Review: Klipsch RF-7 Speaker

I'll take a Klipsch heritage anyday over the RF-7. I wanted to ditch my heresies about a year or more a go which I originally bought in 1978 and my first instinct was to buy more Klipsch, but in an atrractive package to match the furniture. This was a commandment from the one who shall be obeyed (WAF). I heard the RF7s and was bitterly dissapointed they were even less tonally balanced than the Heresy even brighter if that could have possible and sounded like cheap plastic Cr#%p. I told my my wife I will find speakers. I ended up on a long journey into the death spiral of higher end equipment but still adore horns. I have them as part of my second system.
If you really want to hear good Klipsch listen to the stuff Paul W. Klipsch engineered- the heritage series, which is still made. I fufilled a teenage dream in getting La Scalas at one point during the last year from a local seller. They are not very refined in more ways than I care to consider but as a true loud speaker, emphasis on loud they work like nothing else.
The mass production stuff just doesn't hold a candle to the fuller (with the right amps) cleaner, more resolved sound of the older stuff. Treat yourself to a pair of heresies which can be bought cheaply. You'll be surprised by how refined they sound compared to the RF 7.
I will never give up my horns completely. But I did have the pleasure of listening to the Infinity IRS I which is an absurdly, large but delightful behemoth of a speaker system which could have converted me to another big sounding speaker.
I am afraid to disagree with you all but the RF7 made me think the new Klipsch is a very cheap sounding speaker I couldn't bring myself to buy them despite a High WAF. It was the speaker that ultimately sent me in a completely different direction in audio. I now have a tube amp rolled the the inputs to blackburn mullards and occasionally Telefunkens , drivers to grey glass VT 291s or Brimars or Sylvania and outputs to Tesla blue EL34s, a single player tube output CD player tube rolled tube mullard cv4004 a simple new Music Hall TT for vinyl and to top it all off medium cost Von Schweickert Audio all cone speaker with an ambient rear firing mid tweeter. Its really got a sweet tone and beautiful timbre and a soundstage a mile in every direction.
My horns still rock my Jelly Roll soul when I need a dose of something really loud ( more than I think I would at my advancing age) but have been vanquished to the basement. I am looking for some even bigger power amps for them later today in fact. The La Scalas sound better with big amps no matter what people say. I know the mantra about using little tube amps with them which I have tried and its true that some very pretty musical sound can be had with even EL84 based tubes (I am not so sure about 2 watt SETs) but they won't play their 15" inch woofers for you without the power to draw from. Sorry but trade in those RF7s for the real deal.

Barryd, I have heard the RF7's! They are pretty descent, not world beatters throughout! My assesment is pretty right on. I've been doing this for a very long time, have heard most all of it out there, sold most of it, owned a lot of it, and tinkered with too much of it!
Personally, I think the older more expensive Klipsch line was better, when I sold it back in 95 at a local AV chain store. Can't remember the series above the KG5.5 and such though. What were they called?...cabinetes were beefier, build overall much stouter, and sound was less colored from my recollection. Anybody remember the series above the KG series?

Goofy! It is obvious that you have never tried a 2a3 set 2-3 watt amp on you lascallas, the el84 is the worst sounding of all the tubes on the klipsch heritage line, and 104db per watt, any good 2a3 aet will put the lascallas up in your listening room, and your "HIGH END" stuff down in the basement. Its a shame that you have been missing out on a true pure PWK 2channel set up. It is nearly as good a it will get.

Ole Mechans, had this to say:
>Sorry but trade in those RF7s for the real deal.

No Can DO!! These are GREAT speakers, Ahhh so nice.
Get this, there is a pair of 1977 Klipchorns for sale
for $1800.00 here in my area. I had the audio store
give me a demo of them on different amps. Wow, I must
say that Ayre V1 amp so SOUNDS SUPBERB!!
As for the Klipschorn better than the RF-7! Well, I can
here that it is louder in the way of just being there but
not as transparant and imaging as the RF-7! I'll take
the RF-7 any day! The back of the Klipshorns are utility ugly and seem like cheapy ply board. I wasn't impressed.
I think the RF-7's have a much smoother and pleasing sound that sounds much more accurate than that Klipschorn. I'll have to listen to the newest Klipschorn and see if it's any better or not. The Klipschorn sure looks like it would be easy and alot cheaper to build yourself!!! Not much to them inside as I would have thought. Barryd

I've heard the RF-7's at great length, with two different SET amps as well as the Quicksilver Horn Mono's. Nice speaker, but it cannot come close to the transparency and imaging of the older Klipsch. With a good 2A3 or 300B SET amp, the vintage La Scala's or Klipschorns will reproduce the recording studio with an accuracy that is hard to match, and one that makes the RF-7 sound wispy and highly colored. Of course, if they produce the sound that you like, then you've scored bigtime.