jpm Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 was at my klipsch dealer yesterday, and he'll refund the full purchase price on my new rf35s toward a set of rf7s. i have a rw12 sub already. couple newbie questions here. in listening to both side by side i won't argue that the 7s are a little bolder and fuller, but are they $1000 bolder and fuller?...especially considering i can do wonders with my very nice, tight sub? also, i owned a set of cornwalls for years that i had to part with and am wondering if any of klipsch's tower reference series speakers are really more geared for HT rather than just good old stereo music listening. if that's the case, maybe i should be looking for different speakers altogether, as i'm not particularly entertaining the thought of HT or even surround. i guess what i'm asking is are the 35s or the 7s really nice speakers for general music listening? sorry for the long post. btw, i'm not an audiophile, obviously, and won't spend big bucks for separates, and tube amps, etc... just want 2 nice speakers to compliment my sub through my denon integrated amp and cd player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chops Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 ---------------- On 5/30/2004 10:31:42 AM jpm wrote: was at my klipsch dealer yesterday, and he'll refund the full purchase price on my new rf35s toward a set of rf7s. i have a rw12 sub already. couple newbie questions here. in listening to both side by side i won't argue that the 7s are a little bolder and fuller, but are they $1000 bolder and fuller?...especially considering i can do wonders with my very nice, tight sub? also, i owned a set of cornwalls for years that i had to part with and am wondering if any of klipsch's tower reference series speakers are really more geared for HT rather than just good old stereo music listening. if that's the case, maybe i should be looking for different speakers altogether, as i'm not particularly entertaining the thought of HT or even surround. i guess what i'm asking is are the 35s or the 7s really nice speakers for general music listening? sorry for the long post. btw, i'm not an audiophile, obviously, and won't spend big bucks for separates, and tube amps, etc... just want 2 nice speakers to compliment my sub through my denon integrated amp and cd player. ---------------- My dad left me his Cornwalls several years ago. I used them for probably about a year, then traded them to my brother "jt1stcav". After about a half dozen or more pairs of (non-Klipsch) loudspeakers later, I have returned to Klipsch with a pair of KG 5.5s. Now to answer your question, (and to not start any arguements), I do believe you can get just as good of sound from new Klipsch towers, if not better sound than from the Cornwalls you had. It has been my experiance that my KG 5.5s sound much better than the Cornwalls. The bass is much deeper and detailed, the midrange is warmer and more nutral, and the highs are alot smoother. Imaging and soundstaging is much better as well. Now, just to make sure that everyone understands, I am NOT bashing the Cornwalls at all. I think they sound great with orchestral and choir music, even pipe organ music, however they lack depth in the lowest pedal notes. When compared to my KG 5.5s and newer music however, (pop, rock, jazz, darkwave, gothic, etc), the Cornwalls start to show their age. Again, this is how it seems in MY house, in MY room, in MY system, with MY music, to MY ears. However, feel free to ask jt1stcav what he thinks, since he agrees with my on most of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 Tell us more about your movie and music tastes, room dimensions and front-end equipment, put this in your system profile, this will help forum members give you thoughtful, insightful answers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpm Posted May 30, 2004 Author Share Posted May 30, 2004 The speakers are in my beach house living room (meaning all glass facing west). Room size 16' X 20' w/ two speakers on the short wall. 8' ceilings, all cedar walls and ceiling, hardwood floor w/ throw rugs and all leather furniture. All in all, a beautiful room but probably a nightmare for good sound. My Denon integrated amp is a PMA2000 w/ 80 per side. Single play Denon CD player, and separate Denon FM tuner. Two new RF35's and a RW12 sub. There you have it. Living at the beach, I have neighbors very close on both sides, so it's unusual that I can really crank the system much...and as a footnote, at 51 yrs. old I've lost the desire to crank it anyway. I'm looking for the best sound possible for the least bucks...naturally. As I said before, I'm not trying to integrate into a movie system, although I've got my DVD player run into the DVD jack on my 2 channel amp which does allow me to have a bastardized version of HT...hehehe the volume anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 The RF-7s are a step up from the RF-35s for stereo listening. The RF-7s come covered with real wood in cherry, maple or black. They weigh in at 90 pounds each and have a better horn driver. The RF-7s are capable of great detail, particularly when used with a subwoofer. In the final analysis, it is your call to make as to whether the improved sound is worth the money. Folks on this board will usually vote for the better speaker. We like to help folks spend their hard earned cash. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 Specmanship aside, the RF-35 is a very capable loudspeaker. It may not play as low or loud as the RF-7, nor is it as efficient or handle as much power. But it's a very small difference from the flagship RF-7, one that I doubt you'd want to spend an extra grand on for such minute upgrades. And naturally the RF-35 is extremely musical (the same goes for all Klipsch models)...apart from specific surround and center models, all Klipsch horn-loaded loudspeakers are geared for musical reproduction first and foremost! HT is just a secondary benefit; if the Reference, Synergy, or Heritage wasn't designed for realistic reproduction of any form of music, then they surely wouldn't sound any better for HT use IMO! See if you can audition the RF-7s at home; play 'em side by side with your RF-35s, and let your ears be the judge. Your room and gear will make a difference that you won't hear in a dealer's showroom, and you just may find that your RF-35s are all the horn speakers you'll ever need! And chops might be 95% correct about the Cornwalls, but I still enjoy their sound for all their flaws. And all that might change once I get my 300B SET power amp, and hopefully relocate my system to a better room in the house at a later date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IB Slammin Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 ---------------- On 5/30/2004 1:54:19 PM jt1stcav wrote: Specmanship aside, the RF-35 is a very capable loudspeaker. It may not play as low or loud as the RF-7, nor is it as efficient or handle as much power. But it's a very small difference from the flagship RF-7, one that I doubt you'd want to spend an extra grand on for such minute upgrades. And naturally the RF-35 is extremely musical (the same goes for all Klipsch models)...apart from specific surround and center models, all Klipsch horn-loaded loudspeakers are geared for musical reproduction first and foremost! HT is just a secondary benefit; if the Reference, Synergy, or Heritage wasn't designed for realistic reproduction of any form of music, then they surely wouldn't sound any better for HT use IMO! See if you can audition the RF-7s at home; play 'em side by side with your RF-35s, and let your ears be the judge. Your room and gear will make a difference that you won't hear in a dealer's showroom, and you just may find that your RF-35s are all the horn speakers you'll ever need! And chops might be 95% correct about the Cornwalls, but I still enjoy their sound for all their flaws. And all that might change once I get my 300B SET power amp, and hopefully relocate my system to a better room in the house at a later date. ---------------- Jim, have you listened to RF-7s in two or three channel outside Best Buy? Regards, Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 "But it's a very small difference from the flagship RF-7, one that I doubt you'd want to spend an extra grand on for such minute upgrades." Yeah, hardly any difference at all. Only about the same amount of difference as between the Heresy and the Cornwall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chops Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 LOL!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 That Turkey asked for that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpm Posted May 30, 2004 Author Share Posted May 30, 2004 Ah, to hell with it. I'm buying the 7's. If they suck I'll take 'em back. I'm sticking with my RW12 sub though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 They will suck, for about 40 hours. So give them a week of good play before throwing in the towel. Personally, I think you're going to be impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 ---------------- On 5/30/2004 7:30:37 PM jpm wrote: Ah, to hell with it. I'm buying the 7's. If they suck I'll take 'em back. I'm sticking with my RW12 sub though. ---------------- Cool. I'm sure you won't think they suck...just hope their price increase is justifiable by (and I stand corrected, Dean) a much more improved sound, and you're not just paying for wood veneer, slightly bigger woofers, and a different horn driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chops Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 Not trying to hi-jack the thread or anything, but...... A while back I did a search for KG 5.5s on the forum here, and within my findings someone said they owned both the RF7s and the KG 5.5s. Now I clearly remember reading that he thought the two of these speakers sounded very similar when compared side by side. Does anybody know who that is, or does anyone have any opinions on these two loudspeakers? Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 That would be Sir George. They do have some similiarities to begin with. They are both two-ways, have a crossover that cuts around 2Khz (actually, I think the KGs are at 1800), and use Tractrix horns. Some big differences too though. What he probably noticed was the coherency and cohesiveness that typically comes with good two-ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chops Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 Figures you would know, Mr 6000+ posts and counting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 Ah, to hell with it. I'm buying the 7's. If they suck I'll take 'em back. I'm sticking with my RW12 sub though. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ They will only perform under your expectations due to source component and software. I have 3 Denon integrateds in the house. They sound great at some very narrow wattage tolerances. POOR at others. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Klipsch in any price range is a very good speaker. it will amke the worst part of your system very irritating. +++++++++++++++++++++++ If you take them back it is not the speakers fault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted May 30, 2004 Share Posted May 30, 2004 Please skip lines occasionallly it is easier to read for us old people at 43. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.4knee Posted May 31, 2004 Share Posted May 31, 2004 "should I upgrade?" Simple question ...simple answer ...Of course!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the plummer Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 To add to J4knee's bit: One of my best friends advice, ( a 75+ year old machinest and still going strong), "Remember, Quality remains long after price is forgotten". With this in mind just go order 5 brand new Khorns and be done with it. I will be as soon as I get the WAF to let me have ten minutes with the corporate checkbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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