I was literally blown away watching this video. If I owned that speaker, I would want to contact Klipsch and say what in the hell is going on, and have them pay for the fix, no kidding!
Danny, this video is one of your best! 10 out of 10. Thumbs up and that is coming from a Klipsch fan. Love that you mentioned a GR Research speaker that a person considering a RF-72 could purchase as an alternative to this speaker and the GR kit to "make it right". Please continue to do this in each fix/upgrade video.
Well, Danny, you really are THE MAN. I can no longer love my Cornwalls. I've seen the light, and intend to order some of your kits. Specifically, after rebuilding my crossovers (Klipsch parts) I'm just sick of them. My room is WAY too big, and all I hear is box, box, box. Way too much off-axis listening. Thank you, really, for illustrating what most of us would never work out on our own. I'm stuck with the room, but my kit has always been fluid. Hell, even my center channel sounds terrible when I crank it. Just writing to say Thank You for your abundance of videos and easy-to-absorb lessons. This wont be the last you hear from me. Be safe, don't get the covid cooties, I need you there when I'm ready...😎
The problem is that Danny has such a high standard and skill that he can pick apart and improve seemingly any speaker, even these. Awesome engineers make the world a better place.
Hey Danny, just a heads up. The horn showing in your video is a quarter turn off. The slot in the back by the compression driver is supposed to be vertical. Great video, saving up for up grade instead of fighting with my eq. Thanks for the awesome content!
This is truly phenomenal content. Everyone has their place in this industry. Gene likes the processors and automation and going to war with the snake oil salesmen..... Steve Guttenberg likes to ask questions, review products, view other systems and explore history. Paul at PS Audio likes to hear the sound of his voice as he waxes sentimental about his BBQ grill, his book, his speakers, his amps, his preamps, his Infinity RS5s, his wife, his garden, his "small" house and his long driveway, and answers every question ultimately with a smile and a kindly..."Hey, I don't know, ok, bye".👋🏼 Zero Fidelity likes to toss up a word salad as he pays homage to the writers and word smiths of yesteryear.... And you like to improve upon things and explain the ins and outs and how and why concerning all things audible and reproduced. Room for EVERYONE! 😄 -✌🏼
Finn, I really like how you summed up these guys approaches and personalities. Being an old boomer guy with experience in pro audio and audio research, I tend to like Steve for his sort of similar background minus the engineering and Danny for his savvy engineering knowledge and effort to help the DIY community. Paul is more of a salesman than an engineer and frequently ends up not really addressing the question posed. His technical depth and advice is often of minimal help even though many people seem to think otherwise. He does like to tell stories which aren't pertinent but some people like that style. Like you said, there is room for everyone.
I've, just recently, been watching your material and I'm not going to lie, I get lost because I don't understand HALF the stuff you say, pertaining to graphs and whatnot and learning your crossovers. I own the SVS line and after seeing your center channel review, I REALLY hope you could do the SVS ultra towers here in the near future. Thank you, I know it's a lot of work and you get all kinds of questions and requests. Thanks again for the videos.
Just bought the rf7iii, I’ve always been a fan of klipsch, some people like horns some people don’t. Personally I feel bad for people that don’t like horns because it’s a beautiful way to listening to music. I absolutely love my rf7iii and got a great deal on them, wouldn’t of paid full price. Come in my room and listen to them I think a lot of people would be surprised how good and laid back they sound. Then again I love that in your face sound that horns have. IMO the rf7iii are beautiful articulate very detailed and almost perfect for any type of music. I respect other people’s opinions but personally screw everyone else’s opinion I like what I like and you guys can like what you like. A smooth response sounds dull and lifeless. Who wants a flat response. In the future I want to buy something else’s besides a horn tho. Fixing the crossover, how much would that actually audibly change the sound of the speaker. If you bought a klipsch speaker why would you pay to change the crossover, isn’t that what makes klipsch sound like klipsch? Pretty cool tho, very interesting. I saw someone on klipsch forum personally fix all the crossovers on the rf7-II. Some interesting stuff to think about. Cool video. Thanks.
I have the RF-7 IIs and won't be changing them. I really enjoy them and heard them many times from home to stores before buying. When the IIIS came out I got the pair for 2k. Love them! For critical listening I do use Maggies but I am sure Danny could pick those apart as well. What counts is if you like them. Don't ever let someone tell you what you like is wrong.
Well theres one thing you cant argue with and that's the gap in the curve and drop off between woofer and the tweeter. Doesn't matter what sound you like that means you are missing sounds completely. Klipsch makes much more expensive speakers that don't have that drop i bet so there is a reason why better speakers are smoother. You saying you like that whole gap in the curve is like saying you like the sound of a honda with muffler and cat back cut off. LOLLLLL. You think these Rf-7s are expensive but they are budget compared to others that Klipsch makes. Listen to the same brand but higher end and you won't argue you like the sound of that anyone because that is just the sound of this speaker not of Klipsch overall.
Quinn Thomas I would say rf7iii are still in that budget speaker area but starting to get out of it. Hey bud you can think you know everything but I love these speakers and how they sound and they make me happy everyday. Not everyone has thousands of $ on more speakers to spend on top of buying my system or maybe they do and they’re happy with what they have. There’s a reason I bought there flagship floorstsnding speakers casue I wanted there best floorstsndijg speaker. I would love to hear there heratige line. Think what you want lol. Dang I sure am upset I have this huge gap and am missing out on so much of that there sound, dag gone it 😓😭😢.the rf7iii is defiantly the sound of klipsch. The strong dynamics, the buttery cleanses and crispness at any level and especially as you turn it up more and more it just seems to get cleaner, haven’t found a limit to these speakers yet, great with movie and music, gives you a live performance makes you think the band is right there with you, what people hate about klipsch so much I love, you turn them up enough your ears get a little sting sometimes with certain instruments. It does it to me if I turn them up very very loud but not to my girlfriend, and the rf7iii gives you this, wakes you up, that’s real life, that’s how a harmonica sounds when he’s blowing into with all the power in his lungs, it’s strong at times. If you don’t like this the more your break then in it goes away I’ve found but klipsch take awhile to break in. Klipsch is beautiful at recreating sounds perfectly and whatever this graph is telling you is that the speaker isn’t perfect, wowww big surprise there. What speaker is. And even if a speaker was perfect there would be a critic to say otherwise. And it doesn’t translate to that big of a deal when you actually listen to the speaker. Some people love klipsch some people don’t. If you like klipsch then you would like the rf7iii. And I’m sure even the more expensive klipsch speakers have these same problems. I’ve seen some very very expensive horn speakers, some like that would probably be what your looking for, becasue of diminishing returns. O yes this is klipsch I tell you and I love them. Same horn as they have in the heratige line. I defiantly wouldn’t compare the rf7iii to a Honda smh. You don’t sound like someone who knows klipsch or you probably wouldn’t be saying that. It’s not eve for the rf7iii it’s for the rf7ii
Ive had my rf7 ii for a few years and have always found them analytical but fatiguing. Incredibly clear. But have just buy the bullet and ordered the upgrade to try and tame them. Much cheaper than buying something new! And then I will know I have speakers with all the issues sorted:-)
In 1980, I bought the Pioneer HPM 500 speakers over the Bose 501s. I just preferred the lively sound of the HPMs out of the box. A friend who had the 501s demonstrated that its flat sound could be enhanced with his graphic equalizer. And his adjustments gave them a lively sound.
This is a video I was secretly hoping to see one day after the Klipsch RP 8000 video, cuz i was curious how their "Reference" line compared to their "Premier" line. I know this is the older 7-ii, but still.. seeing the response curve of its stock sound I'm really surprised how rough its response is.. but I'm really impressed with how well you knocked that response flat... Its almost as good as the RP 600M you did a while back. But seeing how rough these towers are and how much it takes to "fix" them in both parts & cost is just wild... As much as I adore the Klipsch "look," their speakers just don't have it where it counts most, esp when there are better, more affordable options out there.. Thanks for another great video Danny! 👍
Imagine being the crossover engineers for Klipsch when handed these drivers and a limited budget to work to. It seems to be all about the look. Never mind whether the drivers play well together.
Excellent content. The only thing thats missing is a high quality sound demo. Its sometimes hard to understand the true differences without hearing them. In the future as the channel grows it would be nice to have some sound demos using a standardized method. Keep up the hard work!
The parts upgrade hands down, you are correct they should buy good parts and audiophile capacitors. The speaker design itself is a bit of mess like you explained and that is where guys like Andrew jones and Sandy comes in. On the other hand those dips in the response are what makes Klipsch the bright sounding and exciting speakers, speakers like Q acoustics are hard to tolerate for me. So I think in perfect world it would be a mash up good engineering and brightness. Wonder if there was way to listen to before and after .. it would have been an amazing experience - Thank you for sharing your knowledge :)
Any thoughts on posting a video/ creating a kit for klipsch RF7 iii and matching RC64 iii? I have been very intrigued by your videos and think you are absolutely right about the quality of parts used makes a huge difference in sound quality
I actually like the sound of my rf711s compared to most other speakers I have tried...I do have to eq these to get the sound a little smoother and they are also crossed over at 60 hertz to two svs pc 13 ultras but I also have hearing loss above 12khz...maybe that is the difference ...I can’t hear shit 😂
You can use discarded paper or cloth as ear plugs you don't need fancy muffs. Even foam plugs are pocket change. Do you really think that's why he wasn't wearing protection? Most people regret caring but didn't think anything was going to happen in the moment. Pretty common in the trades - lots of stigma with being safe until someone gets their finger chopped off
Too cumbersome for the general public, only enthusiasts need apply. Moreover, the loudspeaker cabinet is not suitable for what is essentially a bunch of microphonic passive components, internal pressure changes and drivers' induced vibrations are a no no for hi fidelity setups. Finally, sheer size of low DCR air core inductors, especially ribbon type ones of even a few mH, or toroid cored ones above 10mH, in conjuction with requirements for physical separation to avoid mutual coupling takes a lot of real estate. Went down that route when putting mine together, with perspex clad trays housing the crossovers and you're absolutely right - pure joy to look at, let alone listen to :-)
I had the RF-7 (predecessor to the 72) I bought them on a whim (open box un-demoed) they were terrible compared to my La Scala's which I had just sold (it was a space issue - those speaker's sound were my favorite to date). I sent the RF-7 crossovers off to a gentleman in Ohio (i think) to rework them= no love to my ear. I've heard GR-Research say it just better to start over for some speakers.... well I agree.
Back in the Spring I bought the RP600M after seeing a lot of glowing reviews. Shortly after I saw your upgrade video I looked inside it. OMG! I'm really surprised at how cheaply made Klipsch cabinets are. The sound is really rough; seriously lacking in definition and just about everything else I care about. I already have enough problems with my small, 7ft ceiling room, and the 600 wrecked it some more. B-O-O-O-M-Y!!! No matter the placement. A week or so of that madness and I parked them in a corner and never looked back. I then did a DIY Fountek ribbon MTM I found in an Australian mag. Glorious! I bought the Klipsch only as a stopgap as I continue working on a DIY multi-amp active system. My mistake was listening to the reviewers instead of first listening to the speaker. No big financial loss, but certainly a cautionary tale.
Hi Danny, I been watching your videos very informative, I agree 100% with better quality parts make better sound. That speaker looks like a rf 7 1 or 11 but not the rf 7 111.
Apple & oranges. Saw an older customer video shot @ Klipsch USA, of an easy rule, not sure if this still holds true: 'If it's got fake wood veneer, it's Chinese, if it's got real wood veneer, it's made in USA.' and that carries though the bracing and construction in general. This happened after Paul K passed away.
I think they sell a lot just from the copper woofers look, when you look at home cinema videos it seems like Klipsch is popular because it looks "cool".
@@bingoberra18 OK, but this company has been around for a very long time. I find it hard to believe that they would create a product just based on looks without any regard to sound quality. However, this video obviously seems to prove just that. I have not heard these speakers myself, so I really shouldn't comment here. Despite the obvious driver issues, there might be some characteristic that appeals to some people other than aesthetics.
@@mikegoppert4177 Yes sadly time to market and development costs is a part of the decision. They might have gotten less than good drivers but no budget to wait for an improved version.
Maybe the stock design was by the summer interns between freshman and sophomore years and the regular engineers were all on vacation during the final project review?
I would be curious if you fixed all the design problems with the speaker and Klipsch implemented them with the upgraded parts you recommend how much that would impact the price they'd retail for.
JBL G Danny has mentioned that he is using “gated measurement “ of less than 4 milliseconds, long before room acoustics can come into play which means no special room is needed !
I was correct...i just came from klipsch website i cannot find these,that make sense...i got klipsch love them they are about 3 yrs old...model rp280 super clear and loud dual 8 inch woofer traxit horn tweeter...scary
This is all great info but the costs of shipping today is not cheap then including the costs to fix the speakers. Guess I will have to enjoy my Klipsch RF7's like they are.
I hope you get a healthy check from Klipsch for the MkIII. My takeaway is Klipsch is riding on a name, hype, and an ancient reputation. Thank you for this revealing review.
Let me be clear on this. I'm no Klipsch fan, however, Klipsch never intended these loudspeakers to be listened to at one meter or less. They intended these to be used in a regular room with all the room reflections and boundaries that make up 99.9% of listening spaces. Further, it should be obvious that this guy/channel is trying to sell you something, which is fine, just take the "advice" with a grain of salt. (the simple fact that he would change the internal volume of the cabinet without explaining the drawbacks of that rational, leaves be feeling anything else he says is dubious at best).
What? I didn't design the crossover from measured responses of one meter or less. Room reflections aren't going to fix a poor response and time arrival issues. It won't fix the poor quality parts problem either. And I didn't change the the internal volume of the speakers at all. And the goal here isn't to try and sell you something. The purpose of all of this is to educate and help those with these speakers make something of them that they can actually enjoy. And the whole upgrade process is fun for the hobbyist.
The Klipsch RP- line is Amazing w the Newer Tweeter Design (Rubber Horns) I have the RF-35 , RF-82II and never liked the sound of them, I also have a bunch of RF-42 II and they sound amazing w a eq and a lot better than all the other RF's the bigger the worst the sound LOL , I have the RP-5000f and its night and day between the RF line,,,,,, Danny I know this was going to happen w the RF-72 a lot of people put DYNAMAT on the back of the tweeter horn's and it gets ride of the ringing!
No the RP line suffers the exact same issue. See Danny's video on the RP-8000F...literally the flagship of that line. I made a mistake buying those. Very irritating to listen to.
@@MetaModern87 I have the RP-5000 and they sound Amazing even w the dip in the Fhz between the Drivers. (my charts the same way as the RP-600m which also has the same tweeter) But the tweeters are so much better than the RF-line IMO, Also look on CZcams and there's a lot of Amazing good sounding videos of the RP-5000 and very little for the RP-8000 (dont know why? to big a gap like Danny said)
yeah , ive noticed also that a bunch of beginners run around with Klipsch speakers , Klip that klip this , me being from Eastern Europe means that i didnt hear these , but most users did not impress with level of experience when these are mentioned , including a bunch of Audiphiles This is why Audiophile gets bad rep , freakin disaster , But on the other note , Horns tend to do that , overloading and over engeniring the cross over also , and putting 2 drivers when 1 can do the job also tends to complicate stuff , and then you end up , well , where you end up .
It's really the sound of the Klipsch tweeters I have always disliked. The ringing is probably why. JBL and even Cerwin Vega horns always were much more pleasant to my ears, even if they don't actually measure any better.
when you design x-overs do you do each driver by itself and does each x-over section effect the others because they are all parallel to each other . does it matter if you use the foil wrap air core inductors or the regular air core ones ? can you or have you done a video about these issues .
I have always been a headphone user and looking at getting into a home system when I found this channel. One thing I have learned is don't look at Klipsch speakers.
Michael Powell don’t buy entry level Klipsch. I’ve only liked to other speakers over mine and that simply might have depended on the room they were in. You really want know til you get them in your space. My friends have heard mine and have had no complaints but I don’t know any true audiophiles either.
The acoustic centers are fixed. They don't change. But the time arrival is effected by tilt angle. So the on axis time arrival (of the stock version) could be improved with some tilt, but the overall in room response will still be rough.
I'm in DFW, could bring him one. I grabbed a used pair for $400 in 2008 or so. No complaints, ppl do say get the the gen one or three. the gen 3 drivers are a klipsch supported part.
@@everss02 That could be awesome. I would love to see a video review with the results. You can even review the results yourself making a video here. Please keep me posted.
I messaged him about the same topic, he said he would be happy to look at the rf7iii if someone weee to send in theirs. I would love to though he’s in Texas and I’m in California with no boxes to ship.
@@Jeffizzlemynizzle They are big. You almost would need to crate them. My experience had been FedEx tends to take the best care of fragile items. Couple years ago UPS demolished a $5,000 custom gaming desktop I built and shipped to a friend. I packed the hell out of it too. Took me 8 weeks to get the insurance check. Looked like they ran it over with a forklift.
Fantastic job, nice work. BUt for the money you can buy much better options, without a ringing tweeter. Again, I can't believe that Klipsch sells this Frankenstein of a product..
@@skolvikings5263 Better is always subjective of course, so hard to say in audio-land.. Some examples could be: - Magnepan LRS (My daily's) - ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2 - Q Acoustics 3050i - etc
Since Klipsch is the subject how about something for the early La Scala speakers, I upgraded the caps and it helped but think there is much more that can be done with the crossover......
Checked out the website but couldn’t send an email for a question, wanted to order the CSW-450 set and wanted to know if it would work for my Klipschorns also.....none of the links seems to work including the shipping calculator?
@@chrispolley6434 lol, yeah he’s a microwave engineer and by the looks of things has done everything himself. Probably better to give him an old school phone call. Sounds like he knows what he’s doing but the proof is in the measuring and listening. Please let me know if you pursue.
Hey Danny, I got a question. I have a chance to by a pair of Advent Heritage floorstanding speakers. My question, have you ever had a pair in for crossover design or repair and if they are a good candidate for such a process? I must confess, they are real wood, gorgeous in my opinion. But, gorgeous and great sound and imaging, is what I want. I'd really like and appreciate you're input, before I pull the trigger. Thanks Danny love your videos.
Oh man , something out of a screw up! Only Danny can do it. Herculean effort . Not sure if I would spend the money to fix it. I would get a different speaker. No more Klipsch , please Danny.
Paradigm premier 800f are excellent measuring speakers. On and off axis they measure almost ruler flat. Great speakers for 2 grand and once a year they go on sale for 1600.
I'm so glad I got away from Klipsch. What a rip off company they are. These speakers were almost 6500 bucks Canadian and they use those cheap ass parts and cabinets. Man that pisses me off.
First you have to measure the speaker like he mentioned with all the industry standard to find what it's doing thats what allows you to see what parts to use.
The classic series are very good. I just listened to Heresy model yesterday...outstanding. Avoid those new models that they sell at box stores with the copper looking cones. Danny is fixing speakers that were sold to unsuspecting consumers who are stuck with shitty sounding speakers and would rather spend some time and money to make them right, rather than using them as boat anchors.
Looks to be an excellent solution, to a compromised speaker Or Maybe better to sell them on Craig'sList And Build a pair of Zilch's(peace be pon him) Econowaves for $500-$800 Or Put together a well sorted kit from DIY Soundgroup.
@@dannyrichie9743 the midway point doesn't changes but where you listing to does is what he saying you want a wider gap if you room is large this guy is just waiting time with large speakers in small room it won't sound good even if you dial it down upgrade isn't really needed at all they play a certain sound for a certain group of people
I'm getting a pair because my preferred listening position is jacking the speakers almost up to the ceiling, while I lay on the floor
I was literally blown away watching this video. If I owned that speaker, I would want to contact Klipsch and say what in the hell is going on, and have them pay for the fix, no kidding!
Ok, they wouldn’t care
Good luck with that.
As my mum would say "You've made a silk purse out of a sows ear". Amazing skills you have.
Unbelievable how you fixed Klipsch's mess! Great job!
Danny, this video is one of your best! 10 out of 10. Thumbs up and that is coming from a Klipsch fan. Love that you mentioned a GR Research speaker that a person considering a RF-72 could purchase as an alternative to this speaker and the GR kit to "make it right". Please continue to do this in each fix/upgrade video.
Well, Danny, you really are THE MAN. I can no longer love my Cornwalls. I've seen the light, and intend to order some of your kits.
Specifically, after rebuilding my crossovers (Klipsch parts) I'm just sick of them. My room is WAY too big, and all I hear is box, box, box. Way too much off-axis listening.
Thank you, really, for illustrating what most of us would never work out on our own. I'm stuck with the room, but my kit has always been fluid. Hell, even my center channel sounds terrible when I crank it.
Just writing to say Thank You for your abundance of videos and easy-to-absorb lessons. This wont be the last you hear from me. Be safe, don't get the covid cooties, I need you there when I'm ready...😎
Well, this pretty much puts into words and graphs what I heard when I listened to a set of big Klipsch units (RF-7 or something).
The problem is that Danny has such a high standard and skill that he can pick apart and improve seemingly any speaker, even these. Awesome engineers make the world a better place.
These speakers are terrible
"Even these" 😂😂😂😂
Hey Danny, just a heads up. The horn showing in your video is a quarter turn off. The slot in the back by the compression driver is supposed to be vertical.
Great video, saving up for up grade instead of fighting with my eq.
Thanks for the awesome content!
The more i watch these videos the more i think Danny's DIY is the way to go. Some day when i can get my wood shop going.
Thats the whole point of these. He is a salesman as well as an engineer
@@scottyo64 I understand that. And he is doing a great job.
Most interesting objective factual analysis- thank you.
Great job with that frequency response! I hope you will do a video and kit for the Elac Debut Reference bookshelf speakers!
Great work , thanks for sharing this , amazingly rich knowhow
i like the idea to upgrade and fix speakers that people are attached to.
This is truly phenomenal content.
Everyone has their place in this industry.
Gene likes the processors and automation and going to war with the snake oil salesmen.....
Steve Guttenberg likes to ask questions, review products, view other systems and explore history.
Paul at PS Audio likes to hear the sound of his voice as he waxes sentimental about his BBQ grill, his book, his speakers, his amps, his preamps, his Infinity RS5s, his wife, his garden, his "small" house and his long driveway, and answers every question ultimately with a smile and a kindly..."Hey, I don't know, ok, bye".👋🏼
Zero Fidelity likes to toss up a word salad as he pays homage to the writers and word smiths of yesteryear....
And you like to improve upon things and explain the ins and outs and how and why concerning all things audible and reproduced.
Room for EVERYONE! 😄
-✌🏼
Finn, I really like how you summed up these guys approaches and personalities. Being an old boomer guy with experience in pro audio and audio research, I tend to like Steve for his sort of similar background minus the engineering and Danny for his savvy engineering knowledge and effort to help the DIY community. Paul is more of a salesman than an engineer and frequently ends up not really addressing the question posed. His technical depth and advice is often of minimal help even though many people seem to think otherwise. He does like to tell stories which aren't pertinent but some people like that style.
Like you said, there is room for everyone.
Gene is a weasel who begged for money to build his home.
Great job. My first impression looking at raw responses - Im out, cannt do.... :) Great linear response on axe and in window. Great job.
Unbelievable, what these companies can laugh at people, the most impressive is that people like it! Great job !
Thanks, now i know why people like those klipsch speakers so much, that ditch @1khz pretty much explains it. Greetings from Argentina.
I've, just recently, been watching your material and I'm not going to lie, I get lost because I don't understand HALF the stuff you say, pertaining to graphs and whatnot and learning your crossovers. I own the SVS line and after seeing your center channel review, I REALLY hope you could do the SVS ultra towers here in the near future. Thank you, I know it's a lot of work and you get all kinds of questions and requests. Thanks again for the videos.
Brilliant, Danny.
Just bought the rf7iii, I’ve always been a fan of klipsch, some people like horns some people don’t. Personally I feel bad for people that don’t like horns because it’s a beautiful way to listening to music. I absolutely love my rf7iii and got a great deal on them, wouldn’t of paid full price. Come in my room and listen to them I think a lot of people would be surprised how good and laid back they sound. Then again I love that in your face sound that horns have. IMO the rf7iii are beautiful articulate very detailed and almost perfect for any type of music. I respect other people’s opinions but personally screw everyone else’s opinion I like what I like and you guys can like what you like. A smooth response sounds dull and lifeless. Who wants a flat response. In the future I want to buy something else’s besides a horn tho. Fixing the crossover, how much would that actually audibly change the sound of the speaker. If you bought a klipsch speaker why would you pay to change the crossover, isn’t that what makes klipsch sound like klipsch? Pretty cool tho, very interesting. I saw someone on klipsch forum personally fix all the crossovers on the rf7-II. Some interesting stuff to think about. Cool video. Thanks.
I have the RF-7 IIs and won't be changing them. I really enjoy them and heard them many times from home to stores before buying. When the IIIS came out I got the pair for 2k. Love them! For critical listening I do use Maggies but I am sure Danny could pick those apart as well.
What counts is if you like them. Don't ever let someone tell you what you like is wrong.
A can just agree , klipsch rf7 mk3 is indeed a very very good allrounder . Amazing is the Word 👌👍
Well theres one thing you cant argue with and that's the gap in the curve and drop off between woofer and the tweeter. Doesn't matter what sound you like that means you are missing sounds completely. Klipsch makes much more expensive speakers that don't have that drop i bet so there is a reason why better speakers are smoother. You saying you like that whole gap in the curve is like saying you like the sound of a honda with muffler and cat back cut off. LOLLLLL. You think these Rf-7s are expensive but they are budget compared to others that Klipsch makes. Listen to the same brand but higher end and you won't argue you like the sound of that anyone because that is just the sound of this speaker not of Klipsch overall.
Quinn Thomas I would say rf7iii are still in that budget speaker area but starting to get out of it. Hey bud you can think you know everything but I love these speakers and how they sound and they make me happy everyday. Not everyone has thousands of $ on more speakers to spend on top of buying my system or maybe they do and they’re happy with what they have. There’s a reason I bought there flagship floorstsnding speakers casue I wanted there best floorstsndijg speaker. I would love to hear there heratige line. Think what you want lol. Dang I sure am upset I have this huge gap and am missing out on so much of that there sound, dag gone it 😓😭😢.the rf7iii is defiantly the sound of klipsch. The strong dynamics, the buttery cleanses and crispness at any level and especially as you turn it up more and more it just seems to get cleaner, haven’t found a limit to these speakers yet, great with movie and music, gives you a live performance makes you think the band is right there with you, what people hate about klipsch so much I love, you turn them up enough your ears get a little sting sometimes with certain instruments. It does it to me if I turn them up very very loud but not to my girlfriend, and the rf7iii gives you this, wakes you up, that’s real life, that’s how a harmonica sounds when he’s blowing into with all the power in his lungs, it’s strong at times. If you don’t like this the more your break then in it goes away I’ve found but klipsch take awhile to break in. Klipsch is beautiful at recreating sounds perfectly and whatever this graph is telling you is that the speaker isn’t perfect, wowww big surprise there. What speaker is. And even if a speaker was perfect there would be a critic to say otherwise. And it doesn’t translate to that big of a deal when you actually listen to the speaker. Some people love klipsch some people don’t. If you like klipsch then you would like the rf7iii. And I’m sure even the more expensive klipsch speakers have these same problems. I’ve seen some very very expensive horn speakers, some like that would probably be what your looking for, becasue of diminishing returns. O yes this is klipsch I tell you and I love them. Same horn as they have in the heratige line. I defiantly wouldn’t compare the rf7iii to a Honda smh. You don’t sound like someone who knows klipsch or you probably wouldn’t be saying that. It’s not eve for the rf7iii it’s for the rf7ii
@@daveycrockett5738 the rf7 iii in Canada are almost 7 grand. Definitely not a budget speaker. My 3 grand Paradigm speakers sound way better.
11:20 omg those are a lot of components!! maybe reconsider to get another speaker!! love this channel!!
Great job!
Ive had my rf7 ii for a few years and have always found them analytical but fatiguing. Incredibly clear. But have just buy the bullet and ordered the upgrade to try and tame them. Much cheaper than buying something new! And then I will know I have speakers with all the issues sorted:-)
In 1980, I bought the Pioneer HPM 500 speakers over the Bose 501s. I just preferred the lively sound of the HPMs out of the box. A friend who had the 501s demonstrated that its flat sound could be enhanced with his graphic equalizer. And his adjustments gave them a lively sound.
Thanks for the great review as always, Danny! How was this even considered a passable product...?
This is a video I was secretly hoping to see one day after the Klipsch RP 8000 video, cuz i was curious how their "Reference" line compared to their "Premier" line. I know this is the older 7-ii, but still.. seeing the response curve of its stock sound I'm really surprised how rough its response is.. but I'm really impressed with how well you knocked that response flat... Its almost as good as the RP 600M you did a while back. But seeing how rough these towers are and how much it takes to "fix" them in both parts & cost is just wild... As much as I adore the Klipsch "look," their speakers just don't have it where it counts most, esp when there are better, more affordable options out there.. Thanks for another great video Danny! 👍
What are the better, more affordable options? Did you hear them all??
just want to see him do a Heritage model!
Imagine being the crossover engineers for Klipsch when handed these drivers and a limited budget to work to. It seems to be all about the look. Never mind whether the drivers play well together.
Haw haw. The look? 1970s style!
Wonder why they did'nt put the tweeter in between.. It would help them "blend" together WAY better.. Thanks for a great channel.
Excellent content. The only thing thats missing is a high quality sound demo. Its sometimes hard to understand the true differences without hearing them. In the future as the channel grows it would be nice to have some sound demos using a standardized method. Keep up the hard work!
Hard to buy and believe without some form of comparison.
A measurement will always be better than comparison if we’re talking about videos
Klipsch is not supposed to be linear we are looking for color with klipsch. Glad I could help!
The parts upgrade hands down, you are correct they should buy good parts and audiophile capacitors. The speaker design itself is a bit of mess like you explained and that is where guys like Andrew jones and Sandy comes in. On the other hand those dips in the response are what makes Klipsch the bright sounding and exciting speakers, speakers like Q acoustics are hard to tolerate for me. So I think in perfect world it would be a mash up good engineering and brightness. Wonder if there was way to listen to before and after .. it would have been an amazing experience - Thank you for sharing your knowledge :)
Any thoughts on posting a video/ creating a kit for klipsch RF7 iii and matching RC64 iii? I have been very intrigued by your videos and think you are absolutely right about the quality of parts used makes a huge difference in sound quality
Great Video. very informative. thanks for the share.
I actually like the sound of my rf711s compared to most other speakers I have tried...I do have to eq these to get the sound a little smoother and they are also crossed over at 60 hertz to two svs pc 13 ultras but I also have hearing loss above 12khz...maybe that is the difference ...I can’t hear shit 😂
You can use discarded paper or cloth as ear plugs you don't need fancy muffs. Even foam plugs are pocket change. Do you really think that's why he wasn't wearing protection? Most people regret caring but didn't think anything was going to happen in the moment. Pretty common in the trades - lots of stigma with being safe until someone gets their finger chopped off
Personally I love crossovers and can't understand why they are not installed on the outside of the speaker. Easy access and nice to look at.
Too cumbersome for the general public, only enthusiasts need apply. Moreover, the loudspeaker cabinet is not suitable for what is essentially a bunch of microphonic passive components, internal pressure changes and drivers' induced vibrations are a no no for hi fidelity setups. Finally, sheer size of low DCR air core inductors, especially ribbon type ones of even a few mH, or toroid cored ones above 10mH, in conjuction with requirements for physical separation to avoid mutual coupling takes a lot of real estate. Went down that route when putting mine together, with perspex clad trays housing the crossovers and you're absolutely right - pure joy to look at, let alone listen to :-)
Same with me
I've built lexan plinths to house my xovers.
And
The last time I made speaker grills was in 1987.
Very cool
I had the RF-7 (predecessor to the 72) I bought them on a whim (open box un-demoed) they were terrible compared to my La Scala's which I had just sold (it was a space issue - those speaker's sound were my favorite to date). I sent the RF-7 crossovers off to a gentleman in Ohio (i think) to rework them= no love to my ear. I've heard GR-Research say it just better to start over for some speakers.... well I agree.
This video is treasure
Damm thats a expensive looking pile of parts.
Back in the Spring I bought the RP600M after seeing a lot of glowing reviews. Shortly after I saw your upgrade video I looked inside it. OMG! I'm really surprised at how cheaply made Klipsch cabinets are. The sound is really rough; seriously lacking in definition and just about everything else I care about. I already have enough problems with my small, 7ft ceiling room, and the 600 wrecked it some more. B-O-O-O-M-Y!!! No matter the placement. A week or so of that madness and I parked them in a corner and never looked back. I then did a DIY Fountek ribbon MTM I found in an Australian mag. Glorious! I bought the Klipsch only as a stopgap as I continue working on a DIY multi-amp active system. My mistake was listening to the reviewers instead of first listening to the speaker. No big financial loss, but certainly a cautionary tale.
Hi Danny, I been watching your videos very informative, I agree 100% with better quality parts make better sound. That speaker looks like a rf 7 1 or 11 but not the rf 7 111.
It's in the name RF72. You were probably looking for RF7-II
Thanks for making and sharing the video. How come Klipsch engineers didn't look at the graphs? How can such expensive speaker be such a mess inside?
Profit Margin !
Klipsch are pure garbage. They are owned by Audiovoxx now and don't built good speakers anymore.
From Trash to Class! After its done they Can throw some cool vinyl wrap on it!
Apple & oranges.
Saw an older customer video shot @ Klipsch USA, of an easy rule, not sure if this still holds true:
'If it's got fake wood veneer, it's Chinese, if it's got real wood veneer, it's made in USA.'
and that carries though the bracing and construction in general.
This happened after Paul K passed away.
Thanks for all your hard work 😓. ? There are a lot of high end reviewers who praise these speakers are great as is. What are they hearing?
Those reviewers are mostly paid influencers...
How can Klipsch even produce such a mess in the first place? Amazing.
I think they sell a lot just from the copper woofers look, when you look at home cinema videos it seems like Klipsch is popular because it looks "cool".
@@bingoberra18 OK, but this company has been around for a very long time. I find it hard to believe that they would create a product just based on looks without any regard to sound quality. However, this video obviously seems to prove just that. I have not heard these speakers myself, so I really shouldn't comment here. Despite the obvious driver issues, there might be some characteristic that appeals to some people other than aesthetics.
@@mikegoppert4177 Yes sadly time to market and development costs is a part of the decision. They might have gotten less than good drivers but no budget to wait for an improved version.
Klipsch has best buy syndrome - why would you expect to be impressed?
Not an inexpensive speaker either!
Maybe the stock design was by the summer interns between freshman and sophomore years and the regular engineers were all on vacation during the final project review?
I would be curious if you fixed all the design problems with the speaker and Klipsch implemented them with the upgraded parts you recommend how much that would impact the price they'd retail for.
I would love to hear what klipsch would say about all of this
I'm sure they might say,,,"These testings needs to be done in a specialized chamber room"...Just saying hahaha...
Nothing ...what would they say...?
JBL G Danny has mentioned that he is using “gated measurement “ of less than 4 milliseconds,
long before room acoustics can come into play which means no special room is needed !
Ez money is what they say
I was correct...i just came from klipsch website i cannot find these,that make sense...i got klipsch love them they are about 3 yrs old...model rp280 super clear and loud dual 8 inch woofer traxit horn tweeter...scary
Scary indeed. But I don't listen to music to be scared. I listen to be seduced.
Head banger speakers lol
This is all great info but the costs of shipping today is not cheap then including the costs to fix the speakers. Guess I will have to enjoy my Klipsch RF7's like they are.
I hope you get a healthy check from Klipsch for the MkIII. My takeaway is Klipsch is riding on a name, hype, and an ancient reputation. Thank you for this revealing review.
Let me be clear on this. I'm no Klipsch fan, however, Klipsch never intended these loudspeakers to be listened to at one meter or less. They intended these to be used in a regular room with all the room reflections and boundaries that make up 99.9% of listening spaces. Further, it should be obvious that this guy/channel is trying to sell you something, which is fine, just take the "advice" with a grain of salt.
(the simple fact that he would change the internal volume of the cabinet without explaining the drawbacks of that rational, leaves be feeling anything else he says is dubious at best).
What? I didn't design the crossover from measured responses of one meter or less. Room reflections aren't going to fix a poor response and time arrival issues. It won't fix the poor quality parts problem either. And I didn't change the the internal volume of the speakers at all. And the goal here isn't to try and sell you something. The purpose of all of this is to educate and help those with these speakers make something of them that they can actually enjoy. And the whole upgrade process is fun for the hobbyist.
The Klipsch RP- line is Amazing w the Newer Tweeter Design (Rubber Horns) I have the RF-35 , RF-82II and never liked the sound of them, I also have a bunch of RF-42 II and they sound amazing w a eq and a lot better than all the other RF's the bigger the worst the sound LOL , I have the RP-5000f and its night and day between the RF line,,,,,,
Danny I know this was going to happen w the RF-72 a lot of people put DYNAMAT on the back of the tweeter horn's and it gets ride of the ringing!
No the RP line suffers the exact same issue. See Danny's video on the RP-8000F...literally the flagship of that line. I made a mistake buying those. Very irritating to listen to.
@@MetaModern87 I have the RP-5000 and they sound Amazing even w the dip in the Fhz between the Drivers. (my charts the same way as the RP-600m which also has the same tweeter) But the tweeters are so much better than the RF-line IMO, Also look on CZcams and there's a lot of Amazing good sounding videos of the RP-5000 and very little for the RP-8000 (dont know why? to big a gap like Danny said)
RP-5000f czcams.com/video/UM7QXwmoSJE/video.html
RP-5000f czcams.com/video/_wwIDZCvELs/video.html
I'm curious if you have worked on an Heresy?
yeah , ive noticed also that a bunch of beginners run around with Klipsch speakers , Klip that klip this , me being from Eastern Europe means that i didnt hear these , but most users did not impress with level of experience when these are mentioned , including a bunch of Audiphiles This is why Audiophile gets bad rep , freakin disaster ,
But on the other note , Horns tend to do that , overloading and over engeniring the cross over also , and putting 2 drivers when 1 can do the job also tends to complicate stuff , and then you end up , well , where you end up .
so much detailed info but why no audio test for us, before and after. those graphs are great but...
It's really the sound of the Klipsch tweeters I have always disliked. The ringing is probably why. JBL and even Cerwin Vega horns always were much more pleasant to my ears, even if they don't actually measure any better.
Can you still passively bi-amp with the updated crossover?
I'm a NHT fan. Wonder what you'd do with the 2.5 (I own a pair) or 3.3 (on my bucket list)
I wonder if the folks @ Klipsch have started taking pointers from Danny here, I really hope they would!
when you design x-overs do you do each driver by itself and does each x-over section effect the others because they are all parallel to each other . does it matter if you use the foil wrap air core inductors or the regular air core ones ? can you or have you done a video about these issues .
I have always been a headphone user and looking at getting into a home system when I found this channel. One thing I have learned is don't look at Klipsch speakers.
Michael Powell don’t buy entry level Klipsch. I’ve only liked to other speakers over mine and that simply might have depended on the room they were in. You really want know til you get them in your space. My friends have heard mine and have had no complaints but I don’t know any true audiophiles either.
I feel your pain...
Great video, sad that these are 3k. Could the phase and acoustic center be corrected to some extent by placing them on platforms? Such as 15inch subs?
The acoustic centers are fixed. They don't change. But the time arrival is effected by tilt angle. So the on axis time arrival (of the stock version) could be improved with some tilt, but the overall in room response will still be rough.
I would love to see a fix on the Klipsch RF-7 Original first generation !!!!
I'm in DFW, could bring him one. I grabbed a used pair for $400 in 2008 or so. No complaints, ppl do say get the the gen one or three. the gen 3 drivers are a klipsch supported part.
@@everss02 That could be awesome. I would love to see a video review with the results. You can even review the results yourself making a video here. Please keep me posted.
@@everss02 SUPPORTED PART ON THE ORIGINAL Rf 7???
@@everss02 May I know if you upgraded the crossovers on the Klipsch RF 7?
You’re videos are interesting. What SS monoblocks would you recommend for these?
I’m an audiophile and wish I had this guys engineering skills. I wished he could tweak my RF7 lll towers.
Why ...they are perfect .
Micke 65... yea, but I always wondered if there was a way to slightly lower the resistance from 8ohm.
I messaged him about the same topic, he said he would be happy to look at the rf7iii if someone weee to send in theirs. I would love to though he’s in Texas and I’m in California with no boxes to ship.
@@Jeffizzlemynizzle They are big. You almost would need to crate them. My experience had been FedEx tends to take the best care of fragile items. Couple years ago UPS demolished a $5,000 custom gaming desktop I built and shipped to a friend. I packed the hell out of it too. Took me 8 weeks to get the insurance check. Looked like they ran it over with a forklift.
RF-7 IIs
Fantastic job, nice work. BUt for the money you can buy much better options, without a ringing tweeter.
Again, I can't believe that Klipsch sells this Frankenstein of a product..
Name some better options?? Have you heard them all?
@@skolvikings5263 Better is always subjective of course, so hard to say in audio-land..
Some examples could be:
- Magnepan LRS (My daily's)
- ELAC Debut 2.0 F5.2
- Q Acoustics 3050i
- etc
@@peronnikbeijer213 I meant a grand or less, compared with the 8000's.
That was my point about better, very subjective
If you swap out the tweeter for better quality, would that reduce the parts count and price ?
Do you build and sell? I can only imagine your speakers would sound amazing.
Go to the gr research website..
I have a pair of rf-83 speakers and some of the drivers have some dents in them. Is there any way i could fix them without just replacing them?
Have you ever hear the JBL L-112 ?? it is the greatest bookshelf speaker ever made, in case you have heard it did you improve the crossover?
Would u do work on the in wall in celling from klipsch
Since Klipsch is the subject how about something for the early La Scala speakers, I upgraded the caps and it helped but think there is much more that can be done with the crossover......
Have you seen the ALK universal crossovers? I want to know what these sound like www.alkeng.com/ap_xo.html
Checked out the website but couldn’t send an email for a question, wanted to order the CSW-450 set and wanted to know if it would work for my Klipschorns also.....none of the links seems to work including the shipping calculator?
@@chrispolley6434 lol, yeah he’s a microwave engineer and by the looks of things has done everything himself. Probably better to give him an old school phone call. Sounds like he knows what he’s doing but the proof is in the measuring and listening. Please let me know if you pursue.
Nice vid but why stop the graph at 200Hz?!
Cutting out over 2 octaves? Why?
Hey Danny, I got a question. I have a chance to by a pair of Advent Heritage floorstanding speakers. My question, have you ever had a pair in for crossover design or repair and if they are a good candidate for such a process?
I must confess, they are real wood, gorgeous in my opinion. But, gorgeous and great sound and imaging, is what I want. I'd really like and appreciate you're input, before I pull the trigger. Thanks Danny love your videos.
Thanks, I have not had any of their speakers in here.
Your better off buying the RP-8000 with /or wo the Upgrade kit $359 or 4- RP-5000f
Oh man , something out of a screw up! Only Danny can do it.
Herculean effort .
Not sure if I would spend the money to fix it. I would get a different speaker.
No more Klipsch , please Danny.
So what is the best measuring $2000 or less speaker before correction?
Paradigm premier 800f are excellent measuring speakers. On and off axis they measure almost ruler flat. Great speakers for 2 grand and once a year they go on sale for 1600.
Many (but not all) studio monitors have great measurements - eg Genelec, Neumann etc. You may or may not like how they sound in your room though....
I'm so glad I got away from Klipsch. What a rip off company they are. These speakers were almost 6500 bucks Canadian and they use those cheap ass parts and cabinets. Man that pisses me off.
Danny how do you design the new crossovers? Special software? Only a calculator? Or did you do that so often that you just do it all in your brain?
First you have to measure the speaker like he mentioned with all the industry standard to find what it's doing thats what allows you to see what parts to use.
Yeah, I don't see any Klipsch speakers in my future..... One knock on the cabinet is enough to tell you what you're getting into:-D
And most of the newer ones are made in China crap.
The classic series are very good. I just listened to Heresy model yesterday...outstanding. Avoid those new models that they sell at box stores with the copper looking cones. Danny is fixing speakers that were sold to unsuspecting consumers who are stuck with shitty sounding speakers and would rather spend some time and money to make them right, rather than using them as boat anchors.
What's your opinion about the klipsch sixes?
Looks to be an excellent solution, to a compromised speaker
Or
Maybe better to sell them on Craig'sList
And
Build a pair of Zilch's(peace be pon him) Econowaves for $500-$800
Or
Put together a well sorted kit from DIY Soundgroup.
I'm surprised that a speaker at this price point would need that much help.
There are some speaker brands you should not touch. Harbeth for example. Any true BBC LS3/5A
Is a Kef R3 xover worth improving?
Great video, but this speakers are the RF 7II not the RF72.
Correct.
is ok to replace 10W 2RJ resistor with 10W 2.2ohm resistor in speaker crossover, will it be any big difference
That will create very little difference.
I was thinking it might be easier to disconnect the lower woofer and then fix the crossover.
Crossovers are designed based on individual driver output and how they sum.
I forgot to add my sarcasm warning in my previous comment. I enjoy these videos. Thanks.
Danny do you have a high end floor standing DIY Kit?
Yes, quite a few.
When you measure for sensitivity with 1 watt @ 1 meter what test signal do you use, 1kHz tone, white noise, or pink noise? Thanks.
It is a MLS measurement.
Full bandwidth pink noise
anyone know if the series 3 version is better?
At $3,200 a pair these speakers should have been more thoroughly tested and adjusted by the maker don't you think?
Does anybody listen to a pair of RF-7's at 1 meter?
Any chance hear speaker BEFORE and AFTER at your studio?
Anyone is trying to fix this ISSUES at home and how?
Doesn't he acoustic center depend on listening distance, say, in a large room where speakers this large would exist?
The acoustic center is the midway point between the tweeter and the two woofers. The room doesn't change that.
@@dannyrichie9743 the midway point doesn't changes but where you listing to does is what he saying you want a wider gap if you room is large this guy is just waiting time with large speakers in small room it won't sound good even if you dial it down upgrade isn't really needed at all they play a certain sound for a certain group of people