Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater How do these Klipsch fronts compare?

Just moved into a new house, and am planning to move the old HTIB into the rec room, and build a good system for the new family room. From everything I've read, the Epic 60 setup (M60, QSS8, VP150, EP350) would be awesome. I could swing the price, but (like anyone) would obviously like to pay less.

I've been looking around at boxing day sales, and saw these Klipsch towers and center deeply discounted at Future Shop: KF-26b, RF-800b, and RC-62.

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-ca/product/k...439fc161f81en02

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/k...eed4d021990en02

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/k...archPageIndex=1

These appear to be roughly comparable to M50, M60, and VP150, but significantly discounted and with higher sensitivity (as is apparently common for Klipsch). So I'm considering getting this center, one of the pairs of fronts - I may buy both and decide whether the RF800 are worth the extra money - and then add QS8s and a sub, probably saving around $1000 compared to the Epic 60 package, depending on which fronts I went with.

Anyway, just hoping to get some opinions. Are the Axioms worth the difference? Are these good deals on the Klipschs?

I'll probably be picking up this AVR: http://www.futureshop.ca/en-ca/product/p...152b52abc1en02.

BTW, this looks like a pretty sweet deal on Polk RTIA9s too, but I expect they'd need an external amp to really shine: http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/p...062e2e73fe8en02

Welcome to the forums.

If you try a forum search on "Klipsch", you will probably find a number of posts.

While I haven't heard the most recent models, I've always found the Klipsch horn tweeters kind of fatiguing, and not very good off-axis. YMMV.

Best bet is to audition some speakers in your home. You will probably find that the Axioms sound a little more neutral than the Klipsch.

Hi NathanT,

The higher efficiency of Klipsch speakers is gained by horn-loading at the expense of neutrality.

Here are comments I made in a previous post about Axiom speakers vs a Klipsch. The same comments would apply to the Axiom M60s.

" You'll find the M80s are exceedingly "neutral" compared to the Klipsch's. By neutral, I mean that the frequency response of the M80 doesn't overemphasize or de-emphasize any octave of the musical spectrum.

Klipsch horn-loaded speakers in general are not neutral. They are colored, especially in the critical midrange and treble regions, which are exaggerated and tiring with longer-term listening.

You will find neutral sound really pleasing and natural, even startling, especially with good recordings. Bad recordings will also be accurately reproduced so don't expect great speakers like the M80s to compensate for bad recordings.

I won't relate how the old Klipsch Heresys did in the Sound Canada tests in the 1980s because they may have improved somewhat over the years and I haven't heard newer versions."

Regards,
Alan

Thanks for the info guys. Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to listen to the Klipsch speakers at FS as they didn't have them set up for demo and it was kind of a zoo in there. I was considering buying them and trying them out at home, but from your comments and what I've read elsewhere I've decided not to bother. Especially now that I've noticed Axiom's Boxing Week offer. Cheers.