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RF7's


WaveMan

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wow, this thread turn out to be a pretty good read . . . thanks for all the informative, if sometimes emotional posts, LOL

I can identify with at least one poster. Room size & layout can make a huge differance, in Not only your physical ability to enjoy some of the large 'Heritage' line speakers (small room/no fit,) but also in the sound quality of whatever speakers your driving.

btw, As impressed as I am with the performance of my new lil' RB-35's (living room, 14 x 16 x 8, placement - not ideal due to room layout, ie. fireplace, engress/egress, TV positioning, etc. but awesome as-is) I was just as impressed when I moved my decade old polk monitors to the 'main' speaker position in a HTIB set-up, in my very small "men's club" room (maybe 14 x 10 x 8.5 with speakers on stands 7' apart and 6' from listening postion) those lil things absolutely ROCK that lil room

Moral: Listening room & speaker placement has Major effects in system performance!

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Do you want me to be honest or shall I blow blue smoke at you?

The RF7s are terrific speakers, no doubt -- I have four of them: two as my mains and a matching pair for my surrounds.

However, the honest answer is: you ain't heard nothing till you hear a pair of LaScalas...and yes, I have a pair of those as well.

Hope you enjoy your sounds!

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That is "In your opinion" RobbL, you must realize not all will hear it the same as you. Not all like that large of a soundfield, but some will seek it out only. One way is not the all way. Enjoy what you like as your "IMO" and let others enjoy what they like "IMO". Both are very nice but we don't need to say one is better than the other as this is only in the ear of the beholder!

There are many people who prefer the RF-7 over the large Heritage line and there are many who perfer the Heritage. Your ears will differ to others liking. Enjoy and be civil.

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On 7/19/2005 2:41:12 PM RobbL wrote:

However, the honest answer is: you ain't heard nothing till you hear a pair of LaScalas...and yes, I have a pair of those as well.

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Yes, I've heard a pair of LaScalas, and personally, I think those RF-7s hang quite nicely with them. The LaScalas are nice, but to me, they are not "knock my socks off" nice! You don't see me running to trade in my RF-7s.

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Well, sounds like you aren't the only one that thinks a lot of the RF-7, here is what this guy said about the RF-7's and Klipschorn's in this review:

=============================================================================================

Klipsch RF-7

Powerful Speakers for Low Powered Amps

By David Bardes - 2003 All Rights Reserved - Vacuum Tube Valley Magazine

Many tube enthusiasts reach back to the vintage Klipsch speakers to get the big, dynamic sound they crave.

Compared to today's power-hungry speakers, the Heresy, Forte, Chorus and Khorn speakers are an inexpensive sonic salvation. Unlike other speaker manufacturers which have sacrificed high efficiency for small size and cost reduction, Klipsch continues to make efficient speakers that are a great choice for low powered SE and vintage tube amps.

Packaged in a contemporary tower design, Klipsch's RF-7 contains all the advantages of their classic speakers and serves them up with extended frequency response, improved resolution, and great imaging that define modern speaker design.

The RF-7 is a two-way tower design. A Tractrix horn-loaded, titanium-dome driver supplies the treble, and two 10" aluminum cones supply the lows and mids. The cones have been anodized on both front and back surfaces, which act as damping layers for the otherwise stiff but ring-prone aluminum. These drivers are crossed over at 2200 Hz using a fourth order Linkwitz-Riley type crossover. A relatively steep crossover was used to control sound dispersion and control "ring modes" in the aluminum cones. Two very large ports occupy the rear of the cabinet. These ports are larger than many other speaker manufacturers use, but are appropriate for the woofer configuration (it is easier and cheaper to use smaller diameter ports at the cost of potential port noise). The cabinet uses veneered MDF, veneered on the inside as well as the outside for improved cabinet damping. My samples were veneered in a beautiful cherry finish. Black ash and light maple are the other options.

Twin sets of binding posts are provided for biwiring and Monster Cable Zwire is used inside the cabinet. Most importantly, they are efficient enough for really low powered amps.

The RF-7s have a clean open sound. The titanium diaphragm provides great treble extension and a clear sound, but the tweeters sound just a bit frosty at first. Once the tweeters break in, the sound opens up to provide a nice image, both wide and deep. I heard real depth and a sense of the large recording venue for Diana Krall's Besame. I could distinguish the distance of the different sections of the London Philharmonic from the microphones as they backed up Diana's singing. Violins and violas were clearly delineated. Diana's voice was natural and I could not find a hint of coloration from the tweeter horn.

I thought I had found a weakness in the RF-7s bass performance which I felt was too pronounced and boomy, although the bass extension was impressive. This boominess turned out to be my single ended amp, because when I changed the amp out to David Bernings's Micro ZOTL amp, the bass tightened right up and delved even deeper, even though the Micro ZOTL amp is rated at just 1 watt! I played several discs with deep, strong bass (Down to the Bone, Crystal Method, etc.) and the RF-7s were quite impressive. Ron Carter's acoustic bass was deep and visceral while playing his version of Cubano Chant (When Skies are Gray, Blue Note). Only a very good subwoofer would provide deeper bass. It may prove that some single ended amps may not have the damping power to get the full measure of bass punch from these speakers despite their high efficiency.

Compared to my beloved Khorns, the RF-7s had far superior imaging, better bass and treble extension, and I heard details in recordings I hadn't heard through the Khorns. For me this is impressive, as many speakers sound like toys when compared to the Khorns. True, the Khorns still sounded bigger, but this is a warm fuzzy big, and not the focused image that the RF-7s convey. And if anything, the RF-7s could produce a punchier, more dynamic sound than my corner horns.

These speakers deserve consideration for low powered tube rigs. Unlike full-range, single cones speaker designs which are the current rage, these speakers have more muscle, way more treble extension, and they "got bass!" It is important to try your amp with these speakers, as my 300B amp was a good match, but the Micro ZOTL amp was an amazing match with the RF-7's. ($2300/pr SRP).

Klipsch RF-7 Subjective Evaluation

Dynamic Range 4.5

Transparency 4

Frequency Extension 5

Dimensionality 4

Pace and Rhythm 4

Musical Involvement 4.25

The scale is 1 to 5 with a score of 5 being the very best!

Overall Rating: 4.25

Manufacturer Specifications

Frequency Response: 32Hz-20KHz±3dB

Sensitivity: 102dB @ 1watt/1meter

Power Handling: 250 watts maximum continuous (1000 watts peak)

Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms

Dimensions: (H x W x D):

Height: 45" (115cm)

Width: 11.6" (29.7cm)

Depth: 16" (41cm)

Weight: 90 lbs. (40.8kg)

Klipsch Audio Technologies

3502 Woodview Trace, Suite 200

Indianapolis, IN 46268

(317) 860-8100

Toll Free: (800) 544-1482

Test System Components:

Jolida JD 603 CD player with Mullard CV4004 tubes in the analog output section

Assemblage SET 300 amp with Valve Art and JJ 300B tubes, Micro ZOTL amp

Homebrew fine wire speaker cables using three strands of 30 awg silver-coated copper wire in a kynar jacket

TEK LINE PC-12 Signature power cords for both the amp and CD player

VSE Super Clear interconnects

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On 7/21/2005 9:49:45 PM skonopa wrote:

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

On 7/19/2005 2:41:12 PM RobbL wrote:

However, the honest answer is: you ain't heard nothing till you hear a pair of LaScalas...and yes, I have a pair of those as well.

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

Yes, I've heard a pair of LaScalas, and personally, I think those RF-7s hang quite nicely with them. The LaScalas are nice, but to me, they are not "knock my socks off" nice! You don't see me running to trade in my RF-7s.

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I am in complete with agreement skonopa. That being said, I feel robbl has a point about a reason to own both--I am trying to talk my wife into letting me own a pair (or more) of La scalas. No Klipsch obsessed homeowner should be without either. 9.gif

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