Klipsch RP-600M Review | Before you buy the HYPE!
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- Опубликовано: 7 окт 2024
- Klipsch RP-600M Review | Before you buy the HYPE!
Crossing the Streams: • Waveguides? Audiophile...
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I've had the RP-600M's for over 2 years now and can not give them enough praise. They are the best bookshelf speakers I've ever heard in their class, and I've heard a lot. If something ever happened to them I'm running straight to Klipsch and throwing my money down on a new pair. They are simply fantastic for the price.
Best sounding speaker under a grand....Picked up a pair from Klipsch for $377....Don't hesitate. Buy Them.
thanks man for a comment. i want to buy these speakers. would r-n303d yamaha would be good fit for these?
I can't find them in walnut anywhere for less than $770 in the USA. They have skyrocketed in price! Wondering if they are still the way to go with them now costing that much more...?
@@dennishaley4443 Were they having a big sale at the time? Now they are $770 on Klipsch's website. Thanks!
As a nonnativer speaker, what I understand is RP600's mid-range is a little reserverd.its mid range is not as good as its bass or trenble. Thus this speakers are advised to pair with amps focusing on density midrange and bass.
Love these speakers. As a jazz listener and someone who loves trumpets, saxophones, etc. These sound amazing and very natural for me. Alot of what you hear is down to the amp and what not too and the audio recordings. I'm happy you have them a try though. I put a sub with mine and it opened to sound up well
Ron, I appreciate your reviews. You tell us what you hear, you trust your ears, and you're not afraid to say you don't know some things. You're very relate-able. Not intimidating or staunch. I have the 600M's and right now I'm using them in my bedroom. I was up and down with them the first few months, at one point I was all set to pull the trigger on Danny's upgrade kit, but now I'm happy with them even with any existing technical design flaws.They're exciting and fun and they can actually sound pretty neutral in a lot of cases, and for TV/Movies they'd be difficult to beat at the price! I have a small sub dialed in with them at the moment and there's been a few times recently that I'm jamming and I catch myself just thinking about how great this little budget setup sounds. As a guy whose been a music lover my whole life but only recently caught the audiophile bug for the nicer gear the last couple of years, I'm starting to feel more excited about the less expensive gear I've acquired then the 6K or so I've dumped into my primary setup. You can get too caught up in the gear and not the music sometimes when you have what you feel is a lot of money invested in it. What a wild hobby this has been for me, End Rant, LOL! Thanks again Ron, your videos are helping me get through this lockdown! As you can see I'm typing this babbl @ 3am....
they sound amazing specially if you match them with a tube amp.
Well they are easily to beat outside of the US. Wharfedale, Triangle, Focal.
@@net_news I'm looking to pick up my first tube integrated soon to experiment with. I've heard them hooked up to a primaluna at a hifi store I visited and they sounded smoother. Unfortunately, most of my spending has been put on hold until the Ohio shutdown ends. I'm in the restaurant business and we've been at home for over a month now😕
@@JosephTongret Can relate to that I am in hotels here in Australia we are into our 3rd week just happy our govt is paying us $1500 AUD a fortnight too stay afloat. I too have looked into the prima luna with these speakers and think its the way I will be going.
@@darrens7040 pretty incredible to think that most of the world is in this same situation, fighting this same global virus. Almost hard to wrap my brain around the reality of this since it really more resembles a movie plot? At least we can wither away some of the time on our hobby I guess! Stay healthy man. 😷
Watching this with my Klipsch RP 600Ms. Couldn´t be happier. Fantastic speakers. Kind regards from Germany.
I have these paired with a Yamaha A-S501 Natural Sound Integrated Amplifier & it sounds truly beautiful.
You have the exact set up that I am interested in getting.
Can you tell me a little more about your experience? Did you get a DAC also? Do you mostly stream music or use other audio sources.
I would love to hear your pros and cons with the RP-600m and the Yamaha A-S501
Rick
@@rickbelknap Hey Rick! I hope this helps you well. I did not purchase a DAC, I use the A-S501 with the 600M's strictly with my Record Player, using the built in phono pre-amp. I love the speakers and the amp, I just do not have the best room for them at the moment, (the setup is in a small bedroom), the size of my room is greatly impacting how much more beautiful the sound could be. The A-S501 also has much more power than the 600M's would ever need.
Excellent pairing!
Four months with my RP-600M via Yamaha NR-803 and really enjoying them so far. Vinyl, Spotify and then Netflix via the X-Box and all works fine for me. The Yamaha is just superb. I upgraded from Monitor Audio Bronze 2's and they're at my son in laws place now. I think these speakers really Rock! I listen to Pop, Soul, Funk and Jazz. If you're on a fairly tight budget then these are a fine pair of loudspeakers in a small room. if I upgrade from these then I'd have to spend more time testing other brands like Focal, KEF and perhaps the Heresy 4's. Can I justify adding twice the amount of money for something a little more refined?
Wow. This speakers has nearly universally great/fantastic reviews. Steven Gutenberg even made it his speaker of the year. This might have been the first or only negative review I’ve seen. Maybe not quite negative but it was not the stellar review I’m used too. And that’s totally fine! I appreciate that you’re hearing different things and giving us your honest opinion. Keep up the good work!
Steve likes chocolate icecream. Ron likes vanilla! Most people prefer vanilla! But again it all depends on the person and is why any of these type of videos are for entertainment purposes only unfortunately. Do you like able or do you like yellow? Once you get to a good decent speaker it's all personal preference.
@@bigjay1970 Steve is a big Klipsch fan. They could hand him Cow chips and he'd say they're as good as chocolate chip cookies. LOL!
Ron wears a boring plaid shirt and a shapeless ball cap every day of the week, Steve Gutenberg on the other hand wears one of a kind pieces of art and talks the emotions he felt while listening to a certain piece of music on a system. I'd like to hang out with Steve and hear what he is hearing!
@@ericjohnson829 And I would like to visit Ron's house for dinner and music while don't know if i want to visit Steve's apartment LOL its all a matter of taste
@@ericjohnson829
Well that was an interesting comment!😉😇
Would just like to add the "excitement/fun factor" that I don't get with a lot of other speakers, but other than that the review was pretty darn honest and spot on. Great job! 😉👍
Excellent review! I own RP-600M's and I'm glad to finally see an honest review. I tried to use them for two channel listening and didn't like them at all. I moved them to my home theater setup and they sound brilliant there. They're much better suited as a HT speaker.
I have rp150m's in my bedroom home theater, and they're awesome.
Totally agree! I have RP-250F's and find them to be brilliant in home theater, but average for 2.0 music. When testing with rap/hip hop I found the bass is deep but muddy. Music in a 2.1 setup with a good sub improved my experience but never impressed.
@@robg8963 I like my rp150m's for music listening, but don't have a ton of experience with loudspeakers. I find nothing offensive about them. I have limited space, and could only fit a relatively small speaker on my shelf. The only upgrade that entices me is Buchardt s400's....
Diatonic5th
I tried the Klipsch Rp600m with an Arcam Stereo amp they sound Great with music
They have had good reviews from a lot of audiophiles they must have used more musical better quality amps than the ones used in this review
Same experience here!
My first Klipsch experience: I picked up a used pair of F-10s, curious about the Klipsch sound. Well... there is definitely a Klipsch sound; with these speakers it's clear and punchy but that's the best I can say. In a highly padded room (carpets, sofas, cushions etc) they may be ideal for home theatre as they have edge and dynamics but they are far from credible music speakers. It's like they were designed with no thought of warmth, vocals and any instrument that contains mid bass, mids or mid highs. They are simply soul-less in these regions and lack authentic timbre. Klipsch has a huge following and maybe their other speakers are better but the F-10's have huge sonic gaps. But as I said they have a tone distinct to the brand and I'm sure some will love them. To each their own.
Well, functionally speaking a horn is also a wave guide. Yes, the function of a horn is to amplify and couple the energy of a drivers output to the room but by the nature of it's design it also offers varying degrees of directivity control. A wave guide, on the other hand, is intended to only offer directivity control. With so many manufacturers offering what they call wave guides that kind of look like horns it can get confusing. The only way to know whether the RP-600's "lens" is acting as a horn or purely as a wave guide would be to test the output differential between the driver mounted on a typical test baffle and then back in the "lens". I would think it's more of a wave guide but I'm not sure how much gain would be required for one designer to say they were using a horn design and another to claim wave guide status.
The rubber waive guide comes right off so it might be able to be tested quite easily.
I thought horns have different physical dimensions from waveguides. Wouldn't it be simple enough to just measure the dimension of the waveguide?
14:00 Finally found somebody else who loves the simplicity of the paper cone and its sheer ability to represent the texture and tones. 🙌
I thought everyone loved paper cones? It's not like they aren't rated.
I also use these speakers for a few days now. Coming from a Canton Karat M 90 DC floor standing Speaker, I feel like the Rp600m has less resolution and dimension than my old ones. I often listen to pop and Edm music and it's not so important imo, but when it comes to movies with big orchestra with strings and piano, I wish there was more clarity and texture. But there is something I really love about this speaker... It's more alive and in your face. I've testet Monitor Audio Bronze 100 6G, and Canton Chrono 30 too, but the Klipsch are the most impressive from all.
I own the Klipsch RP600m and I had to cycle through a a lot of my equipment until I found one that complemented the speakers. They are much more gear sensitive then the specs would have you believe. I ended up pulling a Nad 316 out of my closet and it is really amazing how the speakers changed. If you have access to the Nad you should give it a listen, lots of reviews use this pairing it actually made me keep the speakers. I just know in my mind that the speaker and the amp are now a set.
Savade Elephantes I have the NAD 326BEE for my 600s. I’ve been very happy with the pairing.
Also calibration does a lot. Most Ams/ receivers have that. They play very good with Yamaha and Marantz Gear
I agree, NAD is a perfect match for these Klipsch speakers, running them with a C165bee pre-amp, C275bee power amp and the C565bee cd player from NAD...
Your Attention to & Explanation of details and experiences is Stellar! Your Videos are like a Great Book...I have to listen 2/3 times to process all the information....that is a Good Thing....Thank You!!!! Appreciate Your Passion & Honesty!!!
$550.00 bucks why so many great reviews? Because they were based on what you got for 550.00 bucks. Throw in a 250.00 R100 sub and in a small to med room? Holy crap they sound even better!! Let’s not get all audiophile on speakers at this price point, heck I see comments from people throwing out Tannoy as a comparison! Teton? Yep equipment will change the sound too! Yep your buddies upgrade kit will help too! Let’s keep the review of the product about the product. Truth is for 550.00 these will smoke a lot of speakers 3 times there price. Hurray for the majority of people who don’t have 3 grand for higher end standmounts. Which probably need a sub too anyway. Buy a 300.00 sub and love these for what they are and do for under a grand! If you follow the recommendations of spending twice as much on speakers as power supply your for sure not in high end equipment world! Steve , Shawn, and the others were spot on. I was always a subscriber to you before you change your platform, and this is why. Review things for what they are and meant to do for the money. Nothing is perfect especially at this price. Even Polk has some nice stuff at this price point now! Wilson Sabrina’s they are not. ( my personal favorite) But the Klipsch are 14,500.00 less! Love ya Ron, but I love the Beatles and simple proved them great, the ability to keep it simple and do it right ! Thus the Klipsch got good reviews from those guys! They have done a bunch for the industry and started many on there way in this wonderful world. All the other shit comes down the road as you learn.
1st time somebody says the difference between horn & wave guide on Klipsch! Merci beaucoup, super vidéo Ron
I own the predecessors to these. The RP-160M. What I would say is that everything you've said has validity early on in this speaker's life cycle. These speakers, based on my experience with the RP-160M's, need 160 to 200 hours of burn-in before they really come together. What's interesting is that the driver's don't burn in at the same rate with the tweeter taking way longer to settle in. Before that happens, there is some disconnect between the woofer & the tweeter. This has been my experience, at least.
Most likely it's due to your ears getting used to the sound. The "breaking in"-thing is a hi-fi myth.
@@FlowithdaGo It is absolutely not a myth! I have too many speakers & too many headphones for my ears to "get used" to the sound of any one of them. When I burn in a set of speakers or headphones, do you actually think that I'm listening to them the entire time? No, I spot check them maybe about 1 hour for every 24 hours of play & make note of any changes.
Arthur Haywood If you listen to them all the time or not is not really the issue, although it will play a part. We're all human, and humans are easy to trick. We all have our biases, and if you believe that something changes by breaking in, you will most certainly hear what you believe. But if breaking in really works, then it shouldn't stop after a set time. It would go on forever, every day your equipment would change its sound...
@@FlowithdaGo Speakers need burn in. It is really amazing to listen to over a week or so. and the same with some cables.
Antiparticle - Yup. Break-in is a myth, as are virgins. Apologies for a vulgar analogy but that is something that most if not all people should be able to understand.
Ron, just wanted to say thanks for listening to viewer feedback and changing the format. This is a great, no-nonsense review packed full of useful information!
These really shine in home theater, having 3 pairs of RP-600M with RP-600C as the center. Using pair of svs-sb2000.
Only because you never heard anything else
@@ekimandersom4478 that's arrogant and rude. Ignorant
I have these paired with Dynaco Mark 3 tube amps and a Pilot 216a tube preamp and these speakers sound amazing. I added a Polk sub which really added a lot and made the system sound huge. I listen to a lot of different music from acoustic jazz and to rock, metal, electronica and classical and thus far the 600ms have worked with all of them. I have another system I'm slowly building that is solid state and I'm thinking about Elacs for that one.
FWIW re: horn vs. waveguide, the Klipsch website describes it as a "Tweeter with Hybrid Tractrix® Horn."
That’s true. And they also claim the sensitivity of the RP-600m to be 96db 😉
@@Newrecordday2013 could it be considered a horn because it has a throat between the tweeter and waveguide?
@@dougg1075 sensitivity between 85 and 93db see www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/klipsch-rp-600m-speaker-review.12138/
It’s your amp I paired this with Cambridge cxa81 this was really good
What an in-depth and honest review... Loved it !!! Thanks for educating us on the difference between a horn and waveguide speaker.
That's how they are voiced. That's how alot of people like their music and movies. You either like it or you don't.
can u elaborate please?
@@skylordsrebornpvpreplays5795 they design the sound of the speakers to specifically sound like they do because many people enjoy that sound.
First less than stellar review that I have watched about 600s. I have some 20 year old Klipsch wall- mounted dual 3.5 inch woofers and older generation dome horn/wave guide. They're in my home theater setup. I have been listening to cds on that system. Agree with the weird rock, cymbal hits. Especially rides of rapid secession. Scratchy sounding. Would think the 600s would be better. Wow, everything else is awesome. Will see if that goes away after I get a CD player with my good vintage system. My 1978 JBL65s have crystal super tweeters that they called horns. Really a tapperd slot.
The new version if FAR more accurate. That goes to show you reviews are often biased. These are a fairly colored speaker. If people looked at the measurements, they would realize, you are simply getting an over hyped sound that is NOT accurate.
I love the RP600Ms, one my favorite speakers in their price bucket, but your review is spot on, I've found the same issues... for example, I love punk rock but it's a totally unlistenable genre trough these speakers, super harsh even using a tube amp. OTOH they are very good for pop, electronica, acoustic and jazz and they really shine with movies and videogames.
My amps are: Primaluna Prologue (el34 tubes), Reisong A10 (el34 tubes) and a Parasound Halo A23+ (solid state). It's amazing how good the 600Ms sound with the humble Reisong!!! They sound even better than the Primaluna if you don't need to go too loud and miles better than the Parasound. I really think these Klipschs were created with tubes in mind.
I love mine as well, but I agree with the downsides. Rock is not a sweet spot for these speakers. Jazz, EDM, classical and some pop. I found myself changing my listening habits to accommodate this, which kind of bummed me out just a bit. Luckily, I love many different kinds of music. But they sounded good enough for me to keep them, although I have moved them up to the bedroom and bought some Klipsch Forte iii’s and absolutely LOVE them. Huge improvement over the 600ms. The Fortes are just way more substantial and thick in sound, filling the whole room without even having to crank them. Very defined. I found with the RP600ms I had to play at much higher volumes to get anywhere near the level of detail that I get with the Fortes. The Fortes seem to disappear and just create a wall of sound and the 600ms not so much. You could easily localize the smaller bookshelve speakers.
@@AZMikey
The forte make these look like a toy and cost thousands more but are worth it!🤫🤗
@@AZMikey There is a huge difference between Klipsch's consumer and heritage models.
@net news, How do you like your Parasound A23+ in general? I’m considering that with a P6 or a Hint 6 integrated. I’d love to know your thoughts on the sound of your amp.
The drivers are not pure anodised aluminium. The process used on them converts the surface molecules of the aluminium to a ceramic compound that changes the density and rigidity of the driver cone.
Excellent review, Ron! Gettin’ right down to business, huh? Very detailed description. Now, that’s what I we wanna see. Great job, dude. Keep that passion goin!
I love the detailed, disinterested approach to reviewing the speakers. All other reviewers are over the moon for a pair of $600 speakers. How is this possible? How can any speakers that cheap be that good?
@Club Soda : Absolutely I live in a apartment and at times I have to turn down the volume however I love them
I also ask myself about the ridiculous hype. Don't get me wrong, the RP600M are great. But so are 10 other speakers for the same price or less (or more!).
I love these speakers, to me is about placement of the speakers above the ground and from the back walls, you can change the sound just experimenting, he is talking about one type of music with no insight of placement or other improvements, listen to jazz, doom metal, IDM, etc, also vocals is impressive, cheers.
It's both a waveguide and a horn.
Horns simply provide acoustic gain. Waveguides do pattern control.
All waveguides are horns, but not all horns are waveguides.
Checking in there, thanks for the video! Awesome as always!
Thank you. thank you! You are the first reviewer that spoke about the harsh sounding cymbals for certain rock music sound rough to listen to.
I love the look of those copper looks
Best of luck with your commitment to the channel. I am really looking forward to your videos detailing your attempts at DIY speakers. I am in the midst of a set of Danny designed speakers. I am finding that even though I think of myself as "capable" the task is more challenging than expected. The electronics side of the project is daunting and although there are experienced and helpful resources, at the end of the day, Only one person can connect that wire in the correct manner and spot.
Fantastic Informative review: I have a pair and I recently added a Subwoofer I have had mine's for 2 years they were already amazing speakers however since adding a subwoofer they have really surfaced, highs and lows are amazing and I have them paired with a Onkyo Intergrated Amp A 9150 keep up the good work.
The one dissenting voice! You, my dear friend, are a blessing. I've never auditioned any of the Heritage Series Klipsch speakers, but having auditioned 3-4 different of these 'Traktrix' designs, I'd be very inclined to agree with you and wouldn't be as polite with my personal assessment. I simply could not live with any of the Traktrix designs. They simply have far too much energy in that 2500-4500 Hz region likely due to the rather pronounced dip just below there. Thank you Ron, you have shown to be a trustworthy (albeit overly polite) resource in a world of glorious accolades and hyperbole.
I agree Salvatore. Many people thought I was defending Klipsch products when I took issue with Danny Richie claiming he was "fixing" them when all he was doing was adjusting the crossover to his taste. I wasn't defending them. I was merely stating that this is the way Klipsch intended them and they work as designed. But that didn't mean I liked them. A lot of people love the RP line sonic signature. And a lot of us do not. I have a friend who is a Klipsch fanatic and used to own a home theater install company that sold everything they made. I've heard pretty much every Klipsch product for the past fifteen years. So I was excited to hear these after Guttenberg raved about them especially considering how much I disliked their previous general use lines. Was there an improvement? Yes, but not early enough to warrant all the praise they were receiving. But to each his own, I suppose. Heck, I sent the Elac Debut 6.2's back and a lot of people think those are the greatest speaker under three grand. Not even close for me. I don't have much love for the SVS Ultras either. But that's why we all have to listen for ourselves. Ron might love something you hate and he might hate something you love. Same goes for any reviewer. It's all just for the entertainment and the information. But when it comes down to spending the cash you better decide for yourself.
Dave P of course and well said. The problem is, we’re all looking for that miraculous speaker whose designers just got it right and were able to make Wilson Audios from Dayton Audio priced components! Likely not happening any time soon!
@@davep2945 I believe that Klipsch are voiced for people who cant hear treble well but for me it just sounds unrefined and as if its bringing all the bad parts of the music out and making them more audible then the rest of it. I think more companies should aim for a response like the Revel M16s were its slightly boosted in the mid bass then neutral throughout the mid range and upper mid range then slightly rolled off treble response to prevent fatigue.
@@Jordonater how do you figure? The trail off on cymbals and the sound of a saxophone/ trumpet singing on these are insanely good. Solid trail off and very well controlled. Maybe youre listening with a trash receiver or something. My yamaha sounds insanely realistic with these
@@SpencersStuffTV I have the tower version so maybe its treble isnt the same but i just hear that treble detail as lots of noise mushed together and it just becomes distortion for me however this is on electronic music.
I’ve said these to anyone who is building a stereo or home theatre. You need to play around with what you’re driving your speakers with. Not all amps will deliver the same performance. He said that in the beginning. I use a Yamaha AS801 with these and there is NO hiss and no drone. Finally, the source of your music will play INDEFINITELY different compared to others. I stream via MQA on an external DAC from blue sound. For $1500 you’ll have an elite setup to get someone started.
Honesty... That was sublime, love your reviews !
I´m looking for a pair of speakers for my future stereo set-up, thanks for the sincere review on this, really appreciated.
RP-600M's
Great review Ron. Love the new format packed full of information.
Thanks for your very honest review. We used to call this type of speaker a”Boom Sissss” speaker. Where the mid range was depressed and the bass and treble enhanced. They were fun in the store to listen to, but after they were in your home, you got tired of them real fast!
Good to hear you dropping an honest review and not just the usual praise-machine.
So you're saying that the majority of reviewers are lying when they praise this speaker?
Ron, I love your commitment and always glad to hear your opinions. But I'm going to respectfully disagree...these RP-600M speakers are sounding great to me. Granted I haven't had them long but I was pretty bummed when I saw you video only days after I ordered the pair and was still waiting for them to arrive at my doorstep. Perhaps you lowered my expectations enough that once they arrived I was really surprised how good they really are at this price point.
My only complaint so far is when running some music through a DAC...there is some brightness I'm hearing that I don't like and haven't quite resolved yet. Overall though, they're keepers for me and I'm relieved as the hassle of returns and possible restocking fees is never a fun experience. Being bookshelf speakers, they won't be part of my primary audio system in my listening room (translation family room) but they're a keeper for me in my living room where I do quite a bit of stereo listening (2.0, 2.1). I usually have buyer's remorse when it comes to any luxury items I buy...but none this time around. I'm glad to have made the purchase.
I’m happy to hear your enjoying the 600s!
Go look up some of the numerous measurements about these, They are not great at all. They have a decent sound overall, but are really not accurate. You have simply gotten used to them.
Very good review Ron, I think you well stated your unbiased sonic impressions of the RP600M. I do have to say however that I don’t agree about your statement regarding horns and waveguides. Speaking as someone who has worked on waveguides in radars and understands the operating principles of waveguides and horns, waveguides only guide waves whether they are electromagnetic or acoustic waves. Horns actually achieve two objectives, guiding waves AND performing impedance matching. Horns have a flare that acts as a transformer which transforms a higher impedance at the small end to a lower impedance at the large end, which causes a better impedance match and more energy delivered to the load (the air in the room in the case of a horn speaker). So let’s call these things what they are, and not try to come up with a new name to pretend that these are something new and therefore not stigmatized by the sound of some previously not optimized designs of horn speakers.
Being friends with D.B. Keele maybe I should have him inform Ron that horns indeed were designed for controlled directivity?
Rick Craig I think he already gets that, but people calling horns waveguides is misleading to the biggest reason for horns which is impedance matching. Guiding waves, aka controlling directivity is another feature of horns that I like because it helps reduce the reverberant sound giving a higher direct to reflect sound energy ratio.
Friends with D.B. Keele, let him know that I’ve been a fan of his since the 70s and an AES member and have read about his work. It would be really special if Mr Keele would weigh in on this subject which would give Ron and New Record Day some extreme credibility as Ron has now dedicated his career and future to his NRD RUclips channel.
Great explaining the cymbals and standup bass etc. :)
Have them paired with a Denon DRA-800h . A Fluance Rt-81 turntable and an oldschool Pioneer 30 disk changer . Also a 10 inch powered sub that I use on a low level , not boomy just enough to feel it.
Will soon be getting an equalizer to solve midrange issues for certain songs which really isn't a huge issue I'm just picky.
All middle of the road stuff but sounds great!! The Denon amp tones down the horn tweeters . These speakers are all about placement , they are very directional .
I'm a carpenter and built two floating shelves for them , about 26 inches off the ground and 7 inches away from the wall . Didn't want to use stands to risk toppling them over
Im glad I caught your review on this as it seems that many reviews push this as quite a deal for the money. Ive begun to appreciate even more these days paper cone drivers. Something I have not been able to determine as well yet is how low power tube amps 3-4 wpc would fare with this more recent Klipsch offering. While I have not really had lots of experience with speakers that may well be sensitive and efficient but still having a cross over can still suck out power when using amps of under 5 watts. I did have a Forte1 awhile back and it worked with higher watt tube amps ... 25 wpc using a SET amp proved to not be particularly on the money . Possibly a Crites C/O kit may improve that but a crossover is still a crossover I would think. I moved on to full range speakers and currently a Tekton Lore reference is sounding very good considering cost esp at pre owned price. a cap is all for crossover to tweeter. Large paper cone .
They'll be fine with low power tube amps. I'm running RB 61 IIs (two gens back from the RP-600M) with a Reisong A10 (6-watts/channel) and they're great together. The Reisong is a bit rolled off in the treble, which compliments the Klipsch's rather forward treble very well. I did add a subwoofer (Emotiva SE8) which has a high-pass filter, so my speakers aren't having to mess with the low bass. I run line-level stereo to the sub's line in, set the high-pass to 80 Hz, run line level out to the amp. A 3 db bump at 1930 Hz takes care of the crossover dip. It's a setup that's ready to rumble, with good mids and treble. Just rolled in a pair of Mullard EL-34s, and I think I'm gonna like them.
As a nonnativer speaker, what I understand is RP600's mid-range is a little reserverd.its mid range is not as good as its bass or trenble. Thus this speakers are advised to pair with amps focusing on density midrange and bass.
Hi Ron. Greetings from Barbados and belated happy new year. I've been watching you for the better part of a year and for some strange reason i've only just come across this video. I watched your "cross the streams" speaker position video and man that changed my audio listening life! Thank you! Just thought i would reach out because i recently purchased a pair of Elac B6.2's on sale and i've watched your listening review a couple of times and it was fairly complimentary. However since that review i've seen others over the last year and they were pretty brutal. Cheap Audioman and Stereo Review X in particular were very uncomplimentary. So guess what i'm asking is does what you said about the Elacs still hold true and do you still consider it to be a good if not great speaker? Pairing with a Denon DRA 800H. Please keep up the wonderful work and continue to enlighten the masses.
Your passion and love for music/gear is INCREDIBLE! So glad you are making this your full time job. Please continue this style of review, and stay safe. Thanks for all you and your wife do for this community.
Nice review now i am more confident of shelling out some hard earned bucks on a new Klipsch rp600m speakers, thanks 👍
Good information and viewpoints. A lot can change with amp, source, and quality of the mix.
That's what I'm afraid of that after taking the speaker it will be fun at first and then it will be to much to have that high end boosted or have some kind of echo for most time which I expect to be annoying this is the first time I saw a review talking about that and I think my guesses was right
Thank you man for the great review !
i will tell you my experience when u are young, u want everything to be boosted and loud big bass punchy, as u get older you listen softer song at moderate volume...........this klipsch is more forward young people............older people shoud get the elacs, for young people the elac will get bored ......
Wow different review than a lot of audio stuff I have seen that praise Klipsch. I’m debating on the “The Fives”. Anyway you can give and objective review on them?
The Fives are so overpriced! Where I live the Triangle Elara LN01 cost half as much and sound just as good if not better.
Wonderful speakers. I had a pair of B&W bookshelves before these ones and the difference is stark! I don’t listen to them for loooooong sessions so I have no idea or experience of them being fatiguing.
I saw a great deal on these, bought ‘em but immediately sold them: the black ash vinyl version. The vinyl was very poorly printed, like smudged silver-grey paint. Oh, and one had a rattle when lightly shaken.
That's a pretty harsh assessment of a really good speaker, Ron. You got anything against Klipsch personally? First of all, these speakers are fun to listen to, easy to drive and inexpensive. Over time, they grow on you. I bought them for less $500, and side by side in comparison with my 'reference' speakers, the Klipsch have my vote. They could be considered audiophile. Seriously.
As someone who had first hand experience with this pair, I can only back him up! These speakers are far from “audiophile” grade or what is considered to be the characteristics of one
He hasn’t got anything against Klipsch.. nor is he harsh,.
He’s being factual and speaking his truth which you are entitled to disagree with but without the assumptions you made.
Ron didn't know you were an Arizonian! I am here as well in the heat of the devil's armpit haha!
Congratulations... in general, and for this review for noting this specific, and other problems with the Klipsch! Sorry, I also few times thinking of buying these (and other in the past) model of the brand, but I fortunately avoid it! I believe that the only models deserve, are some, indeed good but very very expensive, see Heresey etc.
Happy new Year!
WOW! I just happened to stumble upon your reviews and I have to say they are second to none.
I love how you not only have high end options but you also try and cater to the lower budget audiophile.
The way that you describe the speakers/amps is almost poetic and I find myself learning as I listen.
I just picked up a pair of Martin Logan 15i bookshelf’s and I have to say I love them.
I’m about to see if you have any reviews on Martin Logan as I would love to hear your opinions.
If you haven’t already, and can get your hands on a pair of Martin Logan’s, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the 15is or 35xtis.
Liked and subscribed. I will take your word on all things audio moving forward.
Thanks for your honest reviews!!
Had a pair of the 160s (with the IOTAVX stack) which are pretty similar to those and I agree with your take on the sound, especially your comment on Rock music and bass. Everyone always says these are "rock n roll" speakers and it's bs. They can get loud, sure, but they'll rip your face off if you play bad recordings. I listen to a lot of extreme metal and eventually got a pair of the new Elac DBR62'S for that reason. Much happier now. The Elacs have a beefier sound and much better tone.
Finally someone said it.
Klipsch Heritage series all have horns. The R series don’t.
Horns, the only reason to buy klipsch if JBL isn't your thing or you're Deaf!🤔🤫🤭🤭🤪
Big Jay
As an old guy I also understand and remember the Heritage Klipsch are for concert listing. R series where made for AV surround systems. They just work really good for music also. But 2 completely different animals.
Thanks Ron! I get what you say about bass: texture and tone. :)
I hope that all of the reviewers of the speakers let us listen to some songs with these speakers because what matters more is how is their sound. This would have been helpful before buying any set. Let the speakers talk!
Thought what you said was interesting around the plain reproduction of bass and acoustic instruments with the metal woofer and how paper cones reveal more texture. Would be curious to hear what you think of Focal speakers - Any of their flax cones from the Aria or Kanta line or the new and affordable Chora line with the slate fibre cones. I personally think you get the best of both worlds of a metal cone and paper or woven cone.
JUST bought a pair of these in walnut TODAY (8-13-2020) from my local dealer = last brick and mortar store around here. Safe and Sound Chicopee, Ma. ((0; These are replacing my RP-280F towers, just needed a smaller footprint. NOT disappointed in any way. ALSO, Klipsch themselves calls that tweeter a 'HYBRID TRACTRIX HORN'. This from their website specs and on the box mine came in. Can you argue with the source manufacturer terminology??
Well Gary, they also say the sensitivity is 96db.
Ron and Amir (of ASR) *measured* the response and found a big dip around 1500 Hz. That is an *objective fact* - it is *not* an opinion. Whether you care about that dip is up to you.
Ron great review.
I was thinking of getting RP 600M to pair with a low power tube amp. After seeing a review from Steve Guttenberg. My question is could the XLS Encore DIY kit sound better than the Klipsch? Just curious on your thoughts if the Encore is sensitive enough for such a low powered amp.
Keith King Encores are definitely better than the klipsch! I should say, with the upgrades, the encores blow away the klipsch. I first did the upgrade to the klipsch. Definitely better. But, when I built the encores they were so much better that I sold the Klipsch and built a second pair. Klipsch were definitely better looking though. MDF is hard to finish.
This is the first accurate review of this "praised by all other" RUclips reviewers. And I fully agree on "crossing them" in front of the listening position, a tip that I used after viewing your video on the subject (you received a thumb up for that video, another one for this one, something I rarely do).
I auditioned the RP-600M but bought its tower version sibling, the RP-6000F, at a discounted price.
Using initially a 2x35W integrated amp (a Project from the 80's) was not entirely satisfactory. Lack of power and fatiguing treble.
I am now using a CROWNE XLS-1502 amp and a RME ADI-2 DAC pre-amp with a custom made EQ in conjunction with a rolled pair of winter socks in the vent to achieve a flatter response and a lower bass extension.
The listening experience is really good with pop and rock music (that's what I like) and when watching action movies, explosions make me jump out of startle from my sofa.
So, my opinion is that if you can get the frequency response equalised and have a powerful amp (and a pair of winter socks aside), the RP-600M might give you a really nice listening experience, just like I can enjoy from the RP-6000F.
Hi Ron, You brought to my attention
2 important points regarding stereo systems, speaker placement and the importance of a good crossover. I since changed my speakers and moved them a foot away from the back wall. What a huge improvement! Thank you!
This review and tharbamar gives a realistic unbiased review not going with the hypetrain
neither of them used tube amps for the reviews. These Klipschs shine with tube amps IMHO.
@@net_news i heard em personally with cayin tube amp still bright and dry atleast for my hearing.
@@myplaguesify yes, I believe what you said and agree, with some genres they sound dry even with tubes! But, in general, I think they sound amazing: holographic, detailed and super dynamic... something very difficult to attain in their price range. A couple of years ago you cannot even dream about this kind of sound for 5 hundred bucks.... I think RP600Ms were a game changer. Great speakers, amazing.
@@net_news I wonder if that dip in the frequency range tricks people into thinking that the Klipsch are more dynamic. You see that a lot in headphones from brands like Grado and Ultrasone.
So, I have the sixes and the RP-8000F. Neither have i experienced any hiss. I do have a DAC on both setups. But, The Sixes are dead silent with its built in amp and the 8000F I don't hear any hiss, but I am further back from them than The Sixes. I wish we could some how demo them together, LOL. Some magical uncompressed RUclips stream.
Thanks for the review.
Thanks for the review. These speakers new have been $420.00 recently. I have listened to at a friend's house on many occasions. Pretty good speaker for that price. Anyone have another choice in this range?
Triangle BR03, Q Acoustics 3030, Kef Q350, Focal Chora 806, ELAC Debut DBR62... If your budget is tight, consider the Q Acoustics 3020.
Man great detailed description
Really interested to see you review
Polk and kef speakers
I am interested in 600m vs 160m... Kilpsch
I did like your review of this speaker. Several items you cover can be said of other Klipsch models. They disappoint, in my opinion with rock - especially remastered classics, do a little better with digital recorded rock (some), good with jazz and some classical (not great with piano) and good with more electronic music. One does have to play with equalization to roll off the high harshness. And yes - what amp you use matters a lot. But see my comments below - not necessarily directed at you - but. I do notice that some reviewers have made reference to old models and newer ones of speakers. Perhaps here you implicitly do so - but. I personally do not hear or see in the specs any difference between this model (sonically) and it's predecessor - except the price. So I have always wondered - why all the hype?
Thanks for the review! How many hours did you play on them before this review?
Not nearly enough
I saw that the Klipsch The Sixes are on sale for $499.00 right now and I am considering getting a pair to replace a soundbar. I've never owned a Klipsch product yet and they seem similar to the RP-600Ms. I wanted to see what your thoughts or suggestions might be on The Sixes.
I bought the Sixes a few years ago on sale. Right out of the box they were the worst sounding speaker I have ever heard, literally caused my ears to spasm painfully. I was about to send them back, but decided to try to break them in. I played pounding music through them at a fairly high level while I was at work and shut them off when I got home. On day five I got home and was blown away by the sound and sat there for 2 hours playing different music in my collection when I should have been eating dinner. I have since added a 10 inch sub and it sounds like a system 10x its size.
good review. i have my rp"s hooked up to the cambridge audio topaz am 10. i can listen for hours. i also use the reisong a10 el 34 tube amp. both are very enjpyable.
As soon as I saw the graph, I subbed.
I fucking love graphs.
The only thing I felt was missing, was an alternative to the RP-600m, thanks for the info regardless.
Thank you!
I love a real review of these speakers. These speakers are definitely missing a good part of the musical spectrum. Meat on the bones. I heard these at RMAF and knew something was missing and off. I didn’t like them and I spent a good 30 minutes in there trying to like them .
I think they try to sell their stuff based on the name 50yrs ago. For me they sound quite shitty.
@@pliedtka obviously that is not the case
As a nonnativer speaker, what I understand is RP600's mid-range is a little reserverd.its mid range is not as good as its bass or trenble. Thus this speakers are advised to pair with amps focusing on density midrange and bass.
2:25 made a newbie mistake when I removed the metal jumpers because I thought they do nothing. But the sound became muffled and recessed that I thought it was defective, upon seeing this video I popped them back on and the sound became brilliant!
Those binding posts essentially make it a single input by connecting the two posts together. One post is for the tweeter and the other is for the woofer. When you disconnected the binding posts you ended up only powering the woofer rather than both the woofer and tweeter.
What you could do is look into bi-amping, but make sure your amp is capable of handling bi-amping.
This was the best review of these I've seen yet, like I wrote it myself point for point. Bought these when they first came out and was underwhelmed after trying a lot of pairings and positions. I've been say for a long time that the only horn loaded speakers made by Klipsch are the La Scala and Klipschorn. Thank you, thank you for explaining to folks that this speaker is a wave guide tweeter and a woofer, not a horn loaded sleeker. My biggest frustrating also was a lack of midrange detail. I've always said all RP series is a cheat. People get impressed by it's so called dynamics, but this is only because the mid bass and treble are over accentuated due to a lack of vocal range frequency presence. The woofer simply is not effective at producing vocals and the tweeter is used to pick up the upper part of the vocals, which makes the vocals sound unnatural. The RP 500M is actually better in this regard since the woofer is smaller, lighter and faster, able to better reproduce mid range, however, it is also not great at this. The bass made by the 600 is good for it's size speaker, but not as full as a floor stander, so they seem like needing a subwoofer, but then that would just drown out what little midrange these have. Again, better suited with the 500 and a sub, than the 600 and a sub. The 600 is a great party speaker that can crank loudly and fill up a pretty good size room. It is cheap and it's sound quality is also cheap. Not a good sleeker for detailed listening or for those who place a premium on vocal presentation. Again, thank you for this excellent review on what has otherwise been an over hyped speaker.
Great review. I’ve owned these for 8 months based on a bunch of good reviews. I decided to build a low price hifi after living with surround sound systems, not great for music. I use mine on stands and with a martin Logan Dynamo400 sub which greatly improves the overall sound. I discovered the crossing front setup and find it makes the sound better throughout the room and in adjoining rooms too. I find putting the covers on helps reduce the cymbalance you spoke of but like the looks of the covers off. Great to see the chart with a dip at crossover, this explains some of what I hear at times and don’t like. Really appreciate the detailed review of the sound shortcomings and feel they sound good most of the time especially with good recordings. They can play loud so when working in my garden I merely open the back windows in my house and the sound flows really well into the yard.
I am in the process of investigating new speakers but want to get a good turntable first.
Speakers on my short list are Zu, Tekton, Focal, and possibly bigger Klipsch like the Forte III
Thanks. Keep em coming
well-written. As a nonnativer speaker, what I understand is RP600's mid-range is a little reserverd.its mid range is not as good as its bass or trenble. Thus this speakers are advised to pair with amps focusing on density midrange and bass.
Phew finally someone describes why I had to return my pair. Absolutely spot on with my listening experience. They were a little too in my face all the time. I guess pairing them up with IOTAVX SA was another reason. They are very compelling speakers and get under your skin and breathe up close. But I wanted the soundstage to relax. Not with this one. Super review.
I always wondered if significant burn in would change things. Thomas and Stereo suggests so. But never got to keep em long enough to know. How much burn in has your pair received Ron?
Same. I ordered the 500m and center from the same line. Sounded great, but the sweetspot was so narrow. Sitting a little off center made it bad. Went for some Dali Oberons instead, and they were a lot wider and you could sit off center and it would still sound pretty good. I use them for home theatre, and need it to sound pretty good at all seats.
Yep! Even sampling the cheaper Q acoustics 3020 make me question why I bought the Klipsch. The 3020 just sound more lush with a bigger sound stage. But the Klipsch are great for movies!
@@user-xg6zz8qs3q With movies, my experience was that they brought the background music alive with grunt and grit. However the vocals were an issue for me. They seemed to originate from well outside and way in front of the TV screen. That audio/video spatial lag once seen and heard could not be unseen or unheard if you know what I mean. I returned them thinking if I ever go back these speakers for movies, I will need to hook a centre channel to pin the vocals down better.
perhaps the Klipsch is very suited for people with hearing loss?
Excellent review!
Great review ... and thank you for mentioning the wave guide and that this Klipsch model is NOT a horn speaker.
All of us audio enthusiasts have probably made some tough choices as we have gathered our gear, and I found myself it that position recently. I knew better, but I blew my budget on some other components and was low on funds for speakers. I had to get the best bang for my five hundred bucks and after trying a few of its well known competitors, I called our good friends in Charlottesville and had them send me a pair of 600Ms. Fit and finish were impressive. The walnut vinyl wrap looked genuine. So far, so good. I hooked them up and was shocked how flat they sounded! That's right, FLAT. Treble was all but non-existent. I can't tell you how disappointed I was, especially considering all of the positive reviews I had read about them. Maybe I got a bad pair, those things do happen. Most people have very positive experiences with them, so I think it's very interesting that we both had less than positive results, and for different reasons, when we listened to them. Great informed review.
This video was awesome, you are one the best reviewers out there
First not so hot review on these speakers that I saw. I just got a pair literally a coupe of days ago. So far so good but too soon to call it, I need more time to listen to them. The return policy is good, free and within 60 days, so no issues there.They're paired to an old Pioneer SX 550, only 20 watts per channel but they get really loud at only 4-5. I kept the grills on and very little toe in, 9' apart on 28" sand filled stands, 13' away from my listening chair and 20" away from the wall, side and back. The price was right, on sale at $472.00. No negative opinion so far.
GR8 VID. I just got a pair of the RP-650Fs & everything here you sayin I agree with however I am seeming to find that these really don't have much bass at all. Not sure if that's normal or not or if maybe i got a bad driver/crossover happening.
Thank you so much for doing this video. The Klipsch rf82II's were my first Klipsch speaker not that long ago. Oh man the sensitivity was awesome and they made me want to crank it up but then...ouch....ouch...ouch when I did those extra highs you spoke of just kinda hurt. I know this was toned down in the RP series with wave guide vs horn loaded tweet but I have a feeling it might still be remnants in the RP line. A couple months later I came across some Heresy OG's on Craigslist. Holy %$*&!!! There's the midrange! Ohhh...maybe I don't like "sizzle" as much as I thought I did! Paired with an SVS sub I now have the full range I've always wanted without the fatigue. Now I just need to replace these rf82II's.....
Also...I'm wondering, is it that high end on the RF's that don't let the speaker disappear like the Heresy? I can hear the stereo separation and it's really distracting for 2 channel.
The Heresy is actually 2/3 horn and sounds like it. In its current Mk. IV version we get most of the good and a little of the bad.
@@1mctous Care to elaborate? I'm very new to Klipsch and audio in general.
@@NakeanWickliff The good: full dynamic range. Horns don't compress the huge attack of drums, piano, and electric guitar. Because they are so efficient, it takes very little power to move the speaker cone so they also sound better at low volumes. They also can use much smaller amps for the same reason. Best of all they produce less distortion at all volumes. The bad: that same sensitivity brutally exposes amp noise and distortion. Any exponential horn limits the frequency range and adds some bumps to the response. The smaller the "throat," the more "cupped hands" coloration you get. That aspect has turned more people away from horn sound than any other.
@@1mctous Thanks so much! These Heresys are my forever speaker for those exact reasons. When I can't be loud in the house I can still experience the fullness and detail of sound at very very low volumes, especially when I sit nearfield.
I'm looking for a second pair, or perhaps tangents400 or 500 for my theatre room downstairs since they sit taller and use the same components. If I have subs will I notice the lesser quality cabinet build? Should I be patient and wait for another pair of Heresy's? Or maybe take a road trip to pick up some Forte's?
Dude man, you should review my quad 15's with 8 piezos! They crossover in a Natural sweep between 2khz and 3khz. You can't even tell there's a transition unless you stick you face right in the box.
I love Klipsch but I do think most of their speakers sound best with "warmer"sounding electronics. I have an Audio Refinement Complete A integrated amplifier and a vintage Sansui...those pairings are magical ✨
also, some of the best speakers you can find for satisfying late night/quieter listening and situations where a speaker needs to be placed close to a wall.
I have a pair. One thing I will note is that IMO these speakers operate better with bi-wiring. A single source through the crossover is not the same which I suspect is due to the crossover itself.
A roughly horn-shaped wave guide is still a horn, albeit a very specialized one. Similarly, a vuvuzela is a horn of sorts, but doesn't exhibit the refinements of typical musical instrumental horns. If the manufacturer wants to call their shallow, horn-shaped, wave-guiding thingy a horn, they are entitled to.
I think that’s fair. I’ll still call it a waveguide cause I’m stubborn.
@@Newrecordday2013 No self-respecting audiophile lacks some degree of stubborness. I appreciate your candor, and the clarity with which you present your opinions. I understand why you prefer that term, and support your continuing its use.
Thanks man, #respect
Hence Danny’s upgrade !! No surprises here!
Your measurements did not capture the waveguide which you emphasised
Tried crossing the stream toe in for 2 channel music and it was great but didn't care for it in a 5.1.2 setup for home theater. Probably my untreated room was at fault but when I put them into a medium toe in things really came alive for home theater. Extreme toe in with center and surrounds playing collapsed my front imaging but my room is small(almost near field) so that might have created the issue.