Klipsch CF-3 (circa 1995)
The Klipsch CF-3 is a floor-standing loudspeaker from the mid-1990s. Klipsch was then balancing its Heritage-line legacy with newer home theater and THX-certified offerings. Audio (July 1995, p.66) profiled the CF-3 as part of a lineup that ran from the entry-level KG.5 at $250 per pair up through the company's classic horns. The CF-3 sat in the upper tier of that range.
The design used a vented-box enclosure and neodymium magnets. Audio noted that neodymium is roughly ten times more powerful than an equivalent ceramic magnet, so the magnet assembly can be much smaller for the same field strength. The woofer cone was made from a rigid, light composition that the reviewer said delivered "unusually clear, resonance-free lower midrange and bass." All drivers were wired in positive polarity, with 14-gauge stranded internal wire and bi-wirable input terminals.
Measured performance was mixed. In the review by D.B. Keele, Jr. (Audio, July 1995, pp.68-71), the CF-3 proved very sensitive - 6 to 8 dB more than the B&W reference system used for comparison, which effectively quadrupled the perceived power of a given amplifier. On pipe-organ pedal notes, the speakers could "easily dislodge knickknacks from the listening room wall." Low-frequency extension was limited, though. Third-octave pink-noise testing showed no usable output in the 20 or 25 Hz bands. Above 7 kHz, output rolled off, but the speaker could still play very loudly in that range. Horizontal off-axis response was also measured and plotted.
Production years for the CF-3 are not documented in the available record. The Audio review gives the clearest snapshot of the model's engineering. It was a high-efficiency, dynamic speaker that gave up deep sub-bass for impact and clarity in the range that mattered most for music and film. That trade fits Klipsch's horn-influenced approach applied to a more conventional box form.
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.
Related Models
- Klipsch Belle (1985)
- Klipsch CHORUS
- Klipsch Cornwall III (2006-)
- Klipsch Cornwall IV
- Klipsch Forte III
- Braun AUDIO-1 (1965)
- Braun AUDIO-250 (1965)
- Magnavox Component Systems (1972)
- Acoustic Research AR (1967-1976)
- Acoustic Research 11