your two channel choice and why...

[Speedball]

It's been a while since I've been around but I have thoroughly been enjoying my Dean G'd RF-7's while watching movies and listening to music. Today I stopped by an audio store to see the latest and greatest in audio video, especially audio...[] I asked if they had any Heritage speakers to look over and he immediatly asked me if I was interested in an older pair of Cornwalls in walnut finish. He did not know the vintage only they were in good shape and being sold for $600.00.

I'm wondering if Cornwalls are as good for two channel audio music cd's and movie watching, maybe better than RF-7's? Really, I don't have enough time to read the hundreds of posts about these speakers on this great forum. The dealer said he will be in posession of these Cornwalls very soon and all I said was I need to think it over.

Please.................feel free to give me your two cents.

[Mike Lindsey]

Well I prefer the Heritage sound for 2-ch, but that is just me. While I personally own CW II's, La Scala's and Heresy's, I have only heard RF-7's in an audio store. Having said that there are a number of people on this board who love their RF-7's, and many of them prefer the sound to the Heritage line. If you get a chance to hear some from someone in your area that would be the way to go.

Mike

[Colin]

I had super-sensitive, walnut-oiled Cornwall 1s, with their B2 crossovers, for over a decade.

I heard Reference series loudspeakers briefly over the years in the local Sound Advice/Tweeter audio boutique. I also had a chance to listen to a FR7 pair before frequent poster DeanG upgraded their crossovers with a number of different amplifiers at preacherman Daddydees’ May 2004 Klipsch gathering in Little Rock, Arkansas. We listened to tube amplifiers and classic Klipsch corner Khorns. Although I love what the big ole horns do with music, I have to admit being very impressed with the upgraded RF7s, for the money and size.

After hearing what DeanG’s crossovers could do for the RF7s and never finding an ideal listening room in any house I have ever seen, except dedicated HT rooms, I could see someone liking a 7.1 Reference system when multi-channel audio becomes standard.

If I had Reference loudspeakers already with solid-state equipment, I would upgrade them. I think the crossover is the hidden weakness in loudspeakers. If I had tube amplifiers and the space already, I would certainly move up to the sheer dynamics and amazing efficiency of big ole horns like Cornwalls.

[Speedball]

Thanks for the replies.

I also thought maybe they would best be driven with tube gear and be placed in a room with lots of room for them to breath.

[jamesV]

I can't say too much for the RF-7's, I have the RF-83's. I also have a pair of '71 Cornwalls and '81 Heresy. I have to agree the with movies I really like the RF-83's sound but for music I have to say Heritage. The sound that they produce is so clear that it sounds like they are right in front of you.

James

[jt1stcav]

IMHO there's no reason why either the Cornwalls or RF-7s can't sound equally good playing both 2-channel music or 7.1 DD/DTS surround movies/videos. I've never auditioned the RF-7s, but our household has owned a pair of Cornwalls for over 28 years, and they were equally at home playing vinyl, CDs, and SACDs as much as playing DVDs (center and surround speakers were not Heritage or even Klipsch, but the Cornwalls didn't care...they blended perfectly after careful tuning).

[oldbuckster]

Klipsch ........... Tubes ................... []............... HERITAGE, all the way !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...........

[pierceb]

I have both Deang modded RF-7's and stock '75 corns. They both have their strong and weak points with, IMO, the 7's definitely getting the nod with rock music. However, overall, I must say that I enjoy listening to the corns more with 2 channel music. They just seem more musical to my ears.

I would get the corns for 600 bucks (maybe less??) provided they are in half decent shape and try them out yourself. You should be able to recover your money at that price if you decide you don't like them.

-PB

[J.4knee]

OK here is my take. I have heard both CW/II and RF 7's. I normally prefer Heritage products over Reference and I'll sum my opine as i see things.

Advantage Disadvantage

RF 7 Tractix Horn tweeter Xover at 2Khz'ish leaves a lot of the mid duties up to the woofer(s).

stock RF's can sound harsh to some, as mentioned by a few,

Dean's mod or, more importantly, acoustically treating your room

should yield desired results

Produces very good Complex woofer impedance goes below 2 ohms, difficult for lesser

bass with the right amps to handle

amp.

2 way X'Over

CW 3 way xover is more complicated to implement and allows more opportunities

for error and time alignment issues.

Horn loaded squawker Exponential expansion flare offers less graceful launch of

and tweeter the sound wave into the room than does a tractix horn flare.

Deep bass reproduction Can sound a bit tubby or warm due to cabinet resonance issues

The new CW III's do a better job. JC used 2 woofers in a DBB configuration

that, to me, was the answer for using this type of ported woofer configuration.

The increase in efficiency resulting from using two, vice one woofer

reduces the work load a bit and the bass was notably tighter for a CW type

enclosure. IMO Klipsch would do well to consider this as a production idea

for the CW type speakers.

For overall sound I favor the CW but a properly implemented RF 7 will give it a strong run for the money. I think if a different Mid/Tweeter horn and driver were employed, that allowed for a crossover at 600 to 800 hz would make the RF 7 a more palatable and perhaps better option if employed.

[J.4knee]

Why did I loose my formatting?

[Daddy Dee]

Speedball,

Most interesting quesiton. The DeanG crossovers on RF-7's are very good indeed. My take though, brings my subjective preference for Heritage sound. You do have the rare opportunity to pick up a pair of nice CW's from a dealer. It's a hard call to make because of the subjective preference issue. There are some folks who simply prefer the RF sound. It's just a different reference sound than Heritage.

Of course, you can do some listening in the store. It would be very cool if the dealer would allow you to take them home to demo in your own listening room.

[fini]

It would be very cool if the dealer would allow you to take them home to demo in your own listening room.

I agree. This would be the only way for you to know for sure. Try that, and then do some reading.

[Groomlakearea51]

Everyone is mostly in agreement. I would follow the advice of asking to take them home and test them with what you primarily listen to most often. It's a very close call from what I understand, and is likely going to be an "apples vs oranges" issue of personal preference. RF-7's (those I have heard) are very, very good and really shine with rock music. But for the costs, I opted for older C's and use them in two different rooms under differing circumstances. Obviously I like C's (for a variety of reasons). My favorite C combination is two "stacked" pairs with the lowers having B3 crossovers, and the uppers having the B crossover, but then again, that's certainly not always a practical approach. Test, test, test and compare.... and listen to your ears.