Klipsch RF-7 Floorstanding Speakers
Klipsch RF-7 Floorstanding Speakers
[Oct 20, 2003]
crabner
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Bass control/depth, with much of what I have already mentioned.
Weakness:
Feet, and grill. These are getting better. I can play Patricia Barber, and she comes across with good transparency, spacious, and very lively. The thing about these speakers, is that the sound comes *to you* (not *you to it*). Other speakers do not come across as lively as Klipsch, atleast the ones that I have heard. The instruments, vocals, etc., seem to be reachable by almost putting my hand out and touching them. I heard a pair of B&W Nautilus 802's, thru all Levinson equipment at Audio FX, here in Sacramento. The bass was to die for. But the music just didn't have that alive sound that Klipsch is known for. It would be too ignorant of me to say that is all of what they were, but with these speakers I made hardly any effort understand what I was hearing, it just comes to you and opens itself up, with a vocal presence that is to die for. There isn't a perfect speaker ( you have to give something to get something), but I am happy with these. Similar Products Used: SF2's, Klipschorns, La Scallas, Infinity RS1.5's, PSB, and gave heard B&W's. |
[Oct 19, 2003]
mikestancch
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Smooth and clean mids and highs with a powerful and deep bass response.
Weakness:
none The RF7's are probably the best overall speaker system that Klipsch has ever built. The horns are not inyourface as with previous models. I've owned the Forte II's and the KLF 30's. Those two models cannot match the RF7's overall sonic character. The mids and highs are crystal clear and the bass hit harder and goes deeper than the KLF 30's and easily matches the bass output of the Chourus II's. Just remember this, as with most Klipsch floor standing speakers, do not power them with a receiver, you simply will not experience all that these speakers have to offer. Despite the high sensitivity of these speakers, a low powered low current receiver will not do them justice. Although an old Pioneer SX1250 receiver from the seventies that I once owned sounded quite good on my Forte II's. Most of todays so called "high power" receivers do not have the current capability to drive these speakers to their sonic best. So, if you have a pair of RF7's or the KLF30's and you are experiencing "lack of bass" get rid of that receiver and get a good amp/preamp combo. It does not have to be of high wattage but high current is a necessity. You will be amazed at what you've missed because you thought you had a high power receiver. In fact, I don't think a true high power receiver is even made anymore(mabye the Harmon Kardon receivers are OK). You would have to spend at least $3000 to match the performance of the RF7's when they are powered by a good high current amp or tube gear. My equipment: Mcintosh MX130 pre/pro Parasound Halo A21 power amp 250 w/ch-60 ampe peak current and 100,000uf of compatance Klipsch RF7's Monarchy 22B DAC Monarchy DIP Classic Rotel 955c multi player used as transport Monster HTS 3600 power conditioner Pioneer Elite DVD/DVDA player Similar Products Used: Klipsh KLF30's, Klipsch Forte II's, Definitive Technology BP30's, NHT 2.9's. The BP30's and 2.9's both had decent bass but lacked the clarity and openess of the Klipsch. |
[Sep 24, 2003]
Bryan
AudioPhile
Strength:
Clarity, imaging
Weakness:
REQUIRES a suitable mid-range amplifier; people on the Klipsch discussion boards often recommend NAD (and I concur). Heavy! Cheap-looking plastic feet. This is a remarkable speaker system that brings to mid-range buyers the quality of speaker systems costing two to three times more -- and that's one of the reasons you'll occasionally run into negative reviews. The RF-7s present a sound stage of exceptional clarity and fidelity, which means that they'll expose -- clinically -- the flaws in a cheap solid-state receiver or an improperly equalized CD. When I first set up my RF-7s with a low-end receiver, I wasn't as pleased as I had hoped to be; the sound seemed thin, bass response was poor, and the high end was harsh. When I replaced the receiver with a NAD 752, we could not believe the difference. Moral of the story: if you're getting mid-range audiophile speakers, you'd better budget for a mid-range audiophile receiver. I agree with other reviewers who note that, although the RF-7s offer excellent bass response, the bottom octave needs to be filled out with a subwoofer. I added a Klipsch RW-10, a beautiful speaker with an almost bell-like tone, and I couldn't be more pleased with the result. A final note to those who state that the speakers aren't ideal for classical music: I listen to chamber and orchestral music, and the RF-7s are (in my opinion) an ideal speaker system for serious classical listening (IF they are properly amped, as described above). The reason lies in their superb imaging. It is breathtaking to listen to a beautifully recorded chamber music CD from one of the high-end labels, close one's eyes, and realize that you can "see" the positions of each of the musicians in a rich, astonishingly clear sound field. Similar Products Used: Klipsch KG-4s were my main speaker system from 1989 until present. |
[Sep 09, 2003]
shannon works
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
bass,soundstage,the ability to convey depth,ability to produce huge volume, efficiant,cherry wood very nice,
Weakness:
the only things that bother me are the cheesy outrigger feet,and the owners manual,not that you really need one at this stage of the program but some input from klipsch may be helpful to folks having been a klipsch fan for a while i had reservations about this speaker,big horns be it a cornerhorn or a lascala thats the ticket,went to my dealer to upgrade from my cornwalls to lascalas or maybe a cornerhorn,he suggested i take a listen to the rf7s,i auditioned a pair with about 200hrs on them and was blown away by the overall balance of the system bass response tight and solid,midrange very sweet,highs articulate but not bright sometimes the top end of a horn can be in your face,not these and if your looking for big sound they will deliver as loud as any speaker ive ever heard,hooked up to quality electronics be it solid state or tubes you will be impressed,ive tried both like them with tubes,will rock the house with minimal power great speaker for the money,however there is a break in period they do not even come close to sounding themselves for about 20hrs be patient it will be worth it,if you audition them keep that in mind try to find a pair thats been demo'd regularly with a good amp,not some surround sound crap with its other three channels switched off,needless to say i bought a pair instead of the lascalas,it wasnt really even close. Similar Products Used: klipsch cornwall,heresy,theil,kef,sonus faber,martin logan. |
[Sep 01, 2003]
crabner
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
all
Weakness:
grill, and feet. I just got these and they are nice, just out of the box. All of what has been said seems to be true, yet yet I have a Classe CAP 100 (stereophile class A), and still find Klipsch to be my favorite, with very good transparency. The bass, is very good, with good mid-bass. This just may be my last speaker, because I already won't go to anything other than a horn, and the Klipschorns, and La Scallas don't move me really as much as these. My friend has had both, with the Klipschorns presently. They are nice, but you have to have a middle speaker, and then tweaking them can be hard, especially if you have a room that isn't big enough. Similar Products Used: Klipsch, PSB, and Infinity. |
[Aug 03, 2003]
Scott Carroll
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Clean. crisp, tight sound. If you connected mediocre equipment or have a bad soundtrack these speaker will let you know. With decent equipment such as Denon, H&K, and Pioneer the sound is fantastic. For Movies and music the RF7s will be the leader of any pack.
Weakness:
size and weight The Tweeter Sales person provided an excellent aution of the Klipsch RF3II, RF5 and the RF7 using a Denon 3802. I fell in love with the RF7 but they were out of my price range so I went with the RF3II. when Tweeter was closing out there Klipsch speakers I was able to upgrade to the RF7 for a mere $400. When I set the RF7s up the were more powerful then the RF3. The sound was more pronounced and detailed. Using the Pioneer 49txi and DV47ai some older classics like Led Zepplin seem to be distorted. This was also the case during the movies. I visited the Klipsch speaker forum at http://forums.klipsch.com and with the suggestions from a number of members the RF7 and Pioneer set up is awesome. The regulars on this forum are extremely helpful and passionate about Klipsch. the speaker performance. I threw in some DVD concerts and you would swear you were front row center. The bass is fast and the highs nice and crisp. Positioning is key to get the most out of the speakers. There are also as big as the sound that they produce. In the stereo mode they completely fill the front of the listening area effortlessly. From Bach to Metallica it would be tough to sell me on another speaker. Similar Products Used: Cambridge sound Newton Series, def tech, Bose |
[Aug 02, 2003]
skibummsp
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Very forward sounding, yet refined enough to listen to more delicate pieces. The music seems so much more "alive" than I have heard on others. Incredible imaging and clarity.
Weakness:
Grills are pretty flimsy - broke one of the pins the day I got them. Driver cones can be fragile - easy to dent if you are not careful. Could use some more internal cabinet bracing. Some folks may find them too bright/aggressive sounding; for those, there is alway Paradigm. I've had these speakers for about a year and a half. Excellent mid range, clean smooth bass, and strong highs. The thing that I really love is just the shear dynamics and detail that I get out of these things. I've auditioned several other speakers, including Vienna, Sonus Faber, and even Martin-Logans. I kept coming back to the Klipsch! I also listen to a lot of symphonic power/progressive metal. It just seems like these speakers are made for that genre of music! Aggressive enough to really make the hard hitting guitars and drums to really come alive, yet refined enough to beautifully render the orchestral parts as well as the vocals. They are even that much more incredible paired up with my REL Storm III subwoofer. Similar Products Used: Vienna, Sonus-Faber, Infinity, Bose, Martin-Logan, Boston Acoustic, and Paradigm |
[Jun 28, 2003]
Jeff M
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
The horns ARE the Klipsch sound, and they provide a completely unique sound. They are crisp, clean, and in-your-face. This is great for rock and roll, techno, reggae, most jazz, etc. but they don't really compare well to the Maggies when I play a complicated classical piece. I wouldn't expect them to do so, of course. They are more spacious than one might expect, but I have them placed at some distance from the wall in a medium-sized room. Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Ray Charles, Bill Monroe, Frank Zappa, and Nine Inch Nails come through with gusto.
Weakness:
These are big, exciting speakers, but they're not at their best with Beethoven or Mahler. They do amazingly well with Wagner, of course, except for the most shrill choral bits. I purchased my RF7's after about fifteen very satisfying years with a pair of Magneplanar speakers, which were astonishing in their clarity, definition, and spaciousness. Although I adored the sound of my Maggies, I found that I couldn't afford to replace them with a similar product. The Klipsch speakers represent, of course, a VERY different approach to music reproduction. They are powerful where the Maggies were precise, forward where the Maggies were restrained, and thunderous where the Maggies were polite. The most amazing thing is that I drove both the Maggies and the Klipsch with a 20+ year old 20-watt NAD 3020 integrated amplifier. The Klipsh make a LOT of noise, and it is a joyful noise indeed. I am very, very pleased, and I didn't really expect to be. (Placement matters a lot.) Similar Products Used: Klipsh KG-2...a long time ago. |
[Jun 22, 2003]
jjc01
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Crystal clear, can play loud enough when you're in the mood (but not in the pain zone), exceptionally efficient.
Weakness:
may be a little bright for some, but not at all for me. I believe these are exceptional speakers for the money. They have incredible clarity, and miss only a small piece of the bottom, which has been remedied in my system with the use of a Velodyne HGS. They play various forms of music well, and both ends of the volume scale. Its funny, but the dealers of the more elite/expensive speakers will always tell me how weak the crossovers are in RF7s compared to their units, but every time I come home and listen to the RF7s after auditionaing their speakers, I truly smile from ear to ear, and find no reason to spend more... If my Paradigm Reference Studio Monitors had more of the clarity of my RF7s, I wouldn't be in the market for new monitors for my other system. And that is in essence of my problem: no speaker I've listened to at this point in time possesses both the sound and value of the RF7s... Similar Products Used: various |
[Jun 21, 2003]
drdave
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Great clarity. Good fit and finish. Easy to drive with any amp. Wonderful crystaline highs and tight solid bass.
Weakness:
Can be too bright for some, especially if not compatible with room or other equipment. I think they work best with tubes. High sensitivity can reveal poor quality front ends and source materail. I had always been a bit of a fan of speakers that make use of horns. And over the years I had auditioned a number of Klipsch speakers - but for one reason or another - end up with either Paradigms Studio 100 vII's or PSB's (Century 800's and Silver i'). I actually think both are good speakers. But then I decided to move away from SS equipment and I began experimenting with a number of valve amps. I've used a number of valves including Jolida, Manley, and Cary. Try as I might, I could get the same feel from my speakers as I did when using SS equipment. They sounded pale, thin and rather weak when powered by tube amplification. Well, I then found a pair of new RF-7's on the net, and figured the horn/tube combination is supposed to work, so I would give it a shot. The RF-7's with a nice horn SET (preferably one based on the 300B) really put my Paradigms and PSB's to shame. The RF-7's can tend to be a bit forward and bright, which is where my preference lies, but those who tend to like a very refined laid back speaker might not care for the Klipsch. I found that experimenting with room treatments, positioning, and a bit of tube rolling can help the Klipsch's retain their wonderful high end clarity without being overly bright (but not rolled off, in any appreciable way). So for those of you who really want the most out of your 7's, I would really consider going with tube amplification. It's really not much more expensive, or complicated, then most SS rigs. I also have an extremely large listening area and I wanted a speaker that could play loud without a great deal of distortion. I tried some NHT's, Soliloquys, and Mirage's, but they couldn't handle loud music as well as the Klipsch. (Keep in mind, I can actually drive these things to pretty insane volumes on 8 watts monoblocks!) Similar Products Used: Soliloquy 5.3, Paradigm Studio 100, NHT 2.0, Def. Tech 2002, Various PSB |