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mpbojangles
05-12-2007, 10:08 PM
I am ordering a pair of RF-7's in the next week and I need a receiver that'll make them sound nice. I am looking to spend 300-500 bucks on a receiver. I have heard very good things about Denon but haven't heard much about any other brands. Any recommendations/comments are very much appreciated. I am looking for pure sound quality in this setup if that helps with suggestions. Thanks in advance.

edit: after checking some reviews, the vintage Sansui G-8700DB received very good reviews and I am very interested in it. Anyone have any good info on this receiver?

Wireworm5
05-13-2007, 07:50 AM
I briefly heard some Klisph speakers hooked up to an Sony Digital ES receiver with a Samsung player. They weren't RF-7's mind you, but I thought the highs were silky smooth.
Anyways the ES receiver is out of your price range. Why are you limiting your budget on a good pair of speakers like RF-7's? Anyways if you shop around you can probably find a good deal on last years models for a higher quality av/receiver. It'll cost more than your budget but it'll be worth it.

mpbojangles
05-13-2007, 08:39 AM
Okay, lets put money aside for a second (to some degree). I see the RF-7's are capable of sustaining 250W. But they also very sensitive so dont require a lot of power to be loud. What kind of wattage do you recommend sending them? That Sansui receiver i mentioned puts out 160W.

Are there any other major factors to look at when buying a receiver other than wattage? Or is it something where you just have to listen and see what you like best?

Wireworm5
05-13-2007, 11:15 AM
Okay, lets put money aside for a second (to some degree). I see the RF-7's are capable of sustaining 250W. But they also very sensitive so dont require a lot of power to be loud. What kind of wattage do you recommend sending them? That Sansui receiver i mentioned puts out 160W.

As you mentioned you won't need alot of wattage to drive the RF-7's being that they are a very efficient speaker. 160 watts will make no difference in loudness compared to 100 watts. But it gives you some reserve power for dynamic swings in music particulary heavy bass passages in music that require more power. The extra power will keep the receiver from clipping which can potentially damage speakers under heavy loads.

Are there any other major factors to look at when buying a receiver other than wattage? Or is it something where you just have to listen and see what you like best?

Yes, foremost is the reliability of the unit and being able to get it serviced if something goes wrong. You want pre-outs in the back so that if you want to add seperate amps down the road you can still use the receiver as a pre-amp. Also features may be important, soundfields, HDMI inputs, optical input/outputs, video upscaling, etc.
You also want it to be able to handle a 4 ohm speaker even though you may not use a 4 ohm speaker. This is because dynamics swings in music the current draw can be more than the 8 ohm speakers and you want your receiver to have the ability to repond to the current draw. Its not just wattage, some speakers won't sound their optimal best on some receivers even though they have the required wattage.

anamorphic96
05-13-2007, 08:16 PM
The Klipsch RF7's are efficient and dont require tons of power. But they like a lot of current behind them to sound there best. The RF7's have big impedance swings and dip below 4 ohms. A lot of people think Klipsch speakers sound harsh and bright. The opposite is actually true if you pair them with high quality amplification. Preferably not a receiver. Or a receiver with an outboard amp attached.

These statements come from a Klipsch rep who I see on a fairly regular basis as well.

mpbojangles
05-13-2007, 09:14 PM
Thanks for the replies.

anamorphic96, you recommend going with an amp rather than a receiver? Can someone explain the difference to me? You mentioned they like a lot of current. Don't all amps supply the same current? And if a receiver can handle 8 ohms, can it handle 4? I know these questions are a bit elementary but I am trying to take this all in. Thanks.

anamorphic96
05-13-2007, 10:23 PM
A receiver is an amp, pre-amp, and tuner all in one unit. An integrated amp is a pre-amp, and amp in one unit. An amp has nothing else in the chassis. It only amplifies the signal being sent to it.

Not all amps supply the same amount of current. Receivers for the most part supply the least amount of current and tend to work well with efficient speakers. Klipsch work OK with receivers but you wont realize their full potential until you drive them with a high quality amp. Klipsch are efficient to some extent but as stated before have big impedance swings.

Not all receivers can drive 4ohm speakers and the main reason being is when you drop to 4 ohms your asking for twice the amount of current than 8 ohm load requires. To drive 4 ohm loads properly you need well built hefty power supplies which most receivers do not have. Mainly do to all the other things the manufacture has to include. Hefty well thought out power supplies cost a good chunk of change. So when your only budgeting 3 to 500 dollars your not going to get the big power supply for tough loads. There are to many other things have to be inlcuded to make that price point. However you can get a 500 dollar receiver with pre-outs and then use a seperate amp.

But being pure sound quality is what you are looking for then looking at an integrated amp may be the way to go. The NAD C372 for 899 would be a good choice with the RF7's or RF82's or any Klipsch for that matter. In your situation unless you are trying to fill a huge room at high SPL's I would look at the RF82 or RF62's with the NAD C372. I have heard this set up with many of the Klipsch speakers and it sounds great.

mpbojangles
05-13-2007, 10:48 PM
Thanks again anamorphic. I really have no need for a tuner, so a receiver now seems a little pointless. Pure sound quality is what I am looking for. I will look into the NAD line.

Can you give me a little information on the difference between an amp and a preamp? I really appreciate the help.

anamorphic96
05-13-2007, 10:56 PM
In a nutshell the pre-amp is where the componets are plugged in and switched between. It also controls the volume level. The pre-amp takes the low voltage coming from a source componet such as a CD or Tape and boosts it enough so the amp can see it and amplify it.

There are many other good companies as well. Check out -

Parasound
Adcom
Rotel

All offer good amps at fair prices.

mpbojangles
05-14-2007, 07:13 AM
Okay, so to have an integrated amp you also need a preamp?

nightflier
05-14-2007, 10:39 AM
Okay, so to have an integrated amp you also need a preamp?

Actually no. The integrated has a preamp built-in. Your options really are:

- A receiver (amp-preamp-tuner all in one)
- An integrated (amp-preamp in one, w/o tuner)
- A preamp with an amp attached

I particularly liked the NAD with Klipsch combination in my home. I have a NAD C320BEE with RB-5 II speakers. Not exactly the same setup, but the NAD, even this lower-powered model, seemed to mate so well with the Klipsch speakers. I would not recommend Adcom, since in my experience that created an overly bright-sounding setup. I think Rotel will also be in the bright category. If you want something warmer, and don't want to spend too much, check out second-hand B&K amps / preamps online. They are very inexpensive, but still provide incredible value & power.

Anyhow, that's what I heard, others may have had different experiences.

westcott
05-15-2007, 08:59 AM
The Emotiva series amps and preamps are getting rave reviews in the Klipsch forums. Low noise floor, modular design for easy service and better signal isolation, and great prices.

They are all part of the Sherbourn and Sunfire designs.

I presently use a Denon 3805 to drive mine but have been seriously considering the MPS-1 with five channels for the back end.