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RF-5 vs. RF-3 Differences


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I currently own a pair of RF-5s and a pair of RF-3s. I have spent quite a bit of time comparing these speakers, and I am curious about some of the differences. After taking both speakers apart, I noticed that the RF-5 has larger gauge Monster Cable wiring, wheras the RF-3 has thinner cable. Also, the RF-5 has two sets of cross-braces in the cabinet, whereas the RF-3 has only one. I assume that this is to prevent the side panels from resonating? I also noticed a difference in the ports that I am confused with. The port on the RF-5 extends 5-6 inches into the enclosure, whereas the port on the three is pretty much flush with the inside of the cabinet. What is the point of the extended port? Does it smooth out bass response at all or reduce port noise? Any comments would be appreciated.

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main point difference is that the rf-5 has a better horn and tweeter.

Larger gauge monster oh you must have brought it when klipsch was in contracts with monster? Well the different gauge really means not too much due to the lack of distance. The larger the wire the less resistance (ohms) it has but due to the lenth (under a few feet) that should not really be a problem.

The crossbrace minimizes resonance and basically halves the resonance frequency (the length of which the sound wave that has the same length as the box, in which that wave sorta bounces back and forth and has a bump in that range frequency) The cross brace acts as the box were half the size now.

The port length just as with pipe organs determines the lowest it can go. The longer it is the lower the tuning point (ports tend to remain flat until it reaches as low as it was tuned to in which length is ultimate distance. The width and if the port is flared (kinda think of a trumpet how the horn flares) determines the if port noise will happen if the speakers move too much air

Hope that helps

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  • 14 years later...

This is an old post; however, I have some detail to add about the ports.  Their lengths are critical to the design of the loudspeaker itself.  It's a little more complex than simply a longer tube determines how low it can go.  It is true the the longer the port, the lower its (that is, the port tube itself) resonant frequency is (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resonance).  However, that resonant frequency is also crucial to the design of the system as a whole, and should not be changed, because it would then require a change in something else in that system.  Its length is by design, to match everything else in the sytem: the volume of the enclosure, the Thiel paramaters of the woofers themselves (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiele/Small_parameters) and the crossovers: the electronic components that split the signal coming from the amplifier into the high and low frequencies, so that on they go to the tweeter and woofers respectively.  With loudspeakers, all of the impedances: both mechanical and electrical have to be considered in the overall design.  This is was makes loudspeaker design a significant engineering challenge. 

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