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KLIPSCH RP-5 vs. ????


classybum

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I recently became obsessed with saving up some money for a pair of RP-5s because i'm using a cheap solid state 100x5 watt technics amp and i really want to add some kick(or maybe punch.. knock out ideally) to my system. I want to be able to use it for HT and music, and it just occurred to me that it seems like no one owns any RP-5s. Audioreview.com doesn't even have an rp-5 topic, one dedicated user posted his opinion under the rp-3 category.. but i need to hear some definitive feedback about this. If unavailable.. then does anyone have some alternatives for me? Would i be able to run the KLF-30s off of my 100 technic watts? Anyone know if the rp-5s can penetrate into the LFE area?

thanks

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i had rp-5 & took them back for the rf-3 & a seperate sub. u could get those & a ksw-15 sub & save about 500 & have imo a better sound. unless your limited for space (?)

also keep in mind klipsch has new speakers coming in may.

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

RF-3 (front), RC-3, Cornwall I (rear)

Velodyne HGS-15 sub

Monsterbass 400 sub cables & Monster Z-12 speak wire

Sony de935 a/v receiver

Sony DVP-C650D dvdp

Sony Trinitron 27" tv

Technics dual cassette deck

Technics direct drive turntable

Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable box

rock on!

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i just saw your other post. if you're going to have a seperate sub, u don't want the rp speaks. that would be duplication & possible severe low bass conflict.

oh, & 100W is more than enough for any klipsch speaker. & lfe is a channel designation for 5.1 surround (.1 is the lfe channel). the sub doesn't distinguish whether it's lfe or low bass or whatever. the receiver & decoders do that.

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oh wow.. rp-3s and a ksw 15 for less than the rp-5s?? i haven't done any price searching for that combo, but i did find the rp-3s for $1247 before shipping. I'm also working on a fairly tight budget.. so the new stuff coming out soon is probably out of the question.. unless i splurge on one of those new subs that sound pretty nice.

And about LFE.. i suppose i was just incorrectly referring to the low frequence response of the rp-5s... can they totally replace a subwoofer or would i still want one?

but definitely thanks for the opinion... also, do you have any experience with the legend series towers? for some reason i just wasn't as impressed.. perhaps some bizarre connotation on their names.. who knows.

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hmm, i just saw that you had the rf-3s and took a second look at those.. definitely more economical for me.. how do you like them?

oh. and right. just noticed i misread your post.. you did say rf-3 not rp. so yeah.. i'll definitely look into those some more. but on the ksw-15.. do you find it to be "slow" in response as so many have criticized for music? this is probably just a characteristic of a 15" speaker.. but not having one i don't know.

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cb, no,no rp. RF-3: the MSRP is only 800/pr & they're 1 of the best if not the best speaker values out there. u should be able to get both the RF-3 & a good sub for $1500 or less total.

i'll probably upgrade to the new ref speakers

in may because they should better match my cornwalls.

don't look at RP-3 or 5 unless u just have no space for a seperate sub in a corner.

are u doing 5.1 surround or just stereo w/ a sub?

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

RF-3 (front), RC-3, Cornwall I (rear)

Velodyne HGS-15 sub

Monsterbass 400 sub cables & Monster Z-12 speak wire

Sony de935 a/v receiver

Sony DVP-C650D dvdp

Sony Trinitron 27" tv

Technics dual cassette deck

Technics direct drive turntable

Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable box

rock on!

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frankly or imo the ksw are not the best subs for the price. the new klipsch subs will be much better but of course more cash.

the rf-3 sound great & my vel sub blends great w/ them as the rf only go down to about

40hz. the rf-3 & a good $500 sub may be your best route. but then you'll need a center & rears & (?) a new a/v receiver.

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

RF-3 (front), RC-3, Cornwall I (rear)

Velodyne HGS-15 sub

Monsterbass 400 sub cables & Monster Z-12 speak wire

Sony de935 a/v receiver

Sony DVP-C650D dvdp

Sony Trinitron 27" tv

Technics dual cassette deck

Technics direct drive turntable

Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable box

rock on!

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ah ok. and yeah, this is for 5.1 DTS all the way. i've got a technics sa-dx940 100wx5 channels. I currently have KSB 3.1s for mains, KSC-C1 for center, and some crap for rears. I realize a timbre matched system is beyond my reach, so basically i just want some big towers for mains, then i'll toss the 3.1s in as rears. I also would like the mains to really BUMP(excuse the lingo.. i know most of you hifi buffs don't go for excessive bass...) cause i'll be living in my own apartment next year and am looking forward to throwing wild parties.. (although it will be tough to restrain a killing spree if i see anyone touch my klipsch-babies)

and alright.. how the hell is it possible that the synergy sf-2s have a lower response than the "reference" rf-3s??

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not real familiar w/ the ksb, but thinking the ref may not then be best match for those & your center. possibly the klf or the new line would be, but i'd try to at least have the center match the mains real well.

then u may want to put up some chicken wire for those partees.

oh & i do love bass - look at my sub - it has a 3000W peak amp. biggrin.gif

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

RF-3 (front), RC-3, Cornwall I (rear)

Velodyne HGS-15 sub

Monsterbass 400 sub cables & Monster Z-12 speak wire

Sony de935 a/v receiver

Sony DVP-C650D dvdp

Sony Trinitron 27" tv

Technics dual cassette deck

Technics direct drive turntable

Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable box

rock on!

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oh, & u got me on the sf-2. if they do go a little lower, must be the design. but w/ a good sub that doesn't matter much. the rf-3

are 2db more efficient & they sound better.

but actually though the sf-2 may be the best way to go to match your current center & the 3.1s as long as u get a real good sub. not real familar w/ the synergy series though.

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yes bass is good.

sorry, i see your fix, u want bigger front towers that match up w/ out a lot of dollars. keep looking but i would try to make sure that the fronts & your center have the tonal match & don't put powered towers w/ a seperate sub (& imo straight fronts & a sep sub sound better than powered towers).

rock on.

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hello i listen to all the klipsch rf series and synergy series and i bought the rf-3...i could have bought any of the speakers i wanted as i was prepared financially for any of them! i chose the rf-3 because of their clarity and efficiency and because even though they dont quite get down to the lowest of lows on bass what they have ais natural punch to the bass they do have...now add that to a good subwoofer like i have a mirage top of the line or a good hgs series velodyne sub and believe me you will have more bass than or as much bass as you have heard at any nightclub live...i am talkin about bass that hits you in the chest like it does when u are at a dance club! thats the type of sound i am experiencing these days no lie!! and i have a very powerful sep adcom amp and i tell ya i cant crank it up past 1/4 or so of the way and spl is way up there over 105 db from where i sit in living room..so there u have it...live listening levels and chest crunching bass!!

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rf-3's eh?? that is actually what i was really going to look into. It would still appear to me as if nobody owns the rp-5's, and this i don't understand. BUT. it would definitely appear as if htere are many satisfied owners of the RF-3s so that may be the route i will take. And as far as top of hte line subs go.. for now i'm going to have to build my own.... it will have a 12" rockford fosgate that i'm pulling ou to fmy car, one, maybe 2 passive radiators, adn then a 150 watt amp. so hopefully that will be enough for a while.. at least until those RSW's come out....

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quote:

Originally posted by classybum:

It would still appear to me as if nobody owns the rp-5's, and this i don't understand.

Let me be the exception.

I was more or less dared to go listen to the Reference Series by a guy at work. I used to live with a pair of Cornwall IIs (that left with the ex- during the break up frown.gif), and had more or less taken the attitude that anything post-Heresey wasn't a "Real Klipsch."

When I went to listen to the Reference speakers, I wasn't in the market for new speakers; couldn't afford new speakers; didn't want new speakers.

I sat down and listened to the RF-3s. Not bad, but kind of muffled, as far as I was concerned. Better than what I had, but nothing to get me excited enough over to spend money.

But, before I left the store, I decided to give a listen to the RP-5s. Those I had to have. Immediately, or sooner. Just seemed like they had better imaging, better depth, and perhaps a little of the brightness that I was used to with the Cornwalls.

I ended up buying the RP-5s a few weeks later (with the predictable set of RC-3 and RS-3s). Had I a chance to do it all over again, I now see that the RB-5s have exactly the same "mid woofer" and tweeter in them, and in a much smaller package. I'd probably get a pair of RB-5s and a KSW-12 or 15.

That's about the only regret. I see here that the RF-3s are a lot more popular than the RB-5s or RP-5s, and I'm not sure why, but that's what personal preference is all about.

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Quote - "That's about the only regret. I see here that the RF-3s are a lot more popular than the RB-5s or RP-5s, and I'm not sure why, but that's what personal preference is all about."

Personal preference I agree, but I will say that as far as the rb5 vs the rf-3, the rb-5 is a real wood veneer where as the rf-3 has an extra driver for the same 'msr' price. Plus size plays a factor.

I personaly thought that the rf-3's and a seperate sub sounded better than either the rp-3 or rp-5 alone...

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i've tried all the refs except the rb & as far as sound the rf-3 & a good seperate sub sound best imo. one plus for the rp besides

the streamline set-up & space savings is that

u in effect get 2 powered subs & some good bass SPL. but for the same price or lower u can get like the rf-3 & a single sub that's louder (if u have a good corner space to put it). the rp-5 did sound pretty good though (don't have to worry about getting the sub on the same plane as the mains smile.gif ) and they were very easy to hook up & saved space.

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

RF-3 (front), RC-3, Cornwall I (rear)

Velodyne HGS-15 sub

Monsterbass 400 sub cables & Monster Z-12 speak wire

Sony de935 a/v receiver

Sony DVP-C650D dvdp

Sony Trinitron 27" tv

Technics dual cassette deck

Technics direct drive turntable

Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable box

rock on!

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Well, to reiterate, I wouldn't spend my own money on the RF-3s. Yes, one more driver than the RB-5, but then again, I think the extra driver is the crux of the problem. For me, the RF-3 is too heavy on the mid and bottom end, giving the whole collection the sound of something filtered through a pipe. It's been my suspicion that this is due entirely to putting too many midrange speakers into the box.

Not that I'm hugely happy with the bottom end on the RP-5s. Yeah, dual subs makes my apartment shake apart, but the response could stand to be a bit more smooth.

Again, for those of us who don't care for the RF-3, I think the way to go would be to get the RB-5s and a decent sub.

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Quote - "Again, for those of us who don't care for the RF-3, I think the way to go would be to get the RB-5s and a decent sub."

I hate you don't care for the Rf-3's I just can't say enough about these speakers. I think they're one of the best buys around. But everyone has their own opinions. Anyway those Rb's do look awesome, can't wait to see the new Rf line...

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toots, I haven't heard the rb (i meant the rf-3 & good sub sounded best of what i've heard). u may have a point-kiss-2 drivers. but i went straight for the tower concept. if u get a seperate sub u may want to look at the velodyne hgs.

they pride themselves in low, clean, tight, quality bass over quantity. i had the rp-5 a few months ago & exchanged once i found some space for the sub (but it's not in a corner).

the twin rp subs sounded about as loud as the current vel set-up does (even w/ it's 3000W peak amp), but that's because the RP's higher distortion levels add to the SPL. the RPs sounded great like all klipsch speakers (loud), better so on HT than music i thought.

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

RF-3 (front), RC-3, Cornwall I (rear)

Velodyne HGS-15 sub

Monsterbass 400 sub cables & Monster Z-12 speak wire

Sony de935 a/v receiver

Sony DVP-C650D dvdp

Sony Trinitron 27" tv

Technics dual cassette deck

Technics direct drive turntable

Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2000 digital cable box

rock on!

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