Newbie needs a little help....

[corrald]

I don't know much aboput any of this stuff, so maybe you all can help. I am in the market for a 5.1 surround system. I know i want Klipsch for speakers, but I'm not sure which ones would work out better. Which are better - the Reference Series or the Synergy? What's the difference? Thanks for any help.

[wuzzzer]

Both systems are very nice, however the Reference system gives you much more flexibility as far as a wider selection of bookshelf, center channel and floorstanding speakers. The drivers and crossovers and general materials of the Reference series are better than the Synergy series. If you look at the specs, generally the Reference series will have higher sensitivity ratings and have just slightly deeper bass output.

I have listened to the Synergy series and they are very nice speakers. Nothing in the Synergy series can come close to the performance of the RF-7 or RF-83 in the Reference series, however. The Synergy Sub-12 subwoofer is being touted as a surprisingly awesome sub for usually under $500.

So, if you're looking at the lower end Reference series, you shouldn't rule out the Synergy series. If you're looking to get a killer system, then Reference is definitely your way to go.

[Cal Blacksmith]

Either series will be head and shoulders above most other

systems. The Reference line is the high end line sold in better audio shops and

the Synergy line is aimed at a more cost conscious customer and is marketed in

stores like Best Buy.

The BEST Klipsch HT setup are the THX line. Only your ears

can tell you which system you prefer. Listen to them all and work within your

budget.

In this forum most of the people here use HERITAGE speakers

in our HTs, These are bigger box speakers and we love the sound of them, unfortunately,

most stores dont carry them in stock for you to listen to. They were designed

for pure audio use and HTs were never a thought in designing them. Used, you

can setup an OUTSTANDING sounding system using Heresy speakers (5 of the 5.1)

for about $400/ pair + sub. You then can go up the line with Quartets, Fortes,

Cornwalls, La Scallas, Bells, and Khorns. Where are you located? There is a

good chance that someone here might be close to you and you could listen to

what they have setup.

[corrald]

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm on a limited budget, so I'm looking to spend about $600 on my floor speakers. I can either get the RF-52's or the Synergy F-2's. Any opinions?

[DrWho]

What are your long term goals? Do you want this to be a single purchase that you never look back from and just enjoy your system for the next 10 years, or would you like to have something better than you can afford right now within the next 10 years?

I would figure out where you want to be in the future and then make purchases towards that goal - even if you're left with a slightly smaller system in the short term.

So what is your total budget for the entire upgrade and what do you already own? Perhaps you might consider purchasing a really nice pair of mains, foregoing the center channel for now and putting your old speakers in the rear for surround duty. A little bit down the road you can get yourself a center channel, and then even later moving to a subwoofer. When you eventually get surrounds you can bump your old ones even further back for a 7.1 setup until you can purchase another pair to finish out your timbre matched 7.1 configuration. In the meantime you will get to appreciate significant improvements and always increasing your enjoyment of the system (not to mention it's a good way to slowly learn how everything works too).

But to answer your question, the reference line is more refined than the synergy line. I like to think of Synergy as the best sounding for the price spent. I like to think of Reference as sounding better than the more expensive competition. So both are great bang for the buck, but in different ways.

[twheats1]

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm on a limited budget, so I'm looking to spend about $600 on my floor speakers. I can either get the RF-52's or the Synergy F-2's. Any opinions?

I had the same dilemma about 4 months ago. Not being able to demo the speakers side by side didn't help. I ended up going with the Rf-52's, because to my ear, the highs sounded better. This may have been because I was able to listen to the RF-52's with music I knew, rather than the "canned" demo BB has. At any rate, I have no regrets choosing them.

[bismarck]

I like the f-2's but have not had a chance to listen to the reference setup. The most common klipsch i sell is the complete f-2 system because it does not break the bank, you get the great sub-12 and the f-2's have a decent amount of "punch" to them. the entire f-3 system sounds alot better for music, but with a/b testing on movies I cannot tell a big difference. I definately think the reference looks much bolder. The speakers, although not to much difference in price are completely different. Driver, crossover, enclosure, tweeter , yada yada. I am currently selling all my synergy speakes and may go with the reference, so i am kind of in the same boat.

[DrWho]

I almost forgot....welcome to the forum!

[Catharsis147]

Dr. Who,

I love your approach to questions from upgraders! Long term goals are (I feel) the most important way to avoid spending hundreds, even thousands, of dollars on equipment, speakers and cables that you will not use later. I have spent money on three types of speaker stands, several types of cables (and associated connectors), and various other crap until I was satisfied with my system. This was before I had the idea of comming to forums like this to ask questions and get answers from people who have been there.....

[Catharsis147]

As far as the reference series, it does whip quite the arse, no doubt about it. I have listened to the synergy series also, and though I have never owned them, I am guessing that I could be happy with almost any of those speakers. The real question is this: what type of budget do you have? Are you the type that will think about the reference series after you purchase the synergy series, or would you be happy purchasing the synergy series and not give the reference series a second thought? As Dr. Who said, pay attention to your long term goals, this hobby can be exceedingly expensive if you are not honest to yourself and what you can afford or how you place value.

[Catharsis147]

Shoot....I forgot too!!! Welcome to the forum!!!!

[corrald]

Thanks everyone for your help. I've decided to go with the Reference 52's for my front L&R's. I got them installed and DAAAAAAAANG they sound amazing. Now I think I need to upgrade my center speaker from a synergy to a reference for matching or will it make a difference? Also, I picked up the RF-52's for $488/pair, did I get a good deal?