bismarck Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Most of you know that I work at Best Buy. I have snooped around online enough to see a general respect for klipsch reference series. I have also read 2 things about the Synergy series. Either, it seems, 90% of the time people either love or hate them. I notice all the people that love them own them and most of the people that hate them have only listened to them in Best Buy. When I listen to any of them in Best Buy they have a major lack of mids, very harsh highs and the sub is always turned up too loud. They sound bad. When i go home and listen I like them alot. Yesterday i demoed a CD that i thinmk is recorded very well "The Everglow" by Mae. The second track sound awsome at home, the piano sounds like it is right infront of me. At Best Buy it sounded very bad, infact, i wish i wouldn't have shown the customer. Basically, I think the Synergy lne is a good line of speakers and most of the people that really don't like them have only listened to them in the store and I would challenge some of "those" poeple to listen to them when they are properly setup. They aren't perfect, and i would rather reference in the same price, but they by no means are bad speakers in and of themselves. Anyway, that was my little rant. agree, disagree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catharsis147 Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 I would agree. I have mentioned that if I didnt buy reference stuff, I would be more than happy with the synergy line. I might be jumping out on a limb, but why are you defending the synergy line in the first place? Are you just feeling that the speakers you own are slighted in this forum? I like the synergies, and would have bought them if they were sold at an outlet other than Best Buy in Manhattan. As it is, I ended up buying top of the line reference stuff. I think Best Buy is more interested in the bottom line than giving people an opportunity to listen to fantastic audio. Case in point, the synergy series shows little in the category of potential when they are set up next to other speakers, and for nearfield listening as all of the best buys in the city demonstrate (with one exception: the one on 23rd street has a full demo that at least hints at the synergy series whoppin some serious audio ***). And the subs are ALWAYS turned up too loudly at Best Buys, but many people think that the great bass defines quality audio. This is yet another example of the "bose-ification" of audio sales. I give much respect to you Bismarck, you work in a store disliked by many who appreciate audio (justifiably so, in my opinion), but with folks like you attempting to spread the informed word working there, maybe Best Buy will have a chance someday at being true to the audio world instead of focusing only on media and TV's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raider Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 Most of you know that I work at Best Buy. I have snooped around online enough to see a general respect for klipsch reference series. I have also read 2 things about the Synergy series. Either, it seems, 90% of the time people either love or hate them. I notice all the people that love them own them and most of the people that hate them have only listened to them in Best Buy. When I listen to any of them in Best Buy they have a major lack of mids, very harsh highs and the sub is always turned up too loud. They sound bad. When i go home and listen I like them alot. Yesterday i demoed a CD that i thinmk is recorded very well "The Everglow" by Mae. The second track sound awsome at home, the piano sounds like it is right infront of me. At Best Buy it sounded very bad, infact, i wish i wouldn't have shown the customer. Basically, I think the Synergy lne is a good line of speakers and most of the people that really don't like them have only listened to them in the store and I would challenge some of "those" poeple to listen to them when they are properly setup. They aren't perfect, and i would rather reference in the same price, but they by no means are bad speakers in and of themselves. Anyway, that was my little rant. agree, disagree? I don't see that any defense is needed. The Best Buy near me actually has a guy who knows what he is doing that has set up a Synergy HT system. I have listened to this system on several occasions, and I come away more impressed each time. When compared to peer products there (JBL,Yamaha,Bose) to me there is no comparison at their price point wthin the context within which they are intended. I would have no trouble recommending them to a friend, especially if they could be packaged with a hi def TV. The only achilles heel I see for the Synergy series is that the Reference series is often discounted where the Synergy systems seldom are (which is probably good for Klipsch price point protection) so you typically can upgrade to the Reference line for about a 10-20% differential. But I suspect the average Best Buy demographic customer, would not be inclined to talke the time to research and compare the differences in the two lines, and will buy more for convenience at BB. In doing so they will walk away with a remarkably good Synergy system which will perform, as you note, very well in their home, and with which they will likely be very happy. Synergy is by no means an entry level speaker line; just for Klipsch products. I think that part of the reason for the API aquisition is for the corporation to be able to offer entry lines without diluting the Klipsch product line. JMHO,FWIW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted September 18, 2006 Author Share Posted September 18, 2006 Sorry, i forgot to give background to my rant. I just had just finished reading a forum on audioholics where many people could say enough bad things about the Synergy line. Raider, you are very right about the convenience. Most people have no idea more expensive stuff exists or have ever heard of Timbre matchinf or have any idea that Bose isn't the best speaker made. I had a customer a few weeks ago go on and on about how Bose is the best speaker made, period, so imagine how blow away he was when listening to the klipsch. I suppose the bottom line is if the customer likes the product. We actually run good deals alot of the time. Last week you could buy and speaker system 2,000 and up and get 15% off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bismarck Posted September 18, 2006 Author Share Posted September 18, 2006 double Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 I dig my sf-2's I haven't heard them in awhile though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WolfsBane Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 The Synergy are indeed fantastic speakers. The only times that I have not been impressed with them has been because of lack of proper set up, not because of the speakers themselves. The times that I've heard the speakers at BB, they have been set up with the mains set very wide, and right next to a hard surface without proper toe in. Not only was the placement horrendous, but they were set on the receiver with the treble turned up to about the 4pm position. The obvious result?... a horrible shrill sound that threathen to split your teeth. To compensate, (apparently), they set the attached sub with the gain dialed to about the 3pm position, and the bass on the receiver all the way up. You darn near hear the bloated, muffled groan that passed as bass out on the parking lot. A great disservice to the speakers. Properly set, the speakers are a kick in the pants for music and HT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Let me throw this out there, don't you think the Synergy Series does two things, the first, the uneducated stereo guy who wants decent sound, budget price, and doesn't know a watt from what, perfect, great system, basic plug and play, good value for dollar, and then there's just into audio gear guy, who buys the Synergy Series, catches the bug,sells, moves up to Reference series, is happy for awhile, and thinks maybe I'd like...........See where I'm going......Many members have the Reference Series and speak quite highly of them........Hey some will like the Synergy Series for ever.....each Series fills a purpose for someone.....Klipsch offers many choices............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raider Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Since you've thrown it out there, I think you're spot on. I think the Synergy line is definitely the sleeper of the line. For some it will be an end point they will be very happy with, for others it will be the beginning of a path. It will definitely be a line i will recommend to friends... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erickoegle Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Since you do work at best buy, you should also know that in some stores, they do have the Magnolia Home Audio stores inside of them. There is one by my house in Toledo and they actually carry some of the Klipsch Reference line. They only carry the RF-82, RF-62, RC-62, RS-42, RB-51, and the subwoofers RW-12D and RW-10D. Not bad, but their cost is exactly what the prices are on Klipsch.com. Hopefully an independant dealer can bring those costs down a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 Since you do work at best buy, you should also know that in some stores, they do have the Magnolia Home Audio stores inside of them. There is one by my house in Toledo and they actually carry some of the Klipsch Reference line. They only carry the RF-82, RF-62, RC-62, RS-42, RB-51, and the subwoofers RW-12D and RW-10D. Not bad, but their cost is exactly what the prices are on Klipsch.com. Hopefully an independant dealer can bring those costs down a bit. Many ways to find better prices.......there's always a better price, but the question would be Why? Those Big Stores guys will come down in price.....there is alot of mark-up involved....let them know you know that....they need to move product too...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erickoegle Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 I know that there is a lot of markup involved. I told him told one of the Magnolia reps that. I also saw him speaking to some other guy stating that these were the cheapest that the company would allow them to sell them for. (Which I didn't buy) The whole point of my post was to say that some of the Reference line out at the Magnolia HT in select Best Buys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_L Posted September 23, 2006 Share Posted September 23, 2006 What Klipsch has done with the Synergy line is to take all of the engineering knowledge and techniques developed over years and perfected in the Reference line and leveraged that to a mass market commodity, high volume product line. Using lower cost components, off shore manufacturing and "any color you want as long as it's black" they are minimizing the manufacturing costs. Partnering with BB and giving them an exclusive they are maximizing their distribution and sales capability. Profit and survival through volume. Take a look at their specs, listen to them in a properly set up environment. They're excellent speakers and an excellent value. The BB stores don't discount them much, but they do create packages that give you some excellent value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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