Need help deciding which speakers to go with

[HondaGuy]

I'm building myself a new 2 channel system I might or might not add a subwoofer later on, but so far I have planned to go with the RB-75 speakers, will they give me plenty of bass without a subwoofer? And the bass I'm talking about is not "shake your whole body" bass you get from rap and a huge subwoofer, I'm talking about nice tight bass around 50-60hz.

[DrWho]

What kind of music will you be listening to? This will probably the most important factor in determining the needed low frequency reproduction capabilities. Obviously we're not talking about rap here

What other speaker options might you be considering?

[HondaGuy]

Rock, alternative, easy listning, 80's pop

My other option was maybe to up it to the Klipsch reference tower speakers line, but I want to know if the RB-75's are enough first.

[HondaGuy]

I live in an upscale apartment buliding where loud music is not really allowed which is the reason I'm going with no subwoofer, so I won't be cranking these speakers but I do want something that sounds really nice at resonable volumes. a 50w x 2 receiver is probably all I'm going to be going with, since Klipsch speakers have really awesome sensitivity ratings

[Bill H.]

HG,

If space is a limitation, then Yes the RB 75's will preform for you nicely! The MSRP

is about 599.00 Each, but you can Usually get a discount from an authorized dealer.

Looking back at your posts, you should also look at the RB 35's a smaller, but very powerful speaker, which would work great in an apartment setting! about 600.00 for the PAIR!...........JMHO. Bill H.

[HondaGuy]

Hmm I totally passed up looking at the RB-35's, they are almost the same as the 75's but a smaller tweeter horn and cabinet, not very different responce though which is nice. And a nice price.

[HondaGuy]

Any recommendations on a receiver/amp? I don't want to break the bank here because I know there are some very serious amps out there such as vacuum tube and such. I do want good controls though, so a basic amp is out of the question. Oh yeah and it's only going to need to be a 2 channel amp/receiver.

[HondaGuy]

How about the Denon DRA-295 (50w x 2) or DRA-395 (80w x 2) 2-channel receiver to power the RB-35's?

[customsteve01]

I've been looking at Rotel, and they match up good with Klipsch.

They make a ra-1060 that a 60 x 2. lokks like about $699.00

also Marantz make the PM7200 that reads pretty impresive

The Marantz PM7200 integrated amplifier offers music enthusiasts uncompromising audiophile sound quality and flexibility without the high price. The push-pull amplifier design, dual-mono symmetrical circuit layout with independent heat sinks for each channel, anti-resonant chassis, metal front panel, hand-selected components, and our proprietary HDAM buffers result in sound quality that is natural, dynamic, and musically satisfying. Although total output power reaches 95 watts RMS per channel, the first 25 watts are pure Class A, thus insuring stellar sound quality at lower volumes or with more efficient speakers. With gold-plated input and output terminals, heavy duty speaker terminals, and remote control capability, the PM7200 is the ideal centerpiece for an audiophile-grade music system.

25W/ch by Class A Operation

95W/ch by Class AB Operation

Dual Mono Block Power Amp. Section

HDAM® Output Circuit

MM Phono Input

Price $549.00

I use a Marantz SR4500 with my KG system and like it alot.

Have fun in your research

Steve

[HondaGuy]

$700 is a lot of money for an amp, I'm sure it's really good, but I was looking for something around $300-350

[Bill H.]

HG,

I Run my RB 35's with a small Creek integrated amp. 35wpc and it has more than enough power. For a Tuner, I got a older Pioneer tuner that does the job.........

Also look at Cambridge Audio - they use Creek componets and are a very affordable product.........

[HondaGuy]

Thanks Bill, I'm looking at Cambridge Audio products now.

Really happy so far, very good prices.

I like how their amplifiers have all the adjustability, they are thin and have a remote, very nice.

[HondaGuy]

Looking at these Cambridge Audio Azur amplifiers I notice they have only 92db SNR, isn't that low?

[garymd]

I know this has been suggested over and over and over here but a nice vintage HK430 or 630 will sound fantastic for about $50-$100 from ebay. Forum member Chris King was kind enough to send me an HK630 for my next door neighbor and it sounds fantastic. At worst it'll need a good cleaning. They're small and have all the controls, inputs and power you'll ever need in an apartment. It may be worth a try before spending a lot on a new amp. Has a radio too.

[HondaGuy]

Right now I have a Pioneer VSX-D307 multi-channel receiver it isn't anything fancy just has Dolby Prologic and some DSP settings, it put's out 100W x 2 front, 100w center, and 100w surround. Will that be good for powering the RB-35's? Or should I just buy a new amp, something with much better quality, higher SNR and such?

[leok]

The efficiency of Klipsch speakers, and your moderate listening levels will have an amp operating, usually, at under a Watt. Most ss amps don't do well at low power which is why so many sound harsh and thin when used with efficient speakers. Some SS amps are designed for class-A operation to address the low power problem and so tend to be better with Klipsch speakers. The Marantz mentioned is one of those. I haven't heard one, but the approach technically has a better chance of working well at low power. Class A ss amps are more expensive. Sudgen makes a few good class A amps. The British amps tend to address low power with some grace and the high s/n is evidence of that. Remember, s/n is not simply a measure of hiss and humm, but more importantly, distortion products that result from distortion and noise modulating the audio signal itself. All amps are not the same. Audition a few before making a decision.

Leo

[Erukian]

Take it from my experience, I own the RB-25's.

You should either get the RF-7 floorstanders, if you can support that, or the Klipsch Heresy's. They are the "best bang for your buck" sound quality and you'll never regret the purchase later down the line. It's not like I don't like the RB-25's, I love em for only costing me $300/pair. But I got em for a pretty good deal.

-Joe

[HondaGuy]

I was thinking last night, what makes the RB-35's so much cheaper than the RB-75's? I mean all thats really different from what I can see is a 1" smaller cabinet on all sides, and a smaller horn cone, does it use much cheaper components?

[DrWho]

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On 3/21/2005 5:17:32 PM HondaGuy wrote:

Rock, alternative, easy listning, 80's pop

My other option was maybe to up it to the Klipsch reference tower speakers line, but I want to know if the RB-75's are enough first.

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

Personally, if I were to listen to that kind of music then I wouldn't hesitate going for a floorstanding speaker. Yes, the bass response is lower (which means you won't need a sub), but they also project a bigger sound, which I find vital to the enjoyment of rock and alternative. If you go with the RB-75's, you're going to need to purchase stands too which starts to chip away at the actual cost savings. If you have always listened on bookshelf speakers in the past and find it most pleasing, then by all means go with the 75's, otherwise I would really suggest listening to some floorstanders and see what you're missing. I think you can get a pair of RF-5's for about the same price?

[MrMcGoo]

The RB-75 has the same horn tweeter as the top of the line RF-7. It is a VERY good compression driver. They cost more money to make. If bookshelf speakers are your goal, the RB-75 are quite good. They are a significant improvement over the RB-35s in the higher frequencies. The RB-75s will also play a bit lower due to the cabinet volume being bigger.

Bill