Nicu Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Yesterday I got a killer deal on a pair of brand new black RF-7's - $590 each + tax - and an RC-7 - $429 + tax. The dealer ordered them from Klipsch and I should get them in 1-2 weeks. The Klipsch's will replace two B&W 604 S3 mains and a B&W LCR600 center. I have a 7.1 system with an Integra Research RDC-7.1 preamp and two Sony TA-N9000ES amps ( 5 x 115 watts), one amp for the mains and center the other for the surrounds. Has anyone heard the RF-7's with an Integra Research preamp? The dealer had the RF-7's driven by a Denon 5803 receiver and the speakers sounded a little harsh. I wonder if anyone has any idea how the RF-7's and the RC-7 would sound in my system. Thanks, N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksdad Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 your 7's are far better quality than either integra or most sony products, but use them for now, just know that the 7's will give what you give them, and for now you will have them on a diet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicu Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 You may be right about the Sony amps but the Integra Research RDC-7.1 is one of the best processors on the market. N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getech Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Actually the Integra has not recieved many positive reviews from most audiophile mag's.....Sunfire or Krell would have been much better and of course separates are really the only way to go. Suggest you sell the Integra on Ebay for as much as you can get and trade up, you will be happier for it. Time to upgrade to real power amps now that you have "real" speakers that need the power. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicu Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 You must be joking about the Integra Research RDC-7.1 preamp. Or maybe you're confusing Integra Research with Integra, they are not the same thing. Over the years I've owned the Sony TA-E9000ES, the B&K Ref30, the Krell Showcase 7.1, and the Anthem Statement D1 processors. The Integra Research is the best preamp I've had so far. Speaking of reviews, there haven't been many RDC-7.1 reviews, if any - the unit was released only 6 months ago. N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getech Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Cons on the Integra Research RDC 7.1: Notch Filter Erroneous operations No Auto Setup or Room Correction HDMI limited to Version 1.0 No Analog Video Up-conversion to HDMI Noisy SACD performance via I.Link DTS erroneous operations Pricey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicu Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 You are quoting the Audioholics review. They reviewed the 1.03 version of the Integra Research. The software version is now 1.08 and all of the problems have been solved. Not to mention that no other processor on the market has the features the RDC-7.1 has. Sound wise, the unit is great. Krell or Anthem processors wouldn't match well with a forward speaker like Klipsch. N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Nicu, Keep the Integra for now, but ditch the Sony amps. The Sony amps cannot deliver the current the RF-7s need IMO. Any high current amp that has a quiet first watt and good headroom will usually work well IMO. The minimum impedance of the RF-7s has been measured as low as 2.8 ohms, hence the high current recommendation. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicu Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 I plan on keeping the RDC-7.1 for a very long time, I've tried a lot of preamps and I like this one the most, it's an outstanding unit. I'll see how it works with the RF-7's. If I don't like the sound I'll return the RF-7's and keep on using my B&W's or try other brand of speakers. I agree that the Sony amps are not the best and one day I'll replace them. At the same time I've noticed that many Klipsch owners are using lower end Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer etc, receivers whose amps are not as good as the Sony amps and yet they are very happy with the sound. If the RF-7's sound good in their systems then they should sound at least as good in mine. N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Most RF-7 owners are not running lower end receivers. They run everything from tube amps on the 4 ohm taps to separates. Most receivers on RF-7s are mid to high end. I have run Pioneer flagships on the 7s. The receivers did ok, but separate amps with high current are the way to go IMO. I use the Pioneer as a processor with excellent results. The i.link feature and room correction are big improvements. I can understand why you want to keep the Integra with similar features. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trooper Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 The Integra Research piece is indeed no slouch. The one shortcoming I noted when testing one was that the maximum output was only 1v rms. Check your amps as this is not enough output to drive most amps to full power (even Integra Research's own amps - oops!). Most solid state amps require 1.2 - 1.5v rms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicu Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 Well, I said many RF-7 owners, not most. Several have the Pioneer 1014 receiver run their RF-7's and they are happy with the sound. The main reason I got the RDC-7.1 was its great sound, features came second. Sound wise I also like Arcam stuff, very warm, Arcam would probably mate very well with Klipsch. I didn't know about the 1v rms output, thanks for the info. N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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