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RF-3 vs Quartets

ReckerTA

ReckerTA

Active Member
So, I am working out a purchase of a pair of quartets here on bartertown. I currently have the surround sound set up including the RF-3 speakers, which I am using on my 2 channel music setup right now. I'm wondering if anyone has any opinions on which they like better? I'm going to get them either way, cause I need speakers for a second system (instead of some cheap sony's I am using!), but I was wondering what other people thought!
 
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Quartet over RF3. Much larger mid horn in the Quartet. I had a pair of Quartet which I braced and stiffened and then dropped a KLF20 woofer into it and re tuned the passive some of the best bass I have ever owned better than a pair of HSU subs. You cannot go wrong with a Quartet. Remove the stock risers and put them up on 14 inch four post stands they will sound and look great. Best regards Moray James.

Take a look at this link to see the way I did the brace work in the cabinets.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=372783&highlight=klf20
 
Have not heard RF 3s but the Quartet is the most overlooked of the older Klipsch speakers IMO. Great bass, good balance. Almost like a cross between Hereseys and Fortes. Seem to be kind of rare in the used speaker market compared to other Klipsch. I say go for it.
Biggs
 
The Quartet is simply a ten inch woofer version of a Forte ll the cabinet is almost identical except it is about 4 inches shorter than a Forte ll. Same horns as a Forte ll. The Quartet has a 12 inch passive like the Forte. A nice speaker all around and seriously overlooked that's for sure. Best regards Moray James.
 
Thanks for the info, guys! I'm picking them up on Tuesday. Any recommended upgrades besides the bracing? Crites or anything like that? Or should I stick with original?
 
listen to them as is...but you may want to update the crossovers and go to titanium tweeter mods (perhaps the mids too)...but enjoy them for awhile as is...

Bill
 
Lots you can do....

silversport said:
listen to them as is...but you may want to update the crossovers and go to titanium tweeter mods (perhaps the mids too)...but enjoy them for awhile as is...

Bill
Click to expand...

As Bill says get a feel for these speakers. I like to install K79 tweeter drivers and upgrade all the diaphragms to Titanium right off the bat. Cabinet work help enormously. You can re tune the passive radiator by adding 2.5 ounces of large flat washers to each one. All your standard crossover rebuild options apply as do all the other driver /cabinet tweaks. I dropped a set of KLF20 woofers into my Quartet's whicb was a little work due to opening the driver rebate but worth the effort resulting in bass better than a Forte. Remove the stock kick riser and put the speakers up on some four post 14 inch high stands from Skylan Stands (dot com).
How good do you want them to be? Or how good can you afford for them to be? Take a look at the link below for some ideas on cabinet brace work. Best regards Moray James.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=372783&highlight=klf20
 
Is that a pretty common price I'm going to be looking at if purchasing stands? Around $500? I definitely will not be able to swing that any time soon, I don't think. Any DIY options I can toy around with?
 
Well I posted the Skylan info so people could get a good idea what a quality four post stand looks like, they really make these speakers look fine and they also make them sound better. You can pay a lot more that this for all steel stands and they will ring like chapel bells.
You can build your own to look the same follow the design scale and paint with a black eggshell paint any shinier will not look good you don't want more than about a 35 degree sheen. As far as I am concerned Skylan stands are the finest sounding and best designed stands in the industry and they will eat up any metal stand out there. I have built a lot of stands and many folks think it a simple job fast and easy but there is far more to them than most expect. To make them look like the Skylan stands is far more work than meets the eye and to make them sound as good as Skylan is beyond most. A couple of one gallon paint cans filled with sand with a base and a top would make a fine and easy stand for very little investment, 5/8" MDF would be a good thickness material for a top and double that for the bottom of the stand. Some construction adhesive and some 1/4" ready rod to hold it all together is cheap and will look and work very well. Lots of other ways to do this too but this is simple fast dirt cheap and effective. Hope that this helps and is of interest. Best regards Moray James.
 
Ok. I picked up the Quartets last night and hooked them up, ready to hear some great sound :yes: Unfortunately, all I heard was a muddled mess. So, I unhooked them from my 1060 and hooked them up to my 2270. Well, same thing. After getting into it a little more, it seems that neither tweeter is working.

So, I am somewhat mechanically inclined, but have not worked on speakers since I was a teenager. My best bet is to start with checking to see that they are still hooked up to the crossover, right? So take out the tweeter and check the connections? And then from there put a voltmeter on it and check the ohms?
 
I have a set of tweeter diaphragms you can have they are in perfect condition just cover the postage. If you send me a PM with you info we can work coordinate. Best regards Moray James.
 
That's a mighty nice offer, Moray James!!

I hope your Quartets will sing once again, ReckerTA. I love mine.
 
Wanted to post a quick reply and say Thanks! to Moray James for all the help he has been. I eventually got the tweeters pulled and put them on the voltmeter and they were dead. Hooked up the midrange to the tweeter crossover part, and it put out noise, so they were good. Ordered new titanium diaphrams from Crites, and got them in and they sound really nice. So thanks again!

I'm going to be moving home with my folks for about a year to save some money before I get married, so I'm going to tear them apart and do all the upgrades, so I'll start a new thread and keep you all posted on the progress!

Thanks again to everyone for all the help and information!

Matt
 
Hey Matt: that sounds great do the full monty I can assure you that they will exceed your wildest expectations. This year might be a great time to build a pair of bass bins or horn loaded woofers. I can tell you that married life can cut into a hobby like this for quite some time.
Hey Mark: every forum member post is support for someone somewhere. I like to think of this as a pay it forward kind of thing. I have received so much incredible support and advice and help in my own interests on line. I think that our hobby forums can be a true form of community and in a way like an extended family. We each have our own learning curve to follow but the good advice of the forum is a real world school where you can learn from both the mistakes and successes of others. I get blown away on a regular basis seeing so much information freely available so much good will. this can be such a great place to hang out. Thank you to all who contribute. Best regards Moray James.
 
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