Decision time, help if you can.

[Foxman]

The Wife is struggeling with Fathers day/Birthday gift ideas and here is the final call. Matching rear speakers for the 5.1 system. Currently I have Klipsch RF-7 and RC-7's in the front and Boston HD-7's in the rear. SVS sub. Rotel RSP 1066 RMB 1075. So, she found some Klipsch on sale (dealer is selling out of the line) and he offered her the RB-25 in light Cherry for $320.00 and the RB-35 in Black (in stock prices) for $480.00. My question is I love the Cherry, but want the 35's. Is the 35 worth either paying 20% more than the 480 or get it in black or suck it up and stick with the 25's. Here are the stats on these speakers. Is the sound benefit worth the money...period, apperance aside.

RB 25 vitals:
FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
49Hz-20kHz ±3dB
SENSITIVITY:
94dB @ 2.83 volts/1 meter
POWER HANDLING:
75 watts maximum continuous (300 watts peak)
DRIVE COMPONENTS:
Two-way system using one 1" (2.54cm) magnetically shielded, titanium dome compression driver tweeter with a integral 5" (12.7cm) square 90°x60° Tractrix® Horn and one 6.5" (16.51cm) magnetically shiel
TWEETER:
K-131-AB 1" (2.54cm) Titanium dome compression driver
HIGH FREQUENCY HORN:
5" square 90°x60° Tractrix® Horn
HF CROSSOVER:
2670Hz
WOOFER:
One K-1129-AB 6.5" (16.51cm) Cerametallic® cone / cast polymer frame

v/s


RB35 Vitals:

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
45Hz-20kHz ±3dB
SENSITIVITY:
96dB @ 2.83 volts/1 meter
POWER HANDLING:
125 watts maximum continuous (500 watts peak)
DRIVE COMPONENTS:
Two-way system using one 1" (2.54cm) magnetically shielded, titanium dome compression driver tweeter with a integral 6" (15.2cm) square 90°x60° Tractrix® Horn and one 8" (20.32cm) magnetically shielde
TWEETER:
K-130-DN 1" (2.54cm) Titanium dome compression driver
HIGH FREQUENCY HORN:
6" square 90°x60° Tractrix® Horn
HF CROSSOVER:
2350Hz
WOOFER:
One K-1128-OB 8" (20.32cm) Cerametallic® cone / cast polymer frame

>> I like the idea of a woofer that is closer to the woofer in the RF-7's as I feel I will get a closer timber match with the 35 + I like the extra power handeling of the 35, although I currently do not have that much clean power to really push tham hard as surrounds. Thoughts?

[sbank]

Hmm. I cannot really comment on either of those speakers (due to lack of familiarity). But it sounds like you want the RB-35. If you went with the other one, you'll always be kicking yourself and saying, `I wonder how the RB-35 would sound at this moment in the movie.' You would just be feeding the upgrade bug IMHO.

To see how you really feel about the RB-35 vs. the 25 do the following. Take a coin and flip it in the air. Heads, the 35. Tails, the 25. When it lands and you look at the coin, see if you make an excuse for it to land the other way. For example, if it lands tails side up (the 25 side), do you say to yourself, `okay, best 3 out of 5. or let me try that again, cause my hand slipped'. If you make an excuse, then you really wanted deep down inside, the RB-35. If your root for a side to come up, then I would just buy that one.

(I'll leave the technical arguments for someone else to comment on. )