mfk Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 I have never seen the RF-63's for demo, good thing, I saved a lot of money. I own both Heritage and RF/ RC series stuff, frankly, I like the RF/RC series. I run a pair of RF-52's with an RC-52 and it does a beautiful job in a relatively small room (12x8x10), be it Jazz, punk or HT apps. Man, when I saw the RF-63's I really wanted them, but up here in the Northeastern US we are not well covered by Klipsch, most people here prefer speakers that sound like they have cotton stuffed in them. If Best Buy doesn't have 'em the only way to go is mail order, which can be really expensive for big speakers. I would have loved to get the RF-63's and an RC-63. You need all three, sides and center to really get to that point where it is superb. My mom has a set of Klipschorns and a Heresy center channel (circa 1962) it kicks, but I prefer the Reference series for most listening, I believe they are the future of klipsch. My Heresy II's have more personality, but when I am listening to intricate jazz, the Reference series rules, when I do HT, most of friends prefer the Reference setup, with the RF-52's and the RC-52, it is just more balanced. The point of it is to go with the sides and the matching center channel, the sound field created is great.Anything Klipsch makes is efficient, I use a Yamaha RX-V361 and it has all the tools I need for some really awesome HT apps and for just plain old music. Go for the enitre RF/RC series, one listen will make you a believer. Geez, I like the sound of my RF/RC series stuff better than my Heritage stuff, which cost a lot more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoudnClear Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Part of the Adventure is Blind Faith. This reminds me, when I bought my RF-63s in Nov 2006, my local shop had the full linup up to the RF-82. I didn't really like the sound of the reference line speakers they had in the display. I thought there had to be something wrong with the receiver or their switching system for speaker/receiver selection. there was no low end. I ordered the 63s without having heard them. when they came in and I picked them up, I was really praying they sounded better than what was in the store and that I hadn't made a mistake. when I set them up for the first time, I was dumbfounded at the difference between the store and my house. they absolutely rock clean, clear everything is greater than I could have hoped for. I won't get into the distance that exists between the 63s and my cornwall II's in music listening though..... If the 63s are great, the cornwalls are pure glory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbongiorno Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 L&C and the Prof, How far from the wall should I have the RF-82 vs. the RF-63? Prof, You mentioned a 12ft listening distance for the RF-63, but what about the RF-82. L&C, How do you have yours set up? BTW, my current room is only 13'x17'x8' and I can only take advantage of the 13' distance. Not ideal or acceptable, but temporary for the next year or two. I am in between houses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbongiorno Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 I also have an update on the shopping. I have narrowed it down from about a dozen configuration and options. I have two packages to consider. Package A: $2350 for RF-82 (pair), RC-62, RS-52 (pair), & RSW-10d (all in black) Package B: $2000 for RF-63 (pair) & RC-64 (all in cherry) If I go with package B, then I will have to purchase the rest of the HT setup down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoudnClear Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I recommend trying them at 9", 12", 15" from the back wall and find what sounds best and what you can live with for standoff. Mine are about 9" from the back wall, but I have them crossed over at 100Hz, with the velodyne doing the rest. I have them in a 12 x 12 x 8 room. they're on the outside corners of the room, no toe in, just about 4 inches from the side walls and 9 inches from the back wall. they're set up like this because I have my cornwalls right next to them, inside of the 63s. So the 63s are about 11 ft apart on center and the cornwalls are about 7.5 ft apart on center. that's as far of a spread as I can get them in the current room. Both sound great, neither is optimal but they are great. Stuff sounds so great that I'm not chomping to get into a bigger house at this time due to pressing acoustic concerns. Of course the 64 center channel is right in the middle under the TV. My rears are not klipsch, but I'm not planning on replacing them until I get to a larger house. I recommend taking your time and going with option B. Here's another historical tidbit about my 63s: I chose the 63s instead of the 83s for this reason: If I wanted to go to RF-83s at some point down the road, I could use the 63s as rears and have a truly molten surround system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbongiorno Posted December 6, 2007 Author Share Posted December 6, 2007 After much discussion and sleeping on it, there are many factors not related to speaker performance that are making me lean toward the RF-82 HT setup. Some of it is my wife, some money, and some size constraints. It is now probably a slim chance that I will be getting the RF-63 & RC-64 combo. I know that I will be happy with the RF-82 HT setup. I will be able to use it for HT immediately. My wife was not enticed by the short term savings of $350, but instead focused on the additional $1500-$2000 cost of completing the RF-63 HT setup. I must admit, I was also worried about that. Like I said, I am in between homes. It is hard to believe that I started this search looking at a pair of new RF-35's only. I would say that I am about 80/20 toward the RF-82 HT setup. I will let you all know how it turns out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Thump Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 The RF-82 is one of my prouder moments. It is one of the most versitile speakers for all Genres because it is so flat. You will be pleased with either speaker. We are just nuts for woofers and magnets! You may be too if you keep reading this Forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake703 Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Hey Thump...how would you compare the 82 to the 62? I have read some reviews that claim you lose mid-range in the 82 compared to the 62. I am finding less "warmth" in the 82 than my 62 center but I am hoping I can tweak it to get it where I want it. I am just curious what makes you say the 82 is a fave in the reference iv lineup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfk Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 They are both excellent choices, there is an online dealer (http://www.universallcd.com) in NY that will get you the RF-63's for $1499.99 and the RF-82's for $799 a pair, that's quite a price difference. Like all things sonic, it comes down to which you like better http://www.universallcd.com, these guys are authorized for the outdoor and Reference series, I bought my RF-52's and RC-52 from them, next week after I sell my Heresy II's I am going to ger the RSW-10d ($429.00) or an RPW-10 ($249.99) from them, because I am in MA and this company is in NY, I usually get stuff within a day or two at the outside. I have heard both of these speakers (RF-63 and RF-82) in HT and 2ch mode (with center channel) and they are both spectacular. The RF-63 has a bit tighter a bass line and is slightly more efficient. There is no real lose in this situation, they are both spectacular. Which ever you choose, use your personal preference as the basis for purchase, get the appropriate (matching) center channel, you won't regret it. My Heresy II's were way more expensive than my RF-52/RC-52 combo, but this is evolution and Klipsh has done it well. Enjoy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfk Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 The RF-82 system is awesome for both HT and music..see if you can sneak in the center channel. Enjoy [H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Thump Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 Hey Thump...how would you compare the 82 to the 62? I have read some reviews that claim you lose mid-range in the 82 compared to the 62. I am finding less "warmth" in the 82 than my 62 center but I am hoping I can tweak it to get it where I want it. I am just curious what makes you say the 82 is a fave in the reference iv lineup? I believe the RF-82 is one of my best designs with the qualifier…For that price point. This certainly doesn’t take away from the RC-63 because the 63 sounds better. It has more attack in the bass section from the bigger motor structures on the woofers. The larger cone area gives the 63 more efficiency. When you hear a crash cymbal you don’t get the compression you might on a RF-82 because the tweeter is MUCH MORE EFFICIENT. It is padded way down in the crossover, so the distortion is minimal and the response is more linear under very high SPL. I had RF-63’s set up in my family room until recently (IW speakers now), so you know I can endorse them being that I listen to them every day I am at home. I don’t have RF-82’s for one reason only. I don’t have enough rooms or electronics in my house to justify them, otherwise I would. If you are lacking warmth from your 82 then something is wrong. I suspect that your room is the problem. Do you have a lot of hard surfaces where the sound bounces? This could be your problem. Next I would suspect the amplifier setting. Is it set flat? The reason I say this is that I think the 82 is one of the warmest speakers that Klipsch makes. Think about it for a moment Reference is our premier product sans Palladium. I had more money to spend on that crossover family than almost any other products we make. This gives me the tools to do a better job at designing a speaker. So your 82 should sound very warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake703 Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 Thanks for your reply! I am not sure if my ears have warmed up, or the speakers have warmed up, or I just found a better setting in the receiver. The sound on my 82's has found its way to where I expected and gained the warmth I was after. I really appreciate your comments on the tradeoffs between the two reference lines. The 82's are definately more dynamic than the speakers I was used to so I am not sure I would want for more....even though I do not doubt that next level up is even better. I know the store I bought mine has a trade-in program so maybe next year I will consider a comparison test. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 16, 2007 Share Posted December 16, 2007 you live in southern nj.... wait I hope its not too late... I havce rf-83 and can demo them for you though they are in my dorm room.... I goto Rutgers New Brunswick so I may be close depending on southern nj you are. Its closer to what rf-63 sound like. Also i know a dealer that will ship that is very cheap, think like 64% of what msrp is.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 They are both excellent choices, there is an online dealer (http://www.universallcd.com) in NY that will get you the RF-63's for $1499.99 and the RF-82's for $799 a pair, that's quite a price difference. Like all things sonic, it comes down to which you like better too expensive.... I got rf-83 for 1600 authorized dealer. cough wheeze, rc64 should be 700, rs62 800, rt12d like 1500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbongiorno Posted December 17, 2007 Author Share Posted December 17, 2007 you live in southern nj.... wait I hope its not too late... I havce rf-83 and can demo them for you though they are in my dorm room.... I goto Rutgers New Brunswick so I may be close depending on southern nj you are. Its closer to what rf-63 sound like. Also i know a dealer that will ship that is very cheap, think like 64% of what msrp is.... In you dorm room! Wow, that is impressive! You neighbors must hate you. Can you PM me the dealer name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 17, 2007 Share Posted December 17, 2007 pm sent... Also my neighbors actually cause more noise then I do.... honest, I go for SQ they go for spl... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Thump Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Hey Thump...how would you compare the 82 to the 62? I have read some reviews that claim you lose mid-range in the 82 compared to the 62. I am finding less "warmth" in the 82 than my 62 center but I am hoping I can tweak it to get it where I want it. I am just curious what makes you say the 82 is a fave in the reference iv lineup? Don't believe everything you read, (especially from me [] ). Room acoustics and speaker placement will still be half of the equation for the end result of how your speakers will sound. The only way to also compare two types of speakers is side by side in the same room. Even this test has some issues since they will both image differently because you can't have the same placement in the room at the same time. That said, if the room acoustic are well damped the speaker should not sound dark. The distance you place the speakers from the back wall will shift the bass response. The recommended distance is more than several feet. You have to play around with this to find your preference. Most rooms are too small to place the speaker far enough away unfortunately. You will get more bass out of the 82 because the box is bigger and the cone area is greater. You have to be careful before making an assumption about the performance of a speaker. Don't shoot the messanger! Good Luck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiwiiwhat Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Sorry to resurrect this thread, but these 2 speakers are what I'm looking at. After reading through this, I get the impression that the '82's may be better for all purpose listening and the 63's better for music. I have heard both at the dealer, and will probably be going again this weekend. Does anyone have any more recent experience with either or both of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 They are the best on the planet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuyawil Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 I just listened to these two speakers today and also feel that the RF-82's are more of an all-purpose speaker than the RF-63. And besides, the footprint on the 63 is ridiculously too large for my HT room. The RF-82 footprint would be a much better fit. I am close to making a decision within the month or so and it looks like the RF-82s and matching RC-62 is the winning ticket for me. One other speaker that I did audition was the Icon WF-35. I haven't read or seen too much on these but of what I have, there were more negatives. But I had to hear it for myself. These were definitely not as harsh others have mentioned and if anything, the highs are definitely smoother than expected. The midrange was adequate but despite that, when I listened to the whole matching set (center, surrounds and sub) to a DVD movie sampler, I was completely blown away at the detail and the soundstage that they presented. Great system for HT. However, although the low end sounded pretty good for a speaker of this dimension and design, I just think that for a 2-channel setup, they just don't have what it takes. That's when the salesman switched to the RF series... And that was all it took... Currently, I have the Klipsch KSF 8.5 for my fronts and a KSF C5 for my center (I know, I know... an upgrade is definitely in order here). I did run a Denon AVR-5700DTS (still have and will use for another room) but I just purchased the Pioneer Elite SC-27. Very nice receiver and that is also why I'm looking to upgrade my front speakers and center channel. Anyway, I'll keep you posted of what happens... Great thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.