Price Paid:  $280.00 from Tweeter

Summary:
These are great speakers for the price. I received them as a birthday gift in high school. I was and am currently using a Sansui 9090 receiver. With that kind of power driving these speakers, you do not need to turn the knob more then a quarter turn. They are very efficient and sound amazing. They excell in reproducing music from vinyl. They sound a bit dull when listening to digitally generated music. The sound can be described as warm and tube like. I have also used them with a FIsher tube amp and they sound quite well, however the high notes are not as pronounced.If you are looking for a very good deal, and an attractive enclosure, then these speakers are for you. Mine were slightly damaged cosmetically and were being sold as is but a simple repair rectified the problem. Klipsch makes great stuff at a time when quality at an affordable price is but a dream for most of us.

Price Paid:  $348.00 from Best Buy online stor

Summary:
When I was first piecing together my home theater system, I purchased the Klipsch Synergy Series 1 speaker set because I wanted solid, multifunctional speakers that would not break my bank account. After a few years I began to get a bit tired with the SF-1s (mains). They seemed a bit weak as my ear got more refined in terms of music and movies. I decided that it was time to upgrade, so I looked at the SF-2s. When I went into the store I saw they were $249.99 a speaker. I went online and saw that the SF-3s were listed as $249.99 a piece as well, so I opted to purchase them. When I went to the order page, they came up as $347.98 for the pair! Seeing as how the SF-3s are $349.99 per speaker in the Best Buy stores, you can imagine my shock at this price. It essentially became a buy one, get one free deal.

This is probably the best deal I have ever seen for a set of speakers like this. The sound quality is perfect for the type of listening that I like. Stereo music and TV come across very well. I haven't had a chance to try multi-channel DVD-Audio or run a movie through them yet, but considering how well the SF-1s performed (especially for their price), I am none too worried.

However, if you are looking for "sexy" speakers whose looks will wow your friends and appease your wife, you may want to take a pass on these. The Klipsch Synergy line is essentially a no-frills, solid sound quality line of speakers that attempt to deliver the most bang for the buck.

Strengths:
very strong bass, solid midrange and highs; performs well with movies, day-to-day TV listening, music and radio; no-nonsense look that compliments my home theater collection

Weaknesses:
None as far as pure sound and build quality are concerned (considering the price of course); however, if you are looking for a speaker that is aesthetically "sleek" or "refined" and can be seen as a part of your decor, you may want to look elsewhere

Similar Products Used:
Klipsch SF-1 main speakers, Infinity Minuette speaker system, Bose Lifestyle speakers

Price Paid:  $349.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
I listened to a number of different combinations: Athena, Klipsch, Bose, Cerwin Vega, JBL, ect... The Klipsch sounded cleaner and had the best combination of deep bass and Mids than the others. I originally purchased the Klipsch SF-1's, and although they were very clean sounding speakers, I felt they didn't have the power that I was seeking. I then narrowed it down to the The Klipsch SF-3 and Klipsch RF-35. They are really the same speakers except for the SF-3's tweeters are alluminum, and the RF-35's are Titanium. The Woofers in the SF-3 are made with a paper composite cone material compareed with gold material used in the RF-35 woofers. The sensitivity on both speakers are exactly the same. Actually, the SF-3 is rated better on their HF crossover: 1975Hz compared with 2600Hz on the RF-35. Also, by referring to the specs on the Klipsch web-site, it showed that the SF-3 has more power too: The SF-3 has 150 watts maximum power compared to the RF-35's 125 watts maximum power. The SF-3 weighs 56 LBs compared to the RF-35's 54 LBs. So for the money, and looking at the specs, I felt that the SF-3 was a better buy for me.

Strengths:
Horns, clarity, sounds great with both home theater and music.

Weaknesses:
For the price, none.

Similar Products Used:
JBL, Cerwin Vega