Review: Klipsch RF-7 Speaker

While I have no experience with the newer Klipssch Horns, I have sold/owned/dealtwith the older stuff in the past. Last Klipsch's I owned was the SB1's/2's, driven by tube gear. Let me first say that I like what Horns can do in terms of pressence and dynamics onthewhole. For dirt cheep entry level speakers, these things sounded freaking fantastic on my tube gear!!! I used them on both a Scott 72b(?) and a Jolida 501 integrated. The sound was really too good for the money!...seriously! And before that, I'd sold/tore down my expensive system, including Sonus Electa Amators, Threshold SS amp, Pass Labs pre, etc!
The Klipsch's I was used to selling, before I picked up a couple pair of the SB series stuff being "disco'd" at a local chain store(Still available at Best Buy), were the older KLF series stuff, and next higher line up(not ref series with gold drives), the better one's. While I can't say I liked the KLF's so much, as they were a bit too warm and plain sounding(not harsh or bad though), I just found them a bit lacking in that "something special sound".
Anyway, I've always admired the benefits(as far as passive speakers go) of Horns, when executed proplery(note:Avantgarde horns, which are way refined, but beamy). Still, most have left me lacking for enthusiasm.
when I came across the SB's at a chain store, hooked to a receiver set up, I thought to myself, "I bet these would sound way better on tubes!" I was right. They sounded way too good...especially the SB1's!
While I didn't get to try the promising sounding SF3's, I thought these speakers were a great buy for a budget try. They simply worked marvelously on tubes.
I think some of the higher end and vintage line Klipsch stuff still would excell much better in terms of Dynamics at the very least. I'm sure the cheep drives have their limitations on the SB stuff you can pick up at "Best buy". But, I wouldn't mind hearing the above mentioned speakers.
Think I'll go check em out.
I'm in the above camp a bit, in that I've relaxed my stringent requirements a bit over the years, and like anything that's cheap yet sounds great!...basically overachieving. I too with audiohpile spekeakers would have more pressence, impact, and involvment for the likes of HT and rock and such. These are area's I've always thought traditional monitors could improve for home use. Yet, you're listening close up anyway, so it sometimes works ok, using high end that is.
I'd like to see more high end horn options, indeed.
Otherwise, my next project is to pick up some old SF electa amators/minima amators and try to pop in an electronic crossover, making em active! That might sound great. We'll see.

No one will ever change my mind about the Klipsch RF-7!
The RF-7 sounds great, has full force live stage sound
right at me and you do say WOW! When I first heard them
at "The Goodguys" I thought it can't be, they must have more
speakers on and sub woofers. I checked around as it was playing and only the RF-7 where playing and what punch, what
stereo fill in with great center stage force, true accurate imaging beauty. The sounds can start small and then all of the sudden come out right at you load, just like live stage, live band instruments do while watching, that it what I like about the horns. That sound can come out at you as needed to produce the sound like live. I checked around for speakers every where and asked many people opinions, I finally narrowed my search down to the Polk Audio RTi12 and was just about to buy them when I asked to listen to that more expensive Klipsch RF-7 over there.
OMG, when I heard it, it blow me back and stunned me on the sound. I told the sales guy I would be back in about 30 minutes and ran outside and called me husband and said, honey you need to get over here quick, leave work a little early so you can listen to these speakers I found that I like better than those Polk's we listened the other day, he said is it really that good, that better! I said yes it is, just get over here, they only have one set left in stock. Me husband got there and he was stunned too. He said you did good, I love em WOW, I guess we are going to
be paying $600.00 more than we thought from those Polk's. I said yes honey we are, and we got them. We love em.
We've been amazed at listening to our CD music how it makes us feel like we are there listening to it live. Those darn B&W speakers my husband had never sounded this good, so I gave those to good will and we have the RF-7 set up now.
I do think the RF-7 are a bit expensive, it should be solid wood for that price with no MDF. My husband says it's not really that expensive (I disagree) that he paid much more than that for the B&W speakers we had but I really find that hard to believe. Oh, those plastic feet on the RF-7 seem cheepy too, why not metal? These plastic feet are going to get brittle and break with age. The salesman said you have to be gentle when putting the speaker down because if you go down a little hard that they break right off. So be gentle so it doesn't break off.

I have Cerwin Vega D-9 and D-7 speakers, plus on another stereo set in another room, I have the Bose 901 speakers.
They have served me well over the years.

I heard the Klipsch RF-7 demo at GoodGuys too. WOW, WOW, WOW. It sounded live and really awesome. I wasn't even looking for speakers and I ended up bringing the RF-7 pair home. I compared them to my Cerwin Vega's and was amazed how close the Cerwin Vega's sounded close to the Klipsch RF-7. Overall, the Klipsch beats the sound quality a tad notch than the Cerwin Vega's. The Cerwin Vega's have more bass with that famous California mid hump that Cerwin Vega is famous for. The RF-7's also beat the Bose 901 too. The Bose 901 sound good but WOW, the RF-7 really gives a true like live performance that I like very much.

I'm very happy with my Klipsch RF-7's. Now I just need to sell my Cerwin Vega's and Bose 901 to help me pay for my new RF-7 purchase! Frankly, I can not understand how any one wouldn't love these Klipsch RF-7 speakers. How could they not but I am almost sure someone will have something negative to say about them being how some people are.
For me, I love them too, it's just right for me.

Let's put this in perspective a bit more for all listening/posting here...
...I've owned and sold Klipsch's for years. I've heard this speaker, as with most of the rest of the current Klipsch Refernce line as well...although I've not sold the current Ref Series. I'd like to say that with the pressence and dyamics and focus this speaker does have in a full range passive design, it offers great value, and sounds good. It's got better than average detail throughout (although not as good as some in the midrange or even bass to a lesser degree...though good when set up right), plenty of pressence and reinforcement up top with the horn, yes, good focus, pretty good imaging when you sit smack dab in between, and only modest coloration.
The speakers still are a little colored, shaded towards "warm sounding" of neutral. They don't have the detail throughout ultimately, as speakers with better drivers. yet the Horn and high sensitivity they offer does provide good detail and solid detail through most of the spectrum from upper mid on up.
The speakers aren't as pretty or "open" and airy as the better high end speakers on the market. And they don't have the neutrality of, say, a Thiel or Wilson, whatever.
The Klipsch's "can boogie" and "rock" though, as they play really loud effortlessly. This is also a huge plus for HT and rock fan's...especially if you're playing em full range.(play em as "small" for HT with large powered subs and you could extend the dynamics even more I pressume!).
Still. Make no mistake, these speakers aren't world beatters! They aren't Avantgard high end horns. Although they offer very good value to many midfi-consumers.
Actually, I prefer the neutrality of the Klipsch Synergy line from my experiences. The Synergy SF3's might just be a more neutral sounding speaker, from what I've briefly heard.
Although I haven't listened to either long enough to compare critically, considering detail, solid imaging, etc. However, my recollection was that the SF3's were more clear and transparent sounding, and they sounded great in the Best Buy set up I heard em in, playing with a more recent "Pink Floyd" concert DVD on em....Sitting down infront of those sounded very promising, and overall great!
The deal with these horns, as with most, is the sound falls off a bit, the more you get off axis! This helps greatly "on axis", but hampens listening "around the room/house!" So consider.
I'd like these speakers to sound better actually. 102 db w/1watt is very attractive, and has strong benefits...as does the whole Horn things when set up correctly. I don't like coloration however, nore constricted soundstage, or slightly rolled off speakers mostly. If I'm spending that kind of bucks, I want a more well balanced speaker.
Again, I actually like the SF3's better in terms of Balance. And those are almost 100db sensitive also!
Anyway, Wish Klipsch would come out with some more ambitious horn offerings, with more refined sound/better drivers/parts and such. Oh well...nothingg perfect.

Exertfluffer, you will have to go and take a nice
listen to the Klipsch RF-7. I think you will
be quite surprised, amazed, and take quite a liking
to them. The RF-7's are getting better reviews
from the snob audio mags than any of their other
past products. Check it out!