Klipsch / Energy Speakers

AeR0

anyone on here have any experience with these speakers?

keeneyrm01

I used to have a pair of Klipsch B-2 bookshelfs before i replaced them with my A3's. They were decent but i thought they had a pretty harsh sound for music.

rancid

I did have a listen to the klipsh and energy line before settling on my polks.

Klipsh for me, the sound was very thin. It was to the point that my ears ached after a few minutes. The RF-82 towers were ok....still lacking something. The energy speakers, I tried the RC-70 and can't remember if it was the RC-50 or 30. I wasn't so impressed with the RC-70...they didn't sound as clear as the polks did to me. Still, not too bad of a speaker...needed quite a bit of power to push them. The RC-50 or 30's....I was suprised with these. It was between that speaker and the polk. The energy speaker had a lot of bass response....to the point where I thought there was an 8 inch thumping somewhere. They were quite easy to drive. Great sound. What drove me to the polk A7's was the balanced sound they had. Smooth, tight bass, great mid-range, and not so bright highs. They sounded warm.

But listen to them all and see how you like them. What may sound good to one person may not be the same for the next. Bring along some cds to listen to so you get an idea of what the speakers would sound like. It also depends on what you want your speakers to do, play music or mainly for home theater. You'll likely have to make some compromises along the way. It'll be a bit of a process so take your time with it.

nguyendot

I like the older Klipsch stuff. I run some 1988/89 ForteII's and they sound wonderful.

organ

Listen to both and see which one you like more. Their sound are completely different.
Personally, I like Klipsch, but the horn sound is not for everyone. And if they're connected to the wrong equipment, they'll rip your ears right off.

RutgersFTW

As seen in my sig, I have a set of RCs in my primary music setup. I think the RTi line is great for the cash and everything, but the Energy RC line represents a total step up in fit and finish as well as sonic refinement. The 10s and 30s can be found on closeout for $300-$800 a pair, respectively, and are about as good as you can do for that kind of money. Their Take series is dominant in the budget home theater bracket, but the C/CF line leaves me cold - too much tinkling and booming.

The Klipsch Synergy line is on a similar level of performance (maybe just beneath) the RTi series with a sub-TSi quality finish. I wouldn't recommend those for the money, grab some RTis from Polk's ebay store and be happier. On the other hand, the Reference series Klipsch are one of the best speakers available in their price bracket as well, they disappear into a room with ease. That said, the finish is cheap and they're hard to find discounted so I stay away.

So I love products from both companies.

halo71

nguyendot wrote: »

I like the older Klipsch stuff. I run some 1988/89 ForteII's and they sound wonderful.

Exactly what I was going to say!

The Forte II, KG4, Heresey....to name a few models I have listened to. Are excellent sounding speakers imo. The newer models don't really appeal to me at all.

AeR0

ive been deciding again between:

RC70 -REFERENCE CONNOISSEUR 4 WAY TOWERS

or the

KLIPSCH RF-83 TOWERS

TNRabbit

I had the entire RF-83 system & loved it (had to sell all but the RT-12d sub due to financial issues). They require a REALLY GOOD AMP to sound their best; shrill equipment will sound exactly that....they were awesome with my Sunfire Ultimate Receiver (for H/T).

Menasor

rancid wrote: »

I did have a listen to the klipsh and energy line before settling on my polks.

Klipsh for me, the sound was very thin. It was to the point that my ears ached after a few minutes. The RF-82 towers were ok....still lacking something. The energy speakers, I tried the RC-70 and can't remember if it was the RC-50 or 30. I wasn't so impressed with the RC-70...they didn't sound as clear as the polks did to me. Still, not too bad of a speaker...needed quite a bit of power to push them. The RC-50 or 30's....I was suprised with these. It was between that speaker and the polk. The energy speaker had a lot of bass response....to the point where I thought there was an 8 inch thumping somewhere. They were quite easy to drive. Great sound. What drove me to the polk A7's was the balanced sound they had. Smooth, tight bass, great mid-range, and not so bright highs. They sounded warm.

But listen to them all and see how you like them. What may sound good to one person may not be the same for the next. Bring along some cds to listen to so you get an idea of what the speakers would sound like. It also depends on what you want your speakers to do, play music or mainly for home theater. You'll likely have to make some compromises along the way. It'll be a bit of a process so take your time with it.

I have to disagree with your assessment of the RC-70's. I previously owned both the RTi12's (basically your A7's) and the RTi A5's. The RC-70's are definitely a level above in separation, detail, and high end smoothness. They also retail for double of what the A7's go for ($2k/pair vs $1.1k/pair) so one would expect them to be a lot better... and they are.

rancid

Menasor wrote: »

I have to disagree with your assessment of the RC-70's. I previously owned both the RTi12's (basically your A7's) and the RTi A5's. The RC-70's are definitely a level above in separation, detail, and high end smoothness. They also retail for double of what the A7's go for ($2k/pair vs $1.1k/pair) so one would expect them to be a lot better... and they are.

I respect your opinion on the RC-70's. I know they were quite a bit more than the A7's but nonetheless still auditioned them to see what they were like. I listened to them a few times...and also compared them to the 50 or 30?? I can't remember which was the middle one in the RC series. I would agree that the 70's do sound better than it's little siblings. It was a close call between the RC series and the RTI series. For the type of music I listened to, the polks just fit my requirements a bit better. Not bashing the RC-70s in anyway but just wasn't as satisfied with the sound. I definitely wouldn't count them out for comparisons if I was to shop for speakers again. I don't recommend people to go with any specific speaker brand but offer a few to listen to and they make the judgement call. What it boils down to at the end of the day is how it sounds to you.

If I listened to more subtle types of music like jazz/classical, stuff that's a little more clear vocally with better instrument seperations, I think the RC-70s would suit me just fine. I thought the polks handled punk/rock/hard rock/metal a bit better. But what how things sound to me vs you is quite subjective. if you have any sort of recommendations of music you auditioned through the rc-70 vs the polk, I'd be happy to hear it. I used mostly hard rock and punk to do the comparisons when I was making my decisions. But one off thing I did do was compare the speakers with a celine dion concert disc and believe me, both speakers performed well.

organ

AeR0 wrote: »

ive been deciding again between:

RC70 -REFERENCE CONNOISSEUR 4 WAY TOWERS

or the

KLIPSCH RF-83 TOWERS

If you have the budget for RF-83, take a serious look at their Heritage line. For less money, you can grab used Klipschorns or La Scala in good shape and they're fully horn loaded. But the RF is a better choice if you're bass crazy.

Menasor

rancid wrote: »

I respect your opinion on the RC-70's. I know they were quite a bit more than the A7's but nonetheless still auditioned them to see what they were like. I listened to them a few times...and also compared them to the 50 or 30?? I can't remember which was the middle one in the RC series. I would agree that the 70's do sound better than it's little siblings. It was a close call between the RC series and the RTI series. For the type of music I listened to, the polks just fit my requirements a bit better. Not bashing the RC-70s in anyway but just wasn't as satisfied with the sound. I definitely wouldn't count them out for comparisons if I was to shop for speakers again. I don't recommend people to go with any specific speaker brand but offer a few to listen to and they make the judgement call. What it boils down to at the end of the day is how it sounds to you.

If I listened to more subtle types of music like jazz/classical, stuff that's a little more clear vocally with better instrument seperations, I think the RC-70s would suit me just fine. I thought the polks handled punk/rock/hard rock/metal a bit better. But what how things sound to me vs you is quite subjective. if you have any sort of recommendations of music you auditioned through the rc-70 vs the polk, I'd be happy to hear it. I used mostly hard rock and punk to do the comparisons when I was making my decisions. But one off thing I did do was compare the speakers with a celine dion concert disc and believe me, both speakers performed well.

Sorry typo. Meant I had the RTi10's, not the 12's heh. I put them through daily use... a variety of movies, and music ranging from classical, to pop, to alternative/rock, to hip hop/rap. To me, the RC-70's definitely throws a bigger and more detailed soundstage than the Polks did.

Personally I thought the Polks were forward and slightly bright. They performed very well with movies and did ok with music. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as refined. The Energies have a very refined tweeter so their high end performance is definitely better. I'd say the RTi10's sounded a bit muffled in comparison. Mid range performance I give a slight edge to the RC-70's. Also the RC-70's have a better bass response than the RTi10's to me. They do have a slight mid bass hump, which makes them a little warm, but overall they are very balanced.

I see that you play hard rock a lot, so I can understand why you preferred the A7's. Polks do well with that type of music. I'm not bashing the Polks at all, just trying to clear things up since I've had extensive experience with both. My amp puts out 200wpc to the RC-70's so they are getting a lot of power (the RTi A5's and RTi10's also got the same amount). The A7's are very good for the money (especially if you buy refurb from the Polk store).

In the end speakers are very subjective and one higher end speaker may not sound as good as a lower speaker to another. It comes down to preference, the type of material you play, and also the equipment you're using to drive them.

rancid

Menasor wrote: »

Sorry typo. Meant I had the RTi10's, not the 12's heh. I put them through daily use... a variety of movies, and music ranging from classical, to pop, to alternative/rock, to hip hop/rap. To me, the RC-70's definitely throws a bigger and more detailed soundstage than the Polks did.

Personally I thought the Polks were forward and slightly bright. They performed very well with movies and did ok with music. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as refined. The Energies have a very refined tweeter so their high end performance is definitely better. I'd say the RTi10's sounded a bit muffled in comparison. Mid range performance I give a slight edge to the RC-70's. Also the RC-70's have a better bass response than the RTi10's to me. They do have a slight mid bass hump, which makes them a little warm, but overall they are very balanced.

I see that you play hard rock a lot, so I can understand why you preferred the A7's. Polks do well with that type of music. I'm not bashing the Polks at all, just trying to clear things up since I've had extensive experience with both. My amp puts out 200wpc to the RC-70's so they are getting a lot of power (the RTi A5's and RTi10's also got the same amount). The A7's are very good for the money (especially if you buy refurb from the Polk store).

In the end speakers are very subjective and one higher end speaker may not sound as good as a lower speaker to another. It comes down to preference, the type of material you play, and also the equipment you're using to drive them.

you're right about the sound stage with the RC-70s. It is a wider sound stage. Hearing celine dion on it was actually quite tolerable for me! haha If I had the money I'd pick up both and use it for different situations. I didn't get the feeling you were bashing the polks at all. Just wondering what you listened to so I could go out and compare with the same type of music. I think I'll head over to the store this weekend when I get a chance to kill off some time. I think from when I was listening to them, the female vocals seemed a bit smoother/natural than the polks did. I poped in Diana Krall's dvd for kicks in the basement where I have a set of RTI4s. We'll just say it wasn't the best move to represent her voice!

---

To the original poster, listen to all the brands, trim levels, etc. Filter out them out one by one and you'll get a good sense of what you're after. Make sure to take your time with it. As already mentioned, the horn in the klipsh isn't for everyone. You either like the sound or you don't. Personally, the sound didn't agree with me but that's not to say that they're a horrible speaker.

zarrdoss

I have some Energy connoisseur C-3 bookshelf speakers and they sound simply amazing, not like a bookshelf at all really neutral. I have read really good reviews on Energy products and I am really impressed with these. Sometime in the distant future when I might have spare money again I would like to try some other larger ones. I personally like older vintage Klipsch as well but its not for everyone.

98Badger

It's been a while, but a couple of years ago I auditioned both Klipsch and Energy speakers. A friend of mine had the Klipsch RF-82s, so I listened to them quite a bit. Neither brand really drew me into the music or impressed me. I'm not saying either brand is bad, they just didn't suit my tastes for music. I did like the Klipsh for theater use.

mightymouse

I currently have both the Energy Veritas 2.2i and the Polk LSi9's. To my ears, the Veritas have more detail, clarity, separation, a step above the LSi9's. I haven't heard the Energy RC's in person. But I have read that the Energy RC's have more bass emphasis than the Veritas.

steveinaz

A comparison of Energy vs Klipsch should be day/night. Energy Connoisseur and RC are very laid back in the treble. Klipsch never built anything laid back. Just seems like an odd choice you have come up with...Energy's need to be listened to for awhile to really appreciate, IMO, they are not a good showroom environment speaker as they don't shout at you with any particular frequency--I think that's why most people just find them "OK." Spend some time with them, and their strengths will come thru.

Menasor

mightymouse wrote: »

I currently have both the Energy Veritas 2.2i and the Polk LSi9's. To my ears, the Veritas have more detail, clarity, separation, a step above the LSi9's. I haven't heard the Energy RC's in person. But I have read that the Energy RC's have more bass emphasis than the Veritas.

Yup... and to add to this, the RC's use the same tweeter that was in the Veritas line, so the high end clarity and detail is retained. RC's are very high performing speakers for the money.

anhchungdoan

organ wrote: »

Listen to both and see which one you like more. Their sound are completely different.
Personally, I like Klipsch, but the horn sound is not for everyone. And if they're connected to the wrong equipment, they'll rip your ears right off.

I like the vintage Klipsch better than the new ones designed for H/T. You are right on the "rip your ear off" effects when they are associated with certain SS gear unless one is kind of hard of hearing.

Conradicles

nguyendot wrote: »

I run some 1988/89 ForteII's and they sound wonderful.

:cool:
I want to listen to some of those.

To the OP, some love horns (me included) and I had 2 sets of KG4's and a pair of KG2's. The vintage Klipsch sound really nice with tubes so I hear.