RF-83 Question?

[jmorgan32]

For those of you who either own or have heard the RF-83, how do they sound versus eg La Scala or Khorns? I know they are all very different speakers with different sounds. I guess what I am wondering, is for a small room, are the RF-83's a great or just a pretty good sounding speaker.

I was considering some La Scalas, but with constraints on postioning and room size, I am leaning toward the RF-83's. (without actually hearing the La Scalas, the bass response seems like a concern vs the RF-83)

Thanks in advance.

Joe

[DrWho]

The certainly RF-83's go deeper than the rest of the heritage speakers and arguably have a better top-end as well. But in comparison the midrange is very lacking, and they don't do dynamics as well. That said, they're still awesome speakers and definetly worth considering if size and aesthetics are preventing use of the bigger heritage. Just keep in mind that the 83's are even taller than the khorns...and they are rather deep too. So though they measure out smaller, they really end up taking about the same usable floor space as the khorns (which tuck nicely into the corner). The lascalas on the other hand are just fricken huge and boxy...very hard to tuck away. The cornwall is just like the lascala, but is much shallower and doesn't intrude nearly as much.

The Reference series speakers are really geared towards doing both music and movies, so if you plan on doing any movie watching then their timbre matched centers and surrounds will be much easier to implement than the heritage lineup. A properly implemented reference surround system is going to sound better than a heritage one that was crammed to just barely fit. Though a full fledged properly implemented heritage lineup will pretty much leave anything else in the dust. Yes, I know this is the 2-channel forum.

Anyways, what do you plan on driving your mains with? The 83's benefit greatly from a beefy amp to handle the low impedances and control all them woofers.

[jmorgan32]

Thanks a lot for the feedback. I am not interested in surround sound---just a simple 2 channel guy, but I do watch my TV through my sound system.

I plan on buying my 1st piece of Mac gear to drive the RF-83. (if I get them.) I am leaning toward the newest integrated ie the MA 6300. I realize the downside of this amp versus the 6500 & 6900. eg only 100 WPC, vs. 250 along with the "potential issue" of not having any tone controls and no loudness switch. I hope it will still sound great. I have always wanted McIntosh, and thought with Klipsch having the reputation of outstanding efficiency, the 6300 @ 100 watts should be plenty. eg-------I am currently driving Klipsch F-3 (I know, I know don't laugh) with a Denon receiver rated @ 100 watts per.......and it is PLENTY. believe me.

I am actually going to the Klipsch home office this Tuesday to visit their listening room. (other business in Indy so I had to work it in!!!!!!!!) They have some Khorns and La Scalas set up and I also asked for the RF-83's if possible. (they are going to run em all with Cary tube gear which won't give me a clear idea of how the Mac SS amp would sound, but hey I am a "visitor" and will graciously accept whatever they do for me.)

Thanks again.

ps.............don't you agree a McIntosh @ 100 watts per should be plenty for ANY Klipsch speaker? (I am a beginner.......as if you couldn't tell by the above gear I have..........eg a "recevier")

[DrWho]

Oh man, a trip to the facilities...spoiled indeed [Y] The Cary Tube gear is really nice, but I'll bet you realize cleaner bass at home with your Mac gear. Be sure to bring some of your own music to demo with.

Btw, the F3's are certainly no slackers. Yea, they're not the best speakers out there, but they pack a lot of bang for the buck.

As far as power capabilities of your amp, I think 100W is going to be more than plenty. It only takes 2.83V (1 Watt into 8 ohms) to get the 83's up above 100dB...and that'll leave you with a good 20dB of headroom for transients. Will you ever crank it this loud? Hopefully not, but the capability is there []

[jmorgan32]

Thanks Mike. You guys on this board really know your stuff. I appreciate it.

I am sorry about the miscommunication. I do NOT even have the McIntosh 6300 yet. I am doing it all through one local dealer to help "leverage" my price. (they sell both Klipsch & Mac)

I was a little concerned about the 6300 not being enough, but just could NOT justify moving up to 250 watts for another grand. I know Klipsch can sound great on low wattage. Thanks for the headsup about taking my own music. They told me that too when I set it all up.

I am super excited about owning my first piece of "blue eyed" gear, but hope I don't miss the "loudness button" I have enjoyed using on all previous equipment to boost the bass since I do listen at low volumes a lot. We'll see.

You guys know too much about engineering for me. Your volts, dB etc are still above my head. I am a science/pharmaceutical guy, not electrical at all. I AM WORKING on it and reading my rear off. Thanks again.......................Joe

[DrWho]

Every speaker has a rated sensitivity. This is how loud the speaker plays with 1 watt input measured from 1 meter away. Everytime you double the power, the output increases by 3dB. Or everytime you cut the power in half, the output decreases by 3dB.

If you are accustomed to having a loudness filter inline with your speakers, then you're probably going to find yourself missing it with your upgrade. One option would be to find a preamp that has a loudness filter on it...though the 6300 has its own preamp stage so that wouldn't make much sense. Another alternative would be to implement a subwoofer and use that as a loudness filter...

To be honest, I think the Mac stuff is overpriced...I totally dig the nostalgia of it all, but you might also consider going down another path that still gets you that loudness switch within your budget. The only thing I can think of off the top of my head are the old HK-#30 recievers (430, 630, 730 etc). You can generally find them on ebay for under $100 in good condition. Worst case scenario, you don't like it and you can unload it on the forum for what you paid for it. They are a match made in heaven with klipsch speakers.

Maybe some more people will chime in with ideas for gear with loudness filters. I think you'll find though that most of the people are more on the side of purists - preferring to avoid tone controls. I think if you give it a try you might find that you enjoy it more - but I'd hate to spend so much money on an experiment. []

[jmorgan32]

Makes sense Mike, and thanks for the education. I do know that most "purists" don't use tone controls or loudness filters. I will give this more thought.

Thanks again.