RF83/ RF82....Comparison

[JetJockey]

Hey folks, I was wondering how the RF83 compare to the RF82 , is there a huge difference? Reason i ask is my local dealer doesn't stock the RF82.

Thanks alot.

[DrWho]

Hey Raider, where you at?

I know Raider has been spending many weeks researching all of the Klipsch options out there and I think he prefers the 82's over the 83's, but don't let me speak for someone else...

I personally think the 82/62 are a better deal and more conceptually sound than the 83/63. Any gains with the bass response would be nullified by the implementation of proper subwoofage...unless you're a strict 2-channel purist kind of listener.

And that's not to say that any speaker is a poor performer. I just see it hard to justify more than double the price for the 83 over the 82. Maybe that's why your dealer only stocks the top dawg []

[JetJockey]

Hey DrWho, thanks for responding. I was kinda wondering about that. You are most likely correct about them not stocking the 82. I'm gonna have to find another dealer who has em i guess. I'm like a kid at Xmas, can't friggin wait to get them. Oh, and yes i sure do the 6.1 thing, my subwoofing is in very capable hands with a brand new Paradigm PW2200.

[JetJockey]

Ok, never mind, lol. after some more research i figured it out, the Rf63 are after the RF83 in the lineup and the Rf82 have the smaller horn , less efficent etc. I was wondering if could save a few bucks , but screw it, i'm going all the wayyyyyy...RF83 or bust!

[ram2500]

To me there is a huge difference between the RF-83 and RF-82. I have both and did a side by side comparison. The RF-83 are more refined sound. RF-83 a slight more warm sound to them. I had the RF-83 first then purcheaed the RF-82 . I use the RF-82 for my rears.

[Raider]

Hey Raider, where you at?

I know Raider has been spending many weeks researching all of the Klipsch options out there and I think he prefers the 82's over the 83's, but don't let me speak for someone else...

I personally think the 82/62 are a better deal and more conceptually sound than the 83/63. Any gains with the bass response would be nullified by the implementation of proper subwoofage...unless you're a strict 2-channel purist kind of listener.

And that's not to say that any speaker is a poor performer. I just see it hard to justify more than double the price for the 83 over the 82. Maybe that's why your dealer only stocks the top dawg []

Hey JetJockey.

DrWho is right, I've been agonizing over this decision for some time now. The truth is....I don't know yet. I have narrowed the search to RF62, RF82, RF63 and RF83 lol. The choice is complicated by the fact that I have yet to be able to compare all four speakers in the same room, most of the time not even the same dealership for that matter. At first I was like you and inclined to just go for it, and get the RF83. One thing to consider is that all of these are rear ported and will sound best if they are placed out from the wall about 18", so when you add the speaker depth of up to 18" they will be out about 3 feet from your wall. This may or may not work for your room.

There is considerable difference in the voicing of the RFx3's vs. the RFx2's. The upper use a 1.2" tweeter driver, the lower use a 1" driver. And, of course, the larger the speakers, the lower the bass response, as a matter of physics.

DeanG in one of his posts regarding crossovers characterized the RF7's (the previous generation Reference flagship) as sounding as though the horn was out ahead of the rest of the music. To a degree that is what I hear in the RF83/63. The midrange and upper midrange is startlingly real and present, but to me seems to have more prominence than the midbass, bass, and highest treble. On the other hand, to me the RF82/62 retain the same definition and detail, but in what to me is a more balanced presentation where no part of the spectrum draws attention to itself. To me the 62/82 have a little better reproduction of the higher treble, 10k and up.

The other difference in voicing of the two, I think, lies in the size, and number of bass drivers used. A classic tradeoff in speaker design is that a larger driver by virtue of displacement can better reproduce bass, but its greater mass and inertia makes it less responsive to the faster midrange frequencies. A smaller driver by virtue of its smaller inertia can better respond to midrange frequencies, but its smaller cone size can't move as much air and produce bass as well. So I find that the RF62 and RF63 have very slightly better mid mass and lower midrange, while the RF82 and RF83 produce better and lower bass with slightly less defined lower midrange. So then 6-inch based speakers might be better for more critical music resolution, while the 8-inch based speakers have better-defined and lower bass. Or to clarify the strengths using an example of musical instruments, I would expect a baritone or bass sax to sound more natural on the eights; a tenor, alto or soprano to sound more natural on the sixes. But this is a very small difference. And not nearly as marked as the differerence in the voicing of the two different tweeters.

While I will be using a subwoofer to bring out the lowest octave, I find all of the towers' bass response down through about 40hz to be very natural sounding, as opposed to a bookshelf/sub combination. While the bookshelf/sub can be really good, I find the tower's bass response to be more natural and seamless. And the larger the enclosure, the better it sounds.

The RF63 and RF83's horns present a forward, and almost ethereal and holographic soundstage. And the RF83 could easily be enjoyed 2 channel sans sub for critical music listening. I think those who enjoy the classic presentation of the Heritage line would more likely prefer these.

The RF62 and RF82 to me have a more balanced presentation, and yet wonderful dynamics and detail. For the listener that is coming from more conventional speakers, these might have more appeal.

All that's a matter of taste. Before budget. The reality is that you can nearly buy all your surrounds and maybe a sub for the price difference between the RFx2's and the RFx3's. While I like the sound of both alternatives, I have yet to be able to say that one is better than the other - just different- and I have yet to build any compelling case for the RFx3 upgrade. Yet.

I got to hear an RF82 based system (with RC62, RS64, and RT12-d) at length, playing my favorite CD's for over an hour. I heard detail that I have never heard before, and I've played these on some very, very good systems. I can see why some refer to this speaker as the sweet spot in the line. I came away from this audition with NO question in my mind that I would own Klipsch speakers in my home next. Period. I stopped looking at other alternatives.

But I really need to audition the RF63/83 in a similar fashion to finalize my choice from among the line. But hey, I'm closing in. I have my choice down to these: RF83/RC64/RS62 or RF82/RC62/RS62 or possibly a timbre matched RF62/RC62/RS62 all around.

Just my impressions, FWIW, YMMV. And I have the inalienable right to be wrong; its somewhere in the Constitution I'm sure. And to think my wife thinks I'm too analytical...

[JetJockey]

Raider, First of all, thank you so much for the detailed comparison and secondly hello, nice to meet you.

Wow, i am so impressed with some of the folks on this forum, really an invaluable resource.

There I was ready to go and buy the 83's...and now look what you done..lol. I guess i just have to have a listen, problem is my local dealer doesn't stock the 82 or 63 so i will have to make a road trip. I just thought that the 83's would be the best bet but perhaps not. I do love the Klipsch sound( some say in your face) but to me its just crystal clear sonic bliss and thats just from the addition of the RC62.

My HT is 15.5'x 25' and dedicated so the porting and distance from the wall is no problem at all. The Om260's i have now are the Omnidirectional designs from Mirage and need to be no where near a wall so this is an improvement for me. Not to mention they are very power hungry and suck the juice from the Yammy at loud levels( inefficient).

Anyway, thanks again.

p.s. any other folks with RF63's or RF82's, love to hear your thoughts.

[Raider]

Be sure to see Ram1500's comments above, since he owns both and I am sure has spent an extended time listening to them and comparing.

Take the road trip. It was definitely worth the time and effort for me. Be sure to listen for an extended time to material you are very familiar with. It'll be a revelation.

Yeah, I've found some very good folks here as well. Very open minded to new ideas. Very opinionated, but accepting of individual preferences. And very well informed. I.E. DrWho for sub advice and studio related info. "MAS is the man" says one post regarding his acoustic treatment prowess. And oldbuckster for Klipsch-in-your-face common sense pragmatism. And......

[Jay481985]

Give the rf-83 some time to change and acclimatize for your ears. You will hardly be making a wrong choice for any of them. I just went out and brought the rf-83 blindly (no dealer listening as I had them before a floor model was out and was the first to have it in the NYC area []) but anyways....

I find the RF-83 do very well in classical music. Rock is well emphasized. Rap is so so as the speaker is too clean to make rap sound semi good (rap has to have some distortion, come on guys). One thing I do like about the rf-83 is vocals, live and real sounding. Also watching movies one critical thing that for me is a precursor to telling me how good the speakers are..... How real sounding it is when a door in a movie or tv show closes. Most people know what doors sound like when they close. When they have a little peep when they close its not real, when they have a real thump when they close and you second guess if someone just closed a door, then it is a good speaker. The highs do drown out a bit more over the rf-82 but I think the rf-82 horns are a bit tame in relation. More akin to the rf-7 v. rf-83 debate. The midrange on the 82 is a bit more pronounced but the soundstage is not as wide. The rf-83 has a very very wide open sound and the 82 is not so wide but fine for 99% of the time. Also one note, the 83 are a ***** to move as they are 20 inches freaking deep! and have no natural grip (use port and horn to carry them!)

[JetJockey]

smoke another dude, but thskns