need recommendation

[R.Elder]

i thought the 590s were at least a couple notches above the rp280s. damn i really cant get to where i want in home theater. just no clear answers if you cant audition. i dont want any lateral moves

It’s tough even if you can listen. I wish I had a local place that allowed in home auditions. That would be ideal. Room acoustics and gear variance pretty much make listening in a store or shop less advantageous than one might expect. I’m glad I have a magnolia that I can demo some brands at but I try to keep in mind they’ll sound different in my space with my gear. They have the speakers too far apart which messes with their imaging since they only let you sit 10 feet away. So you got speakers 12-18 feet apart and your 8-10 feet away. Less than ideal for sure. Their high end room has a better setup for listening but all McIntosh rigs.

 

[ryanosaur]

@bradymartin Did you visit Ascend?

 

[bradymartin]

@bradymartin Did you visit Ascend?

i emailed them march 31. i got a reply from them today. said they were sorry for the late reply. office was closed etc. i need to call Dina for scheduling of demo.

 

[Danzilla31]

would love jbl fans to chime in.
id have to do the 520c for sure.
i had klipsch rp280s and 450c as well. would also wonder how these jbls compare to the klipsch

There is a guy on YouTube who does reviews of speakers he reviewed the studio 590's the Klipsch RP8000f's and The SVS Ultras.
His names Tharbamar. His reviews are very good
1 video appearance build quality
2nd and 3rd and 4rth videos sound demos with music
Last video is is review of the speaker where he discusses strengths and weaknesses likes and dislikes and even compares them to other speakers he's reviewed or heard
Good reviews should give you some good perspective on the 3 different lines
Of course you can't take the sound demo seriously its over the internet on YouTube
But still the reviews are very well done and give you a lot of good info

 

[ryanosaur]

i emailed them march 31. i got a reply from them today. said they were sorry for the late reply. office was closed etc. i need to call Dina for scheduling of demo.

They aren't going to be as dynamic due to efficiency, but as an example in stepping up in sound quality, it would be worthwhile to do that. Its worth talking to them about the fact you are focussed on HT and how their speakers will perform in your specific environment. (Have details like listening distance and preferred listening levels ready to dish out. )
Another cat here just went all in with JTR for his bed layer, and is considering ordering more for his Atmos. JTR isn' cheap either, but the word is that they are worth hearing... and another friend here is in the process of building a JTR theater if I recall correctly. Even their 2-ways are probably more solid than anything Klipsch could put up. You won't get to hear them though unless you talk to them and they can connect you with someone local, I think. Much like Salk.
And again... if you want to step up in SQ, don't be afraid to email and talk to him. Jim can be gruff at times, but is a great guy. Just tell him what you are looking for and your budget, details about your listening, and he'll tell you straight what he recommends!
The gear is out there. and if you want your forever speakers, its worth pursuing!!!

 

[Danzilla31]

Still don't understand the shade on 2 ways my Klipsch RP 8000's have a great midrange. It's not 2 way or 3 way it's just does the speaker have the magic
But your right the only way to find out is to listen
FYI the studio 590's are a great speaker and if they had been on sale I'd have bought them when I was shopping
Love my Klipsch though so glad I didn't
If I were you I'd pounce on the 590's where else are you going to get an actual horn with a true compression driver 250 watts RMS 92 db efficient I believe for that kind off money

There's a reason there's like a cult following around them.

They are a very very good speaker and since you like movies so much a great option for you

 

[Danzilla31]

If I'm off on the specs slightly I apologize on the 590 may be 200 watts RMS not 250. As if you'd ever want to have a horn that efficient ever need to go that much anyway. You'd go deaf before the speaker would ever break a sweat

 

[ryanosaur]

Still don't understand the shade on 2 ways

No shade. For me, preference. and we been over that!

 

[R.Elder]

Two way can be done but my concern is that 1 3/4” tweeter covers an extra 100 MHz because the 10 in woofers in the RF 7 iii don’t go as high as an 8 inch. That might make this model in particular succeptible to issues around the cross over frequency. I’m sure it wouldn’t be terrible but also like the idea of having as flat a response as possible.

 

[Russdawg1]

Two way can be done but my concern is that 1 3/4” tweeter covers an extra 100 MHz because the 10 in woofers in the RF 7 iii don’t go as high as an 8 inch. That might make this model in particular succeptible to issues around the cross over frequency. I’m sure it wouldn’t be terrible but also like the idea of having as flat a response as possible.

It’s not a 1 3/4” tweeter. It’s a loaded horn. Much different in the way they interact. It’s because of this extra air mass loading that the tweeter can play lower without damage or frequency response issues.

Again, the RF7iii’s are really nice speakers. I would not knock them just by looking at them and their technical specifications.

 

[ryanosaur]

Two way can be done but my concern is that 1 3/4” tweeter covers an extra 100 MHz because the 10 in woofers in the RF 7 iii don’t go as high as an 8 inch. That might make this model in particular succeptible to issues around the cross over frequency. I’m sure it wouldn’t be terrible but also like the idea of having as flat a response as possible.

Flat and accurate is nice. I never knew or understood before. I do now.
I mentioned it in Post 10, about defining your goals: what do you want out of your experience! Having loot to spend on this 'hobby' is a luxury, and if you have the ability, it can be well worthwhile to shoot for the moon. Maybe its only a deep outfield double, and not a home run, but still... the quest, the journey, and satisfaction of having the best speakers you can find at the best price is worth it!
Learn about them. Take your time. And have fun!

 

[R.Elder]

It’s not a 1 3/4” tweeter. It’s a loaded horn. Much different in the way they interact. It’s because of this extra air mass loading that the tweeter can play lower without damage or frequency response issues.

Again, the RF7iii’s are really nice speakers. I would not knock them just by looking at them and their technical specifications.

From what I read it’s a combination of the increased size of the driver in the tweeter and the fact that it’s horn loaded which allow the lower cross over point. Obviously I’m no expert so maybe it’s just the Tractix horn and has nothing to do with the driver.

I have little doubt that the RF7 iii is a great speaker I’m just hesitant since I can’t find a chart. I got an email out to an audio shop in Lubbock and I’m gonna call the magnolia there and see if they have a set in their demo room.

 

[Dirfm]

I have the 580’s and the 520c. I do feel that the 520c cannot hang with the 580s. I resolved the problem by using a jbl sb-5 subwoofer and connecting

ok im pretty much exhausted by all the reading.

ive decided on jbl 590s or 580s towers since its mostly for movie watching.
since i have a hsu vtf2 mk5 sub does it matter which tower i go with?
the 580s are $130 less per speaker than the 590s
this midrange deal still bothers me though. neither tower has a midrange driver.

also, the 520c all i read is its only 4 woofers and cant keep up with either tower.

its a 12x18 room, and again this is mostly for movie watching. thoughts?

i really am done thinking about this and it will save me a couple grand going with this setup vs ascend raal and klipsch rf 7iiis

I have the JBL 580s and the 520c. The 520c cannot keep up. You can solve this issue with receiver crossover adjustment or do like I did. Connect the 520c to a passive sub with satellite outs. Like the Jbl SB-5. After I did that my center channel came to life. Or a third option, like a previous post stated buy 3 mains and use one as your center. I just purchased 3 590s to do just that. I love the JBL studio 5 series. Make sure you have lots of clean power though to make them sing. Gonna use the 580s as surrounds and the 520c as a rear or height channel.