RNAVer Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Gentlemen, I am not an expert here, but I enjoy music like the rest of you. I do have a question about the RF-7 and your opinions of it. Firstly, I drive the RF-7's with a late Pioneer receiver, and I've been pretty happy with music and movies. But right this minute I happen to be listening to a Onkyo receiver with a 20-year-old CD player, hooked up to Bose cubes and I have to say the sound is waaaay more laid-back and enjoyable (go ahead and laugh now). Maybe it's not as nuanced and lacking some midrange, but overall not bad! Also, I don't feel the need to turn it off after five minutes. I actually feel that the RF-7's put out an overly-sensitive reproduction without much depth which is probably related to the receiver, but I am starting to wonder. I guess the question is, is the RF-7 really that great of a speaker and are there others with similar, less than spectacular experiences? I could go out and buy the pricey stuff, but I wonder if in the end it will be worth the thousands it will cost to enjoy the '7's. Thanks guys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Not everyone in the world will like the 7's,not even Klipsch for that matter.You may just be one of those people.I'm not sure I could listen to an Onkyo/bose cube combination for over a few minutes,different strokes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillH2121 Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Its been said over and over on this Forum and I believe it to be a basic truth re Klipsch speakers - you have to use a quality amp and preamp with sufficient power and quality source equipment to hear what the RF7 can do. I know there has been a lot of debate over what constitutes sufficient power but the bottom line is that these speakers reveal the weak link in a system. At this time, I have waited 3 months to have repair work done on my McIntosh amp - I could easily hook up a cheap 100-watt Sherwood amp that I have for my outdoor speakers while I wait, but I'm not because I know the result would be brutal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 my not be your cup of tea and that is ok. You may prefer a 3 way speaker design with a nice dome tweeter. It will definitely have more layed back sound. Many also have multiple systems with different attributes to suit thier moods. You could also try a seperate amp, like QSC or Crown, but I don't think its going make a night and day difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whell Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Further to Bill's point: I've had my RF-7's driven by a variety of amps. I've liked a great many, others I couldn't wait to get rid of. Among those that I've liked are Monarchy SM-70's, Carver M1.0T, and even a vintage Sansui G-9000. Among those I didn't care for was a late model B&K amp (model number I don't recall), and a late model Marantz receiver; SR-19 EX. My current amp is a tube/MOSFET hybrid that I purchased from another forum member. Of those amps that I've owned, this one by far and away provides the most pleasing results. To underscore the point, I would suspect that your RF-7's are capable of revealing deficiencies in your amplification that the Bose cubes cannot. This is NOT to say your current Pioneer is "bad", but the speakers that you own demand more of the upstream equipment to perform at their best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 ditto to what bill said, crap in = crap out, not calling your gear crap what im saying is it is more than likely not a very good match for klipsch.................. i know that on this forum it is considered bad form to dis-like klipsch however its not illegal and this is probably the reason there are so many speaker manufacturers out there i would suggest you take a long look at just what you want from audio in total, all the detail and lifelike reproduction you can afford, or simply a laid back system you can enjoy if you want a laid back system that you can simply throw a switch kick back in the easy chair and listen and be happy with a warm albeit a little muddy sound then by all means you may want to sell the klipsch, because they are considered by many to be an audiophile speaker...............and what i mean by that is they were invinted with the idea that they reproduce sound with GREAT detail, which to get that benefit you will regretfully have to spend a pretty nice sum of money on your upstream gear which ever way you decide to go i wish you luck and happy listening Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNAVer Posted June 8, 2007 Author Share Posted June 8, 2007 Since the RF-7's were a good deal, I guess I expected to use them with an inexpensive reciever. Come to think of it, the Bose are starting to get on my nerves. There really isn't any detail there which is at the opposite end of the spectrum. Maybe I need to audition some quality gear with the 7's then make a decision. Thanks gentlemen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arky Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 If your talking about high-end harshness there's always Deans crossover mod. Helps the mids also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWL Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Prior to owning Klipsch speakers I was all too familiar with distortion and systems that "color" the sound. Klipsch are honest speakers that do not color the sound and are extemely clean. Like the other member said, "Crap in=Crap out". A quality source with sufficient power (not necessarily expensive) will make the 7's sound absolutely awesome!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/1/895370/ShowThread.aspx [^o)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Gentlemen, I am not an expert here, but I enjoy music like the rest of you. I do have a question about the RF-7 and your opinions of it. ... But right this minute I happen to be listening to a Onkyo receiver with a 20-year-old CD player, hooked up to Bose cubes and I have to say the sound is waaaay more laid-back and enjoyable (go ahead and laugh now). Maybe it's not as nuanced and lacking some midrange, but overall not bad! ... Yep. The Klipsch sound isn't for everyone--If you didn't like the K-Horns or the RF-7's I would stick with the Bose...[:-*] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWL Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Don't give up on the 7's too easily. When they're dialed in correctly they're damn hard to beat with the exception of other Klipsch lines more expensive. I had to learn to be a little more patient and it was really worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 is the pioneer the 1015 or 1016? I suggest giving it a true 4 ohm capable amp or reciever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UFObuster Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 ....can you pick-up something on approval? I was using a nice, late model Yamaha (rx-v2600) and "borrowed" a Rotel RB-1080 amp to see what happened. Voila!...the sound (from the RF-7) just popped out. If your pioneer has pre-outs, try that first to see what better amplification does.....try a pro maybe or a mail-order you can send back. If that works, as it did for me, then go the next step to a better pre-pro (don't know about your pioneer). As has been said, get up-stream improvement as much as possible.....or don't and just change speakers. ..addressing the well known Klipsch sound...."detail" vs "harshness"....I liken it to listening to my son practicing his trumpet. After about 20 minutes I have a definite "listener fatigue" ....but.... the damn thing still seems to sound like a real trumpet! I guess it depends on how close to real life you want your music to sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepjk01 Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 Of the Klipsch speakers I have owned the rf7 has been the most finicky when it comes to the choice of gear used to drive it. The first two recommendations I can give you to improve the sound is first get the deang crossover modification and second add a power amp. I'm not sure how much deang currently charges for the mod maybe others can chime in on that. If your receiver has preamp outputs then you can use it with an external power amp. My advice is to get either a qsc plx or crown xti professional power amplifier. Both can be had on ebay for around 500 and really make the rf7's come alive. The total cost for both will come in under a grand. Don't give up so easy on the rf7's, they are a great speaker ,but require good amplification to really take full advantage of their sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 The first two recommendations I can give you to improve the sound is first get the deang crossover modification and second add a power amp. I think so too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsp1068 Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 It has been said many a time, and I am a firm beleiver in, building from the "outside" in. I liked what the bigger reference series was capable of, got the 7's, and started tweeking inward. A powerful amp will indeed wake them up, even at lower volume, and give you a feel for the picture they can paint. The bass comes through symetrically with the high frequencies so it makes a very well balanced soundstage. I then moved onto the pre amp for more resolution, and to really set the stage. Now I go to my favorite botique, listen to some of there reference sytems, and still prefer the sound of the 7's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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