woofers on the Belles and will certainly have similar problems with the Heresy's.

Still, a pair of Belles on my monoblocks should be nice!!

Will keep you posted!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I'm definitely going to look into better equipment down the road; that's a given. I was just curious as to whether or not RF3s would work, or if my sterio was too weak to power them or something. I'm going to build up my system over time because even though I'm getting a second job, there are always inevitable bills to pay and whatnot. No Home Theater connection was mentioned because there is none/no reason. I threw away my old TV, and I've found that I really didn't use it all that much. Without a TV, there is no point of a VCR, and I need to upgrade my second computer that's in my room, before I do anything else with it. I guess this only leaves two other quesitons. 1) Who makes the most decent recievers, and 2) Why is maxg "sheathing" his speakers in Grecian marble?

This message has been edited by Jo-Jo on 07-05-2001 at 11:55 PM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Why is maxg sheathing his speakers in Grecian Marble?"

Well its a long story, but basically I have a theory that some sound permeates through the sides of the speaker and is therefore either lost (at best) or causes some distortion (at worst). By encasing the speakers in marble (I have found 50 types of marble so far - no idea which one to choose) that should effectively seal the sound into the speaker ensuring that the only outlet for it is the woofer / horn combination.

It would also, therefore, allow me to place my monoblock tubes on top of each speaker. This is not such an advantage now but if I ever go surround sound I will do it with a monoblock for each speaker and will save a lot of space if the amp is on top.

If I get the belle klipsch's I have my eye on, however, the deal is off as the belles are so big it will cost a fortune in marble.

You asked...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah, fair Jo-Jo, when good ears meet good judgment the result is better than a snappy avatar! May your life be always more real than TV and your ears refreshed as only the Klipsch Sound can. As discriminating as you can be, see if you can try out any amp/preamp in the acoustic intimacy of your own room... it can make a substantial difference... particularly when you are making strategic and economically consequential choices.cwm13.gif

Maxg is a truly engaging Brit with a penchant for Greece and Klipsch... which someday may culminate in "Grecian Marble Maxie Klipsch Covers, LTD." BTW, maxg, I was once lost while driving in Germany's Black Forest looking for an off-the-beaten-path campground. After a long time of no signs of humanity, my French cwm38.gif companion and I spied a young woman walking down the road. Between us we speak quite a few languages, so we stopped and asked directions in all of them... to no avail, the young lady just kept jabbering away in some unknown tongue. Finally, I turned and said, "It's Greek to me!"... and the young lady started jumping up and down, smiling and shouting, "Greek! Greek! Greek! Around the bend was a little German village where we learned that a local industry had imported an entire Greek village to work in their remote factory. That glimpse of Greece lured us soon to explore the Grecian isles.

Oh, and Jo-Jo, I understand, I have far more time and money invested in my networked home computers than the dozens of horn-loaded mood monsters upstairs and down. In an age of telecommuting, you sound like you are on the right track cwm20.gif if not yet fully righted. HornEd

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

"A Klipsch Powered HT Where Legends Live!"

Front Sound Stage:

KLF C7 Center, KLF 30 Mains, KLF 10 Front Effects

Background Sound Stage:

KLF 30 L&R Side/Surrounds, KLF 30 L&R Rear Effects

Large Mouth Bass:

Twin SVS CS-Ultra / Samson 1000 Subwoofer

Speaker Support Systems:

Mitsubishi RPHD1080i 65", Yamaha RX-V3000 Receiver

and such... Tweakin' On!

Cornwall II Music Room Under Construction

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow!

maxg-

Let me know how the Belle/marble stuff works out. Any hypothesis as to whether or not different kinds of marble would insulate better? Maybe I'm adding more complicated questions... Confused.gif

HornEd-

You're great. Smile.gif That was a funny story about the girl and the Greek village, but did it really happen?

the borg-

I think the RF3s are what I'm going to go for right now, but thanks for the link. You may have offered me a means to my first Klipsch! cwm4.gif

This message has been edited by Jo-Jo on 07-08-2001 at 12:19 AM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Me again Jo-Jo....

Here's what I did many moons ago and hopefully this will provide some direction.

My mentor suggested that I buy speakers that would stand the test of time. His philosophy was that many changes would come & go with regards to electronics and so too would my audio gear. Therefore - buy speakers for the long haul. And to him, there was only one of a very few in that category...and that was Klipsch. So, I listened and bought the only thing a bologna & cheese surviving college student could afford - a pair of plain jane Heresy's (unfinished birch). I did have a few bucks left over and purchased an inexpensive (PC for cheap) Sherwood receiver that on a good day could deliver 15 watts/ch and a Dual turntable (yes - I'm old).

This fairly modest set-up was perfect for dorm life and it was always great fun to "out-run" some guys 50 watt/ch Pioneer or Kenwood rig with my Heresy's. As long as I didn't send the poor Sherwood into clipping (wasn't hard to do in those days since most vinyl recordings didn't have much in the way of dynamics), three to four watts would have guys holding their ears and the RA hollering at me to turn that sh*t down! Anyhow - I digress.....

My mentor's prediction has indeed come true. Many pieces of electronics have come & gone, yet my Heresy's keep on keepin' on. The best part is that I've yet to meet a piece of electronic gear that my Heresy's were not worthy of and I doubt any exists.

MHO would be to not get too wrapped around the axle about what you're hooking up to your Klipsch's. What electronics you have now will not be as good as what you'll have 5 years from now and on & on. In time, your speakers will see many pieces of gear come & go.

Tom Adams

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...