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RF-5 Sighting


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Stopped by my friendly K dealer today, and they had a pair of RF-5s hangin' out. Asked the K dude to let me have a listen, and I a/b'd them with my old pair of KLF 20s. I recently upgraded to KLF 30s, and my old 20s are on the showroom floor! I was not able to really put them through their paces; auditioning them at home is the only way to really give them a test drive, but what little I heard was indeed compelling. They were far bassier than the 20s at low listening levels; they sounded like the 20s with the ol' "loudness" switch turned on. The differences on the top end were fairly negligible. The bass was fairly tight, but I wonder what would happen if the speakers were really pushed. If the frequency response remained constant, I fear the bass may become overwhelming and boomy. I will be going back again in the next week or so, I'll bring familiar music, and really kick the tires.

On an aesthetic note: I DO NOT like the appearance of the copper woofers! They look too much like JBLs, and along with a preponderance of plastic, they are reminiscent of something you would find at the electronics department at Wal-Mart. The wood finish was nice, though.

This message has been edited by Mr. Blorry on 07-05-2001 at 01:03 PM

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Tonight I stopped by the local Audio/Video mega store that carries Klipsch, Martin-Logan, Infinity, Boston Acoustic, and Definitive Technology. They had the new RF-5s playing in the mid-priced listening room (The two High priced listening rooms have Infinity and Martin Logan spekers..one room for each..presumably to keep people from A/B comparing to Klipsch). This listening room had a pair of RP-5s and a pair of RF-3s (along with a Boston Acoustic tower and a Definitive Tech tower). A/B/C comparing the RF-5 to the RF-3 and RP-5 revealed the following:

RF-3 seemed thin and undynamic compared to the RF-5. The RF-5 has better tone to the bass. Sound seemed more enveloping (could be speaker placement here). Comparing to the RP-5, the RF-5 is a much more efficient speaker (as is the RF-3), hence a/b comparison of speaker volume revealed that the RF-5 was louder without touching the volume control after the switch. RF-5 couldn't touch the RP-5s powered subwoofer bass (I'm sure no one is surprised about this). After turning down the contour of the Rp-5s bass to just above "Flat", I resumed the comparison. At reasonable bass boost to the RP-5s, the RF-5s still seemed a little thin at the lower end. Certainly good, but not excellent. Perhaps the RF-7s will have the silkyness I'm looking for from this line that is replacing the RP series. Also must keep in mind that the RF-5s were brand new and likely not broken in yet.

The RF-5 finish was in Cherry. One speaker had a problem where the top surface of the speaker met the back left side of the speaker. The edges were a little mismatched. Not good "cabinetry" work. Not sure if I like the look at the bottom of the grilles. I'm sure these were redesigned to help prevent breaking the plastic mounts at the bottom of these grilles (like I have witnessed at so many dealerships), but it reminds me of the ugly teardrop chrome forms around the headlights of a 1941 Ford. A brief look at the back revealed new bi-wire plugs. Better for people who use spades on their speaker wires. Not so good for those of us who use Bananna plugs.

Overall, the RF-5s seem better than the RF-3s. Not as good as the RP-5s though. I own RP-3s. Unfortunately there were no remaining Rp-3s at this store to compare the RF-5s with. My memory of my own A/B between the RP-5 and RP-3 revealed not very much of a difference between these two speakers (certainly nothing to cause me to spend $500 more). I guess I would have to put the RF-5 below the RP-3 in my pecking order. If there is one category where I think the RF-5s may have a very slight advantage over the Rp-3s, it is that they may sound a little more "spatial"..as if they disapear a little better. They just lack a little depth to their bass.

Verdict: Good speaker, but noting truely special.

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cc1091,

How are the binding posts on the RF5s different from the binding posts on your RP3s? My KLF20s take banana plugs, in the traditional way as far as I can tell, as do my B&W CDM1SEs. Both came with red plugs that had to be removed in order to use the banana plugs.

--JoshT

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The binding posts on RF-5's work in precisely the same manner as those on RP-3's and on other Klipsch models. Pull those little red and black plugs. There is even another way to use bananas - you can push double bananas right into the holes in the binding posts when you back the knobs past the hole. Not compatible? OSMR!

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I must confess, I'll have to go back and look at the binding posts for the RF-5s. I didn't see any removable plugs in the back of these binding posts (though I made only a quick look). The looked much like the binding posts on the back of my B&W 602 (model 1) where a gold colored thumbscrew cranks down on the binding post that has a hole the size of Banana plugs or large gauge wire. Instead of the post being perpendicular to the back, the posts were recessed into a circular cutout. The filler of the coutout where the plugs were mounted was angled about 10 degrees from the back plane of the speaker toward the inside.

My Rp-3s have the traditional mounting posts that you may find on the back of a modern amplifier. In this arrangement, the bananna plugs can be snapped into the holes in the center of the posts without unscrewing the posts at all (I've never heard of removing any plugs in order to use the bananna plug). With Kids around, it may be a better option to screw the connection down.

BobG - I'd tell you GFY in response to your OSMR comment, but judging by some of your responses of late, you seem to be doing that well enough already.

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I confess I don't know what OSMR stands for, but a search of the term on Yahoo turned up Open Source Music Repository and Orlando Society of Model Railroaders. Somehow I don't think that's right. I'm guessing what GFY stands for and I hope I'm wrong. If I'm not, all I can say is "Man, what is up with you all??" I've been around this board about 1 1/2 years, and in the last couple of months it seems like there are a lot of people on this board who I wouldn't want to meet on the freeway or the airline (road, air, and ground rage). Do we need to add board rage to the list? Geez, chill!!

Doug

P. S. Of course, I'm probably way off base and GFY means Good Fun Y'all! Smile.gif

This message has been edited by dougdrake2 on 07-17-2001 at 02:36 AM

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cc1091,

For that comment, I'd ban you from the BB if I were the moderator.

But I'm not the moderator, so all I can say is that is the rudest post I've seen in the couple of years I've been hanging here.

Of course I'm not too surprised, since most of your posts seem to be directed at bashing Klipsch because they dropped the RP3 and RP5. (YAWN)

Too bad you can't get your facts straight, and then get angry when you are corrected. Too bad for you. Pretty obvious to the rest of us.

JoshT

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FYI - OSMR means Oh Sc**w My Rear. BobG is supposedly a moderator here, but after this post and another odd post in the "HornEd sees Red" thread, I wonder if he is seeking an exit from his board duties.

GFY is a rational response to an inexplicable attack from a board moderator (of all people). I'm sorry if it offended any one besides the one whose transgression sponsored it.

As for Klipsch bashing, I think you will find that I am not the only long time Klipsch speaker owner (twenty years) who is not happy with the meager offerings Klipsch has placed into the market lately. Though not one of us Klipsch fans would deny Klipsch the opportunity to provide a line of cheaper speakers for the masses that Klipsch can make greater profit on, it is sad that the endeavor has sponsored a trend of cheapening the product, and tarnishing the reputation that Klipsch has gained over many years of rock solid stability.

As for my one comment about the speaker posts, I will reprint it here, "A brief look at the back revealed new bi-wire plugs. Better for people who use spades on their speaker wires. Not so good for those of us who use Bananna plugs." Never have I said that the speaker's binding posts were "not compatible" as inferred by BobG before his inexplicable insult. Certainly not a comment that should warrant an attack such as OSMR.

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quote:

Originally posted by cc1091:

Overall, the RF-5s seem better than the RF-3s. Not as good as the RP-5s though. I own RP-3s. Unfortunately there were no remaining Rp-3s at this store to compare the RF-5s with. My memory of my own A/B between the RP-5 and RP-3 revealed not very much of a difference between these two speakers (certainly nothing to cause me to spend $500 more). I guess I would have to put the RF-5 below the RP-3 in my pecking order. If there is one category where I think the RF-5s may have a very slight advantage over the Rp-3s, it is that they may sound a little more "spatial"..as if they disapear a little better. They just lack a little depth to their bass.

Verdict: Good speaker, but noting truely special.

this is either a joke or you're a writer for consumer reports. you can make an apples to apples comparison of powered towers to speakers without a sub, but don't expect anybody who knows audio to take you seriously.

Just as when you were comparing the rp-3 to the RF-3, you don't seem to able to get this through your thick skull anymore than the fact that they all have removable plugs/caps for bananas. DA

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

go forth & hump the world

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Wow! I think you guys got this all wrong! This is an old joke system used by programmers! Sound out the letters, to reveal their meaning:

CDEDBD ducks

translation: See the (CD) itty bitty (EDBD) ducks

M R Not Ducks

translation: Them (M) are ® Not ducks!

OSMR

translation: Oh, yes them are!

CDEDBD Wings

translation: See the itty bitty wings

YIBMR Ducks

translation: Why, I'll be, them are ducks.

So, back to BobG's comment: Not compatible? OSMR!

Not Compatible? Oh yes them are!

Poor English, yes, but I hardly think that BobG meant any harm! BobG! Are you listening? Maybe you oughta clear this up!

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I've gotten a lot of help from BobG in the past, and he's always, always been professional and honest, and very helpful.

cc1091, I cannot believe that Bob could have meant what you thought, it would be completely out of character. I'd be upset, too, if I thought someone had said that to me, but I think this is a misunderstanding. Give him a chance, he deserves it.

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Oh my gosh! "an attack such as OSMR"????

Let me state in very humble and clear terms, If I have offended ANY BODY who participates in this bulletin board or who merely reads these posts; I apologize.

No attack was intended. In fact, this was an attempt to be lighthearted and humorous in my comment that the banana plugs functioned as normal, 5-way banana receptacles.

I have no problem telling you that I am sorry my humor was too vague and that instead of getting a chuckle, you took offense. I do not even blame you for the retort as we all tend to reply to anger with anger. Again, I humbly apologize and regret that you mistook my comments to be an attack. Not at all my intention.

Mr. Blorry is right on the button with his explanation of OSMR. Here is the version I know in complete form:

ABCD Puppies?

MRO Puppies.

OSMR, CMPN?

A childish verse excerpted in complete innocence.

I'll take this opportunity to share a bit of personal feeling with the entire group. My participation in this bulletin board is voluntary. I invest the time and energy because I enjoy it and hope that in sum, I am helping people by sharing whatever knowledge I may have. I also work to be even handed and avoid slamming other brands. I try to let every body understand that I am a paid employee of Klipsch and therefore am biased, or at least should be considered biased when I offer opinions. I accept that and though I try to be neutral, it just isn't possible. Many of the opinions I post about topics unrelated to product are also biased. Biased by my experience through the years.

I also must explain that my designation as moderator and my frequent postings do not insulate me from normal human emotion and feelings. There are many times when I take offense at comments directed at me or at Klipsch. Sometimes I post a reply, sometimes I hit the "delete" key and sometimes I just move on. I am no more immune to having my feelings hurt than the next person and when I reply in an emotional manner, I understand that I may offend. So again, to any who have found any of my comments inappropriate or offensive, I offer my sincere apology. That goes for this thread, HornEd Sees Red or any other past or future posts. Just human and prone to human frailty. I promise to do my best to keep emotions in check and to cut out the vague references. Truthfully, they are a reflection of my personality and allow me to enjoy the effort of moderating these areas.

Thanks to all who did not assume I was making offensive comment and thank you for reading this overly long apology.

BobG

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Hmmm... when I first read BobG's "OSMR" joke I actually got it by sounding it out.

BTTRS... WHPH?

(Back to the reference series, what have people heard?????)

I'm anxiously awaiting any reviews from folks who've had the pleasure to A/B these against other Klipsch models!

Mace

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BobG, thanks for the necessarily long post. A lot of us appreciate what you are trying to do... and now we know that it is even above and beyond the call of duty. The "humane/impish" side of your posts are enjoyed by all "tongue-in-cheek" lurkers here about.

I've continued this post under "HornEd sees Red" so this thread can get back to the "RF-5 Sightings."

cwm7.gif HornEd

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Nicely put Mr. G. After such a respectful post I am embarassed to use your first name. I enjoy your light hearted humor and applaud your sensitivity for the organization that we love. A lot of us have those same feelings when we are away from this board and someone cracks our beloved horns. I for one have vented here on the board as many others have after a run in with a anti-Klipsch environment. It is kind of like family, we all should forgive and forget.

Best regards to all the Klipschers,

JT <- again, just my initials

This message has been edited by decibel man on 07-18-2001 at 02:45 PM

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