Well...I'll throw in my two cents worth.
First of all there really is a big difference in price as well as performance. I’ll share with you some of my recent decision and hopefully they’ll help you out in your decision making. I recently purchased the RF-35's, RC-35, a Denon 3805, and a Denon 1920 DVD....I'm still using some older Polk towers for rears until I can spring for the rs-35's, and a sub. My living room dimensions are 19 x 16 x 10. Let me say this, even without a sub, my wife, from the kitchen, is constantly telling me to turn it down. When I’ve demo’ed my new setup for friends, I have the volume on the receiver at -13 and it's really loud. I liken it unto crystal for the highs and amazing chest pounding bass, that's not bottoming out for the lows.
I definitely would not pair a rc-35 with rf-7's, however I have talked to guys that have paired the rc-7 with rf-35's with very good results when using a sub, and as far as the surrounds go, the rs-7's are REALLY BIG, down right HUGE, and heavy....almost to the point of overkill. With your room the size that it is....you're borderline going either way.......if you bought the rf-35s you may feel you wish you had just a little more punch and aesthetic looks, if you buy the rf-7's you may feel that its a bit overkill.
I would also consider the room layout as another important deciding factor. How far is the seating from the fronts? How far will the fronts be spread apart? Is the floor carpet or wood? Will the surrounds be very close to your seating arrangement? If so, the rs-7's will blow you away....of course you can always turn them down. With a room that size, (5000 sq. ft.), a lot would depend on the layout. If your seating is far from the fronts, I’d be inclined to go with the 7 series. Your room acoustics will play a factor as well.
What are you wanting out of your system? Simple enough of a question, but think about it. Do you like it loud? Are you a movie buff or a music man? All this has to be considered.
Cosmetically, the 7 series has a much more polished look. Klipsch isn’t known for their great looks, but the 7 series does stand out above the rest of the reference series’ as far as appearance goes.
As far as the receiver goes, I’m really pleased with my 3805, I down right love it! I liked the Yamaha 2500 as well….but having listened to them both preferred the Denon. As a side note, I heard the 7’s from a Pioneer Elite 56 with an external amp and that sounded good as well.
Lots of things for you to look at and consider...but again I come back to the price. Honestly, if I could have sprung it....I would have went with the 7's all the way around with a killer SVS PB12-Ultra sub. But my wife, would have sold my Pathfinder to pay for it..lol. At any rate, remember that the shopping, buying, and set-up is half the fun, so take your time and think it through, bounce it around a bit and I’m sure you’ll enjoy whatever you decide upon.
