RB 35 vs RB 75

[wstrickland1]

What's the difference?

[colterphoto1]

You can click on the KLIPSCH logo upper left, go to Products/Reference/Bookshelf/Specs and see for yourself.

Basically the 35 is 45-20K, 96 dbwmeter efficient, 125W max power

the larger 75 is 42-20K, 97 dbwmeter efficient, 150W max power

Doesn't look like much difference to me. However if you have RF7's up front, you might want to stay with 75's for rears so the timbre will match better. Always good to have EXACTLY the same drivers all around if you can afford it.

Michael

[cjgeraci]

Its mainly the horn........RB75 uses a larger compression driver (1.75")similar to ones used in the RC-7 and RF-7 and a similar tractix horn to those two, and the RB35 uses a driver/horn similar to the rest of the Reference 35 series. I believe there are also some beefier internals in the RB75, but the difference in horns is the main difference.

Does this justify the difference in price?? I thought so when I owned RB75s, but that individual decision is up to you. Then again, I always thought that the biggest upgrade you get by going to any of the Reference seven speakers was the much better horn (moreso than the larger cabinets, real wood or potentially-larger bass drivers).

Carl.

[nicholtl]

The RB-75 eats the RB-35 for lunch!!!

[cjgeraci]

As always, you have a way with words.

Yes, it does.

Carl.

[wstrickland1]

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On 6/9/2005 7:38:55 PM cjgeraci wrote:

As always, you have a way with words.

Yes, it does.

Carl.

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In what way? Not being stupid, just really want to know as much as possible about the two.

[cjgeraci]

Well.....the Reference line are two-way speakers, using one horn and a bass driver to replicate the full range of the sound, versus most previous Klipsch speakers, which were three-way (upper horn, mid-horn, and then either bass horn or traditional woofer). For two-way speakers, the upper horn is very important because it is being asked to assist out on some of the midrange duties that a mid-range normally provides, and the bass driver is also being asked to provide some of those duties. Go to the products section and look at the specs of various speakers. Compare the crossover points of each bookshelf you are looking at and then compare them to the various other Klipsch, say the Heritage line. The upper horn on the RB-75s is crossovered 350hz lower than the horn in the RB-35. What that tells me is that it is going deeper into the upper midrange range handled by most traditional midranges. Again, you are asking a lot from the upper horn in a two-way setup so usually, the better quality horn you use, the better quality highs and upper midrange you end up with.

What does the above stuff mean??? Like I said before, the RB-75 has a much more capable horn. My ears told me that it has a smoother midrange, and a more natural sounding midrange - especially for voices (vs. the RB35) since the upper horn is more capable of helping out on some midrange duties. Also, the RB-75s horn is much more detailed and smoother on the high end, especially when pushed to higher volumes. The RB-35 is a very good speaker; I just thought the RB-75 is that much better to justify the increase in cost.

The best bet is to listen to both speakers and see if the difference in sound quality is worth the extra $$$$$.

Carl.

[wstrickland1]

Thanks for the info Carl. I appreciate you taking the time to help me make a decision.

Billy

[cjgeraci]

You are welcome. Just to add a little bit. I think the differences between the two horns are much more apparent the more you use these bookshelf speakers for music, as opposed to HT duty. Mainly because in HT, the center plays the most important role, providing dialogue, and the other speakers in a 5.1-7.1 (such as these) provide effects, other sounds, etc. - and only music during certain passages.

However, either of these bookshelves can function nicely as mains or surrounds, paired with a sub. With a wider range of sounds to cover in the upper and midrange (with music), you should notice more of a difference between the two speakers.

Carl.