Setting main speaker size?(and other questions) (1 Viewer)

[BradleyS.]

I have been debating whether to get the klipsch rf-25's or rf-35 mains, and I finally got to audition them side by side at Ultimate electronics. I liked the sound of the rf-35's better( I guess the bass was better and they sounded more forward), but the 25's sounded good too. I felt that the 25's might have been slightly tinny sounding, which brings me to my question. Will setting my speaker size to "small" reduce the tinny sound in the 25's? What do the settings actually affect? I feel that the 25's will suffice, since the main difference between the two mains is the bass( I'm getting a svs pb-2isd anyway ). I'm using a yamaha rx-v1400 reciever by the way.

 

[GregBe]

A setting of small would send the bass information to the sub instead of the main speaker. In most situations, the sub can handle it better, and it also will free up power from your amp (bass uses far more power than midrange and up does). This should have a positive impact on this range, but I would not say it would get rid of the tinny sound. Don't assume any settings on the receiver, or the addition of an SVS will dramatically change the sound of speakers you are not happy with. It would change the bass for the better for sure, but better bass can't make a tinny sound you are not happy with go away. I would, at a minimum audition them with your electronics and set things to small and see if it creates your desired effect.
You are going down the right path with small settings on the receiver, and getting a good sub. Just make sure you choose speakers with a midrange and up that sound good to you. It sounds like the 25's don't fit that bill for your ears.

Greg

 

[BradleyS.]

I mean they didnt really sound that bad and I like the klipsch sound, but I Dont want to pay what the 35's cost. What can cause speakers to sound tinny? I noticed a couple things flawed with ultimate electronics set-up, so tell me if these situations would effect the sound any.

1. they had their mains setup differently on each side, like the 25's were next to the screen on the right, and farthest from the screen and in the corner on the left side. So basically we where listening to 1 main.

2. The seating position was about 5 feet away from the towers. I will be 10-12 feet away from the towers.

3. We were listening at a relatively low volume (around -20 db) This was pretty loud for being close to the speakers, but I will probably listen at around -17 at my house, maybe a little louder but somewhere around there.

 

[Tom D]

Hi BradleyS.,

Tinny sounds may be caused by tweeter types, soft dome, metal dome (any type of metal, aluminum), they can also be caused by a thin midrange driver set up. I would audition many different types of drivers and configurations of drivers IE tweeter, woofer or tweeter, woofer,woofer or woofer, tweeter, woofer. Soft dome, metal dome, horn loaded, ribbon.

Horn loaded tweeters usually have "hotter" sounding treble because they were originally designed for theater applications behind screens. The screen would act as an attenuator and soften the treble so it would sound pleasing.
Soft dome tweeters usually sound more layed back and pleasant. Metal dome tweeters are more revealing and detailed but can cause "ringing" and harshness.

Regards, Tom

 

[GregBe]

Brad,

It could have been setup issues at Ultimate. Klipsch are outstanding speakers, although not everybody's cup of tea. I can't say strongly enough though, that there are so many good speakers out there, I would never buy one that I felt sounded tinny with the hopes it would sound different in my setup or room. I would either try the cheaper Klipsch in your room, and exchange them for the 35's if you don't like the sound, or I would start from scratch to find speakers in my price range that sounded good to me. I know you are saying you like the sound, but obviously there is something there that is bugging you.

Greg

 

[BradleyS.]

I wont say it bugs me as they sound pretty good, but I just cant really explain it. I could have been wrong when I said tinny as I really meant "not as forward" as the 35's. This may have been the bass. I think my best bet will be to find an authorized klipsch dealer that has everything setup correctly and go from there. How does the rsw-15 compare to a pb2-isd?