My review of the RP-8000f tower speakers, SVS SB-3000 subs and Marantz SR-8012 Receiver
I apologize in advance for the long read.
I consider myself a high-end audiophile with a keen attention to detail. I have been building audio systems for personal use for over 40 years. This review and opinion are of course subjective and specific to my ears. Your mileage may vary. I listen to 80% music and 20% home theater. I listen to classic rock, jazz and anything good other than RAP.
My wife, best friend and life partner passed away recently after 38 years of marriage and I sold my house and moved into a small apartment until I can decide on something permanent. She passed away in our home under hospice care and I just could not stay there any longer, so I sold. I put my entire audio system in storage with the rest of my life. My small apartment is much too small for my current audio system. The system consists of two Thiel CS7.2 speakers, they cost 7,000.00 each and are incredible speakers approaching 17 years old. Thiel MCS1 center, Musical Fidelity M-250 mono blocks for all three front and center. Arcam AV9 processor. Anticables Level 2.1 performance series speaker cables. The sound from this system has been the pinnacle of anything that I have ever built. All speakers were on two inches of granite coupled with Black Diamond carbon fiber racing cones.
With this system in storage I decided to get a new system for my apartment with the hope I could simplify my setup for the future and build a much smaller family room.
I have always wanted to try a horn loaded speaker but always steered away from them because most would tend to wear me out quickly at volume. I had an opportunity to hear a pair of RP-8000Fs and was impressed with them. They were far more neutral than anything I had heard from Klipsch before. (I have not listened to the RF 7 III 2 or 3s. The 1s wore me out)
I purchased two RP-8000Fs in piano back finish along with a matching RP-504C center channel and two SVS SB-3000 subs. I decided I wanted to try the new immersive sound formats, so I pulled the trigger on the Marantz SR-8012.
I purchased the Marantz SR-8012 and a pair of passive KEF LS50s a few months before the Klipsch and SVS speakers. I was not able to get to a state of happiness with the KEF LS50s and was disappointed in what I was hearing. I know the subs would have helped the LS50s and I may revisit them later. For now, I’m focusing on the Klipsch.
On with the review:
Immediately the RP-8000s outperformed the LS50s in a few key areas. First was the ability to listen at low volumes and hear everything. I was blown away because these are the first speakers, I have owned that I can listen to at low volumes and still enjoy the detail. Second, I noticed that I can listen to less than stellar CD recordings which make up a majority of my 2300 CDs. They sound fresh and new with more fidelity and are no longer as painful to listen to. Thirdly the Marantz seemed to drive them effortlessly All three of these performance metrics where a problem with my 7.2s and LS50s. I’m not comparing bass between the LS50s and the 8000s for obvious reasons.
I prefer to listen to everything flat. For me its Pure Direct and Analog with no additional tone adjustments. I’m amazed at how neutral yet articulate the RP-8000s are. To my ears the sound is not colored in any way, similar to my CS 7.2s and better than the LS50s. This was surprising to me because everything I have read always stated that horn speakers where toned for Rock music and could be fatiguing. High quality, high resolution recordings are jaw dropping on the RP-8000s and they are not a one trick pony, because you can still enjoy the lessor quality recordings.
The RP-8000f speakers have not been fatiguing at all and have excelled in all forms of music genre punching well above their weight in price. It usually takes me a while to warm up to a new set of speakers especially through the break-in period. To my ears it took about 100 hours before they finally broke in and started to sound effortless.
Regarding power amplification I’m using the Marantz SR-8012 which I have been very impressed with overall. When I was driving the LS50s they sounded good but always left me thinking I needed to go to my storage unit and get two of my Musical Fidelity mono blocks to get more out of the LS50s. My CS7.2s would be impossible to drive from the Marantz unless I pre-out to the mono blocks. This is another reason that led me to the Klipsch speakers because of their efficiency and my goal to perhaps not go forward with mono block amplifiers. (Only for simplification and space saving).
The Marantz SR-8012 drives the RP-8000fs with great precision at low and high volumes and with perfect punch for music and movies. I’m completely satisfied with the sound. Yes of course I would like to hear 8000fs driven by the mono blocks, however its not needed to make me happy with the sound, a first in many years!
In the past I have used only one subwoofer which was one of the original analog RSL speed woofers. I didn’t need more bass because of the epic CS7.2 full range abilities. I used it only for home theater to get that little bit of extra pressurization. The RSL speed woofer is an excellent subwoofer for the money and blends very well.
However, the dual SB-3000s are a different animal and are the icing on the cake for the RP-8000f setup for both music and home theater. To my ears this combo produces stunning sound. I elected to go with the SB-3000s vs the PB-3000s because of the amount of time I spend listening to 2 channel music vs. home theater. Don’t let that mislead you though the dual SB-3000s produce all the thunder I can stand for home theater and are spot on tight for music.
For months I played around with cross over settings, sometimes going weeks at a specific cross over point. Of course, room size and acoustic dampening plays a key role here. I ended up settling on 60hz for the RP-8000f and 80hz for the RP-504C. I felt that 60hz for the RP-8000fs really let the Klipsch shine across their frequency range and gave a little less to the subs which in my room was the best balance. Music is tight and articulate with excellent sound stage and imaging. The SB-3000s blend so well they make the RP-8000s sound incredible.
All I can say is what a great speaker the RP-8000f is for the price.
Hope this helps those that are trying to decide on a specific direction.
