Klipsch Synergy F-30 Speaker System Review

[admin]

We review speakers from a variety of manufacturers, however Klipsch is one of the top-selling brands in America. The reason for that is they make products which play loud and have plenty of bass. They also have an incredibly good presence in both the custom installation and brick and mortar channels. Klipsch is everywhere. Of course, so is Bose, so it begs the question: Is a new Klipsch Synergy Series F-30 Home Theater Speaker System really something to get excited about, or not? We've played around with Klipsch in the past, even including the speakers in our most recent tower speaker shootout, and honestly they did really well. This time around we were looking at the new F-30 Floorstanding speakers, along with a full complement of surrounds, a center and a new S-110 10-inch subwoofer. That's a pretty nice matched system - and for around $2360, it's at a great price point for those looking to get into some serious 5.1 surround sound.

Discuss "Klipsch Synergy F-30 Speaker System Review" here. Read the article.

 

[westcott]

Thanks for the nice review. It sounds like even you were surprised by the F30horn loaded system performance and I always find that a good thing. Hard to catch an audiophile flat footed when they do this for a living.

For its price point, the finish on the speaker is what it is. I would probably clarify in your opening paragraph. The Paladiums are gorgeous but obviously, they cost more. As you mentioned, due to the controlled dispersion of the Klipsh horn, "toe in" is not as crucial as normal radiant speakers.

I would also remind those shopping for speakers that locating a dealer will enhance your options and generally open doors to better and a wider variety of products. Best Buy is not the end all shopping center.

Lastly, as Gene pointed out in his article "Identifying Legitimately High Fidelity Speakers" (I have my doubts legitimate should be an adverb in this sentence), Klipsh speakers are some of the most efficient speakers made today and that too is a GREAT thing. The money you save on external amps can go toward better speakers.

Although unsaid, your review seems to enforce the idea that these speakers meet most of the requirements outlined in Gene's article. Thanks again.

 

[farrow099]

I'm curious as to how these stack up against the Klipsch Reference Line.

I owned the orig RF82's for nearly a year and wasn't impressed by the sound.
Though they are massive, loud, and efficient; I much preferred the sound of the (cheaper) EMP E55Ti.

The 82's had a compressed sound to them that bugged my spouse and I. Plus every once in awhile a song would hit a note that seemed to resonate in the horn making for (brief) ear destroying noise. Something I hadn't heard in Klipsch speakers since I was rocking the Synergy series that "Tweeter" sold many years back.

I still have Icon VB-15 bookshelf speakers floating around that my spouse likes to use in our workout room. We both actually preferred their sound to the sound of the RF-82s! (with a subwoofer in play of course)

*It's probably worth noting that the Icon series don't have true compression drivers in the horn like the reference series. I have some pics inside the RF82 if anyone wants a look see. *

 

[Audioholics]

in his article "Identifying Legitimately High Fidelity Speakers" (I have my doubts legitimate should be an adverb in this sentence)

ha - it's necessarily an adverb, but only as it functions as a sort of compound adjective - it describes the adjective "high fidelity", which describes "speakers". Just to clarify, we weren't trying to say "Legitimately identifying high fidelity speakers", but actually talking about how to identify (verb) legitimately (adverb/adjective) "high-fidelity speakers" (noun/subject).

I love English. And I probably should have used a hyphen in High-Fidelity. And there's at least a 50% chance we're saying the same thing differently... and agreeing with each other. lol

 

[westcott]

ha - it's necessarily an adverb, but only as it functions as a sort of compound adjective - it describes the adjective "high fidelity", which describes "speakers". Just to clarify, we weren't trying to say "Legitimately identifying high fidelity speakers", but actually talking about how to identify (verb) legitimately (adverb/adjective) "high-fidelity speakers" (noun/subject).

I love English. And I probably should have used a hyphen in High-Fidelity. And there's at least a 50% chance we're saying the same thing differently... and agreeing with each other. lol

I am no English major after flunking sandbox a LONG time ago but it justs sounds awkward.

 

[its phillip]

It sounds fine to me

 

[Gustavo]

It's an adverb, alright, but it still sounds awkward.

Why not "Identifying Legitimate High-Fidelity Speakers?"

Anyway, no big deal.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

What cracks me up is that a Klipsch review turns into a English class and nobody has any comments on the speakers. Very little love for Klipsch which I find odd because the higher in the line you go their not bad.





and yes...my english teachers always preached at me for writing like I speak.

 

[solarux]

Hi all, and thanks for the Review.

I just purchsed a pair of Klipsch F-30's, and a KW-100 (Klipsch) sub-woofer.
My A/V Receiver is: Yamaha RX-V661

Here's my initial setup:

On the Yamaha Rx end:
- Front (A only) Left and Right Speakers enabled, all Ext/Surround speakers,... turned off. Basically, it's a 2.1 Channel (Stereo) setup.
- Subwoofer pre-out (from Yamaha Rx) to LFE/L input on Subwoofer using a Dynex subwoofer rca-cable.
- Front Speaker's set to "Large".
- LFE/Bass output set to "Both" (Speakers and subwoofer).
- LFE/LPF crossover set to 80 Hz.

On the Klipsch KW-100 Subwoofer end:
-LPF crossover dial: set to max 120 hz.
-Level/Volume dial set to approx. mid-way.
-Phase switch -> "0"
-Power switch -> "Auto

Ok, her's my potential issue:
I have to crank up the Main Volume level on the Yamaha Rx to kick-in the Subwoofer.
ie:, When we're playing the "Encore" Audio-CD with Russell Watson / Pavarotti, the subwoofer kicks in on those tympanic lows -and sounds great. But only rarely.
Is this normal operation ?
And YES, I followed your audioholics "basic-subwoofer-setup" guide here. (Unfortunately, I don't have permission to post the link for it yet)

Now, sound wise, trust me, compared to my old pair of el-cheapo bookshelf "Energy" speakers, this new setup sounds outta-this-world, beautiful.

I guess a "real" subwoofer is only supposed to kick in only when needed (low freq's ?).

Sorry for my ignorance here, this is my very first use of a Subwoofer.
Is their anything else I should, or even need to do here ?
Would you recommend I get a better quality Klipsch Sub-woofer for my F-30's. ?

BTW: Thanks for the "Blues Traveller FOUR" tip here. nice.
..., and thanks ahead for any advice.

Cheers.

 

[shadyJ]

It sounds like the sub out signal going from the LFE output is too low. If you are running YPAO room correction on the Yammia receiver, what you want to do is turn the sub volume down a lot, and then run the YPAO level settings correction thing again. This ought to make it easier to trigger the sub on since the signal strength will be much greater. Also, no offense, but your sub isn't great, I would definitely consider a sub upgrade. Set your budget to at least $600, in my opinion, that is where the subs start to get good instead of being just an compromised obligatory component. Here I am thinking of the Hsu VTF2 or the OUtlaw LFM-1 Plus.

 

[agarwalro]

Maybe the recording does not have the kind of bass you are expecting. Do you get the desired slam when playing techno or movies known to have good LFE use?

 

[solarux]

@agarwalro: yup, it's time for my Sony-PS3 and a good bass-driven Blu-Ray just to make sure. -now I just gotta buy a good Blu-Ray audio-enhanced disc.

@Shady1: thanks for the reply:
we don't have a "YPAO" thingy if what you're referring to is the Yamaha "Auto Setup" with the special microphone. ???
Is that what you mean ?

They didn't even offer to give/sell it to me, when I bought my Yamaha Reciever (a few years ago) from a ("so-called") specialty audio-store in Ottawa. so now, I've had to go into Yamaha's cryptic "Manual Setup" to try and get things done.

... anyway, it's starting to look like I might have to look at a Klipsch SW-110, or 350, or 450 subwoofer's maybe ?
Again, BB (BestBuy in Canada) had such a great sale price for these Klipsch Synergy F-30's, (not-to-mention just how much better they are than my other cheapo-junk speakers), that I wonder if we even need the subwoofer ? meaning, to me, they sound pretty good on their own (aka turm the Bass/Tone up a bit)-at this point -since we only appreciate Stereo
The Klipsch KW-100 (sub) was almost a free bonus, so I also think u're right, it's possibly just a crappy subwoofer.

-again, sorry for my ignorance, but not forever
Thanks again for your reply/suggestions. so far, much appreciated.

 

[shadyJ]

Yamaha website lists it as having YPAO, and yes, it is that microphone setup thingy. YPAO could really help the sound quality in your room, you might inquire about getting the right microphone for it. Since you don't have room correction going, I would turn the volume on the subwoofer way down and then boost the sub out channel on the receiver by a lot. That ought to fix the problem.

 

[solarux]

@ shadyJ

Thanks for the tips; I'm exchanging the Klipsch KW-100, with an SW-112B subwoofer.
I think the "KW-100" really stands for "K"iddie sub"W"oofer-100 <-
In either case, more money again.
I still like the sound of my Yamaha RX-V661 even though the Main Volume, over the last year, has stopped working on the remote, (and sometimes it doesn't even work manually unless I fiddle with the dial, ...). ?
I mean, you'd think for well over $500 (which is what I paid for it, brand new, in Canada), Yamaha could've atleast thrown in the "YPAO", AND, made an Rx that lasts more than a couple years. ? -Lol.
My stepmother just recently got rid of my Dad's still-working very-very-old "Bogen" tube (Srereo)Amp. that he used to rub into me "...They don't make 'em like they used too,..." blah, blah.
However, He was right, it's all just a plastic wonderland of throw-away-CRAP these days.
..., and, I still don't quite care about 7.1/9.2/10.whocares, but as long as I have a really GOOD 2.1 (Stereo, and sub-woof, just for bass-enrichment), then I'm a happy camper.
ahh well,
Cheers.

 

[shadyJ]

Hey Rickster, if you can swing up to the Klipsch Sw-115, that would be a far more formidable subwoofer. Its something to look into, anyway.

 

[solarux]

Maybe the recording does not have the kind of bass you are expecting. Do you get the desired slam when playing techno or movies known to have good LFE use?

Hi,
and sorry to keep you guys off-topic here, but ya, I was trying a few different bass-filled CD's as well as downloading/burning some extremely heavy bass mixes, and it felt/heard like the KW-100 couldn't quite keep up with the F-30's, they felt like they were clipping/flapping ? -sry for the poor adverbs here.

Then again, I just feel (and recently learned) that the Sub-woof should just do its job (for the below (~80 <- 100 Hz), only when it's needed, and not sound like it's "clipping" just to keep up with my (Klipsch) F-30's ?
Now, could it be the way my Yamaha RX-V661 Sub-woof out feeds the LFE/in on the KW-100 sub-woof ?, - is it bad?, I dunno?.

So, I'm doing what I think is best at this point, (since I don't have a "YPAO" for AUTO sound alignment), by throwing a hopefully "better" sub at it, (Klipsch SW-112), and hear it all again, and again, and again, ...
Gawd, I guess I'm just throwing money at it, which I agree, is a bad way to "...process of elimination..."

 

[markw]

For what it's worth, we have a "rickster71" posting here for several years now and your moniker could easily be confused with his. Since you're new and have only a handful (literally) of posts, i thought you might want to know that.

just sayin'

 

[solarux]

Hey Rickster, if you can swing up to the Klipsch Sw-115, that would be a far more formidable subwoofer. Its something to look into, anyway.

I hear you bud, and I'd luv to, but "could" is the word money-wise at this point, unfortunately, but we'll see,
EDIT: geeezus, they're well over a $1000.00 here (in Canada) ?! - ouch.
haha.

 

[solarux]

For what it's worth, we have a "rickster71" posting here for several years now and your moniker could easily be confused with his. Since you're new and have only a handful (literally) of posts, i thought you might want to know that.

just sayin'

nope, I'm just another new kid on the block, forum-wise, here that is.

 

[solarux]

... much better now

Hey all, thanks for the tips here.
I finally exchanged my (Klipsch) KW-100 with an SW-112 subwoofer to better match my pair of Klipsch Synergy F-30's,
...and the difference is audibly noticeable. <- jaw-dropping !
I also heard an SW-110, and I'm confident it too could have easily done the job, but since I'm just running a "2.1" setup right now, the SW-112 and the Marantz CD6004 was the affordable limit, it all fit the bill nicely, for now.

The previous "KW-100" paired with the "F-30's" was just a bad package deal from BB (BestBuy), but that was my fault, haha, but thats ok, I'm learning quick about sub's.

I also tried setting my Yammy RX-V661 manually to:
Front -> "Small"
(sub)Bass Out -> "Subwoofer only".
...but that only seemed to hold back the F-30's a bit, for some reason ?

Instead, Front -> "Large", and (sub)Bass Out -> "Both" on the Yammy, provided the best sound for us.
- definitely gonna try and get a "YPAO" mic to help balance our rooms though.

No doubt, there is even bigger and better out there, but right now, for wifey's Opera, and our Jazz, and Blues, we have NEVER had it so good, sound-wise.