Klipsch RF-5 vs Axiom M60

[larry7995]

I am looking at mains for my RX-V1500 and I was all set to get the Axiom M60 ($450 each) until I started looking at the Klipsch RF-5 ($550) specs and the 99dB sensitivity on the RF-5. Anyone have the Klipsch RF-5s and/or opinions on which speakers I should get? I listen to a lot of real loud metal concert DVDs and also movies and regular music CDs all sort of stuff from bluegrass, blues, country and metal.

 

[zumbo]

IMO, Klipsch are harsh. The horn tweeters are overkill. Have not heard the Axiom, but I would buy them blind before you could give me a pair of Klipsch!

 

[clt1bkc]

I will disagree with the last post. I have heard the RF 5 and bought them. They are being run by my Yamaha HTR5790. They sound great. I have not heard the speakers you are comparing. I have had this setup for 3 months and love the sound highs and lows. Many people are not in the middle on Klipsch - love or hate them hence the last post! Any way to try them out at store. The Klipsch website will tell you the closest dealer. Let us know your decision. Either way it is what sounds best to you

 

[Duffinator]

I think the "harshness" of Klipsch tweeters are overstated just as the "brightness" of Yamaha receivers are overstated. A friend of mine recently brought over his RF-35 speakers and we compared them to my Mirage 595is speakers with my Denon 3805. I was expecting the worst from the Klipsch tweeters but was pleasantly surprised. While we both agreed there was a difference in sound from the two sets of speakers, the Mirage being bipolar design, neither stood out as being better, they were just different. The point here being that you should listen to as many speakers as you can connected to the 1500 and buy the ones that sound good to you. And if you borrow a demo pair to listen too in your home that's even better.

 

[Nomo]

The most important part is to listen for yourself.
Zumbo has a Yamaha 1400. Not much different than the 1500, which BTW I also own. Klipsch are fine speakers. They probably have the best bass response of any speaker line for under $1000. But the horn tweeter leaves no gray area between Love and Hate. I've listened to Klipsch through an RXV1500 and I'm on the hate side. At least when paired with a Yamaha receiver. Those same speakers sounded great through an Onkyo 702. They actually were the only speakers of the ones I listened to that particular day, (Klipsch, Polk, and Infinity), that made the Onkyo sound better than the Yamaha.
Listen for yourself. But my advise is listen through a Yamaha receiver. Pretty muck any one of the models from an RXV550 on up pricewise will sound the same as your 1500.

 

[zumbo]

BTW, I auditioned Klipsch RF-7, RB-35, & RS-7 on a top-of-the-line Denon for an idea of how I formed my opinion. And, like clt1bkc stated, it is just my opinion.

 

[larry7995]

I have also started looking at the Infinity Beta 50 and C360 they look like they might be pretty good? and quite a bit less expensive.

 

[nm2285]

Although I havent heard the Beta line, infinity and klipsch fall into the same "bright" boat to my ears. klipsch is more dynamic, though, with the horn tweeters. This is not to say YOU won't like the sound.