Hey Organ,

[Zero]

I have always given you a hard time in regards to your speakers of choice, the RF-3's from Klipsch. Curiousity got the best of me and I decided to try out some small RB-3's just for grins.

Thankfully they perform nothing like what Ive heard in other peoples homes and in stores. The high-end is surprisingly smooth, dare I say, *much* softer than the Totem high end.

I am not sure if I will be keeping the RB-3's, but I have certainly had fun with them thus far! A nice refreshing change of pace from your normal cones n domes.

[Toxis]

Don't knock it til you try it (in your own home). :D I was a bigger fan of the ol' RF3/RB3 over today's RF35/RB35. I'd like to do a side by side today to see if it's just my tastes that have changed.

[organ]

Sean,
Wow, thought you'd never bring home a pair of horns.

I'm not surprised by your findings. They really do require good gear (which you have plenty of) to shine. I've never heard a good Klipsch demo in the store.

You're right about the high end compared to Totem. I was at an audio shop about a month ago and was surprised to hear the Totem's high end being more dominant than the LSi and Klipsch. I always thought they'd sound close to the LSi.

The thing I love most about Klipsch is their ability to bring out the intense energy in music and their powerful dynamic range. Music sounds more exciting (just like live) and you won't get bored.

Don't give up on them just yet. Since you go through a lot of gear, give them a chance on a tube int or seperates before seperating with them. Right now you're only getting half the magic of horns. Once you drive them with tubes, they transform into a different beast. Sound becomes liquid smooth while still retaining the dynamic impact. You also get more body/weight and much warmer sound. They bloom with tubes. Sound just floats in your room and they have this 'presence' that's hard to miss. Belive it or not, my 35's have a lot more dynamics and have better bass punch with my tube amp than the 120w/ch NAD.

You never know, tubes and horns may be your kind of sound. If so, you can get rid of the RB and go bigger. One thing's for sure with Klipsch, the bigger you go, the more intense and dynamic the presentation.

I know I told you I was planning to upgrade to a pair of RF-7 but I just found out my dealer can get their Heratige line. So it's going to be a pair of La Scala for me in the future. They're actually cheaper than the RF-7.

Toxis,
What didn't you like about the 35 series? The main difference with them is the x-over. The 3 are crossed somewhere in the 1kHz range while the 35 are around 2.3kHz. Efficiency seems to be the same. However, I think the RF-3 looks waaaay better than the 35. I've never heard the RF-3. I almost bought a pair several years ago but went with the LSi9 instead.

Maurice

[Toxis]

I just remember more life to the speaker, almost less processed. Again, I really need to hear them side by side again.

[Zero]

Maurice,

Vince uses unusual tweeters for his affordable products, tweeters you would typically only find in high-end car audio, such as modified tweeters from MB Quart. The up-side is, instruments like piano and string take on a natural voice that floats. Unfortunately, if the recording is not in tip-top shape, your ears may be in for a rough time. Totem, like Klipsch, like most other products, really require love and care to show off their capabilities.

As stated before, out of the box, the RB-3’s had a smooth top end that took no time to get used to. This was a surprise considering *every* last demo of a Klipsch product has resulted in wrenching pain, yes, even on tubes. Perhaps its my tastes changing, position of the moon, whatever it may be, it’s a good thing.

Unfortunately my demo with the RB-3’s is pretty limited and I will not be able to get a killer tube amp (was thinking almarro SET) in here. Oddly enough (though not surprising), the RB-3’s absolutely come to life on that $99 TEAC tri-path based chip amplifier. Talk about dynamics !! Get a good passive pre in there and you have a budget system made in heaven!

One thing is certain, and that is Klipsch will certainly be a product I may not be able to resist for theater. The RB-3’s have all that I could want for a high-end home theater; Detail. Smooth top end. Dynamics. Punch. Energy. No, this certainly is not my cup of tea for two-channel, but I can see how to some it would be!

I know of at least a few people here who have been pretty skeptical of trying Klipsch, I just hope that those people go on a limb one day and give it an honest effort. My RB-3’s will be going back. However, I got my eyes on the larger models later down the road.

Cheers!

[Toxis]

if I ever do a dedicated theater room, I'm doing the Klipsch THX Ultra 2 setup. DAMN!

[Zero]

follow up:

Wow!!! Bi-wiring makes all the difference. I was running this via: bi-wire, took it out for regular two conductor wire and was instantly greeted with the sound I have normally loathed.... strange !

[organ]

Sean,
Very true. Even in 2ch, I love the way my 35's sound on movies. It really makes you feel like you're at the theatre because the presentation is larger than life.

Tell me more about this SET amp you wanted to get. I was thinking about going SET but I don't think that's going to happen until I get a pair of La Scala. The Reference line have imp dips. I believe the 7's dip down to 2.9 Ohms. Also, I wanted a SET with 300B output tubes but the price for those tubes (around $200/pair) is a real turn off. Nothing beats the EL34 at under $30 a pair.

Several members on the Klipsch forum tried the Teac with good results too. Did you try it on any other amps?

Glad to hear you're enjoying the improvements with wires. That's the beauty of highly sensitive speakers. Every little change can clearly be heard. Makes me wonder if I could ever max out my speakers. Other than the dynamic presentation, it seems like you're listening to your source, pre and amp more than the speakers. They're very neutral. What kind of difference are you getting when not bi-wiring? Do you find them more acceptable for 2ch now?

Toxis,
Makes sense to me. Being crossed around 1kHz, the 3 series should sound more lively than the 35's at 2.3k.

Yeah, that Ultra 2 in insane looking. Those subs have their own external amplifiers. If I had the cash and room, I'd get those for HT too.

Maurice

[Zero]

Maurice,


I was looking at the entry level Almarro A205 integrated, which sports a whole 5 watts per channel. I thought about taking it up a notch to the Almarro A318 integrated that offers 18 per channel. I have now completely lost any urge to try out those SET’s, as this new Red Wine Audio “Clari-T” amp is doing things that go against everything I have learned in audio. Astounding…

Here is a brief 6moons review of the A205:

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/almarro2/a205a.html

Surprisingly, the RB-3’s did not like the amp. I have also given the Klipsch a run on the Sony AVD S50 ES and the Musical Fidelity A3.2 integrated. The best match by far has been the little teac legacy 700.

When not bi-wired, the speakers become everything I have always disliked about their products. Hollow, thin, harsh, and lifeless. Impossible to listen to for any longer than a minutes time. I find these speakers to be fun. They are not refined at all, but still manage to provide these ears with listening pleasure (when bi-wired). Perhaps the biggest strength is their ability to play incredibly poor recordings without much sacrifice when you let the good recordings loose.