So I have a 7.1 setup in my living room for HT and music. I love everything about how the Klipsch sound, very warm, suits my tastes well etc. My problem is that I can't seem to get the very distorted type of midrange that you typically hear from a good electric guitar amplifier. I'm talking about the grunge sound, the type that tingles your ears and is commonly present in alternative and rock music. The Klipsch seem to reproduce everything cleanly and accurately but for some reason I can't seem to understand how a good guitar amplifier wins in these particular frequencies. Any thoughts on why that would be? I simply haven't heard a HT or car audio system that is able to reproduce that particular set of frequency in such a "brute yet pleasing" way, my klipsch setup being no exception.
My system is far from perfect and the placement of the speakers and subwoofer are terrible, but this doesn't seem to correlate with what i'm talking about because even high quality setups with a lot of work put into the placement and tuning can't produce the sound I'm looking for.
My setup:
2 Klipsch Rf-82's for fronts.
1 klipsch Rc-52 for center
2 Klipsch Rf-62's for rears
2 Klipsch Rb-51's for sides
1 Klipsch rw12d Subwoofer in corner
1 Integra (Onkyo) receiver 7 channel 90 watts per channel.
Is it simply the live instrument will always be better than speakers? Even though Electric guitars technically play through a speaker, funny thing is typically the guitar amplifier combos have much worse components than my setup, yet they can play those particular frequencies that my system can't..
So is it not enough distortion in the speakers?
Not enough power to the speakers?
These speakers can't produce a similar sound no matter what?
My receiver is too cheap?
My placement is off?
My room has bad acoustics?
The audio files I listen to strip this type of sound out?
The digital processing in the receiver finds these sounds too harsh and cleans them up?
Or something completely different? Any thoughts?
All replies greatly appreciated no matter how useless or uneducated, all welcome aboard.
My system is far from perfect and the placement of the speakers and subwoofer are terrible, but this doesn't seem to correlate with what i'm talking about because even high quality setups with a lot of work put into the placement and tuning can't produce the sound I'm looking for.
My setup:
2 Klipsch Rf-82's for fronts.
1 klipsch Rc-52 for center
2 Klipsch Rf-62's for rears
2 Klipsch Rb-51's for sides
1 Klipsch rw12d Subwoofer in corner
1 Integra (Onkyo) receiver 7 channel 90 watts per channel.
Is it simply the live instrument will always be better than speakers? Even though Electric guitars technically play through a speaker, funny thing is typically the guitar amplifier combos have much worse components than my setup, yet they can play those particular frequencies that my system can't..
So is it not enough distortion in the speakers?
Not enough power to the speakers?
These speakers can't produce a similar sound no matter what?
My receiver is too cheap?
My placement is off?
My room has bad acoustics?
The audio files I listen to strip this type of sound out?
The digital processing in the receiver finds these sounds too harsh and cleans them up?
Or something completely different? Any thoughts?
All replies greatly appreciated no matter how useless or uneducated, all welcome aboard.
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Are you saying that you have only experienced the sound you are looking for in a live setting? I guess that if no system you have ever heard can reproduce what you're looking for, then it's definitely not your speakers. Recreating "liveness" is the most difficult attribute of hi-fi sound reproduction, because it is impossible to design via phase, frequency response, transient ability, etc. in order to capture a very specific type of sound field if it is not recorded as such. In other words: it is more likely that your recordings simply do not have that extra timbre and character that you're looking for simply due to their limitations. If you can't get it on the recording, then of course you can't reproduce it. I would otherwise think it might be a dynamic range issue, but that is a hallmark feature of horns in particular, so I think not in this case.
Well I haven't actually heard any $30k systems or anything except at concerts but IMO concert speakers are typically loud but not very good sounding. It must be something with how the recording is produced, I think some of the timbre is lost, no matter what you do. It seems as if an electric guitar will never have the grungy sound once it is recorded. To give a good example of what grungy sound I mean listen to about anything by a band called "rammstein". They typically have a very nasty type of guitar smashing sound. My speakers can only partially replicate that particular sound and it seems the louder you go the more of it I get but with a typical guitar amplifier you get that sound even at lower volumes.
My klipsch speakers are 2 way so only woofers and Tractix horn tweeter on every speaker. Maybe I need special midrange drivers? I believe the sound Im looking for is between 120hz and 800hz
My klipsch speakers are 2 way so only woofers and Tractix horn tweeter on every speaker. Maybe I need special midrange drivers? I believe the sound Im looking for is between 120hz and 800hz
You may be wanting more crunch, which is defined in the 2-5khz range.
Try turning down the subwoofer a little at a time and see if that helps.
I'll give that a shot my sub is in the corner so I get X3 volume increase maybe its just overbearing and I cant hear the rest because of it, but since my living room has no cabin gain like my car does I keep cranking the sub, Although I still felt like I was missing a little bit of that midrange before I even had a sub at home. Thanks for the reply
Thanks Fatmarley, I think you answered my question, I believe
I heard a paper cone mid range before and I do think it gave me more of what I wanted. unfortunately there are trade offs like always. Ill have to find me some paper cone mid range drivers and build a box for them or something, Off to do the research!! thanks guys
I heard a paper cone mid range before and I do think it gave me more of what I wanted. unfortunately there are trade offs like always. Ill have to find me some paper cone mid range drivers and build a box for them or something, Off to do the research!! thanks guys
Arguably one of the best paper cone mids is the Audax PR17.
I think PHL also do a top notch mid (PHL1120?)
I think PHL also do a top notch mid (PHL1120?)
That's a 6.5 inch mid?? That's about the size of a midbass and only goes down to 500hz not understanding how this works, typically the smaller the woofer the better it reproduces higher frequency sounds... What am I missing?
Btw that looks very good and not outrageously priced like some people here advice lol like the accutons or whatever that are like $400 a pop haha
I think you need to look to a large format drive. Three inch diaphragm 1.4 to 2 inch exit. I would also say that a lower crossover will help as well RF all cross pretty high too high for me. You might spin your crank with a pair of Epic Series CF3 or CF4. These are excellent two ways witha much larger horn than you now have which is a big plus. Just my take on it. best regards Moray James.
Anyway to effectively integrate those mid range drivers into what I already have? I already have a 3 way system sub, midbass, tweeter. Would adding a separate small speaker that I can set on top of my front towers to introduce the paper midrange I'm looking for?
I assume I'll need some crossovers to cut the upper and lower frequencies, any idea how this would integrate into the system? Any idea how that type of placement will effect the sound?
I'm definitely not considering replacing my klipsch with some new speakers, they are my favorite so far the warmth sold me and the efficiency saved me money on the receiver, not big money here or anything
I assume I'll need some crossovers to cut the upper and lower frequencies, any idea how this would integrate into the system? Any idea how that type of placement will effect the sound?
I'm definitely not considering replacing my klipsch with some new speakers, they are my favorite so far the warmth sold me and the efficiency saved me money on the receiver, not big money here or anything
Or something completely different? Any thoughts?
All replies greatly appreciated no matter how useless or uneducated, all welcome aboard.
fatmarley, I also agree on this one. (A 3-Way being a good idea, but nothing that a good Wayne Parham' 2-Way or Econowave wouldn't do, with a special purpose horn and CD.)
Maybe a complete new speaker or kit will do the job.
Is nice to go through all the drivers specs, but for you, maybe better to stay with a complete kit of your like to save you from making the crossover from scratch... You're doing the right job starting in the right place, the mid driver. A lot of newbies start with the subwoofer/woofer, and never get there.
"High efficiency speaker" like yours is a sure bet like fatmarley said.
After all is said my take is that (probably) is on the amp...
I have stereo setups (NAD's, Denon's, Pioneer's, Yamaha's) with analogue amps they all work pretty well with any speaker, vintage, new, sensitive or not, Floorstanding or Stand/Bookshelf.
Now with a HT is not the same thing, something is missing all the time, digital has a long way to go.
After saying that (I also have a good receiver from Yamaha), and trying a new analogue stereo amp with your speakers (maybe buy one or ask a friend), 50/100W will do (just bought a new Rotel amp for a second bedroom to play CD's and netRadio), come back to the forum and voice your opinion.
I might be wrong, but hey that's happening with me.
Klipsch Epic CF-3 and CF-4 | Critesspeakers.com
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I willing to build something if I need to but currently I don't have a computer that can handle any kind of programs like WINisd so I would need help there from others I wonder if I could built a small add on, on top of my towers with a mid range and wire it in somehow. Any body done anything like this?
If you connect a driver (mid or full-range) in parallel with your speaker your impedance will go down. Better building a new system with new crossover. 
right...let me get rid of speakers that are worth thousands so I can get some POS JBL