Mark O Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 I have saved enough money to finally buy a quality pair of speakers. I am having a terrible time deciding which to purchase. I have heard the RF-82 and the RF-63. I was actually much more impressed with the 63's. They sounded great. So, I am leaning towards going with the 63's or 83's. My concern is that I am unable to hear the 83's and am going to have to purchase based on info that I receive from other members here in the forum. The 82's sounded much duller to me that the brightness I heard in the 63's. Will I hear that brightness in the 83's or are they going to be duller as the 82's were. I apologize about the confusion but any information or advice that anyone can give will be greatly appreciated. As I stated, I have saved for about a year here and dont mind the price, I just want to get the best audio quality for my theater. I will be using a 64 for my center and the 62's for the year. I appreciate any and all advice. I also am using the SVS PB13 sub and a denon 130 watt per channel receiver. Thank you, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 I have demoed the 82's at a friends home with a 140wt Pioneer Elite receiver and came away wanting(needing) more for myself. I was about to purchase the 82's for $800.00 from a local A/V store until I found a used pair of cherry 63's for a grand. I have not heard the 83's but am completely blown away by the 63's. Between the 82's and the 83's, buying the 63's is a compromise. But a "d**n good" compromise. If there is no $$$ issue, get the 83's, put it all to rest and enjoy. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark O Posted June 2, 2008 Author Share Posted June 2, 2008 The 63's were great. I agree. I hate not being able to demo the 83's but I guess they should sound as rich if not better than the 63's I would think. I also have only heard the 62 center and not the 64 which I am also going to get. I am pumped but honestly worried since I cant hear them in person right now. Thanks for the response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted June 2, 2008 Share Posted June 2, 2008 Mark, Since you've heard the 63's and liked them, just get that Model and be done with it...............you don't want to "What If" yourself. 1. You can Pay for them. 2. They are in Stock 3. You like them. 4. Get Them and the RC 64 and Enjoy. Good Luck and Post Pics when you get setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted June 2, 2008 Moderators Share Posted June 2, 2008 Hey Mark. Let me be the first to say Welcome to the forums! First of all, I think there is a huge difference in sound quality in the RF-83's and the RF-82's. I do not think they are even in the same ballpark. I think you should definitely be comparing the RF-63's with the RF-83's. I personally have not heard the RF-63's so let's see if we can compare what you know about them and what I have experienced about my RF-83's. Will I hear that brightness in the 83's or are they going to be duller as the 82's were. My 83's are not dull in any capacity. When I crank it (being music or movies), it is almost ear bleeding, yet not distorted in the least. I am running a 100 watt/ch Onkyo. Definitely not the best setup by any means. Shortly after I hooked up my 83's, I borrowed a QSC 265 watt/ch amp and all I can say is WOW! The detail increased, there was more clarity even at low volumes, bass was enhanced and when I cranked it, my 83's screamed to me, "Is that all you've got?" LOL. They can handle tons of clean raw power and not give the faintest hint of fatigue or breakdown. I read somewhere that they called them "Fire Breathing Dragons". I have read that the 83's have lots of bass output. The house we are renting, the living room is less than ideal. If you at the photo gallery in my signature, you will see that there is no wall behind my 83's. The ports fire into the kitchen and into the foyer. So that limits greatly the amount of bass that they produce. I am not concerned with this at all because from other's experience, they have plenty of bass and my 15" Velodyne picks up their slack for now. When I had my HK hooked up to them, they had more detail than what I hear from my Onkyo. I think this is just a difference in receiver so I know the 83's can play crystal clear, with amazing separation (depending on the source receiver or separate). I hear excellent things about Denon and with 130 watts, it will drive the 83's quite well. My Onkyo at 100 watts makes them scream. To me, they are absolutely georgeous speakers (in cherry). Another benefit that they have over the 82's is that they create a tall vertical wall of sound. My previous Polks and shorter Klipsch CF-2's brought sound near my chest. The 83's are so tall that they send sound at your chest, ear level and above my head. I love it! They are smoothe, spectacular and down right sexy! I have saved for about a year here and dont mind the price, I just want to get the best audio quality for my theater. If that is the case, I think you will absolutely love the RF-83's. Again, I have not compared them to the RF-63's. I hate not being able to demo the 83's but I guess they should sound as rich if not better than the 63's I would think. I have absolutely no reason to believe that the 83's would sound any less than the 63's. I also have only heard the 62 center and not the 64 which I am also going to get. I am pumped but honestly worried since I cant hear them in person right now. In my opinion, the RC-52 is weak and lacking. The RC-62 is a great speaker. The RC-64 is amazing. It's no wonder Klipsch pairs the RC-64 with the RF-63 and RF-83's. It is big, bold and one bad mama jama! I was very pleased with the sound I heard from it watching Pearl Harbor. So much detail and clarity. It was hooked up to a Yamaha with a separate 200 watt/ch amp (not sure the brand). My next purchase will be the RC-64. I wish I could get it now but we are currently about to start building our house so all of our money is going towards saving for closing cost, furniture etc. My dedicated theater room will be the last to be funded but that's ok. It will be totally worth the wait. You are only 8 hours away. If you get bored and want to check them out, come on down! [] Have you checked the Dealer Locator? If you really want to hear them before you buy, call all of the dealers that are close to you and maybe somewhat far from you if you are that concerned. Even a 2-3 hour drive might be worth the trip to give you peace of mind about your purchase. You might find the RF-63's are ok for you, but I had the same thought as you. I wanted the best I could afford and so I went with the RF-83 system. I'm saving and purchasing as I go. Somehow paying cash makes the speakers sound sweeter when you have worked hard, saved much and finally have the opportunity to bring them home. Best wishes my friend and good luck with your decision. Hope to see ya around the forums! Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted June 2, 2008 Moderators Share Posted June 2, 2008 Goodness! Sorry for the novel. I forgot to mention that it is best to determine what you really want to budget for your system. You can always get a bigger, badder, better setup. What I have found is that I cannot afford top of the line but I no longer buy bottom end stuff (in anything). You typically get what you pay for. It has been my experience that it is better to save up for what you want than to settle for less and then regret it, sell it for less than you paid for it and then upgrade to what you originally wanted in the first place. These speakers will last you a lifetime so look at it as an investment. How do you like the SVS PB13? I have read a lot of great reviews of the SVS subs. Awhile back, I was looking at the PB12-PLUS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark O Posted June 2, 2008 Author Share Posted June 2, 2008 Michael, Thanks for that great write up. That is what I was looking for. Excellent info, thanks for taking the time. I am going to go for it and get the 83's. I appreciate all the info. It is intimidating getting into high end speakers, or at least high end for people on a budget. The svs sub is unbelievable. My upgrade was supposed to end with that but it dwarfs the rest of my system now which is currently the Tannoy Mercury system. My buddy introduced me to it in his theater coupled with the 82 system and it is the cleanest, loudest, biggest, heaviest, sub I have ever encountered. I am by no means an expert but for the 1600 dollar price it seems to be a steal compared to others I have heard in that price range. I did a good two months worth of research and could not find one negative review, just praise. I will take pics of it all when it is all complete. Good luck on the house!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted June 2, 2008 Moderators Share Posted June 2, 2008 Just curious....what size room will you be using? Is it a dedicated theater room or a living room? What percentage of movies vs music will you use them for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted June 2, 2008 Moderators Share Posted June 2, 2008 Thanks for that great write up. That is what I was looking for. Excellent info, thanks for taking the time. I am going to go for it and get the 83's. I appreciate all the info.Sure thing bro. That's great to hear about the SVS. Everything I have read have been pretty rave reviews as well. Definitely post pics when you get it setup. We would love to see it. A good place to post pics of your setup is here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark O Posted June 2, 2008 Author Share Posted June 2, 2008 The room is about 15 by 25, dedicated home theater. Almost 90% use for movies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted June 2, 2008 Moderators Share Posted June 2, 2008 The room is about 15 by 25, dedicated home theater. Almost 90% use for movies. Now that's what I'm talking about. Mine is the exact dimensions as well. I'll email ya to chat with you about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vick's Pit Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Having owned both the 82's and now 83's I would definitely get the 83's if $ is not an option. The 83's just flat out rock in my opinion. This way you also don't have to worry about wanting to upgrade within the reference line either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InVeNtOr Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 i would love a pair of 83's but my room is only 16x16 and i am affraid that is too small for those great speakers. i have heard them too, the only problem is they have them in a cabniet, if you can believe me. i'm going for the smaller package of the 82's because of room size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted June 3, 2008 Moderators Share Posted June 3, 2008 Having owned both the 82's and now 83's I would definitely get the 83's That looks like a really sweet setup in your avatar Vick. (Youthman wipes the drool off his chin). LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vick's Pit Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Thanks Youth, glad you like it, as I couldn't be much happier with this current setup. Maybe a surround upgrade down the road when I move in the next year. You have a nice setup yourself, as do many on this site. Here is a better pic of the setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted June 4, 2008 Moderators Share Posted June 4, 2008 We've got to finish building our house before I can even begin to worry about furnishing my theater room. Hoping to start the building process this month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfsteve Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I noticed that in addition to the rf83 rc64 you also own icon xf48s. I have a pair of xf48s and am looking for the best center channel to go with them. I've heard the icon center channels have a lower quality sound than the xf48s. I auditioned the rc62 with the xf48s and the match was pretty good but I have heard that the rc64 is a better sounding center. I was wondering how you think the rc64 would do with the xf48s. Also when I compared the xf48s side by side with thr rf83s and rf82s I noticed the xf48s were not quite as open and dynamic as the 83s but the highs were less harsh. I also surprisingly found the xf48s sounded more open and clearer than the rf82s . How does the brightness (and corresponding harshness) of the rc64 compare with the rf83s and also the xf48s. I appreciate your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 To go to the RF series, you'll have to totaly change the Fronts............IMO.Unrivaled beauty, quality and performance define the Icon X SeriesXF-48 home theater system. A perfect complement to flat-panel displays,this exquisite setup flawlessly brings stunning audio to a stunningimage. (2) XF-48 Floorstanding Speakers (1) XL-23 LCR Speaker (2) XB-10 Bookshelf Speakers (floor stands not included*) (1) XW-500d Subwoofer (each sold separately) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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