Klipsch RF-35 review

organ

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
37Hz-20kHz ±3dB
SENSITIVITY:
98dB @ 2.83 volts/1 meter
POWER HANDLING:
125 watts maximum continuous (500 watts peak)
NOMINAL IMPEDANCE:
8 ohms compatible
ENCLOSURE TYPE:
Bass reflex via rear-mounted port
DRIVE COMPONENTS:
Two-way system using one 1" (2.54cm) magnetically shielded, titanium dome compression driver tweeter with a integral 6" (15.2cm) square 90°x60° Tractrix® Horn and two 8" (20.32cm) magnetically shielded, aluminum cone woofers
TWEETER:
K-130-DN 1" (2.54cm) Titanium dome compression driver
HIGH FREQUENCY HORN:
6" square 90°x60° Tractrix® Horn
HF CROSSOVER:
2600Hz
WOOFER:
Two K-1122-OB 8" (20.32cm) Cerametallic® cone / cast polymer frame
INPUT CONNECTIONS:
Two sets of binding post speaker terminals (connected via brass strap jumpers)
DIMENSIONS:
40.9" (103.9cm) x 9.25" (23.5cm) x 14.8" (37.6cm)
WEIGHT:
54 lbs. (24.5kg)
ENCLOSURE MATERIAL:
Medium density fiberboard construction (MDF)
FINISHES:
Black Ash, Light Cherry wood-grain vinyl
FEATURES:
Internally wired with Bandwidth Balanced™ Monster Cable®
YEARS BUILT:
2003 -



I'm sure most of you know that I got into tube gear over the summer. It started with a Dyna ST-70 tube amp and then I got an Antique Sound Lab AQ-2004DT tube pre amp. I love the sound of tube equipments and have always heard great things about tubes and high efficiency horn speakers. Along with the great things, I've also heard horror stories of horn speakers being too bright, harsh and fatiquing. I knew it was going to be a gamble when I get a pair of horn speakers. I was either going to like it or not.

I decided to look into the Klipsch Reference series after I read some positive reviews. The Refrence speakers are pretty much the LSi of Klipsch. The RF-35 is the middle man in the line of tower speakers. There's an RF-15, 25 and the two bigger boys are the RF-5 and 7.

When I was ready, I went down to the nearest Klipsch dealer. They had all the Reference models up to the RF-35. The thing that surprised me at first was their size. I had no idea they were going to be very big. Anyways, I decided to give them a listen. At first the bass was too strong and then I remembered that they have large ports on the back and the speakers were set up to close to the front wall so I ignored the bass and focused on the highs and mids. They were powered by a high end Onkyo and a TOTL Denon DVD/CD player. They sounded very good there in the demo room. I was surprised that I didn't hear bright highs. The mids was warm sounding and the highs was very airy.

After listening to the RF-35, I listened to the RF-25. I was thinking I should go for the 25 because it's much smaller than the 35. But after listening to them I decided I should get the 35. I really forcused on the mids when listening to both speakers. The RF-25 was good but it didn't sound as warm as the 35. The mids was slightly brighter. The bass was very impressive on both models, but the 35 had more slam and dynamics. After hearing the 25 I knew I'd be happier with a pair of 35 and the only thing that wouldn't be happy is my pockets.

I brought them home and set everything up. I had a problem with a woofer on one of the speakers. I brought the speaker back to the store. They sent it out to the nearest repair center and I got it back in 4 days with a new woofer.

BUILD QUALITY:
The RF-35 looks very expensive with the grilles off. But as you get close to the speakers you will notice that the cabinet is not very good. By looking at it and feeling it, you will know it's vinyl immediately. Those of you who love the build quality of Polk speakers will be dissapointed here. But there is one feature I just love. These speakers have magnetic grilles that snap on and off easily. So with the grilles off you won't see any holes around the cabinet.

SET UP:
I'm running single wire right now with speaker cables in place of the metal jumpers. I haven't tried bi-wiring on them yet.
These speakers are very difficult to set up. I would move them around every night trying to find a spot where they would sound better than the last. They also need a good amount of toe-in. This is probably because the horns are very directional.

SOUND:
I hooked them up to my Dyna amp and ASL pre. The RF-35 are extremely efficient speakers. They are rated at 98db/w/m. My RT800i are 90db/w/m which means that to reach a peak of 110db, the Klipsch will only need 16 watts of power while the RT-800i will need almost 128 watts.

So what kind of sound do you get from high efficiency speakers? Very clean, undistorted and very dynamic sound. Just like a concert. The RF-35 sounds a million times better at home with my gear than the demo room in the store.

These speakers really need to break-in. At first I noticed this sharp sound in the highs and upper mids. It wasn't annoying or distracting but it was there. After about 2 days it was hard to tell anymore, and within one week it's completely gone. Other members on the Klipsch forum noticed the exact same thing. The highs are now very smooth and detailed. The way the tweeter radiates sound is controlled. The horn is 90 degrees vertical and 60 degrees horizontal.

The sound is very different from normal direct radiating speakers. Direct radiating speakers have a mellower sound with less dynamics. The Klipsch is more forward, lively and doesn't sound compressed even during the loudest passages. They are brighter than both my RT800i and LSi9. It's not a bad kind of bright. "Lively" is probably a better word for it. There's also less warmth in the upper mids compared to my previous speakers.

One thing the Klipsch does very well is providing BIG sound. They sound like much bigger speakers with dynamics that can scare the crap out of you. They can play very nicely and suddenly hit you really hard without any strain. You will hear the weight and power of a bass drums and bass guitars. The decay of each instrument can clearly be heard as well.

One form of music they really stand out with is extreme metal like Cradle of Filth, Amon Amarth, Moonspell, etc. They just sound effortless, crystal clear and extremely dynamic on the Klipsch. I was listening to some metal at very high volume a while ago and I got the same feeling I get in metal concerts. Usually when the music builds up to a climax, it sounds like the whole venue is about to collapse from the sheer power and very high volume. I get the exact same feeling with the Klipsch during loud passages. The only thing missing is the bass that that moves the hair on my head.

They perform very well on other forms of music too. While listening to Sarah Brightman, it sounded like she was right there singing in front of me. The way vocals sound on the Klipsch is amazing. The sound has so much presence that it grabs your attention immediately. Her airy voice was sounded very sweet. I really like the way the horn tweeters make your room feel alive. The sound just takes over the whole room and when needed it will pound you! The RF-35 will make your amp sound like it has an unlimited supply of power.

Classical also sounds superb. The dynamics contrast between each instrument can clearly be heard. But again, the "airy" sound makes the big orchestra sound, well....big.

BASS
Just like the LSi9, the RF-35 will play to a certain point and then it drops like a brick. I'm guessing the RF-35 begins to drop fast around 40hz. But what you hear over 40hz is amazing impact and dynamics. Drum rolls and double bass rolls sound effortless and they don't skip a beat. IMO a subwoofer is not needed for music.

SOUNDTAGING
This is one area that some people would consider a weakness with the Klipsch. The soundstage is there but not as pin-point accurate as Polk speakers. Instead, the sound feels closer and sounds much bigger. It sounds more like a concert than home audio speakers. There's also less depth in the soundstage. The thing that makes up for this is the way it does front to back imaging. Very big sound with a great sense of "air".

SS AMPLIFICATION
I also gave them a good listen with my SS gear. They sound excellent with the ASL pre and NAD amp. The tube smoothness and warmth went through the NAD amp and sounds very sweet with the Klipsch. Again, it sounds like you have an unlimited amount of power and reserves. The highs also sounded very sweet with the tube pre/ss amp combo. It sounds a lot like the ASL/Dyna combo but without the extra air and warmth.

My least favorite is probably the NAD pre/NAD amp combo. I didn't listen to this combo for too long but from what I heard, I didn't really like the highs and the bass was too warm. I still need more time with this set up.

Last night and today I gave them a good listen on the Rotel pre/NAD amp and really enjoyed the sound. Not as good as any of the tube combos but it had a very clean and detailed sound. So far it was better than the NAD pre/NAD amp combo.


The Klipsch Reference series are awesome speakers that far exceeded my expectations. Forget all the horror stories you heard about horns. If you have good gear, they will sound great. If you're looking for a new pair of speakers and want a very big, dynamic and lively sound, give the Klipsch a listen.

Thanks for reading my review. I hope it didn't bore you too much.

Maurice

organ

Close up of the horn:

organ

Close up of the woofer:

organ

Left speaker:

organ

Front soundstage:

pjdami

Maurice,

Most excellent review. I enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing your experience.

I'm interested in some of your opinion on how the Klipsch sound compared to the LSi 9. Do you find that the Klipsch are more clear or transparent sounding or lacking some of the "chestiness" that the LSi 9 have on some vocals? This "chestiness" seems to drown out some of the surrounding and supporting instruments on the LSi 9s at times. I'm being real picky here as well.

Also how do they perform at lower volumes. Are they just as detailed at low volumes? The LSi 9 I find has a "threshold" volume where they seem to wake up. Does the Klipsch follow this behaviour or is the sound very linear in respect to volume?

Sibilance. The "ssssssss's" at the end of female voices. Much better with the tubes compared to the SS equipment? How does the sibilance compare to the LSi 9.

I am very happy to hear that you are enjoying them so much. So are they your favorites now?? I wouldn't be surprised if they are since they seem to match the kind of music that you listen to very well. Just wait until you begin experimenting with some ICs and speaker wire as well. Your gear certainly has the resolution that wire can make a contribution to the overall sound as well.

Paul

organ

Paul,
Yeah, the Klipsch are more transparent especially with their front to back imaging. The LSi9 is better with depth and warmth.

I know what you mean about the "chestiness". There's no chestiness at all with the Klipsch. You may actually find the mids a little lean at first if you're used to the really warm mids of the LSi9. I think the mids is the cleanest sounding I've heard. The mids in the LSi9 IMO is slightly colored to give a warm sound where the Klipsch is more neutral. Even the mid bass can sound too powerful on the LSi9. That's why I really enjoyed the LSi being powered by the Dyna because it took away some of the powerful mid bass and heavy mids.

They're just as detailed at lower volumes. I'm guessing it's due to the high sensitivity. The LSi9 needed a little bump on the volume control to open up but the Klipsch doesn't. I have to listen at low volumes whenever people are home and the Klipsch doesn't have that "threshold" volume. Once you apply power to them they just open up.

The sibilance is different on tubes compared to SS. It's not a big difference but it's there. When I first got them, it was clearly audible and completely gone within one week of daily use. I'm listening to them on the Rotel/NAD gear right now and it's not a problem. Sibilance sound a little smoother on tubes. If the recording is very good, you will NOT hear sibilace at all, even on SS gear. IMO, sibilance is more distracting on the LSi9 because it's overall presentation is more laid back and the sibilance really pops out from the soundstage. The horns have less sibilance. I know this sounds weird but I find them smoother souunding than the ring radiator.

Here's a great horn page: http://invalid.ed.unit.no/~dunker/horns.html

Yeap, they're my favorite now. The "lively" sound I keep talking about makes music sound more fun and enjoyable.

Yeah, I will be getting new speaker cables. Thanks for the link you provided on the other thread. I already fond some I'd like to try. Do you prefer bananas or spades? Does that guy make jumpers too?

Maurice

RuSsMaN

Great review Maurice!

I think after I firm up my TT situation in the cave, I'm going to look long and hard at Klipsch (RF series esp), and setup a tube-only amp/pre - maybe an int. amp.

The 15's will fit perfectly on the outside of the SRS 2's, and I'll toe them in a little to hit the sweet spot in my intimate room (sounds better than 'small').

Do you think 9wpc/cont will be ok on the 15's? I'll go ahead and look it up, I just can't remember the eff. rating.

Cheers,
Rooster

organ

Thanks Russ. You're going to have a killer system with that TT and all tube. You should check out the 25's also. They're not that much bigger than the 15. Just don't place them too close to the front wall because they have the rear ports.

The RF-15 are 96db/w/m, the 25 are 97db/w/m. What pre/amp/int will you be looking at?

What's the peak power on that 9w/ch amp? I'm sure it should be fine unless you like to listen really loud. What's the size of your intimate room? I'll ask the folks over at the Klipsch forum. They're really good at that stuff.

You have a friend with a pair of RF-15 right? Maybe you can test it out with his speakers.

Maurice

RuSsMaN

I was looking at ASL, but the nOrh SE9 has *really* piqued my interest.

http://www.norh.com/products/se9/index.html

I'd run my Scott Nixon modded Tube cdp, and a Music Hall TT / Parasound phono pre with it.

$$ are the BIG factor on the new(er) Klipsch - and the rear port doesn't bother me - it's a plus in my book. Reason being, I can get to tune the low end to the 'hot' side using near-wall placement.

Cheers,
Rooster

organ

That's a sweet looking integrated. I'm sure it's better than ASL's Wave 8 or 10. EL-34 power tubes are very popular and the tube rectification is a plus.

I'll ask the Klipsch forum about the RF-15 and SE9.

You'll get some serious bass with those ports close to the wall. I tried doing that with my other speakers but it just won't work in my room:(.

Maurice

JDOGG

Have you had a chance to demo the SF-3's? I will be getting those or the 35's. Is there a big difference?

gidrah

Outstanding review. Well done.

Today I was listening to the Altecs with my ST-70 and an Adcom SS preamp. It sounded really good. Then I got the idea to throw a C-9 (?) Sonic Holography generator into the mix and I was amazed by the results. I only paid like $60 for it and it had been unused most of the time I've had it.

dorokusai

Great review, I am looking forward to hearing some Klipsch in the future. That is a pretty cool looking speaker...always liked the low end performance of the K.

organ

JDOGG,
The store I purchased them from doesn't carry the Synergy line but the Synerguy line is lower than their Reference line. Synergy is like the RTi of Polk and the Reference line is like the LSi. The best thing to do is probably to demo both models and buy the one you like. If don't mind spending the extra money for the RF-35 I think you'll be very satisfied.

gidrah,
Have you tried a tube pre with your ST-70 yet? Those giant horns you have must sound fantastic. Horns sound so different than normal speakers. How do dynamics and slam sound with your system? Do you get less depth in the soundstage compared to Polk?

Sean,
No mancave yet. Maybe when I get a pair of RF-7:D LOL. The white bothers me too but my parents want to keep it that way. I do get a nice effect at night with the lava lamp though:).

Nah, I'm planning to keep the 35's for a long time because I want to get into HT again and I plan to go Klipsch all the way. Next up will be a cheapo receiver with pre outs and the RC-35 center speaker.

Did you get a chance to demo the RB-25? I think you'd like the Klipsch sound.

doro,
Which Klipsch are you going to demo? Yeah, the low end is very good. A lot of punch there. Bring some good sounding metal CD's to the dealer and let em rip:).

Maurice

dorokusai

M - I was really going to head out and listen to your pair...of speakers, or what I am able to find in that series. I have a local K dealer and really should give them some new ears. My "vintage" opinion of K should be re-examined at the very least.

gidrah

Originally posted by organ

gidrah,
Have you tried a tube pre with your ST-70 yet? Those giant horns you have must sound fantastic. Horns sound so different than normal speakers. How do dynamics and slam sound with your system? Do you get less depth in the soundstage compared to Polk?

Maurice

No tube pre yet. I've had my eye on a juicy AVA / Dyna PAS4i.
http://www.avahifi.com/root/equipment/preamplifier/transcendence_five_sl.htm
I've been wanting a tube pre for some time, but first I'd have to come up with some money or sell a couple of my preamps. I'm finding both of these options more difficult than expected. With my system dynamics and slam are off the hook. Yes the soundstage is much smaller, but the C-9 took care of that in spades. Unfortunately, I put the ST-70 and C-9 back on the shelfs last night.

JDOGG

Organ,
I've decided on the 25's. Couldn't tell the diff. between them and the 35's. The 25's had deeper bass, to me, and were clearer. Thanks for suggesting them. Should be here Saturday or Sunday.:D

organ

doro,
That's cool. Let us know what you think of them after the demo.

Sean,
Sounds good to me. We can listen to the Klipsch and I'll kick your **** on some video games after:D.

Yes, the girls are great but there's no way in hell I'm going to poison my system by letting them play their music on it;). That would be a waste of tube life and electricity;).

If you can score on a pair of ST-35, do it. It's the mono block version of the ST-70. That should sound killer with your SDA's. Just ask madmax.

I'M NOT LEAVING THIS FORUM LOL!. You guys are the best and the ones on the Klipsch forum are too damn technical for me.

gidrah,
Those PAS pre amps are suppose to be really good, especially with the ava mods. I'm sure you're going to enjoy it. You can find stock PAS pre amps on ebay for not too much but it's probably better to buy from avahifi because they've tested the units and they're modified.

JDOGG,
CONGRATS! Did you already pay for the 25's? Did you place the 25's on the same spot as the 35's when you demoed them? It just sounds strange that the 25 has more bass than the 35. The 35 walked all over the 25 in the bass department when I demoed the two. Four 6.5" woofs on the 25 vs four 8" woofs on the 35. The mids is pretty much a personal thing. I found them slightly brighter on the 25. I knew it wouldn't work out with me because I like to listen really LOUD. You're still going to chill with us on the Polk forum right? Please post a review of your new speakers. I'd like to see what you think of them. Make sure you use the spikes. They make a BIG difference with the bass.


Maurice

organ

I have a correction to make with the review. I've moved the Klipsch around several times since I listened to them with the NAD pre/NAD amp. I'm listening to the NAD seperates right now and I'm really enjoying the sound. It's so much better now. The highs are very polite and the bass is very, very powerful with a slight bloom that can also be found on tubes. The biggest difference is the mids. It's liquid smooth just like a tube set up. It's still not as good as tubes but the NAD combo comes closest to it.

I'll be listening to SS for a while. I'm going to save up some cash and send the Dyna for a complete rebuild. Only the transformers and chassis are staying. Everything else will be replaced. I'll also send in the ASL for mods and upgrades if the price is right.

Maurice

JDOGG

thanks organ. Ultimate Electronics didn't have any in stock, they said saturday or sunday.I'll try and give a review best that I can after I've listened to them for awhile. And yes, i will be sticking around. The speakers weren't in the same spot, but I don't need a speaker that big because I have a subwoofer which handles the low frequencie's in movies. Can't wait to get them!

Tour2ma

Maurice,
Nice write up... those are not our Dad's KH's by any stretch. My new Bro-in-law owns a pair of Cornwalls.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think the Dynaco ST-35 you mention above is the little stereo brother of the ST-70, not the mono-block. The Dyna mono-blocks are the Mark series (I, II, III, IV).

organ

Tour,
Crap, that's right. I always get them mixed up. The ST-35 is much harder to find than an ST-70. There's a great review on the 35 on tnt audio.

Did you get to listen to those Cornwalls? The Klipsch Heritage line is still being produced today. I hope to own a pair of La Scala when I get my own place with a large enough room. Hopefully I'm not married yet by that time;).

Sean,
LOL! You move that tower and I'll throw you in the piranha tank:D. Took me weeks to find the right spot.

Nah, that was a joke. I'd let them play their music on my system. Maybe when they hear some horns, they'd get horny:). When they're horny they'd want a tube to play with that's not so hot:D.

Sorry to hear about the deal. You can still bag some new tube amps from ASL and Jolida for great prices. Problem with vintage equipments is that they can become unreliable. That's why I'm getting a re-build on the Dyna.

So you're not planning on getting a tube pre first? A tube pre/SS amp should give more tube sound.

Had to work on new years eve but so far everythings great. Hope you had a great new year too. Happy New Year to you and everybody else. Let's hope 2004 will bring us plenty of new gear:).

Maurice

Dr. Spec

Great review. My buddy has a 3803 running a Klipsch Reference HT rig.

RF-5, RC-7, RB-3 (sides). He will be getting the RS-7 bipole model for the sides after he moves into a new house and goes to 7.1. Sub is SVS20-39PC+ and all speakers are running on small with an 80 Hz xo.

Efficiency is excellent for the larger models, but the RB-3 is far less efficient as we noticed on calibration/

I found the RF-5 to possess many of the same attributes as your RF-35 (essentially an updated RF-3). The Klipsch sound is open, forward, and airy. Off-axis dispersion (as you might suspect with a horn) is outstanding. I don't find them fatiguing at all with the 3803, but they do mercilessly expose any flaws in the source material.

The RC-7 uses a larger diameter (1.75") horn speaker, and it is very detailed and neutral sounding as a center channel, throwing a huge soundstage.

I can definitely recommend the Klipsch Reference series for music/HT.

Doc

organ

Thanks Doc. I plan to start my HT again with the Klipsch. I was very impressed with their movie performance in 2ch. They really do sound like a good theater. I'm not planning to use a high end receiver though. Just a lower Yammi or Denon with pre outs.

Sean,
"If the bear's wont get ya, I will import a few native Virginian swamp donkie's. *Italian voice over*" ROTFLMAO!!!:D:D:D. I don't think I can top that LOL.

I work nights at a Restaurant on Fri, Sat and Sun.

Actually, I am into cars. I drive a supped up grey Corvette. Actually, I have a Corvette in GT3 which I play with a steering wheel on standard. Great game!.

Seriously, I don't even have a license. Car payments and insurance will kill any future audio upgrades. My friends just don't get that. I'd take audio over cars ALL DAY! LOL

Maurice

JDOGG

Organ,

I got my speakers today, the 25's. Been listening for not too long but they sound great. Can wait to get them all broken in. I have the spikes on, just hope they don't put a hole in my carpet.:D

organ

Congrats! You will hear a difference within two days if you listen for 10+ hrs each day. Within a week they should sound very different. Much smoother and not as sharp. The sound in my 35 is still improving. Now they image like a bad mother fu#ker. I love them so much. Are you going to get the matching center and surrounds?

Do you get the urge to pump up the volume to crazy levels whenever you listen? The sound keeps getting better as the volume is increased.

Glad to hear you're enjoying them. Keep us posted and let me know if you experiece the same things I did during break-in. Don't worry, your carpet will be fine:). All you have to worry about now is positioning, toe-in and tilting. Took me two weeks to find the right spot for them.

Sean,
You're going to love the tube sound. Check my response on the plans for 2004 thread.

No, I don't know anybody named Gonzalo. We only have one guy who's really into cars and his name is Tom. You can find one of those everywhere you go. But us audio freaks are very rare around here.

I'm not planning to get my license until I get a real job and be able to afford a car.

Flight sim? I suck donkey balls in those games. I have one on Dreamcast and I can't even pass the second stage LOL. I just don't have the patience and accuracy for flight sims.

Maurice

JDOGG

I am planning on surrounds and center but not for a little while. The urge is very strong to just blast them. I don't have much room to move them around because I have a computer desk in my room. But sometime this week or next I might move it out into the family room. They are GREAT!:D i'm gonna tell my parents to turn them on while I'm at school for 6 hrs.:( I just want to sit there all day and listen to music and watch movies. But I guess school will help in the long run. I guess the only thing i'm a little bit dissapointed with is the connections, no banana plgs fit, I guess it's off to BB for spade connectors.