Klipsch RB-35

audiobliss

Hey Y'all,

I'm finally moving into the big leagues; that's right, I'm going to buy me some REAL speakers. (That means they're not 20 yrs. old like my Scotts, and they're nice, not like my Sonys ) I went to Now Audio Video Saturday, and Bert Near talked me into gettin' some Klipsch RB-35s; it didn't take much talkin' . I'm, hopefully, gonna get 'em before this month is out.

I thank everybody for their help. I have learned a lot from everybody's generously sharing their knowledge with me over the last year or so. I really appreciate the responsiveness and objectivity that most of y'all have; it has helped a lot. Hope nobody's too upset I didn't go for Polk.

organ

Congrats Audiobliss. The RB/RF speakers are amazing sounding speakers. I love my RF-35. Have you considered the RF-15? I believe their price is almost the same as the RB-35 but the 15's are floorstanders with two 5.25" woofs and a different x-over freq. The RF-15 are very sexy "mini" towers. Try to demo both side by side. And don't worry, Sean already gave me the Polk whippin when I bought my speakers. I must say, I kinda enjoyed it:D .

Maurice

organ

The PC is in my parent's room. I use my Dreamcast to surf the net 95% of the time. When I start to use to computer more, I'll download it and let you know.

Maurice

audiobliss

Thanks, Maurice,

I'll try to hear the RF-15s; I'm sure Now Audio Video has some. However, I'm also sure I'll still go with the RB-35s, as they may end up being too big; I definitely don't have enough room for floorstanders.

I'll let y'all know how they sound/look/make me feel when I get them. Thanks again.

PolkWannabie

Been there ... done that ... no thanks ... your ears have my sympathies.

organ

You're welcome:). Actually, you'll be surprised how tiny the RF-15 are. They take up less floorspace than the RB-35 + stands. They're slimmer too. Russman heard the RF-15 and was very impressed with them. You should check out the specs on the Klipsch site. I think the RF-15 is more efficient. If I remeber correctly, the RF-15 retails for $999 here in Canada and the RB-35 was very close to that. If you add stands to the RB-35, you're spending just as much as a pair of RF-15. The RF-15 was modeled after the RF-35's which I'm in love with:). What source/amplification will you be using? Horns are so efficient that any weakness in the audio chain can clearly be heard.

Maurice

audiobliss

Maurice,

I hadn't heard anything about how the horns amplify any weaknesses in the system; I might want to forget Klipsch altogether, as I'm not spending that much on equipment. I have a Yamaha RX-V1400 receiver, and I'm currently using a Panasonic portable CD player for a source. I'm looking at getting Yamaha's DVD-S540 CD/DVD player when I get the speakers, though. I've put up a thread asking about that player and if I should get anything under 'Electronics'. I hope that doesn't present too many weaknesses.

According to Klipsch's new catalogue, the RB-35 freq. response is 45Hz-20kHz. Sensitivity is 96dB, and they handle 125 watts. They are 19" x 9.3" x 10.8".
The RF-15 Freq. response is 46Hz-20kHz, sensitivity is 96 dB, and they handle 100watts. They take up 36.9" x 6.8" x 12.8".

Anyhoo, I'll try to listen to 'em, and please tell me if my system is going to have any weaknesses that the horns would pick-up on. And, please don't be shy to post on my "CD/DVD Players..." in the 'Electronics' forum.

Thanks,
Audiobliss

audiobliss

Oops, I forgot to mention prices. I'll be paying just under $500 for pair of RB-35s, and the prices I can find on the web are for about $600 for a pair of RF-15s. If I can get to Now Audio Video soon, I'll check its price.

Thanks

i4gotmyid

try their acoustech speakers, they were designed by a student of paul klipsch and the sub is made by dr. hsu. i find them to be very similar to the reference line of klipsch, with a little less upfront treble, smoother sound, the towers were a little boomy, but if you set your receiver x-over higher and use a sub you can avoid the boom. but its $699 for 5 speakers and a sub at costco. try it if you dont like it, at least you can return it. i find it to be an awesome setup considering its pretty close to the reference line of klipsch but 1/3 of the price.

PolkWannabie

Originally posted by ATCVenom
Damn - PW, a little harsh there eh?

I see you have an Onkyo - may I say the same thing to you? hehe

LOL ... yeah, I suppose, but not as harsh as the ...

Any who regarding the Onk, it's pretty well smoothed out by the amps as it's only being used as a preamp at this juncture. Later this week it gets sidelined permanently in favor of a Sunfire TG IV that's on its way.

audiobliss

Hhmmm..I'm not real fond of the Acoustech speakers. They look just like the Klipsch speakers; they just seem to be copy-cats, to me. I might try to look at them, though. You said that Costco carries 'em?? Interesting....

Thanks

dcarlson

Is there any particular reason you were thinking Klipsch?

A buddy of mine has a Yamaha/Boston Acoustics setup that works rather well. When he was auditioning speakers we had a chance to hear the RXV1300(? I think) with some Klipsch floorstanders and Boston floorstanders side by side. He choose the Bostons. I think you'll definitely want to have a listen on a Yamaha receiver seeing they're bright to begin with, the Klipsch may amplify the brightness.

Maurice, have you ever hooked up your Klipsch's to a receiver? What are your thoughts about doing so?

organ

Audiobliss,
Horns are very sensitive. The horns amplify sound which means they require very little little power. Do you find your receiver to be "bright" sounding? A lot of people say Yammies are bright but the ones I've heard are fine, I'd say they're pretty neutral. The Yammi have high current and it's already plenty of good power for the Klipsch. They're very efficient and do not require a lot of power to go loud. The CD/DVD player shold work fine with the receiver especially if you use the analog out from the source. The only weakness I see is the portable discman which you're going to replace so you should be good. Does your dealer have Yamaha receivers for you to try out? If not, bring your receiver into the store and have it hooked up to the Klipsch and CD/DVD player. Remember that you should toe-in the speakers so they face the sweet spot. You might want to tilt them back slightly to make the tweeers and woofers point at your ears.

Derick,
I'll hook them up to the H/K using the receiver's internal amp and report back later tonight.

Maurice

audiobliss

Maurice,

Yes, Now Audio Video has plenty of Yamaha receivers that I can use to listen to the Klipsch speakers; actually, I've only ever used the Yamahas, maybe I should also try a NAD or Denon and see if I can tell a difference in the 'brightness'. As I'm really new to all this, I really haven't developed discerning ears. However, I can't say as my Yamaha sounds bright; it sounds good to me. Which is a good thing as I can't imagine I'd get another one in at least 10 or more years.

Anywho, thanks for all your input on this, guys; everything new I learn is helpful. Maurice, I'm also looking forward to hearing what you think of the Klipsch speakers hooked up to your Harmon Kardon.

I'm not sure why, exactly, I've sorta decided on Klipsch speakers. One thing that's probably influenced me is that they're pretty much the first speakers I heard after I decided I was going to try for a nice audio set-up. I've heard some Energy floorstanders that I REALLY liked, but I don't know of anyone near here that sells them; that's probably why I've sorta forgotten about Energy. A friend of my dad's sells Paradigm speakers at Custom Home Hi/Fi. I thought I'd take some of those home for a weekend and try 'em out, as he lets you do that. However, for whatever reason, I just haven't done that yet. That leaves Klipsch speakers. The location of the Now Audio Video store is more convenient and located near other stores where parents like to go, so I've been there a whole lot more. Thus, I've heard and been drawn to the Klipsch speakers a lot more. I can't really put out a reason why I'm so focused on Klipsch speakers; I hope I don't get them and then wish I had gone with Polk, Energy, or Paradigm.

Also, I don't have to get it right the first time. I'm hopefully going to have more than one system in my life, so I might can afford to blunder a little bit on my first one.

Again, I really appreciate all the effort everyone's put into this; it is really helping.

Thank,
Audiobliss

wire

Never heard those series of speakers .
I like Klipsh , they been around along time and make a good product . I used to like the hersey , it was a great sounding speaker , nice choice .

PolkWannabie

Originally posted by audiobliss
A friend of my dad's sells Paradigm speakers at Custom Home Hi/Fi. I thought I'd take some of those home for a weekend and try 'em out, as he lets you do that. However, for whatever reason, I just haven't done that yet.

As the ad says ... just DO IT ... it is in your best interest to hear a variety of things before you plunk down those hard earned green backs.

dcarlson

It's in your best interest to listen to some speakers.

Paradigm is a well respected company and if you could swing a deal with your dad's friend it may be a pretty sweet route.

organ

OK guys, here's the update...

Hooked up the H/K to my NAD using NAD's internal DAC not my AA DAC.

I listened at low to modirate levels. I was actually blown away by the dynamics and headroom. The H/K provided what seemed like an 'unlimited' supply of power due to the high sensitivity of the Klipsch. However, it didn't sound as good as my seperates system with the NAD pre and NAD amp but that was to be expected.

Even though the H/K provided tons of power to the Klipsch, it didn't sound as smooth as seperates and soundstage wasn't as big. It was slightly brighter and I mean slightly, just enough that I noticed the dfference. It never became harsh or hard to listen to. But we all know receivers are not up there with seperates. If I only had the H/K I'd still use Klipsch speakers.

Audiobliss,
I agree with everyone else. You should listen to as many speakers as you can. It would suck if you go for brand X and you sit there every night wondering how your system would sound if you went for brand Y. I spent MANY nights thinking about the RF-3/RF-35 when I purchased my LSi9 because at the time I wanted to listen to some RF-3 but went for the LSi without demoing the RF's.

Klipsch sound is totally different than normal speakers. You'll eiter love it or hate it. The presentation is effortless and more forward with a lot more dynamics. It sounds more like a concert. To me, horns sounds more realistic. You have to think if you want a forward/dynamic sound or a warmer laid back sound with less dynamics. Since your dealer have Yammies, I strongly recommend that you demo them on Yammi receivers at the store. If you've gone to some good concerts and movie theaters, you've heard horns in action. You can only get that 'live' sound with horns and the RF sounds very close to the concerts I've attended.

Let us know how your speaker adventure turns out.

Maurice

audiobliss

Maurice,

I thank you a bunch for going to the trouble of hooking up other equipment to you Klipsch speakers. I've listened to the Klipsch speakers through Yamaha receivers at Now Audio Video and haven't heard any 'brightness'; I may try to listen to the Klipsch speakers through a Denon or NAD just to hear the difference. I'm going to try to bring home a pair of Paradigm's this weekend to see what I think of 'em. I'm thinking about the Monitor 3 (v3, of course). It looks comprable to the RB-35s as it has an 8" woofer and is 2-way.

I'm a little confused, though. Paradigm's way of listing frequency response in their catalogue is vexing me. For the Monitor 3s it says: + 2 dB 56Hz-20kHz. Based on this, I wouldn't even audition them as the Klipsch bookshelves go down to 45 Hz. However, on the line above is says: Low-Frequency Extension: 38 Hz (DIN). Now, what does this mean?! Can it play down to 38 Hz?? If so, that's great!! And, if it can, what about the 56Hz?? If it can't, then what does that mean?? I'm not following that at all.

Thanks again for all the help y'all've so generously given me. I'm trying to absorb it all.

gidrah

Horns rule!:D

organ

Gidrah,
Voice of the Theatre........drooooooooooooool:cool:

Audiobliss,
Here's a review of the RF-35 I posted back in Jan. The sound signature should be close to the RB-35 and RF-15.

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=15038&highlight=klipsch

Maurice

gidrah

I will be getting a pair of A-7 cabs real soon. Then probably some Altec coaxials or A-8s for the rear. :cool:

organ

Very cool. Is that the cab with two woofers?

Maurice

organ

Audiobliss,
Sorry dude I missed your post there. Let us know how the Paradigm goes. Not sure why they're using -2db instead of -3. That means the Pdigms should do pretty good down to the mid 50hz. That's normal for bookshelfs. Don't know what DIN is though. I don't think the bookshelfs will reach 38hz easily. Probably will but at -6db or more. My RF-35 can dig down to the mid 30's and it's plenty of bass.

Will the system be used mainly for music of movies? 2ch or 5.1? If you're planning to go 2ch, you should demo seperates. The Denon and NAD receivers are good. I like NAD receivers more than Denon though. You should also look at some integrated amps if you're planning to go 2ch.

Maurice

gidrah

Originally posted by organ
Very cool. Is that the cab with two woofers?

Maurice

2 - 15" woofers? You must be thinking of my "soon to be" center speaker. The A-7 cabinets is what the re-released Altecs are. I'm gonna flip them over and mount the HF horn inside. Find a post from Wardsweb and click on his web link. That's what I'm going for. Slightly different drivers and probably not as pretty.

dcarlson

Will the system be used mainly for music of movies? 2ch or 5.1? If you're planning to go 2ch, you should demo seperates. The Denon and NAD receivers are good. I like NAD receivers more than Denon though. You should also look at some integrated amps if you're planning to go 2ch.

That's a good point. I prefer 2 channel and made a mistake going 5.1. Now my receiver gets very little use, my center channel is in a closet and my surrounds are getting use in a 2 channel camp setup.

If you're going 5.1 I wouldn't pay too much attention to bass specs, you'd want to get a sub to do the lows anyway.

audiobliss

Sorry I haven't already said anything about how I'm going to use my set-up. I'm going to listen to music at least 98% of the time. And I like a lot of bass. I just got my receiver for Christmas, so separates are out of the question; I'm not going to be upgrading for a while.

However, I am wanting to build a nice 2 channel system that can easily be expanded into a home theater system in the future, when I get more money and room that Mom isn't in charge of. So, music is now my priority, buy I'm leaving doors open for home theater.

Again, thanks for all the input!!

Audiobliss

dcarlson

You then have a choice of going full range floorstanders or bookshelf/sub combo. Personally, I think floorstanders are a better option for 2 channel stereo and will allow you to get by without a sub for movies as well. You can always add a sub later on if you want.

I know Maurice is happy with his Klipsch and is into 2 channel as well.

audiobliss

I really would like to have floorstanders, but I don't have enough room for them. I'm planning on putting one speaker on top of a bookshelf and the other on top of my desk. I really can't accomodate floorstanding speakers. Y'all don't think the 45 Hz limit on the Klispch is low enough? Do y'all think that even for music I would still want a sub? I hope ya don't, 'cause I don't have enough money to buy ANY kind of speaker and a sub; much less these RB-35s and a Klipsch sub. If I were to get a sub, what would y'all recommend? Klipsch? Velodyne? Polk? I'm thinking that when I expand into home theater, I'll move the bookshelves I'm fixing to get to the back for surrounds and get floorstanders for the front. Then, I might could get some real surrounds and start a dedicated 2 channel system with the RB-35s. Anyways, all that's is a GOOD ways up the road.

Thanks.

dcarlson

Sounds like a plan. You did say you like a lot of bass. If the bookshelves don't do it. You can still add a sub whenever you're ready to.

gatemplin

Audiobliss,

Since you can borrow the Paradigms take a pair of Monitor 3 V3s home. They are small but have excellent bass extension.

I really like the Paradigm sound, not everyone does but it cant hurt to try em out. I garantee you will be surprised at the amount of bass these little things produce.

If you can afford it, the Monitor 5s have even better extension. Either way it cant hurt to try as many speakers as you can.