Klipsch RP-600M: Reviewed!
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- For listeners who prioritise clarity and dynamics over low-end heft and refinement.
Camera: Olaf von Voss | Editor: Jana Dagdagan
With thanks to Triangle Hi-Fi Studio, Berlin: triangle-hifi....
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My RP-600M sound demo: • Klipsch RP-600M: liste...
Manufacturer's website: www.klipsch.co...
Manufacturer's video: • The All New Klipsch Re...
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Also featured in this video:
ELAC Uni-Fi UB5:
darko.audio/20...
Atacama Nexus 6i stands:
darko.audio/20...
Vinnie Rossi LIO:
darko.audio/20...
darko.audio/20...
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Playlists...
Spotify:
open.spotify.c...
Tidal:
tidal.com/brow...
Qobuz:
play.qobuz.com...
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Can we just appreciate how beautiful these speakers are in addition to the sound?
I currently own both. I bought the RP600m several months ago. I have owned the Elacs since they were first launched. I have one of the first runs with the wonky greenish hue to the drivers. They are both just phenomenal. It was a very easy decision to make the Klipsch my primary speaker after a very very brief comparison. Granted, the Elacs will probably stay and they do some things, like imaging and vocal clarity a good bit better. But, they've taken a back seat to the more exciting and fun sounding RP600m.
I was upgrading my antique sound system to commemorate a move to a new house and bought Polk R100s which were well reviewed. To me they sounded muddy and underwater in my 15x20 room. I called Crutchfield who cheerfully recommended and swapped for Klipsch RP600Ms and it sounds fantastic. The music went from “over there” and “foggy” to filling the room, crisp and detailed. Yes I could have bought a bigger amp, but I wanted speakers that sounded good first and now we can work on upgrading the amp. Thinking Schiit Aegir.
Very informative and helpful review. Most interesting to me was your explanation about the better Dynamics at low listening levels.
I think it is also because of the amplifier that these speakers are able to sound good at low volumes.
great direct content, but more to compliment your great cameraman who's obviously got great technical and artistic talent. The audio in your videos is perfect too, which is rare. Just such a pleasure to watch!
John, here are my two cents after a week with them.
All observations were made using:
Mac-book > schiit eitr > chord mojo > vista audio spark
Sony Ps hx500 > schiit mani > vista audio spark
Vivo stands filled with cat litter
These speakers sound amazing with well recorded music and awful with poor recorded tracks. They are not forgiving at all (which is also kind of problematic)
1. The ability to express dynamics, due to efficiency, and not normalising the track is an ingredient that separates these from similarly priced and also more expensive speakers. It is the foundation for all of its talents but will make you change volume a whole lot of times when going from one album to another.
2. They are not bass monsters, but not bass shy either. When the bass and the warmth are in the mix they will show them. Small rooms will do fine without subwoofers.
3. They are not bright but they will express harshness of some recordings as well as brightness of some naturally coarse instruments (trumpets for instance). Using the grill will attenuate this brightness. Firing straight and no toe-in will help as well, and it widens the soundstage by a huge margin.
4. Amazing for piano
5. Voices lack a little bit of thickness but they show more air around them and you can virtually perceive a torso singer and not a head or mouth singer.
6. They need a bit of space from the wall. Bass will be less boomy and depth will develop.
Excellent information, thank you.
I totally agree
The RP-500m are fantastic as well. And when you pair with a small sub... amazing.
Do the RP 500m need to be 18 inches or more from wall for optimum sound ?
Been watching reviews for the last 4 hours, deciding on speakers, and so refreshing that you are the first reviewer on one part of their review to say they dont know, in reference to the speaker alignment providing richer sound, subbed sir, great review.
I have them, I fell in love with them immediately. Fantastic speakers.
I own these speakers and they are amazing. Pair them with a DAC and you’ve got an excellent beginner audiophile system. Not to mention they can rock a house party as they can get extremely loud and handle that volume perfectly.
Forgot to mention that your video crew are top notch high quality 👌
I had to add a subwoofer at the end. Never regretted this decision: now my setup really SINGS. Love those copper-like cones as well as the music they put out. Very good buy imho.
Normando Marcolongo what sub did you pair with it?
Hi John I have had these 600Ms for 2 months now I have a Klipsch R-100SW sub that I run with them and MAN are they awesome I have a wide taste in music from classical thru rock thru pop and heavy metal with a good dose of the Clash and Sex pistols these speakers take care of all my genres so well.I run them thru a NAD 368 amplifier and listen to cds, records and streaming services I see they were very well reviewed in the april edition of Stereophile magazine and Steve Guttenburg highly praised them as well.
Great video JD I do enjoy your channel.
Your description is fitting for many speakers in the Klipsch line, including the older RF and RP series', which were about the most bang-for-the-buck/pound/euro floortanders out there. Yes, the treble was a bit elevated, but also easily tamed with the grills.
I got them for a month now. Impressive. Visceral. It makes you feel the music. People would come home and would start tapping and moving and dancing and shaking their heads. These speakers make you want to keep listening to one more song, and one more.
I recently bought these speakers, and I’m using an Old Marantz SR48, it sounds beautiful!!!
That would be a great comb l have a marantz Sr 4200 .Marantz has such a nice sound to there amps and receivers
It is nice to see a review where a direct comparison is made.
I've always loved the way Klipsch does dynamics, across the entire line it seems. Nice review.
Hey John, another great honest review. 👍🏼👍🏼
I recently bought a pair of this RP-600M and I drive them with just my Denon AVR-X2200W. After many hours of listening (Jazz, Blues & Rock), I can confidently say that it is built to focus mostly on clarity than anything else. Lots of details too. I can hear every strum of a guitar played in define clarify comparing it to my other ELAC BS73 speakers.
I usually stream my music via Spotify Premium nowadays, but this Klipsch speakers made me appreciate & buy music CDs once again.
Nick, you are right, my friend. CDs sound way better. CD file bit rate is 1411 kbps versus 320 kbps on Spotify Premium.
You could try Tidal. The quality is almost CD like. I use it since a month and find that music sounds quiter, and highs are less shrill. I like!. I can imagine with the sensitive tweeter of the klipsch likes this also.
If you have to go with only one, which one you will choose Klipsch RP-600M vs Elac debut reference dbr62 ?
I like how the review mentioned the coating on the tweeter horn to help diminish harshness/distortion - a lot of people seem to forget that in their review of these speakers. I also liked the inclusion of "2 Of Us" by Emil Axelsson music in the video - great bass that woke up my subwoofer for the first time today. I have a pair of Edifier S2000MKIII powered speakers in this room (my office) and I'm looking forward to adding a pair of these Klipsch speakers with an extra tube amp that I have lying around collecting dust. It will be interesting to hear a comparison between the two setups.
Been listening and using Klipsch for 48 years. There is nothing better on the market.
Damn even you given these speakers high praise. I've been sold on the speaker so long now. It works for people who want to have fun with music without the commitment of a expensive audiophile setup.
Excellent production quality. Jana really does excellent video editing and particularly the graphics work. Olaf's cinematography always makes the room and gear look so beautifully lit.
Requests: for future reviews, please continue to match yer outfits with the colour scheme of the speakers. Also, I *would* like to see some Darko dancin'.
Great review again John. I must say the overall production quality is also really good. I love the little animations and text bits that pop up every now and then.
I also like seeing the environment you do the testing in and your lack of audiophile wording, meaning i understand what you say :-)
Keep up the good work!
Well done John👋😄👍!!!!!...i like the shots of your lovely room interjecting nicely throughout your review, and I always like the humour at the end of the video👍🌞
"They make me stroke my chin" lol I love that description. I know exactly what you mean by that. (And if I'm honest, I lean a bit to the chin stroking side.) I like the music you like, but I like to stroke my chin while I listen to it.
Great to finally hear someone address a listening situation close to my heart (condo life) and consider speaker/speaker design that works well when not needing to be played loudly. I've been looking for this type of speaker for a long time. I hope to hear of more speaker designs that give a lot of consideration to this type of living situation, in the near future. I don't hate headphones but they're definitely not my go to for enjoying all of the amazing music offerings out there!
Again again. Best approach to hifi. I wish I could compare them with my Buchardts..... more more more !
I have these speakers, and the RB81, and Cornwall III's and i believe Klipsch makes some of the finest speakers on the market. Im 67 and I have owned Forte's, Heresey's , Chorus, and they all sounded great. Also the Kg4
As a current Klipsch owner (Klipsch THX Ultra2 Home Theater System), I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go with Klipsch for a 2-channel music system. Having watched your review, I agree that music should be fun to listen to so I think I’ll give the Klipsch an audition. BTW, the THX Ultra2 system rocks for movies.
Try the RM-160M its the model before the 600 and in my opinion it sounds better. THe 600 is great but its a little too bright and way way way more expensive now..
I sold my KEF LS50s after hearing these speakers and purchased these speakers and another pair of very Dirty speakers. As I wait for my Dirty speakers to arrive within a couple of Weekends, I am enjoying the 600s a lot. As well, I’m using a pair of Schiit Aegirs to power the Klipsch. I have no quarrels about the LS50s but you hit the nail on the head when you pointed out that efficient speakers are more fun to listen to a lower volume levels.
My son has claimed the Klipsch when me new speakers arrive - I’d say that’s a good omen!!
Wonder if thought of the Tekton Doubke Impact monitor?They would rock wirh that 20 watts.You like the amp?Thats the combo I thought of
@Macon Patton , if I'm gathering your cryptic yet fun response, you are getting the Zu dirty weekends? If so, I'm really curious how you will find it compares to the Klipsch and the LS50. The dirty weekend has also been described to be another "fun" sensitive speaker and only $300 more than these seems to be a good option .. There's a comparison video on RUclips for the dirty weekend and the LS50 but not with these Klipschs.
Hooman Rabieh Correct. I’ll be glad to let my thoughts known after the 2 after the Omens arrive.
I was listening to Bicycles & Tricycles and OK Computer this afternoon on the Klipsch. They have this very interesting way of spreading the soundstage way out beyond the walls of my office. Something is breaking in or something. J/S...
The LS50’s need a sub, and you can’t sit far away; they are great for the price if you meet those criteria.
Too bad! I own BOTH models too (Klipsch and KEF). But the LS50 are noticeably better! No contest. I will keep the LS50 all the way to the next dimension!
You should, I did. I love them, got them off amazon.de for 514 euro, used, like new. They shocked me right out the gate, very lively. They are extremely easy to play loud and clear with my Primaluna tube amps...about 35 wpc. I like to play them in a very near field set up, about 5 feet apart, 6 or so feet from the ears. Man, they sound great at low volumes, at night especially. So detailed, so dynamic, most of all so fun to listen to. Was also suprised at their size, much larger than any other bookshelf I've owned. There is so much hype associated with these speakers, that I was sceptical about them being as good as reviewers say they are, now I know the hype is totally on point and justified. Just run out a get them, Klipsch ain't playing, they understand how to make a horn loaded loudspeaker.
I bought these to use along with the RP8000 towers. However, after receiving them I feel like I should have saved some money and just used 600s all the way around. They are great speakers.
I am in a terrible existencial crisis deciding between these and the rp8000. I have been leaning towards the 600s lately and your comment is basically sealing the deal towards the 600.
For more than double the price, what advantages or where do you think the 8000 trumps the 600?
I have these in place of a pair of older 82 IIs. I don't miss those floor standing speakers at all (they are in the basement with the HT) in this setup.
@@abelfonseca I have a large basement where my home theater is setup in the short part of the L shape. That part is 17/30. I think the 600s would not serve me well as mains here and the 8000s would be better. In a 15/20 space for example - you could use the 600s and not miss the 8000s. This is of course as part of a home theater which includes a decent sub and you can set crossovers.
I hope you appreciate my timely response. :-D
What did you decide to do?
I went with the earlier incarnation of these speakers just 2 weeks ago. RP-160M (and the 600M) are astonishing to me, since I've never thought that you can use such horn loaded speakers in nearfield, yet here I am.
I've owned these Klipsch for about a year. Been running them with Dirac demo version (NAD C 3050 LE) for 6 months. Just recently bought the full version of Dirac and still was looking for that magic moment where everything just snaps into place. Just before watching this vid, I turned the speakers more towards the room instead of pointing the listening position and there it was! Excellent!
How do they compare with the polk r200? If you know
I have both these RP600M and the RP600M II and love them both, I have used them with a few amps and currently have them using a PS Audio 100C I found that was NOS and it makes them sing! The latest version is even better, no disrespect to the originals, just even more fun. Love your videos and viewpoint. Keep up the great content!
Thanks John. I love the way you explain things you’ve experienced in the reviews. You tell us subjectively what it is for you, but also why.... pros and cons of each. so I come away with some realistic thoughts on how to choose the right thing for ME.... rather than audiophile speak 🙃
Anyway. I have I guess the previous models : RP-160M (don’t know how it is different). I have those as LR and the R-15M bookshelfs for rear surround. RP-250C for center. paired to a Denon AVR-S710W. This is my first (uneducated guess) at a ‘nice’ setup 🎉. Oh ya. And a Logitech computer sub.
Anyway, I had the same feeling - I was in an apartment so volume was important. I could listen to beautiful jazz, Madonna, modern pop, etc etc and really enjoy it without disturbing any neighbors
Now that I’m in a house, I’ve had fun turning them up and shaking the room. The salesman at Fry’s said they did not have much bass but I think they have plenty... well balanced. Strong bass over time wears me out 🤪
Been running mine for about a month and it did take a while to warm up to them. But interestingly since I changed my interconnects they seem to have a lost a slightly fatiguing quality to the high frequencies. This tells me they are indeed revealing enough to pickup differences in the upstream components. Mine are in a large open carpeted basement area about 2' from the front wall and around 8' apart. They sit on 24" weighted metal stands with iso-acoustic isolation platforms between stand and cabinet. I wasn't comfortable with the ringiness of the cabinet so added a pair of 6lb soft ankle weights to the tops. I'm also bi-wiring. Grills are on for my listening. I'm still experimenting with toe in, but happy so far with sound-stage and imaging. Overall I am beginning to enjoy them now, but the best news of all is they play loud and dynamic with my 3 Watt 2A3 SET.
Hi John, thanks for this review. I actually replaced the Elac Uni-fi's with the RP600's in my living room and your comparison is spot on! The clarity and the soundstage are really strong on these, the finish really tops things of. The sophistication of the Elac's makes it more for the Hifi purist, however the Klipsches do not miss out too much in this department. These are very much about enjoyment and experience and for that (and their ridicilous price at the discount) I truely love them! (ps I use them with a sub)
John, I personally don’t care much about these speakers but the Supergrass and mercury rev records are excellent. Great review and taste by the way!
And what speakers so you listen to these records with?
A lot of people don't. I read many reviews. Many of them present charts and graphs to illustrate their points and use terms I don't fully understand.
I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not an audiophile with 'college ears'. Heck my ears are long past college ears. :D. Now I have to like the sound of the speakers and the sound of what's left in my pockets after I put money down on them. And for the money these are fantastic speakers to my ears.
Warms my heart to see Klipsch getting some love from the review guys especially Mr Darko. 👍
Doug G This is pretty remarkable speaker. It deserves all the love it gets.
Macon Patton I had an old 12 watt tube amp restored a while back and I’m thinking this speaker would be perfect.
I am from a small country in the Balkans, southeastern Europe called Romania. I'm at the beginning of the audiophile road... I need some advice from you if you are kind ... I intend to buy these great speakers (Klipsch RP600M ... and later I intend to buy another pair of Magnepan LRS speakers) and I would like to match them with: A - DENAFRIPS HESTIA (preamp) + HYPERION (poweramp) or B - SCHIIT FREYA + (preamp) + VIDAR (poweramp) ... What advice do you give me ... A or B? Thanks a lot for the advice ...
This is the kind of review I like. You are good at describing the different sounds and characters of the speakers
Thanks!
Dead on the money review, it's funny how us audiophiles can really break down the full sound signature , I actually bought the RP-160m instead of the Elac un-ifi , People say that the newer version the 600s are a bit more refined and layed back on the top end all I can find out that's different in build is the Magnets are vented pole piece and the dome is actually made of ultra light titanium to help with distortion I've found in my room the 160s sounds best with the grills on and the speaker and stands moved about 17 inches away from the wall and a slight tilt in for better center imaging but not to much ,I don't know if the 600s have these same characters but I do like the 160s angled platform they set on just makes difficult finding stands with large enough top plate Thanks again John you are one of the best reviews and yeah your room is kick ass !! very open and inviting
Great review, thanks. I have recently bought their bigger brother the floor standing RP-8000f and love the Klipsch sound
Graham Oliver yeah the floor standing klipsch are really great for listening. Very clear and attractive sounding.
Jana styles your preso goodly John. It's your intellectual approach, ("clarity and dynamics over refinement" yes.)rational yet emotional makes me return. Cool brah.
These are my first Klipsch speakers, had them for a couple of weeks and i’m testing them out, we use these for our living room for casual listening, i have to agree with not having a big sound stage, they make you want to sit in front of them to get the full effect.
And that's a bit fuck up
This editing is totally Jana style. Very nice!!!!
Joachimcarels
I have seen so many positive reviews of these speakers that I decided to order them. I had them in my set up for a few days. The treble just wasn’t there. I have non audiophile Cerwin Vega DX-1 stand mounts that I absolutely love. They are also horn loaded so I thought the Klipsch would be an upgrade. To me they just aren’t as forward as my CVs. The female vocals weren’t as present. Specifically when I listened to Gundula Janowitz accompanied by Irwin Gage singing Schubert’s Lieder I felt like Gundula was standing behind the piano with the RP600m and in front of the piano with my Cerwin Vegas. I thought I should hear these speakers so I would have a baseline understanding of what good speakers sound like. It turns out I didn’t get it. I have heard the B&W 705 S2 and they were amazing. Caveat, they cost way more and I have not heard them in home.
I ended up sending the Klipsch RP 600M back. Bummer
Try Harbeth c7, I think you will like them, they are perfection with such music...
After listening to a ton of reviews about these speakers, I decided these were the ones. When they arrived and I got them unpacked I was very impressed with the fit and finish. But after hooking them up and taking a listen I could not have been more disappointed. The high end, which I was sure would be there, was nowhere to be found. The tweeters sounded like they were playing through wads of cotton. Even turning up the treble did little to mitigate it. I SO wanted them to work. Their aesthetics were perfect for my room, and you have pointed out, that's a major consideration. But, sadly, the sound I was looking for just wasn't there. Maybe I got a bad pair? I don't know how else to explain my atypical experience with them. The bottom end, by the way, worked perfectly with my sub and shook the foundation. Anyway, another great review. And I do like seeing the room in which all of the gear you review are played. If that's a real lived in room I hope my wife never sees it. I'd be in big trouble as she'd want to know why I couldn't be as neat and tidy.
I found the treble to be disappointing as well and ended up returning mine. See my comments below.
What amplifier? Maybe they don't match.
I had the same thing with the held back treble in the beginning. But every speaker needs to break in, that running in time can be 48 hours to 400 hours depending on the speaker. Cheers, NV.
So did the 400 hours of run in fix the treble?
The surrounds on the drivers, in this case the mid-woofers, are stiff from the factory. They take a while to loosen up. Let them play and they will improve greatly.
Ive got 4 RP 280F and the matching center and the dynamics are insane on BluRays. The imaging with 2 channel stereo sounds like surrounds are on. They are unbelievable speakers.
Great video. I'm building a 300B SET amp (my first) and really considered these Klipsch for it. Ultimately I went with a DIY design for full range speakers based on Fostex FE126En drivers.
Great review , very informative .
And something more, they improved very much also, with an granite square over each speaker with a foam to avoid damage scratching and this works for every speaker I own
John, I'm in the US, just got a pair of these speakers, which replace my old Snell J series. Still testing them but they appear to be more "focused" than the Snells. The Snells are a bit more "open" but that openness also contributes to a particular problem in my hearing which expands distortion on the left channel (I hear fine, but with audio, I have the distortion problem which I'll have to remedy eventually). Interestingly enough, I don't hear the distortion with the Klipsch's. Your first thought is that there's distortion in the left Snell, but others who've listened don't hear that, so it's me. I listen to all types of music, but am currently going thru a serious classical music phase. I pick up on subtlety, imaging, detail and overall sweep and the Klipsch's deliver more focus in each of these areas. By the way, I'm not toeing them in. I have a smaller listening area, about 10 feet wide by 15 feet long, and have them set up about a foot from the back wall, straight out. I'm still experimenting with keeping the grills on and taking them off, but haven't made a decision yet which way to go. Anyway, thanks for this presentation and review.
I have them. I use them with my old Pioneer SX-5570 from the 70’s and a Rega Planar 2 and I absolutely love them. I guess it all depends on what you like sound wise. For me they are perfect.
I'm so glad there was no dancing in this video, although mentally picturing a 2 meter man rocking out in his living room was hilarious.
As for the Klipsch speakers... As you said, they are not the last word in imaging, or tight, impactful bass.
However, they are such a lively sounding speaker.
Some audiophiles talk about speakers that draw you into the music, or that 'lift the veil' and you reach out and touch the musicians #metoo?! but these are in your face!
Thing is the subwoofers are handling the low end in a home theater set up for most of us. I think that’s we’re the Klipsch Reference Premier line really shines!
I opted for the RP8000f because I didn't want to sacrifice any bass. All I can say is how much these speakers reveal a poor recording. In other words, well produced music sounds glorious.
Picked up mine today! Replaced my much loved Monitor Audios. Son in law is going to get them. Not much in it be honest and really depends on type music you play. They come truly alive with rock music -Kings of Leon etc. Very crisp and dynamic. Turned off the loudness and lowered the bass as they really don’t need it. I have a small dedicated listening room and very good stands.
Love the frankness you offer every time. Good work.
I love the way you present the information, I'm learning so much from your reviews. Really outstanding work!
My brothers got these in his den and the dynamics really show in more classical music where you have orchestral swells. Same goes with movie scores like Hans Zimmer's Inception OST. You can really differentiate the strings and horns on the track Mombasa. They don't see too easy to drive however; what amp are you using?
it is kind of odd when you think about it, the fact that rp.600m is supposed to sound dynamic but its a ported speaker, and ports inherited by design limits dynamics, and a few other drawbacks also. this really should be a sealed design.
rmsacoustics.nl/papers/whitepaperbassreflex.pdf
The amp is detailed in the video AND in the description box.
@@DarkoAudio oh wow I don't know how I didn't catch that, thanks
Would you recommend the RP-600M II + Sub, or the RP-8000f (mark I)tower speakers? Right now both of these combinations are priced similar. The use would be 60% music - 40% movies. I listen mainly to electronic music.
My room is around 5x4 meters. Thanks in advance.
Excellent review! From what I've been reading online/seeing in reviews here these sound like a great value for the money and after your review, they appear to be exactly the kind of speakers for me. Thank you!
OK, so a couple of months ago, I bought a pair of these. They are placed in a 6m x 10m x 6m (height) room which is also in an open architecture home. That means that they are asked to drive one whole floor which is 10m x 11m x 5m (h). They are currently powered by a Yamaha receiver that is rated at 100 watts per channel (an obvious lie). The rooms are largely carpeted but there is a lot of glass.
The RP600M's replace an Andrew Jones set of Pioneer towers. Calibration factor: I never, ever thought much of these Jones towers.
After playing a bunch of my vinyl and CD collection (mostly classical and chamber music) on the Klipsch's, I almost exactly agree with your review. The speakers are placed on a 45 degree diagonal, 1m from a diagonal and near the short wall -- about 3m apart. I toe'd them out about 10 degrees outside the perpendicular. They are augmented by one powered subwoofer, crossed at 60Hz.
The Klipsch's are a distinct improvement over previous Advents, Polks, and the Jones devices. The effect is that I want to hear all my recordings on them. But one clear caveat: Using my AT120/Ortofon MC, cleaning the older vinyl is audibly better than 'as-is.' The MC traces the bad with the good, and the Klipsch's clearly sound out the results. And CD's of older analog magnetic tape masters sometimes clearly reproduce the odd harmonic distortion in tape before digital.
Other reviewers emphasize that these are "dynamic" speakers. I don't know how to measure that, but they sure are. There is an "in your face" immediacy to these, very much like a live symphony concert. It MAY be due to the fact that their efficiency allows an existing amp to be working in its 'sweet spot' of power range, rather than trying to bench press over its weight class. Maybe it is something else, like the horns are delivering more acoustic energy to the room rather than muffling it in an acoustic pillow of a box. Not sure. The Klipsch's sound clearly different than box speakers. Rather like a 25 year old athlete compared to a 50 year old.
Bottom line: They are entirely agreeable, but with the proviso that I run them with the treble down 3dB. My older ears just prefer the highs rounded off a little. Oh, and another calibration: I cannot hear much of anything above 10kHz, by actual test. Again, old age. The 'soundstage' is adequate and stable. However the music comes mostly from forward of the speaker plane. That may be due to the room.
Would I buy them again? Yes, because I already bought a second pair for the family/rec room one floor down. When I get a proper amp for upstairs, the Yammer will go down to drive them.
I would add only this: The Klipsch's tend to drive the *room* whereas the previous speakers *beamed* sound to the listener.
Could someone tell me how this compares to the b&w 606?
I have the RP600M's, and agree with pretty much everything you've said in your review. My favorite combo so far is with a Sugden A21SE Sig. 30WPC class A integrated. They also sound good with a Dennis Had 10WPC push-pull tube amp and Schiit Freya preamp, but not quite as dynamic as with the Sugden. Great speakers!
Couldn't agree more. Klipsch are really good for being dynamic at low volume
In the interest of full disclosure I have to say that I've been a (near) lifelong fan of Klipsch speaker design. I'm not personally familiar with this particular model but I currently have smaller, less expensive versions of the same speaker, the KG4 (ca. 1990) as well as a set of Heresy 1 (1980) that I acquired recently. In the past I have owned La Scalas and Klipschorns but positioning and space requirements make those difficult speakers to continue to own if you move more than a few times. I think you're absolutely correct about the dynamic aspects of horn design. As a brass musician I've felt like horns, and Klipsch designed horn speakers, are the only type speaker that reproduces an orchestral brass section with any semblance of reality. Other speaker designs can reproduce loud brass but there's not a feeling of power behind that sound. Additionally, another trait of the horn design is lower distortion at all volume levels. Klipsch may not be the speaker with the smoothest frequency response curve but real music listening is more than response curves. As Paul W. Klipsch knew, it's a law of physics that the more a speaker cone moves the more intermodulation distortion it will produce. Horn loading a speaker minimizes that movement. Since a speaker with 85dB efficiency would require 10dB or 10 times more power as a speaker with 95dB efficiency I would guess that the amount of diaphragm movement would also be on the order of 10 times less in the horn loaded speaker.
When I owned a set of Klipschorns I noticed a remarkable improvement when I placed an acoustic panel - about 2 foot by 4 foot and 2 inches thick if I remember correctly - made from "rock wool" or "mineral wool" on the walls on either side and very near each speaker. That material is a more effective sound absorber than fiberglass and has broadband sound absorption. Early reflections were absorbed by the panels and the sound was much more clear. I believe that room interaction with the speaker influences our perception of that speaker by 60-80%.
It seems like I'm hearing about more and more people who are realizing the qualities of horn loaded speakers. Perhaps it has something to do with the many Klipsch industrial/professional installations in places like movie theaters.
Hi, M. Darko, i like your work so much, thanks.
Hi John, my living room is narrow (about 3 meters) and long. I love the speakers, but I am afraid that they wouldn't sound good considering that I can't place them far enough from the wall.
Would you recommend front speakers? What amplifier/receiver would you recommend for them (under say $500)? Danke im Voraus!
Thank you John another insightful review. I enjoy the Spotify playlist to try new music
Hey welcome to we old guys who knew what works for 40 years now. I no longer own Klipsch, but I completely concur that a pair of Klipsch in any model line benefits from a tube amplifier. As an engineer I observed the phenomenon and consulted Klipsch and other renown experts to try and grasp what is going on. I run Klipsch RF7 on a denon amplifier and hate it. I switch to a stock jolida 592 integrated tube amp and I love it. There is little physics that can explain why. The best explanation is along the lines of what you said. It’s about timing and phase I think. Tubes are relatively slow and fluid to communicate. I think that us what makes the remarkable and startling difference.
In summary, got Klipsch? Get tubes.
And for those wondering, I use Martin Logan Odyssey as a reference now. I own a shop and have moved hundreds of speakers through my system. I’m happy to share.
John if you use the basic hand calculations it takes 10 watts for the Elac ( 85 db) to equal the Klipsch's (96 db) 1 watt. At about 105 db's Klipsch uses 8 watts and the Elac uses 128 watts. On paper it pretty much confirms every point you made .
1 more great video from Darko; I envy the listening room/setup, the newly added computer effects when explaining inputs-outputs/drives, etc. I don't agree with your music preferences, but you have a unique way to explain how YOUR music sounds in YOUR setup. And that's a huge hit... Everyday after work I am searching for a new video to 'make my day'! Bravo John!
Now thats a review! And a high quality video! Nice job and thanks
A very interesting review of this speakers. Do you think these speakers would make a good pair with a Rotel A11 Tribute amplifier?
Great vid and review! Your vid editor is a treasure.
Fotojoe
Hey John, just subscribed to your channel ( we seem to have the same audiophilosophy). Re your review: I totally agree, I love my RP-600M. I also happen to have
the R-51M, the RP4000F and the muscle-bound R-820F. Complemented by 2 SVS 12" and 10" subs. All in the same room! Very strategic placement in my art studio which has a concrete floor and 14 foot ceiling. When you complement the RP-600M's with a sub the sound is just astounding! I go from Massive Attack to Vivaldi in a heart beat and these as well as the others in the Klipsch line respond like a charm.
love you John, I recently got these speakers, I hooked them up to a brand new arcam solo neo ( yes I know its an old unit, but mine was still in the box ) it only has 50 wpc into 8 oms , class G , I have a medium sized apt. the burn-in for both items took a while , 40 plus hours. The sound really changed after that.Placement took for ever, critical. I really love them loud with well engineered recordings, they really rock ! With poorly recorded music they sound very average. I got an open box pair on amazon for $495. very happy.
Partly because, as John says, these speakers are accommodating of very different amplifiers, they are also very good tools for hearing the differences between different amplifiers. In my main set-up I listen to them driven by a 6W/channel SET amp (gorgeous and entertaining). I have also experienced them driven by a couple of Rotels (good fun) and a much more upmarket solid state amp from Simaudio (huge, expansive, meaty, rocking the house loud without distortion). The differences in what each of these amps brings to the party were very easy to discern.
Ended up choosing the RP-600Ms. Very impressed, love the sound (just right for apt.)
and the fit/finish is excellent. Klipsch got it's game back
they never lost it....if you had some hereseys you would not use the 600 lol
Superb! I’m a klipsch brand lover. Try it guys, you might be surprise. Price wise, very reasonable low to high budget.
I just bought the rp-4000f 3 months ago and im super happy with these. I use them with the Yamaha rx-v473 AVR.
I really enjoy these speakers. I bought them for about half off when the second series of these speakers came out. For around 325 USD they are phenomenal. I set them on top of my other Klipsh speakers to try them out in my listening room before I put them on the wall in my gym. Pulled out far from the wall and properly positioned they sounded great. When I put them in my gym and mounted them on the wall the bass really gets killed, and they sound much less transparent. Still great for what I use them for. Also, if I get bored with my primary speakers I can pop them in and they will preform well.
I really like your style and your reviews.
I have the Klipsch RB-61 II's, which are 2 generations older than the RP-600M's. They have very similar dynamics, and almost identical specs. I love the way they sound, but I also like the more neutral "audiophile" sound that some other bookshelf speakers offer. My solution was to get both, and run them together as mains. I've paired them with a set of Phase Technology PC 1.1's, with both sets of speakers driven by an Adcom GTP-450 preamp and GFA-535 amp. By doing this, I'm getting the best of both worlds. The sound of both sets of speakers together (stacked) is nothing short of amazing. Low volume listening is some of the best I've experienced, and they sound really big with more volume. I added a 10-inch Klipsch subwoofer to help out the low end. I don't think I've heard a system that sounded more like live music, short of some that cost $5,000+.
I must first state that I am a big Klipsch fan. I have an older RF7, RC7, RSW 15 Sub, and RB75 Rears for a surround sound system and a pair of Klipsch La Scala II for serious music listening. The two systems are only a few rooms apart and if either system is being play and a high volume it interferes with the other. I put a pair of the RP 600M speakers in a small bedroom at the other end of the house as an option to listen to music when videos are playing. In a relatively small room they sound great. I do find they need a little volume to really come alive.
It’s 2024 and I still want these babies
Hey John, What amp would you suggest to match these speakers if i like modern jazz. I was the speaker to punch in the mids and have clarity to really bring out everything the musos are playing. Chris Potter/Joshua Redman/Mark Guliana etc!
These are smaller than my RS7's. But, they don't cost as much either. Looks like a great audio solution for a smaller room and\or someone on a budget. Thanks for sharing. Very accurate review, IMO and great advice for toeing out your front Klipsch speakers.
Nice review of a speaker that is reasonable for most people willing to pay for quality speakers. Glad to see you are reviewing things that us common folks can afford to buy.
This review is top notch. Very helpful. The Klipsch also looks good, makes the Elac look dated.
Purchased used well taken care for piano finish model . I wanted to love these speakers so much and was giving it every opportunity to win me over , but it just wasn’t happening for me and my moderate size room. Yes it’s dynamic, but I found myself having a hard time making them transparent, soundstage just wasn’t there . With that said this is by far not a bad speaker , but it’s not for me , I owe my PSB Alpha 5 an apology for wanting to replace them. These little 5 1/4 buggers are warm , soundstage is wider when paired with my rogue audio tube pre amp and I dare say it the had more bass than the 6 inch klipsh . Sorry not for me . I’ll be looking at British units from Warfhdale next , diamonds 225 ?
12.23.23 do you bi amp the klipsch rp 600m? Does the bi amp make a difference in sound in your opinion?
This is the perfect review for me! I actually have the Elac Uni-Fi's and have been considering selling them and getting the Klipsch RP600M's for just the reason you discussed. The Elac's are kinda boring to me and from the other reviews I've seen the dynamics of the Klipsch may be what I'm looking for the liven up my listening experience. Thanks to this video I may have made my decision!
I had the ELACs and now own the Klipsch. Both are excellent Speakers, the Soundstage and Imaging on the Elacs was fantastic, but for Home Theater useage, the added dynamics on the Klipsch were a great addition. I am currently looking at upgrading again, and will try Floorstanders this time. I am going for the Canton B100 with the matching Center and look forward to testing them. I hope they will arrive before Christmas.
Very nice review ! I borrowed from a hifi Store Klipsch RP-51M to play with my Naim Atom until arrive the RP 600M. I was impressed by the clear sound and thε brightness of the sound, except than the bass which was low. Now that i receive the RP 600 M found that the bass is better, with both of my amplifiers Naim Atom and Magnat MA 900. Keep reviewing .....
Are they bright like the RP51Ms?
Thank you for providing us with the playlists on multiple platforms of music streaming services ! I subbed as I watched your Schiit Freya plus review, and I'm hooked after watching this review
Great review.
I’ve had the Klipsch 160m, and nothing much has changed with the 600m.
Great speakers for the price, but I missed some mids.
I got my hands on a pair of JBl Studio 530, they play in a different league. However I totally get your point, the 530 sound christal clear and are an audiophiles dream, but I don’t think they satisfy me more than the klipsch.
I’ll get a pair of 600m next week, let’s see how they compare.
I really wanna try out the RB81 II, unfortunately hard to find these days.
All my klipsch buddies say they are by far the best bookshelf’s they’ve ever made
How did the 600m compare?
Yea...I too would like to know how these RP-600ms compare to the JBL 530s. I have the 530s currently which I absolutely love for music & movies but for some reason (which I've yet to be able to diagnose) they totally shit the bed when I play PS4 through them. Everything sounds slightly higher-pitched than it should, there's hardly any audible midrange detail at all (I use GTAV as a gauge since I know how that game should sound) and my subwoofer doesn't put out as much bass as it does in movie or music mode for some reason. I just cannot get the 530s balanced across multiple input sources and it's frustrating to no end. Which explains why I'm here looking for something else :\