This is long overdue. Because of your review of the Klipsch RP-600M, my passion for audio was reinvigorated. I purchased them, and later bought the RP-6000F also. These speakers made all my music come alive. My hobby got fun again. The 600's are the L/R of the home theater. In the music only system, the 6000's replaced a much more expensive floor standing speaker that was on Stereophile's "B" list. Maybe these Klipsch speakers don't have that "refined" super audiophile sound, but they are darn fun to listen to. You have helped me to understand that an audio system can sound very good, and be very enjoyable, without taking out a second mortgage. In my opinion, too many reviewers concentrate on very expensive equipment, and imply we will never reach audio heaven unless we own it. I believe this leaves many of us believing our systems are second rate, sound sub par, and we can never cross into the land of audio bliss unless we go broke doing so. I now know this isn't so. Thank you for what you do, and for your impact on my thinking. Good luck in the future.
I own both of these speakers but I bought the UB5s several months before the 600Ms and put them in my small living room system. (elite receiver 115 watt). The UB5s sounded pretty boring in this system and then I heard the reviews on the 600Ms. Bought the 600s and swapped out the UB5s. Yep,,,, that made the system come alive and very enjoyable to listen to. So then I wanted to put a nice system in my master bedroom. So I bought a Schiit Vidar amp with a Freya preamp to power the UB5s. WOW,,,,,,, huge sound and an incredible difference than when I had them in the living room system which also has a subwoofer. The UB5s sit on top of a large dresser with their backs approximately 6"s from the wall and the bass response is truly amazing. Yet the UB5s clarity is fantastic. So now I'm perfectly happy with two great sounding systems!
Lol- i pretty much did the same thing. Elacs first, then the rp600m. Thought the elacs were timid, but Had someone crank them at their come to break them in and they are truly wonderful. My RP600M are awaiting another room for another shot- not sure why i am meh about them. Maybe more time to work them in? Had them since june ‘20
Nice review. These are the best of times when it comes to the price/performance ratio of speakers. Kudos to the folks at Klipsch, Polk, Elac and Pioneer to name just a few.
The shirt is very unique and playful..good brightness and midrange, perhaps light on the lows, very efficient. The glasses are very dynamic, good transparency, very Elton John / John Lennon. Rocks my world..
My son and I auditioned Elac B6.2 and the UB5 for his first "real" system. We decided exactly what Steve said. We were hearing some different but great things from both. We both thought the UB5 to be the better speaker but it just just wasnt coming alive and the bass was abit thin on the 50 wpc we were pushing it with where the B6.2 was full and room filling. He went with the B6.2 - I agreed the right choice for a kid with limited funds and smaller and less sophisticated power equipment and he's loving them. HOWEVER, I wanted to explore the seemingly "better" sound a little further so I hooked them up to my 200 wpc Rotel RB1080 through a $600.00 DAC and wow did they open up and come alive. The UB5 is arguably one of the best sub $500 speaker out there - WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT. I kept them :) The UB5 is a very "scalable" speaker. If you dont know what that term means - they sound better and better in direct relation to the better the equipment you feed them with. I think they can sound even better than with what I have BUT that brings an odd marketing question - Why would someone buy an inexpensive speaker that needs expensive gear to make it sound good , and why would someone with very expensive gear buy a $500 speaker when they could afford far superior speakers??? IDK. I happened to have them in-house and got on sale for $350.00 and had equipment capable of driving them so....I couldnt bring myself to send them back. They are not the be all/end all speaker. They are not magic but they are excellent for the money. Now I wait to have the funds for the Focal Kanta No.2's :) and a new little gem of an integrated coming soon from......a guy I know(not sure if its still a secret) .
I have Elac Uni-fi UB5 Slims for my LCRs in a 5.2.2 system. The speakers suffered when powered by my Marantz AVR. Then I hooked them up to an Outlaw 5000 outboard amp using the pre-outs and then those Elacs began to purr like a kitten. Love my setup now!
Picked up the UB5 for $300 when the UB52 was announced. I picked up a like new Pioneer A-35R Elite (8ohm/40watts, 4ohm/60watts) for just $25 a few years back, drove a pair of sp-bs22-lr since then. The UB5's sound good and very low volume and wake up quick at "normal" low volume. Paired with a power conditioner and 12 guage cables it makes for a great system. Going to keep an eye open for a better amp but im honestly satisfied
Steve provides a great and unique service to the audiophile community. He's heard just about any component and/or speaker worth listening to on last 45 years but what really makes Steve standout is his evaluations of gear that the "average consumer" can afford and in the process saves us time, money and "agita" making purchasing decisions. I've ordered up a pair of Zu Omen Dirty Weekends per his You Tube/CNet discussions. I would never have been aware of these speakers had it not been for Steve. Given his unique background I have no qualms about following his "guidance"... I bow to his capacity! Now, if only he could get a volume control for that shirt..
Not to be ageist or whatever but doesn't the fact he's been on the front lines for 45 years mean that his ears are probably shot by now and his hearing is suspect? Ergo, he reviews are not to be entirely trusted?
@@bassman4632 NO! My father was an opera singer. In his 70's his ears were still so sharp he could hear when a singer was 1/4 tone off. Personally, I don't buy into the contemporary view of how things are or should be like age means reduced capacity. For example, Giuseppe Verdi wrote one of his best operas.. Aida, when he was 73!
@@vicverdi9402 I believe what you are saying but it is an established fact that human beings experience loss of high frequency perception as we age. Couple this with decades of use/abuse of the auditory senses and you have someone who hears things differently than most younger people. If your father and Giuseppe could hear delicate things at an older age, they were brilliant people who could compensate for their deficiencies. Also, Beethoven wrote his 9th symphony when he was stone deaf so that's very possible.
@@bassman4632 I'm not a doctor and .. I tend to take people and situations one at a time ... very, very sceptical of what is considered main stream thought... There's little wisdom to be had there .. but that's just me.
My friend bought the UB5 for his underpowered AMP and did not like them at all and gave them to me in exchange of some stuff I had at home that he needed and couple of DENON SC M33 that sound amazing for the cost. I plugged the Elac to my 300W per channel Pioneer old school AMP and I am sitting next to GOD. Bloody detailed guitars and Saxophones, sweet female voices like I never heard before. These ELAC Unify UB5 for the price are super amazing and a steal if you have a very good powerful amp if not look somewhere else. My Pioneer gets hot to say hot and I need to use a big FAN on top the grill to suck the heat out of it but GEEEEZ it is well worth it!!!!
Ok Steve you sold me. I snagged a pair of RP600Ms. Good call. I also have a pair of Elac UB5s. You’re right. They both do their own thing but these 600s are just the ticket. I immediately boxed up my pair of SVS ultra bookshelves and set aside for sale. Now here is another question for ya. What about the 600s bigger brothers, the Rp8000F and the monstrous RF7-III? Do those keep the mojo of the bookshelves except louder and more bass? Looking toward my home theater plans in the near future. Thanks much.
@@sanonmars I would like to know too. With Blackfriday approaching id like to buy a pair of speakera. I contacted SVS and they aaid they never have sales. That sucks considering almost every manufacturer has sales during the holidays.
Nothing would be more fun that a direct comparison of a Crown XLS 1502 vs. the Emotiva XPA-2 power amps driving the ELAC UB-5s ... We just added the XLS 1502 to my brothers top Denon A/V Klipsch setup and life is beautiful surrounded by that Dolby Atmos 11 speaker garden... Cheers, Mario
I have the UB5s hooked up to an Acurus DIA100 MKII @ 150 Watts into 4 Ohm. Amazing sound. A friend of mine brought over his Klipsch. Too bright, too harsh with my setup. Had to EQ it to make it bearable. Great mids and punch, just not as refined as the Elacs.
steve williams yeah this man is old and older people generally don‘t hear highs as good anymore, so he likes the high pitched speakers more because otherwise he barely has any highs
The 600M are nothing like older klipsch and are not harsh at all, unless a source component is harsh. And the place older klipshes are harsh is upper midrange, not treble because they were rolled off. Anyone with ears can hear the harshness of the reference series just a few years ago, which doesn't exist in the 600M.
Equalization / room correction (I prefer ypao on my a880) make every speaker better. You got to run the room correction software until it sounds right, then compare. However, I do prefer the elac for music mainly because of it's imaging. It's kind of a choice between reserved highs vs. forward highs.
Hi Steve, as a fellow NEW YORKER now living in Nice, France I just want to say how much I enjoy your shows on TH-cam and reviews on CNET. I just received a pair of Klpischs RP600Ms and they blew me away! Thanks for the recommendations. Tom LA MARCA
I am fortunate to have both set of speakers and recently bought the Klipsch on your recommendation (TY) and could not agree more with your review, I am running the ELAC on 50w per channel and missing the joy that others hear.
Steve, my takeaway from your explanation is to forego the ELAC, due to issues powering that speaker. But is that like saying to stay away from Chevrolet Corvettes, because you might not fuel it with high octane gas? Although it is important to know possible issues with these speakers, I think the viewers want to know how these two sets of speakers compare, when used in a proper setup (not when under-powered, etc). Yes, if both are being driven by the same 50 watt amps, we know the issue. But what is your evaluation between these two speakers when there are no issues; when they are both properly driven; when neither is being starved from power? You barely touched on this. Thank you
@@scottlowell493 That's great for you, but that doesn't really answer the question posed, now does it? We're still asking for the difference in the sound between the two sets when each pair is adequately powered.
The elac at more forgiving and smoother. They have better imaging but a very narrow point where they sound their best. I think the elac make a great bedroom system. The Klipsch are more dynamic and powerful. Highs are more open and the speakers seem more present and big. The bass on both are pleasing. The Klipsch 280f have slam and authority great for TV shows and quit good with music, the elac have musically subtle but present bass that's beautiful with music and adequate for movies. I prefer the imaging of the elac but you'll be lucky to get 2 seats to occupy a sweet spot. The elac are going to be best enjoyed in a seat. Where the Klipsch are more suitable for a room with many seats for everyone. In other words I like the elac for one seat and the Klipsch for many seats. I love the elac (almost flawless) and I like the Klipsch a lot (has a few sounds that doesn't sound right but I think it's my room has a reflection problem around 6-10k) but when I think about the cost, it's expensive to me but compared to what some people spend on audio it's cheap but for me it's pricey. Like $2200-$2500 (not counting massive subs with the Klipsch because I don't think it needs it) for either by the time you buy a surround and good receiver and good wires, stands and all you need.
Not trying to be insulting, but with all the horn speaker hype here lately, I can't help but wonder what your high frequency hearing is like. Roughly 10+ years ago when I was selling audio, I could definitely get roped into the excitement of the Klipsch Reference line vs. its competitors. However I could only enjoy it for a limited time. It usually didn't take long before I would find the sound to be grating, and couldn't wait to turn it off. Yet competitors, such as Polk Audio's LSI line I could listen to for hours on end. I guess I just can't help but wonder if age, and decreased high frequency hearing hasn't led to you being able to enjoy horns. Like I said before, it's been 10+ years since I've spent any significant amount of time in front of horns, and to be honest, you have me wondering if I need to explore them a bit since I know I've lost a bit of high frequency hearing now that I'm in my early 40's. Anyway, I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on the matter.
I never bought into the horn hype, I honestly didn't care. There are simply different constructions and goals of different brands and different ways for their manufacturers to get there. I've been running Klipsch for years after messing around with a lot of other top speakers using employee discounts from an old job. Don't get let technical jargon get to you, the Klipsch in easy terms is able to go louder than most other brands and the difference is that your ears don't feel nearly as fatigued meaning you can listen to higher volumes for longer periods of time. There was a time and there are certain lines of Klipsch speakers that are described as "bright" and uncomfortable, I've heard so many I can't specify which ones but to my knowledge all their new fairly top end speakers will be the amazing Klipsch you've been hearing about. The old models were a hit or miss depending on the line a while ago, like during the comparison you described with the Polk. I really like Polk too, I feel like they are under rated brand, but man the Klipsch are absolutely incredible.
Klipsch started making those horns in the R, RP, and RF line out of a rubber material that dampens a lot of the brightness that horns usually have. They are a lot nicer to listen to. I didnt find myself having fatigue like I have with older models.
I love my Klipsch's. I have the R15-PM's the RB81 II's, the RF7 III's the RP-150M's.... used in different configurations and love them all. Wide soundstage, crystal clear midrange and highs, powerful, energetic. Nothing to dislike. Perfect speakers for the working man without disposable income that wants to feel like an audiophile and hear things in their music they've never heard before. Much like Denon and Marantz.
Finally upgrading my 14 year old RF3'IIs with either the RP-8000f's or the RF7III's...Not sure which way to go yet. I'm unable to demo, Obviously the RF7's will be a bigger soundstage and possibly more bass, I'm curious how they compare with the 8000's in mids and highs. Cheers!
Or the Klipsh with reworked crossover by the guys at New Record Day. They figured out what was wrong with the Klipsh and I’d like to know how those compare with the other speakers you’re talking about here.
Theres nothing "wrong" with how they sound, even with their mid range dip. Pretty much everyone loves the sound of them as they are. Sure you can be pedantic like Ron and worry more about a line on a graph..... in my opinion.
I'm confused. He says that unless you get 150wpc amp then the Elacs are not worth it but yet when he reviewed the Elac EA-101EQ integrated amp that gives 80wpc he said that they were an awesome pair with the UB5 and that everything he liked about the UB5 was present with that amp. ???
Some people just prefer the extra headroom with a more powerful amp but I'm pushing my UB5s with emotiva basx a100. 90 w into four ohms and I can't get past 11:00 without the wife asking me to turn it down.
What a lot of people forget is that speakers have 2 separate performance specs, the ohm impedance, and the sensitivity. Although these are somewhat linked, they are different things. One just tells you the impedance, the other will tell you how much sound will be produced per watt. An 8 ohm speaker could produce less sound than a 4 ohm speaker at the same wattage, for instance. The impedance basically just tells you how much voltage is needed to produce an amount of watts, and the amp needs to be able to deal with the current at that voltage for those watts. At 4 ohms, the amp needs to swing 25v at 6 amps to power the speakers at 150 watts. At 8 ohms, the amp needs to swing 35v at 4 amps to power the speakers at 150 watts. As you can see, the higher ohm speaker uses fewer amps per watt, which is much easier to deal with. 4 ohms speakers are known for burning amps rated only to 8 ohms cause they aren't designed to handle the current demands.
I prefer the coincident drivers Elac and KEF use for their dispersion, over anything I've heard with a waveguide or horn. (I also don't like the narrow vertical dispersion of ribbon tweeters.)
I picked up the Unifi UB5 (first gen) for $300 as they were depleting the inventory. Run them with a Onkyo Integra Monster TX108. They sound great! Had to have some work done to the onkyo, and powered them with a Yamaha 202. Not quite as dynamic, but still quite enjoyable. The 600’s are also dropping in price. Might pick them up as well. Your videos are Informative, but more importantly, enjoyable to watch. Thank you.
Bought a NOS pair of Klipsch RB-81's recently. Sound great powered by my vintage Eico HF-81 integrated tube amp. Excellent dynamics and plenty of bass response from the 8" woofer.
I dunno, Steve. I had a pair of UB5s running on a stereo Class D amp running at a "mere" 90W at 4 ohms, and the UniFis were astonishing in dynamics, and the bass was so strong and tight that most listeners were sure I had hidden a sub somewhere.
My son runs the UB5s with a 70W/channel into 4 ohms Yamaha A-S301 stereo integrated amp. This is also the cheapest amp in the Yamah AS series and can often be found on sale for around 200 bucks. The UB5s do phenomenally well on it.
Hello Steve, I love your videos, but I already have a pair of Elac Uni-Fi UF5 towers speakers, with a Yahaha AV receiver with around 100W in 4 ohms, but I still feel that something is missing, what would be your recommendation (av/receiver or amp) if YOU had a budget of $1,000 and YOU had to get the best sound system to pair with the Elac Uni-Fi. Thank you in advance
Do you have a sub? If you do set the speakers to small and set the crossover to 80hz. You should then get plenty of power to the elacs. The impedance becomes more like 6-8 ohms when doing that
Which model is it? I have the towers and have tried them with both a Yamaha 779 and Marantz sr6011. The Yamaha was very dynamic but fatiguing. The marantz is more laid back in the treble (like the speakers) but I can listen all day. They do need power! As for a 1000 amp (2 channel??) already having the speakers, Try a solid state 2 channel with power (try used for more bang for the buck).
Been a Klipsch fan for many years now and upgraded my front channels to the rp-160m last year. My thoughts are the same as stated here. Very easy to drive and fun sounding speakers. They do everything well but really like to rock. They just jump out and grab you with excellent clarity and surprisingly deep bass. Great for music and movies. I highly recommend Klipsch to anyone looking for great sound at an affordable price.
I just upgraded from a set of RP160m mains. I bought some vintage Jamo Concert 11 Towers for dirt cheap, and replaced the broken midrange drivers and burnt out tweeter voice coils, and bought a Cambridge AXR100 amp to replace my hand-me-down Sony stereo receiver from the mid-2000s. When it was all said and done I pulled out the 160s and the Sony and played them side by side with the Jamos and Cambridge to see what my 1200$ had bought me, and surprisingly…. The old setup still sounded amazing to my ear. The new stuff is strictly superior and definitely was a step up, but you can buy an equivalent Sony receiver and a set of RP160s for less than 500$, and quite frankly they are about 80-90% of the performance for 40% of the cost. An equivalent set of towers to my Jamos purchased brand new would cost you thousands, and that simply wouldn’t be worth it.
I just got a pair of the Elac's on Amazon for $250. Haven't got my receiver yet but I'm hoping 150w per channel at 4ohm is sufficient to drive the Elac's.
I got the ELAC B6.2 around the holidays on sale, brand new, shipped for only $150. Im told that they are power hungry. I think as long as your amplifier is 4ohm stable. Doesn't require much power. I drove them to almost mechanical limit with only 60 watts @4ohm. They say they can handle up to 120 watts max @6ohm. But will work with 4-8 ohm amplifiers.
I have the ELACs in a relatively small room with a 80w amp (Rotel A14) and they are awesome. BTW, Steve do you ever talk to anyone who listens to classical music? I mostly listen to classical and opera (also some rock). Do you know what unamped music in a good concert hall (say Carnegie or Symphony Hall in Boston sounds like?). Maybe some reviews for the small minority of us who listen to classical.
Used to have Klipsch rf62 tower speakers with dual 6.5 inch woofers and I have Elac UB5 now. Both are good speakers. Both speakers were driven by Yamaha Aventage RX A-2010 receiver with 140 watts per channel. Elac has better imaging and quite deep base for a bookshelf. Loudness from the Elac is not bad at all. For a lively room I have the Elacs’ more warm and laidback sound works very well and not fatiguing. The Klipsch are not bright as what’s been commonly known. It can play loud, very loud. I had a smaller Yamaha amp before the Aventage and it handled the Klipsch easily but the Aventage gave more control to the sound while playing loud. I do miss the Klipsch from time to time.
I got the F5 elac the tower an b6 in back they are pretty power-hungry I'm getting a new receiver but I can't find one with enough power for these things what would you recommend to get the life out of them should I go to Klipsch speakers I can't find a receiver under $900 too much for me what should I do
buy a $600 Denon A/V receiver with pre outs and add on a Crown XLS1502 ($350) you won't believe it, that should be incredible. Check out my audio gear vids thanks :) Cheers, Mario
I'm a Maggie owner and they are spectacular speakers. However, in a small room... the best choice is a stand-mounted bookshelf. Also if you listen to a lot of high-energy music like metal or electronic music, you want dynamic speakers. Magnepans are at their best with acoustic instruments.
Let me correct that statement- smaller Magnepans are at their best with acoustic instruments. The bigger Magnepans can handle whatever type of music you throw at them.
Thanks for the review, I just came across it today. Oddly enough about 6 months ago I bought both pairs, you are spot on about them. Both are powered by the ol m60 ya.mmie amp with a schitt preamp. Love em both. I only play one pair at a time, depending on my mood.
Steve, don't forget the speakers. They are both awesome (shirt and speakers). Any experience with the Sonos Faber - Concertino?! I listen offen to your channel. I learn a lot as a almost opposite of a Audiophiliac ;-) looking for cheap (I'm a poor devil) highly efficient (dB) bookshelf speaker. Keep on the good work!!
To my knowledge not really. Ive read places that it takes around double the watts for a slight increase in volume, or in this case, better dynamics due to power. If you bought a super expensive amp with 135-140 watts then I'm sure it would sound better. If you took the same amp and added those 15-20 watts (theoretically) it would sound identical if I had to guess
What's going on with efficient, horn speakers? Is it just more dynamic range? That is, if the two speakers playing at same volume during a soft passage, will a sudden crescendo be louder on the horn speaker?
Omg I have both and I bought the Klipsch speakers because of you and I agree! Can you make a video bi-amping though? I have the Schiit Modi 2 DAC coming now as well! I played the UB5’s with the Modi 2 and it gave the Elacs better sound so I hope to expect the same with the Klipsch’s as well. I have an Emotiva TA-100!
running UB5s with a 'refreshed' Carver M400t fronted by a Schiit Saga(RCA5692), sources are ProJect Debut DC Carbon/Sumiko Pearl and APT-x BT from the 'puter. no complaints at all, not fatiguing to listen to, vocals are sweet and natural. Jazz, classical, EDM, Yes, the Band, everything is awesome. as a bass junkie, i added a Dayton SB-1200 even though it was not really necessary. my listening area is smallish(12x18?), so outrageous SPLs are not required, but dynamics are still very good. the biggest issue for me is (re)discovering how bad some recordings are; some vinyl is almost unlistenable(is that a word?) compared to a newer digital remaster. i know, 'eeww bluetooth sucks', except when it doesn't, which for me is hardly ever. the UB5s i got for $320 as a barely used pair from a guy who got one of the first production runs where the aluminum bass drivers turned green(literally) instead of the soft silver they were expecting - they sent him a replacement pair and he never used the 'green' ones again(sat in their box). the carver was an ebay steal for $120, sent to the dude in WA state who is the authorised repair for Carver and had it recalibrated/recapped, and upgraded(op-amps) for ~350 bucks. next upgrade is a Grado Black2/Green2 for a slightly less edgy TT.
It is not the exchange rate. Are the greedy Australians retailers that apply a huge overhead price tag. Thiefs. This happens on anything that gets imported. BMWs cars and other example... nearly double the price charged in Europe. Elac Unify UB5?? Over 1000AUD when in Japan I bought them for 500AUD including shipping.
@@harryjones1692 it was from amazon australia from a japanese retail shop. It included fast shipping and they had only a pair. It was a crazy deal I admit but the 1000aud+ shops charge in Australia its insane.
Grind the stores as i did I also bought my amp thru them too so they had a bit more le way ultimately they won't want to lose a sale so should come to the party go in as i did with saved web pages to show them work the relationship and build it don't buy on first visit and always go for a senior sales exec they know how to work for you the young ones just want the sale then on to the next one angle them to build value into the sale.
I have the uni fi center and towers with a 90 watt Yamaha receiver. The receiver can be set to 6 ohms for the center and surrounds and 4 ohms for the fronts. But if you have a sub and set the crossover to 80hz then the impedance for the unifi is more like 6-8 ohms. I'm getting plenty of power to the speakers . They sound great to me. I actually just returned my klipsch rp 404 center And 6000f towers because although they sounded good they gave me ear fatigue after short listening sessions. I guess they're a little too bright for my sensitive ears. Also when it comes to sound imaging between the elac unifi towers and klipsch rp 6000 it's not close imo. The sound imaging on the elacs are incredible. Although both speakers are great I prefer the warmer sound of the elacs and I can go much longer without ear fatigue. And I really believe the impedance concerns for the elacs are way overblown especially if you have a sub and not running them full range anyways
You're absolutely correct. Run the UB5's with a sub crossed at 80 and you get normally efficient speakers. I'm running them on a Marantz SR7012 (125W) AVR and the sound is out of this world smooth, accurate and beautiful. They sound like $2,000+ speakers easily... Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy!! - Best purchase ever!. :)
If, you are sensitive to higher frequencies; if you in general, have any tendencies to HF fatigue, it’s possible, you may like brands other than Yamaha better. Yamaha receivers are well known.. to be noticeably bright. Try a Denon receiver (others also) that’s equivalent in price and power at the same settings. You may be pleasantly surprised. ; )
most of people into this kind of thing know how bias steve could get and his love for analog/tube vs solidstate so his recommendation in this video is ....meh , so i kept looking in youtube for perspectives from a regular joe not influenced by the business side of the industry. look for Audiofool...
The difficulty is with the amp having to supply much more current. Some amps are designed with this extra headroom ability, but some are not. So its difficult for some amps only.
How about adding Dali Oberon 3 to the compare list ? I am getting Oberon 3 at a cheaper price compared to the UB5 and 660Ms. Planning to hook them up to SMSL AD18 for a desktop PC Setup. Any suggestions.
I got two pairs of the Debut 6.2 at $75 each on Black Friday. Awesome! I needed the front port for bookshelf mounting and I like the larger woofer compared to the UB5. I think that Andrew Jones is going to bring out a UB6 with a front port and larger woofer soon.
ELAC is rated at 85dB. Why would you need a 150 w amp? With just a 10 w amp you could enjoy a volume of approximately 95dB... Double the power nets 3 dB gain, which is twice the volume.
Good post, a little late to the party. I have a powerful amp, but at times annoying to have to “crank” the volume to family unfriendly volumes for some musical goodness. I realize that it’s my inefficient speakers. 600’s are on my list. I’ll need to dig around your site to get some current recommendations unless this Klipsch is still a good value? As a subscriber to your site (and a couple others) all American centric….ie: US dollars. Here in Canada sometimes the price is at times almost double… where the retailers (or manufacturers) appear to gouge us, a bit aggravating to say the least. I enjoy your posts/site , keep up the great work!
, you are correct in saying that they are two very different speakers. everyone always asks, which is the better speaker. every manufacturer is different in the way they design and choose the materials for their speakers from the crossovers to MDF to drivers to the finish. every speaker also has it's own particular time and place. personally I prefer the Klipsch. not saying anything bad about Elac but just my personal preference. sensitivity, power requirements to driver design. I just think the Klipsch is a better all around every day usable speaker.
Hi Steve! Can you say how well both Speakers handle Classical Music? I always shy away from Klipsch, because they tend to sound harsh...but I don't know the 600m...
So Steve, here's a question you've never been asked. You've heaped highest praise on the Titanium Hestia and the Diesis Roma...which is better, or more to your taste?
All this talk over the past few days about horn speakers got me to pull out my Klipsch r-15s It really is night and day compared my ELACS. The energy is so much fun.
Absolutely agree. I have a pair of ELAC Debut B6.2 and just got a set of R160m. Man..what a difference... ELACs sound muted, not enough sound stage, imaging lacking.. I was not expecting so much difference. I am doing A/B between the two, driven by a Cambridge Audio CXA60 and the Klipsch are amazeballs!
Agreed. I was using 685S2, it also has the dynamic and forward sounds I like. Then I tried out B6.2, but returned it right the way. Then I brought the 600m. I now have the dynamic sound I like without the brightness. I also drive it with CXA60, as you know it has a sub out. It sounds even better with a sub.
I hope Klipsch has come a long way in the last 15 years. I used to own $15,000 of audio amps, speakers, etc., with the main speakers being Klipsch floorstanding speakers and I sold it all because it sounded terrible. I now own Elacs and I love their sound. Klipsch sounds too harsh and bright to me.
@@Gerryinthewoods Hey Gerry I had the 316 and have added the NAD C368 as my principle amp now does everything I need and so much more I have found the streaming to be very convenient at times but mostly listen with Vinyl. I don't have the biggest of living rooms and these speakers fill it and then some I paired it with the Klipsch 100 SW.
@@Gerryinthewoods very much so was looking for recommendations myself then I found Steves channel so very glad I did my music life is so wonderful again and I haven't played a CD for the last 3 months its all Vinyl like the good old days and the 368 streaming my digital sounds.
Funny. I'm about to run a similar comparison at home. I just ordered a pair of Klipsch RP-160ms for my second system to replace my ELAC Debut 6.0s (possibly). The reason is that I'm using a warmish 60-watt integrated amp, so I thought the Klipsch RPs might sound more revealing and dynamic than the soft-sounding and more energy-hungry ELACs. I love the ELACs for their musicality and mid-range, but my little amp doesn't push them very well.
I wouldn't say the debut 2.0 series sounds like the original Debuts....it's much cleaner, dynamic, more extended on the top and bottom, with a much bigger Soundstage, and it's easier to drive with the crossover now lower the driver blend better. They also scale much better and are more revealing and transparent...it's a whole different speaker than the original a remarkable 1 at that....
Thank you very much, Steve! You made my decision easier. In fact I was planning on a speaker, changed my mind, and now you made the choice more clear, and easier for me about the correct speaker that is preferred by a listener's amplifier section.
I know this is not comprable comparison at least price wise, but since you have heard the Kef R300 how does it compare to the Unifi UB5 especially since they both have low sinsitivity and they are close in driver configuration.
Hi Steve, there is a mod on the market for the RP-600M which improves the internal damping plus removes a dip around the cross over, for the cost of some 200 plus time. TH-cam has a 3 episode series on it. Were you ever able to compare the mod to the original and what were your thoughts? Thx!
I enjoy your videos. I plan to buy new bookshelf speakers next year, but I know of no place to actually hear these Klipsch speakers in Arizona. I have two questions: 1. Will their high efficiency be irritating? Wouldn't I have to adjust the volume all the time? And, 2. Because of their rear porting, how far from the wall do they have to be? I only have 12 inches. Thanks.
Are you referring to power output as IHF or continuous? My receiver outputs 200W @ 4 ohms IHF, or 85W @ 4 ohms continuous. Will this support the Elacs?
Steve forgive me if you’ve already posted this but are you reviewing the new Uni Fi ub5.2 any time soon, or does anyone know if these will be available in Ireland? Thanks love this channel 🥰
Question? I'm running my 4 Elac UB5'S, an Elac UC5 with a Denon AV Receivers Audio & Video Component Receiver (AVRS740H). Do you recommend a more powerful receiver ? And if so any recommendations? I have my TV, Xbox one, cable box and Amazon cube connected Thanks for your support
I have the Klipsch RP-600M speakers and love them. I have a question, if anyone can answer I would appreciate it. I have my two RP-600Ms playing through my Denon AVR x4300H. My question is, do I need to bi-amp them? If so, where/how on the back of the receiver do I connect them?
@@TA-nn9os , I haven't observed that there is a 400 watt or a 100 watt sounding amp. Lots of amps w/ big watts per channel ratings sound weak compared to an ML-2 (25 watts @ 8 ohms), or a Clayton M70 even when driving low db efficiency speakers. If these amps double their 8 ohm output at 4 ohms, they would still be below the 150w cited in the post. I suspect Steve has heard many amps rated at less than 100 watts per channel sound way better than many 200+w per channel amps when driving speakers w/ a low efficiency design. I haven't tested the UB5 bookshelf speakers but I'd be really surprised if the amps listed above didn't make them sound a lot better than most boxes being sold as 200 watt amps.
Hi Steve, if you were using any pair of speakers this size with a new sonos amp to use mostly for home theater use and some listening to hip hop / house music. What might you recommend? Thanks so much for your time and sharing your knowledge!
Do the tweeters out run the woofers on klipsch bookshelf speakers? I tried running an Eminence APT80 (or maybe one of those piezo tweeters Motorola KSN 1005A) and a 4 to 5" woofer and it sounded like someone had pushed the treble +10 on a car stereo. Good quality treble but needed a few more woofers or more efficient/more power on the woofers.
Not sure if I and these Klipsch will become friends, despite the hype. I bought them recently and combined them with an Atoll IN 100. To me they simply sound thin and voices, especially the hit-hats come across very tinny. Any one with the same experience?
Hi Dude, I have a Denon x3600H 9.2 Av receiver. So can you suggest me the low budget speaker system. How many speakers doses it need ? Which is better Klipsch or Polk audio? Thank you.
I definitely like Klipsch speakers ever since I heard a pair of Heresy with an MA5100... Steve please do a review of vintage speakers such as AR 2 ax vs.JBL L 100 or similar for those who prefer vintage sounds
Hi Steve, as an owner of the RP-160m it would be interesting to know if there are hearable differences between the 160m and the 600m. On paper they are almost the same speaker. They only differ in size... Only 1 or 2cm in height. (sorry, don't know whats that in inch 😊✌️) Best regards ...
Also worth mentioning desktop setups, where I think a lot of us would use bookshelf speakers. I think horns 2 feet away from you might not be great. Might give an edge to Elac there.
God I hate that question, which is better. Drives me crazy! Thank you for answering the proper question... What's the difference? Other questions I love are; which is more musical/detailed/dynamic etc. The characteristics of a piece of equipment! But, when it comes to speakers again you answer a proper question... "I have this equipment with this much power in this size room. What speakers will pair well with what I have or am headed?" Now that is the question. The type of music a person is listening to matters of course, but I find most real music lovers tend to listen to a large spectrum of music. Thanks again Steve!
I have a pair of ELAC Debut B6.2 and just got a set of R160m. Man..what a difference... ELACs sound muted, not enough sound stage lacking imaging... I was not expecting so much difference. I am doing A/B between the two, driven by a Cambridge Audio CXA60 and the Klipsch are amazeballs! Tested with any kind of music, and there was not one song that i preferred the ELACs over the Klipsch. The Klipsch are way more efficient, too. Steve said 90db, but I think they are rated close to 96db!
Apples and oranges. Nobody can say a Klipsch speaker is better than any non horn speaker because it's a totally different taste and it's just a matter of which taste you like better. You need to demo speakers in the same room and see which one turns you on the most. If you are going to be an audiophile and sit there and stroke your beard then don't Buy Klipsch. But if you want to get up and boogie or rock out to a concert or be excited then buy Klipsch. They are not a speaker to relax to
I’m not a huge Steve fan but he’s dead on about the Klipsch. I got out of my Legacy Focus for a pair of Klipsch RP-160m and a R-12sw sub and wow, music is really fun and exciting to listen too now.
I got the rp-160m's last year and love them. I don't feel any need to upgrade my front channels anymore. They can do it all and are a real joy to listen to. 👍
@Trucker_Pete Right!! Heck in my man cave I’ve even turned off my sub and with my bass control set at +2 I’ve measured the bass response and it’s flat down to 31hz!!! I find these speakers to be amazing actually. I’ve had floor standers for decades and I don’t see myself going back.
Carl Smith Agree. When I first tested them out, I turned off my center, surrounds and subs just to see what they could do and was blown away by their ability to fill the space in between them and deliver deep bass. The sound was so convincing, I had to check a couple of times just to make sure I was hearing just the 2 speakers. If I had to, I could be happy listening to only these 2 speakers. I didn’t think that was possible.
@Trucker_Pete Agreed!! I did a demo for my son and he couldn’t believe the sub wasn’t on! All these years I’ve been duped into believing bigger is better! Well, at least in the case of speakers it isn’t. 😂
This is long overdue. Because of your review of the Klipsch RP-600M, my passion for audio was reinvigorated. I purchased them, and later bought the RP-6000F also. These speakers made all my music come alive. My hobby got fun again. The 600's are the L/R of the home theater. In the music only system, the 6000's replaced a much more expensive floor standing speaker that was on Stereophile's "B" list. Maybe these Klipsch speakers don't have that "refined" super audiophile sound, but they are darn fun to listen to. You have helped me to understand that an audio system can sound very good, and be very enjoyable, without taking out a second mortgage. In my opinion, too many reviewers concentrate on very expensive equipment, and imply we will never reach audio heaven unless we own it. I believe this leaves many of us believing our systems are second rate, sound sub par, and we can never cross into the land of audio bliss unless we go broke doing so. I now know this isn't so. Thank you for what you do, and for your impact on my thinking. Good luck in the future.
I took your advice. I got some RP600M KLIPSCH open box deal. I am very pleased with them. Thanks Steve.
Is it time for a rematch with the UB52
I own both of these speakers but I bought the UB5s several months before the 600Ms and put them in my small living room system. (elite receiver 115 watt). The UB5s sounded pretty boring in this system and then I heard the reviews on the 600Ms. Bought the 600s and swapped out the UB5s. Yep,,,, that made the system come alive and very enjoyable to listen to. So then I wanted to put a nice system in my master bedroom. So I bought a Schiit Vidar amp with a Freya preamp to power the UB5s. WOW,,,,,,, huge sound and an incredible difference than when I had them in the living room system which also has a subwoofer. The UB5s sit on top of a large dresser with their backs approximately 6"s from the wall and the bass response is truly amazing. Yet the UB5s clarity is fantastic. So now I'm perfectly happy with two great sounding systems!
Lol- i pretty much did the same thing. Elacs first, then the rp600m. Thought the elacs were timid, but Had someone crank them at their come to break them in and they are truly wonderful. My RP600M are awaiting another room for another shot- not sure why i am meh about them. Maybe more time to work them in? Had them since june ‘20
Nice review. These are the best of times when it comes to the price/performance ratio of speakers. Kudos to the folks at Klipsch, Polk, Elac and Pioneer to name just a few.
Steve, forget the speakers, that shirt is awesome.
his glasses are pretty cool too.
The shirt is very unique and playful..good brightness and midrange, perhaps light on the lows, very efficient. The glasses are very dynamic, good transparency, very Elton John / John Lennon. Rocks my world..
This man has every dope savers/goodwill shirt ever
super loud
@@cmkilcullen8176
Good transparency, lol. XD
My son and I auditioned Elac B6.2 and the UB5 for his first "real" system. We decided exactly what Steve said. We were hearing some different but great things from both. We both thought the UB5 to be the better speaker but it just just wasnt coming alive and the bass was abit thin on the 50 wpc we were pushing it with where the B6.2 was full and room filling. He went with the B6.2 - I agreed the right choice for a kid with limited funds and smaller and less sophisticated power equipment and he's loving them. HOWEVER, I wanted to explore the seemingly "better" sound a little further so I hooked them up to my 200 wpc Rotel RB1080 through a $600.00 DAC and wow did they open up and come alive. The UB5 is arguably one of the best sub $500 speaker out there - WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT. I kept them :) The UB5 is a very "scalable" speaker. If you dont know what that term means - they sound better and better in direct relation to the better the equipment you feed them with. I think they can sound even better than with what I have BUT that brings an odd marketing question - Why would someone buy an inexpensive speaker that needs expensive gear to make it sound good , and why would someone with very expensive gear buy a $500 speaker when they could afford far superior speakers??? IDK. I happened to have them in-house and got on sale for $350.00 and had equipment capable of driving them so....I couldnt bring myself to send them back. They are not the be all/end all speaker. They are not magic but they are excellent for the money. Now I wait to have the funds for the Focal Kanta No.2's :) and a new little gem of an integrated coming soon from......a guy I know(not sure if its still a secret) .
I am considering the Debut6.2...or now these 600M's!...what do you think in retrospect you'd prefer now?
I can’t hear anything over that shirt.
That cracked me up.
😆
I need one!
I have Elac Uni-fi UB5 Slims for my LCRs in a 5.2.2 system. The speakers suffered when powered by my Marantz AVR. Then I hooked them up to an Outlaw 5000 outboard amp using the pre-outs and then those Elacs began to purr like a kitten. Love my setup now!
Picked up the UB5 for $300 when the UB52 was announced. I picked up a like new Pioneer A-35R Elite (8ohm/40watts, 4ohm/60watts) for just $25 a few years back, drove a pair of sp-bs22-lr since then. The UB5's sound good and very low volume and wake up quick at "normal" low volume. Paired with a power conditioner and 12 guage cables it makes for a great system. Going to keep an eye open for a better amp but im honestly satisfied
Steve provides a great and unique service to the audiophile community. He's heard just about any component and/or speaker worth listening to on last 45 years but what really makes Steve standout is his evaluations of gear that the "average consumer" can afford and in the process saves us time, money and "agita" making purchasing decisions.
I've ordered up a pair of Zu Omen Dirty Weekends per his You Tube/CNet discussions. I would never have been aware of these speakers had it not been for Steve. Given his unique background I have no qualms about following his "guidance"... I bow to his capacity!
Now, if only he could get a volume control for that shirt..
P.S. Sagacity not capacity.. damn cellphone spell correction!
Not to be ageist or whatever but doesn't the fact he's been on the front lines for 45 years mean that his ears are probably shot by now and his hearing is suspect? Ergo, he reviews are not to be entirely trusted?
@@bassman4632 NO! My father was an opera singer. In his 70's his ears were still so sharp he could hear when a singer was 1/4 tone off. Personally, I don't buy into the contemporary view of how things are or should be like age means reduced capacity. For example, Giuseppe Verdi wrote one of his best operas.. Aida, when he was 73!
@@vicverdi9402 I believe what you are saying but it is an established fact that human beings experience loss of high frequency perception as we age. Couple this with decades of use/abuse of the auditory senses and you have someone who hears things differently than most younger people. If your father and Giuseppe could hear delicate things at an older age, they were brilliant people who could compensate for their deficiencies. Also, Beethoven wrote his 9th symphony when he was stone deaf so that's very possible.
@@bassman4632 I'm not a doctor and .. I tend to take people and situations one at a time ... very, very sceptical of what is considered main stream thought... There's little wisdom to be had there .. but that's just me.
My friend bought the UB5 for his underpowered AMP and did not like them at all and gave them to me in exchange of some stuff I had at home that he needed and couple of DENON SC M33 that sound amazing for the cost. I plugged the Elac to my 300W per channel Pioneer old school AMP and I am sitting next to GOD. Bloody detailed guitars and Saxophones, sweet female voices like I never heard before. These ELAC Unify UB5 for the price are super amazing and a steal if you have a very good powerful amp if not look somewhere else. My Pioneer gets hot to say hot and I need to use a big FAN on top the grill to suck the heat out of it but GEEEEZ it is well worth it!!!!
Ok Steve you sold me. I snagged a pair of RP600Ms. Good call. I also have a pair of Elac UB5s. You’re right. They both do their own thing but these 600s are just the ticket. I immediately boxed up my pair of SVS ultra bookshelves and set aside for sale. Now here is another question for ya. What about the 600s bigger brothers, the Rp8000F and the monstrous RF7-III? Do those keep the mojo of the bookshelves except louder and more bass? Looking toward my home theater plans in the near future. Thanks much.
You're selling SVS Ultra's because of the RP600s!?? Wow sounds like I really should audition these!
what is the reason to sell SVS Ultras? Are 600m better than SVS or due to price point?
@@sanonmars I would like to know too. With Blackfriday approaching id like to buy a pair of speakera. I contacted SVS and they aaid they never have sales. That sucks considering almost every manufacturer has sales during the holidays.
Nothing would be more fun that a direct comparison of a Crown XLS 1502 vs. the Emotiva XPA-2 power amps driving the ELAC UB-5s ... We just added the XLS 1502 to my brothers top Denon A/V Klipsch setup and life is beautiful surrounded by that Dolby Atmos 11 speaker garden... Cheers, Mario
I have the UB5s hooked up to an Acurus DIA100 MKII @ 150 Watts into 4 Ohm. Amazing sound. A friend of mine brought over his Klipsch. Too bright, too harsh with my setup. Had to EQ it to make it bearable. Great mids and punch, just not as refined as the Elacs.
steve williams yeah this man is old and older people generally don‘t hear highs as good anymore, so he likes the high pitched speakers more because otherwise he barely has any highs
The 600M are nothing like older klipsch and are not harsh at all, unless a source component is harsh.
And the place older klipshes are harsh is upper midrange, not treble because they were rolled off. Anyone with ears can hear the harshness of the reference series just a few years ago, which doesn't exist in the 600M.
Equalization / room correction (I prefer ypao on my a880) make every speaker better. You got to run the room correction software until it sounds right, then compare. However, I do prefer the elac for music mainly because of it's imaging. It's kind of a choice between reserved highs vs. forward highs.
You know a review is timely , relevant, and informative when you revisit. So, many thanks for this.
Hi Steve, as a fellow NEW YORKER now living in Nice, France I just want to say how much I enjoy your shows on TH-cam and reviews on CNET. I just received a pair of Klpischs RP600Ms and they blew me away!
Thanks for the recommendations.
Tom LA MARCA
Nice! Thanks.
I am fortunate to have both set of speakers and recently bought the Klipsch on your recommendation (TY) and could not agree more with your review, I am running the ELAC on 50w per channel and missing the joy that others hear.
Steve, my takeaway from your explanation is to forego the ELAC, due to issues powering that speaker. But is that like saying to stay away from Chevrolet Corvettes, because you might not fuel it with high octane gas?
Although it is important to know possible issues with these speakers, I think the viewers want to know how these two sets of speakers compare, when used in a proper setup (not when under-powered, etc).
Yes, if both are being driven by the same 50 watt amps, we know the issue.
But what is your evaluation between these two speakers when there are no issues; when they are both properly driven; when neither is being starved from power? You barely touched on this.
Thank you
I solve such conundrums by having a high quality, high powered amp that will power anything I want.
@@scottlowell493 That's great for you, but that doesn't really answer the question posed, now does it?
We're still asking for the difference in the sound between the two sets when each pair is adequately powered.
The elac at more forgiving and smoother. They have better imaging but a very narrow point where they sound their best. I think the elac make a great bedroom system.
The Klipsch are more dynamic and powerful. Highs are more open and the speakers seem more present and big.
The bass on both are pleasing. The Klipsch 280f have slam and authority great for TV shows and quit good with music, the elac have musically subtle but present bass that's beautiful with music and adequate for movies.
I prefer the imaging of the elac but you'll be lucky to get 2 seats to occupy a sweet spot. The elac are going to be best enjoyed in a seat. Where the Klipsch are more suitable for a room with many seats for everyone. In other words I like the elac for one seat and the Klipsch for many seats.
I love the elac (almost flawless) and I like the Klipsch a lot (has a few sounds that doesn't sound right but I think it's my room has a reflection problem around 6-10k) but when I think about the cost, it's expensive to me but compared to what some people spend on audio it's cheap but for me it's pricey. Like $2200-$2500 (not counting massive subs with the Klipsch because I don't think it needs it) for either by the time you buy a surround and good receiver and good wires, stands and all you need.
Not trying to be insulting, but with all the horn speaker hype here lately, I can't help but wonder what your high frequency hearing is like. Roughly 10+ years ago when I was selling audio, I could definitely get roped into the excitement of the Klipsch Reference line vs. its competitors. However I could only enjoy it for a limited time. It usually didn't take long before I would find the sound to be grating, and couldn't wait to turn it off. Yet competitors, such as Polk Audio's LSI line I could listen to for hours on end. I guess I just can't help but wonder if age, and decreased high frequency hearing hasn't led to you being able to enjoy horns. Like I said before, it's been 10+ years since I've spent any significant amount of time in front of horns, and to be honest, you have me wondering if I need to explore them a bit since I know I've lost a bit of high frequency hearing now that I'm in my early 40's. Anyway, I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on the matter.
David Darrow a speaker you enjoy more getting older? Sound like a free upgrade to me :)
I never bought into the horn hype, I honestly didn't care. There are simply different constructions and goals of different brands and different ways for their manufacturers to get there. I've been running Klipsch for years after messing around with a lot of other top speakers using employee discounts from an old job. Don't get let technical jargon get to you, the Klipsch in easy terms is able to go louder than most other brands and the difference is that your ears don't feel nearly as fatigued meaning you can listen to higher volumes for longer periods of time. There was a time and there are certain lines of Klipsch speakers that are described as "bright" and uncomfortable, I've heard so many I can't specify which ones but to my knowledge all their new fairly top end speakers will be the amazing Klipsch you've been hearing about. The old models were a hit or miss depending on the line a while ago, like during the comparison you described with the Polk. I really like Polk too, I feel like they are under rated brand, but man the Klipsch are absolutely incredible.
Klipsch started making those horns in the R, RP, and RF line out of a rubber material that dampens a lot of the brightness that horns usually have. They are a lot nicer to listen to. I didnt find myself having fatigue like I have with older models.
I love my Klipsch's. I have the R15-PM's the RB81 II's, the RF7 III's the RP-150M's.... used in different configurations and love them all. Wide soundstage, crystal clear midrange and highs, powerful, energetic. Nothing to dislike. Perfect speakers for the working man without disposable income that wants to feel like an audiophile and hear things in their music they've never heard before. Much like Denon and Marantz.
Totally agree! I dumped my Magnaplaners for for Klipsch.
Finally upgrading my 14 year old RF3'IIs with either the RP-8000f's or the RF7III's...Not sure which way to go yet. I'm unable to demo, Obviously the RF7's will be a bigger soundstage and possibly more bass, I'm curious how they compare with the 8000's in mids and highs. Cheers!
I'll toast to that...
Rf-7 classic! Can pick em. Up for 800$ and there more clear and detailed than any other Rf7.
th-cam.com/video/lD5la0msAUY/w-d-xo.html
Or the Klipsh with reworked crossover by the guys at New Record Day. They figured out what was wrong with the Klipsh and I’d like to know how those compare with the other speakers you’re talking about here.
Theres nothing "wrong" with how they sound, even with their mid range dip. Pretty much everyone loves the sound of them as they are. Sure you can be pedantic like Ron and worry more about a line on a graph..... in my opinion.
I'm confused. He says that unless you get 150wpc amp then the Elacs are not worth it but yet when he reviewed the Elac EA-101EQ integrated amp that gives 80wpc he said that they were an awesome pair with the UB5 and that everything he liked about the UB5 was present with that amp. ???
Some people just prefer the extra headroom with a more powerful amp but I'm pushing my UB5s with emotiva basx a100. 90 w into four ohms and I can't get past 11:00 without the wife asking me to turn it down.
Have you considered reviewing the the Klipsch RF-7 III? Id love to hear you're thoughts on that speaker.
What a lot of people forget is that speakers have 2 separate performance specs, the ohm impedance, and the sensitivity. Although these are somewhat linked, they are different things. One just tells you the impedance, the other will tell you how much sound will be produced per watt. An 8 ohm speaker could produce less sound than a 4 ohm speaker at the same wattage, for instance. The impedance basically just tells you how much voltage is needed to produce an amount of watts, and the amp needs to be able to deal with the current at that voltage for those watts.
At 4 ohms, the amp needs to swing 25v at 6 amps to power the speakers at 150 watts. At 8 ohms, the amp needs to swing 35v at 4 amps to power the speakers at 150 watts. As you can see, the higher ohm speaker uses fewer amps per watt, which is much easier to deal with.
4 ohms speakers are known for burning amps rated only to 8 ohms cause they aren't designed to handle the current demands.
Are you an electrician or an electrical engineer or an electronics engineer ?
I prefer the coincident drivers Elac and KEF use for their dispersion, over anything I've heard with a waveguide or horn. (I also don't like the narrow vertical dispersion of ribbon tweeters.)
I picked up the Unifi UB5 (first gen) for $300 as they were depleting the inventory. Run them with a Onkyo Integra Monster TX108. They sound great! Had to have some work done to the onkyo, and powered them with a Yamaha 202. Not quite as dynamic, but still quite enjoyable.
The 600’s are also dropping in price. Might pick them up as well. Your videos are Informative, but more importantly, enjoyable to watch. Thank you.
Bought a NOS pair of Klipsch RB-81's recently. Sound great powered by my vintage Eico HF-81 integrated tube amp. Excellent dynamics and plenty of bass response from the 8" woofer.
I dunno, Steve. I had a pair of UB5s running on a stereo Class D amp running at a "mere" 90W at 4 ohms, and the UniFis were astonishing in dynamics, and the bass was so strong and tight that most listeners were sure I had hidden a sub somewhere.
Klipsch paid him more. Steve's a politician (you didn't know?)
My son runs the UB5s with a 70W/channel into 4 ohms Yamaha A-S301 stereo integrated amp. This is also the cheapest amp in the Yamah AS series and can often be found on sale for around 200 bucks. The UB5s do phenomenally well on it.
Hello Steve, I love your videos, but I already have a pair of Elac Uni-Fi UF5 towers speakers, with a Yahaha AV receiver with around 100W in 4 ohms, but I still feel that something is missing, what would be your recommendation (av/receiver or amp) if YOU had a budget of $1,000 and YOU had to get the best sound system to pair with the Elac Uni-Fi.
Thank you in advance
If the receiver has preamp outputs buy this 300 watt Emotiva amp. emotiva.com/collections/amps/products/xpa-2-gen3
No preamp outputs, what about if YOU need to build YOUR system from 0 with that budget already having the Uni-Fi speakers.
Thanks again.
Do you have a sub? If you do set the speakers to small and set the crossover to 80hz. You should then get plenty of power to the elacs. The impedance becomes more like 6-8 ohms when doing that
Yes I have a sub, thanks I'll try that.
Which model is it? I have the towers and have tried them with both a Yamaha 779 and Marantz sr6011. The Yamaha was very dynamic but fatiguing. The marantz is more laid back in the treble (like the speakers) but I can listen all day. They do need power! As for a 1000 amp (2 channel??) already having the speakers, Try a solid state 2 channel with power (try used for more bang for the buck).
Been a Klipsch fan for many years now and upgraded my front channels to the rp-160m last year. My thoughts are the same as stated here. Very easy to drive and fun sounding speakers. They do everything well but really like to rock. They just jump out and grab you with excellent clarity and surprisingly deep bass. Great for music and movies. I highly recommend Klipsch to anyone looking for great sound at an affordable price.
I just upgraded from a set of RP160m mains. I bought some vintage Jamo Concert 11 Towers for dirt cheap, and replaced the broken midrange drivers and burnt out tweeter voice coils, and bought a Cambridge AXR100 amp to replace my hand-me-down Sony stereo receiver from the mid-2000s. When it was all said and done I pulled out the 160s and the Sony and played them side by side with the Jamos and Cambridge to see what my 1200$ had bought me, and surprisingly…. The old setup still sounded amazing to my ear. The new stuff is strictly superior and definitely was a step up, but you can buy an equivalent Sony receiver and a set of RP160s for less than 500$, and quite frankly they are about 80-90% of the performance for 40% of the cost. An equivalent set of towers to my Jamos purchased brand new would cost you thousands, and that simply wouldn’t be worth it.
I just got a pair of the Elac's on Amazon for $250. Haven't got my receiver yet but I'm hoping 150w per channel at 4ohm is sufficient to drive the Elac's.
Steve, what about the new Uni-Fi 2.0 UB52 bookshelf speaker?
I got the ELAC B6.2 around the holidays on sale, brand new, shipped for only $150. Im told that they are power hungry. I think as long as your amplifier is 4ohm stable. Doesn't require much power. I drove them to almost mechanical limit with only 60 watts @4ohm. They say they can handle up to 120 watts max @6ohm. But will work with 4-8 ohm amplifiers.
I have the ELACs in a relatively small room with a 80w amp (Rotel A14) and they are awesome. BTW, Steve do you ever talk to anyone who listens to classical music? I mostly listen to classical and opera (also some rock). Do you know what unamped music in a good concert hall (say Carnegie or Symphony Hall in Boston sounds like?). Maybe some reviews for the small minority of us who listen to classical.
Ub5s? planning to add uc5 as center driven by denon x250bt
Used to have Klipsch rf62 tower speakers with dual 6.5 inch woofers and I have Elac UB5 now. Both are good speakers. Both speakers were driven by Yamaha Aventage RX A-2010 receiver with 140 watts per channel.
Elac has better imaging and quite deep base for a bookshelf. Loudness from the Elac is not bad at all. For a lively room I have the Elacs’ more warm and laidback sound works very well and not fatiguing.
The Klipsch are not bright as what’s been commonly known. It can play loud, very loud. I had a smaller Yamaha amp before the Aventage and it handled the Klipsch easily but the Aventage gave more control to the sound while playing loud. I do miss the Klipsch from time to time.
I got the F5 elac the tower an b6 in back they are pretty power-hungry I'm getting a new receiver but I can't find one with enough power for these things what would you recommend to get the life out of them should I go to Klipsch speakers I can't find a receiver under $900 too much for me what should I do
buy a $600 Denon A/V receiver with pre outs and add on a Crown XLS1502 ($350) you won't believe it, that should be incredible. Check out my audio gear vids thanks :) Cheers, Mario
Would the Outlaw RR2160 do the job?
Get a power amp i still dont know why people still mess with recievers
emotiva.com/
magnepan LRS are in the same price range... arent they lot better than both?
I'm a Maggie owner and they are spectacular speakers. However, in a small room... the best choice is a stand-mounted bookshelf. Also if you listen to a lot of high-energy music like metal or electronic music, you want dynamic speakers. Magnepans are at their best with acoustic instruments.
Let me correct that statement- smaller Magnepans are at their best with acoustic instruments. The bigger Magnepans can handle whatever type of music you throw at them.
@@SweatLaserXP and with a magnepan subwoofer panel for electronic music.?
Thanks for the review, I just came across it today. Oddly enough about 6 months ago I bought both pairs, you are spot on about them. Both are powered by the ol m60 ya.mmie amp with a schitt preamp. Love em both. I only play one pair at a time, depending on my mood.
What about if you're using the speakers as part of a home theater setup vs 2 channel stereo for music?
RYTHMIC RIOT they both will do the job
Steve, don't forget the speakers. They are both awesome (shirt and speakers). Any experience with the Sonos Faber - Concertino?!
I listen offen to your channel. I learn a lot as a almost opposite of a Audiophiliac ;-) looking for cheap (I'm a poor devil) highly efficient (dB) bookshelf speaker. Keep on the good work!!
sonus!!! faber
I run the UB5 on 120 W @4 Ohms. (It's a Sony Ta-fb940r). Would switching to 135-140 Watts make that much of a difference?
Shame no one answered you. I don't have those speakers or amp and this same basic question has crossed my mind as well.
To my knowledge not really. Ive read places that it takes around double the watts for a slight increase in volume, or in this case, better dynamics due to power. If you bought a super expensive amp with 135-140 watts then I'm sure it would sound better. If you took the same amp and added those 15-20 watts (theoretically) it would sound identical if I had to guess
What's going on with efficient, horn speakers? Is it just more dynamic range? That is, if the two speakers playing at same volume during a soft passage, will a sudden crescendo be louder on the horn speaker?
Omg I have both and I bought the Klipsch speakers because of you and I agree! Can you make a video bi-amping though? I have the Schiit Modi 2 DAC coming now as well! I played the UB5’s with the Modi 2 and it gave the Elacs better sound so I hope to expect the same with the Klipsch’s as well. I have an Emotiva TA-100!
running UB5s with a 'refreshed' Carver M400t fronted by a Schiit Saga(RCA5692), sources are ProJect Debut DC Carbon/Sumiko Pearl and APT-x BT from the 'puter. no complaints at all, not fatiguing to listen to, vocals are sweet and natural. Jazz, classical, EDM, Yes, the Band, everything is awesome. as a bass junkie, i added a Dayton SB-1200 even though it was not really necessary. my listening area is smallish(12x18?), so outrageous SPLs are not required, but dynamics are still very good. the biggest issue for me is (re)discovering how bad some recordings are; some vinyl is almost unlistenable(is that a word?) compared to a newer digital remaster. i know, 'eeww bluetooth sucks', except when it doesn't, which for me is hardly ever. the UB5s i got for $320 as a barely used pair from a guy who got one of the first production runs where the aluminum bass drivers turned green(literally) instead of the soft silver they were expecting - they sent him a replacement pair and he never used the 'green' ones again(sat in their box). the carver was an ebay steal for $120, sent to the dude in WA state who is the authorised repair for Carver and had it recalibrated/recapped, and upgraded(op-amps) for ~350 bucks. next upgrade is a Grado Black2/Green2 for a slightly less edgy TT.
The Klipsch are $1,499 here in Australia. Even considering currency rates we get ripped off here
Daniel Bunton I noticed that as well! We could get them shipped over from the US and still save money, it’s crazy!
It is not the exchange rate. Are the greedy Australians retailers that apply a huge overhead price tag. Thiefs. This happens on anything that gets imported. BMWs cars and other example... nearly double the price charged in Europe. Elac Unify UB5?? Over 1000AUD when in Japan I bought them for 500AUD including shipping.
That’s crazy, do you remember which site you ordered your Elacs from? I’d love to check out the price difference
@@harryjones1692 it was from amazon australia from a japanese retail shop. It included fast shipping and they had only a pair. It was a crazy deal I admit but the 1000aud+ shops charge in Australia its insane.
Grind the stores as i did I also bought my amp thru them too so they had a bit more le way ultimately they won't want to lose a sale so should come to the party go in as i did with saved web pages to show them work the relationship and build it don't buy on first visit and always go for a senior sales exec they know how to work for you the young ones just want the sale then on to the next one angle them to build value into the sale.
Hi everybody and Steve. I'm between the Klipsch RP-600M vs Kef Q350. Any suggestions ?
Klipsch for me, i have both and a pair of LS50s
UB5's are $279 on Amazon right now, RP600M's $549. Are the 600M's twice as good? Or are four UB5"s better than two 600M's? Hmmm...
I have the uni fi center and towers with a 90 watt Yamaha receiver. The receiver can be set to 6 ohms for the center and surrounds and 4 ohms for the fronts. But if you have a sub and set the crossover to 80hz then the impedance for the unifi is more like 6-8 ohms. I'm getting plenty of power to the speakers . They sound great to me. I actually just returned my klipsch rp 404 center And 6000f towers because although they sounded good they gave me ear fatigue after short listening sessions. I guess they're a little too bright for my sensitive ears.
Also when it comes to sound imaging between the elac unifi towers and klipsch rp 6000 it's not close imo. The sound imaging on the elacs are incredible.
Although both speakers are great I prefer the warmer sound of the elacs and I can go much longer without ear fatigue. And I really believe the impedance concerns for the elacs are way overblown especially if you have a sub and not running them full range anyways
You're absolutely correct. Run the UB5's with a sub crossed at 80 and you get normally efficient speakers. I'm running them on a Marantz SR7012 (125W) AVR and the sound is out of this world smooth, accurate and beautiful. They sound like $2,000+ speakers easily... Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy!! - Best purchase ever!. :)
If, you are sensitive to higher frequencies;
if you in general,
have any tendencies
to HF fatigue,
it’s possible,
you may like brands other than Yamaha better.
Yamaha receivers are well known.. to be
noticeably bright.
Try a Denon receiver
(others also) that’s equivalent in price and power at the same settings.
You may be pleasantly surprised.
; )
Dr. Anthony Forgione I've read that a lot and can very well be the source of my problem. I've also heard marantz is nice neutral receiver .
Are the Kef LS50 worth the upgrade in comparison with those Klipsch?
Glad to hear that you recommend the Elac 6.2 because I got it from Amazon on cyber Monday for $150 a pair. Thanks
J L I thought the 6.2’s had more bass than the uni-5’s; thought both had smooth highs. Haven’t heard the Klipsch.
most of people into this kind of thing know how bias steve could get and his love for analog/tube vs solidstate so his recommendation in this video is ....meh , so i kept looking in youtube for perspectives from a regular joe not influenced by the business side of the industry. look for Audiofool...
Ok here's a novice question. Why does low impedance (e.g. 4 ohm) is considered "hard to drive" ? Isn't it relatively low ? What am I missing here ?
The difficulty is with the amp having to supply much more current. Some amps are designed with this extra headroom ability, but some are not. So its difficult for some amps only.
How about adding Dali Oberon 3 to the compare list ? I am getting Oberon 3 at a cheaper price compared to the UB5 and 660Ms. Planning to hook them up to SMSL AD18 for a desktop PC Setup. Any suggestions.
Great comparison! Nice solution skirting a conundrum: It's a "personal preference".
Hey Steve, time for an update between the Klipsch and the new Elac Uni 2.0s. Bring it!
I’m happy with my Elac. Nice review.
That's the beauty of audio. It's subjective and there isn't a right or wrong answer and long and you love what you hear!
I got two pairs of the Debut 6.2 at $75 each on Black Friday. Awesome! I needed the front port for bookshelf mounting and I like the larger woofer compared to the UB5. I think that Andrew Jones is going to bring out a UB6 with a front port and larger woofer soon.
This would be awesome if he does and goes to the Arimid Fiber drivers to...and makes them easier to power...
ELAC is rated at 85dB. Why would you need a 150 w amp? With just a 10 w amp you could enjoy a volume of approximately 95dB...
Double the power nets 3 dB gain, which is twice the volume.
Good post, a little late to the party. I have a powerful amp, but at times annoying to have to “crank” the volume to family unfriendly volumes for some musical goodness. I realize that it’s my inefficient speakers. 600’s are on my list. I’ll need to dig around your site to get some current recommendations unless this Klipsch is still a good value? As a subscriber to your site (and a couple others) all American centric….ie: US dollars. Here in Canada sometimes the price is at times almost double… where the retailers (or manufacturers) appear to gouge us, a bit aggravating to say the least. I enjoy your posts/site , keep up the great work!
I have ub5s and a Yamaha AS-501 powering them, rated i believe at 80 watts, is this a good match?
no. I bet you find yourself turning the amp up to 70% to get them to room level. You need at least 100 W MORE per channel.
Yamaha’s are bright.
A sound you might like.
I’d take a Denon (and/or up), any day, over Yamaha.
, you are correct in saying that they are two very different speakers.
everyone always asks, which is the better speaker.
every manufacturer is different in the way they design and choose the materials for their speakers from the crossovers to MDF to drivers to the finish.
every speaker also has it's own particular time and place. personally I prefer the Klipsch. not saying anything bad about Elac but just my personal preference. sensitivity, power requirements to driver design. I just think the Klipsch is a better all around every day usable speaker.
I sold the Uni-fi’s and went back to the Debut 2.0. Cheaper and better.
This is excellent covering speakers and prducts that the everyday guy can afford.
Yessssss!
I'm running the Marantz mm9000 amp. Guess what speaker I'm running?
Please compare Klipsch 600M and their same sized woofers floor standing. Compare prices with nice stand.
Hi Steve!
Can you say how well both Speakers handle Classical Music? I always shy away from Klipsch, because they tend to sound harsh...but I don't know the 600m...
So Steve, here's a question you've never been asked. You've heaped highest praise on the Titanium Hestia and the Diesis Roma...which is better, or more to your taste?
All this talk over the past few days about horn speakers got me to pull out my Klipsch r-15s It really is night and day compared my ELACS. The energy is so much fun.
Absolutely agree. I have a pair of ELAC Debut B6.2 and just got a set of R160m. Man..what a difference... ELACs sound muted, not enough sound stage, imaging lacking.. I was not expecting so much difference. I am doing A/B between the two, driven by a Cambridge Audio CXA60 and the Klipsch are amazeballs!
Agreed. I was using 685S2, it also has the dynamic and forward sounds I like. Then I tried out B6.2, but returned it right the way. Then I brought the 600m. I now have the dynamic sound I like without the brightness. I also drive it with CXA60, as you know it has a sub out. It sounds even better with a sub.
I hope Klipsch has come a long way in the last 15 years. I used to own $15,000 of audio amps, speakers, etc., with the main speakers being Klipsch floorstanding speakers and I sold it all because it sounded terrible. I now own Elacs and I love their sound. Klipsch sounds too harsh and bright to me.
Chris Dailey The new Klipsch models have fixed the harshness of the previous years.
Love my 600Ms paired up with my NAD amp bought the 600Ms on your review love em many thanks.
Darren S Which NAD did you pair with the 600M’s? Thanks.
@@Gerryinthewoods Hey Gerry I had the 316 and have added the NAD C368 as my principle amp now does everything I need and so much more I have found the streaming to be very convenient at times but mostly listen with Vinyl. I don't have the biggest of living rooms and these speakers fill it and then some I paired it with the Klipsch 100 SW.
Darren S Thanks. NAD makes great gear. Glad you’re happy too.
@@Gerryinthewoods very much so was looking for recommendations myself then I found Steves channel so very glad I did my music life is so wonderful again and I haven't played a CD for the last 3 months its all Vinyl like the good old days and the 368 streaming my digital sounds.
Darren S I’m into vinyl too.
Funny. I'm about to run a similar comparison at home. I just ordered a pair of Klipsch RP-160ms for my second system to replace my ELAC Debut 6.0s (possibly). The reason is that I'm using a warmish 60-watt integrated amp, so I thought the Klipsch RPs might sound more revealing and dynamic than the soft-sounding and more energy-hungry ELACs. I love the ELACs for their musicality and mid-range, but my little amp doesn't push them very well.
I wouldn't say the debut 2.0 series sounds like the original Debuts....it's much cleaner, dynamic, more extended on the top and bottom, with a much bigger Soundstage, and it's easier to drive with the crossover now lower the driver blend better. They also scale much better and are more revealing and transparent...it's a whole different speaker than the original a remarkable 1 at that....
Thank you very much, Steve! You made my decision easier. In fact I was planning on a speaker, changed my mind, and now you made the choice more clear, and easier for me about the correct speaker that is preferred by a listener's amplifier section.
Isn't comparing a 3 way speaker to a 2 way speaker an apples to oranges comparison?
Ok sound good. You did bring up the Elac 6 how does that compair to Kef 600. About half the price
I bought the Klipsch based on your last video you did in them. Glad I did. I use a vintage Tubed Fisher 500c for it
I know this is not comprable comparison at least price wise, but since you have heard the Kef R300 how does it compare to the Unifi UB5 especially since they both have low sinsitivity and they are close in driver configuration.
Hi Steve, there is a mod on the market for the RP-600M which improves the internal damping plus removes a dip around the cross over, for the cost of some 200 plus time. TH-cam has a 3 episode series on it. Were you ever able to compare the mod to the original and what were your thoughts? Thx!
You don't have to remove the dip in mid range. Zillions of people love how they sound just as they are.
I enjoy your videos. I plan to buy new bookshelf speakers next year, but I know of no place to actually hear these Klipsch speakers in Arizona. I have two questions: 1. Will their high efficiency be irritating? Wouldn't I have to adjust the volume all the time? And, 2. Because of their rear porting, how far from the wall do they have to be? I only have 12 inches. Thanks.
Are you referring to power output as IHF or continuous? My receiver outputs 200W @ 4 ohms IHF, or 85W @ 4 ohms continuous. Will this support the Elacs?
Steve, you can always wear a shirt that has your URL printed on it. You earned it! Your name is high end.
Steve forgive me if you’ve already posted this but are you reviewing the new Uni Fi ub5.2 any time soon, or does anyone know if these will be available in Ireland? Thanks love this channel 🥰
Question? I'm running my 4 Elac UB5'S, an Elac UC5 with a Denon AV Receivers Audio & Video Component Receiver (AVRS740H). Do you recommend a more powerful receiver ? And if so any recommendations? I have my TV, Xbox one, cable box and Amazon cube connected
Thanks for your support
I have the Klipsch RP-600M speakers and love them. I have a question, if anyone can answer I would appreciate it. I have my two RP-600Ms playing through my Denon AVR x4300H. My question is, do I need to bi-amp them? If so, where/how on the back of the receiver do I connect them?
Are you saying that a pair of Levinson ML-2 amps (a 25 watt mono block) won't adequately drive a pair of Elac bookshelf speakers?????????
@@TA-nn9os , I haven't observed that there is a 400 watt or a 100 watt sounding amp. Lots of amps w/ big watts per channel ratings sound weak compared to an ML-2 (25 watts @ 8 ohms), or a Clayton M70 even when driving low db efficiency speakers. If these amps double their 8 ohm output at 4 ohms, they would still be below the 150w cited in the post. I suspect Steve has heard many amps rated at less than 100 watts per channel sound way better than many 200+w per channel amps when driving speakers w/ a low efficiency design. I haven't tested the UB5 bookshelf speakers but I'd be really surprised if the amps listed above didn't make them sound a lot better than most boxes being sold as 200 watt amps.
He meant the UB5 I'd say no which is a crying shame, on the bright side the b6.2 would sing with that kind of quality power like the ML-2....
Do the Klipschs also play well with intimate vocal music or soft piano music? Or do the Elac scale better with this kind of music?
Hi Steve, if you were using any pair of speakers this size with a new sonos amp to use mostly for home theater use and some listening to hip hop / house music. What might you recommend? Thanks so much for your time and sharing your knowledge!
Do the tweeters out run the woofers on klipsch bookshelf speakers? I tried running an Eminence APT80 (or maybe one of those piezo tweeters Motorola KSN 1005A) and a 4 to 5" woofer and it sounded like someone had pushed the treble +10 on a car stereo. Good quality treble but needed a few more woofers or more efficient/more power on the woofers.
Not sure if I and these Klipsch will become friends, despite the hype. I bought them recently and combined them with an Atoll IN 100. To me they simply sound thin and voices, especially the hit-hats come across very tinny. Any one with the same experience?
How do they compare to the monitor audio bronze 2?
Hi Dude, I have a Denon x3600H 9.2 Av receiver. So can you suggest me the low budget speaker system. How many speakers doses it need ? Which is better Klipsch or Polk audio? Thank you.
I definitely like Klipsch speakers ever since I heard a pair of Heresy with an MA5100...
Steve please do a review of vintage speakers such as AR 2 ax vs.JBL L
100 or similar for those who prefer vintage sounds
Klipsch KG.4..very close to a live band..
Perfect review!!! It’s the information I greatly needed!!! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!!! ☮️🖖🏽
And versus the LS50’s?
Hi Steve, as an owner of the RP-160m it would be interesting to know if there are hearable differences between the 160m and the 600m. On paper they are almost the same speaker. They only differ in size... Only 1 or 2cm in height. (sorry, don't know whats that in inch 😊✌️)
Best regards ...
From what I can tell, they redesigned the horns to make them less harsh...
Also worth mentioning desktop setups, where I think a lot of us would use bookshelf speakers. I think horns 2 feet away from you might not be great. Might give an edge to Elac there.
God I hate that question, which is better. Drives me crazy! Thank you for answering the proper question... What's the difference? Other questions I love are; which is more musical/detailed/dynamic etc. The characteristics of a piece of equipment! But, when it comes to speakers again you answer a proper question... "I have this equipment with this much power in this size room. What speakers will pair well with what I have or am headed?" Now that is the question. The type of music a person is listening to matters of course, but I find most real music lovers tend to listen to a large spectrum of music. Thanks again Steve!
What is the difference in models with klipsch. What do different model letters mean for instance rp r PM m
I have a pair of ELAC Debut B6.2 and just got a set of R160m. Man..what a difference... ELACs sound muted, not enough sound stage lacking imaging... I was not expecting so much difference. I am doing A/B between the two, driven by a Cambridge Audio CXA60 and the Klipsch are amazeballs! Tested with any kind of music, and there was not one song that i preferred the ELACs over the Klipsch. The Klipsch are way more efficient, too. Steve said 90db, but I think they are rated close to 96db!
I’m wondering if I should sell my B&W DM 602 S3 and buy the RP-600M. Any thoughts?
Apples and oranges. Nobody can say a Klipsch speaker is better than any non horn speaker because it's a totally different taste and it's just a matter of which taste you like better. You need to demo speakers in the same room and see which one turns you on the most. If you are going to be an audiophile and sit there and stroke your beard then don't Buy Klipsch. But if you want to get up and boogie or rock out to a concert or be excited then buy Klipsch. They are not a speaker to relax to
Paul O thank you for your input. I like to boogie more than anything so I think I’ll give these a try. Be well.
So what if one want both i.e. relaxed and when in mood to rock? Which apart from these without expensive gear to drive them would be the speakers?
I’m not a huge Steve fan but he’s dead on about the Klipsch. I got out of my Legacy Focus for a pair of Klipsch RP-160m and a R-12sw sub and wow, music is really fun and exciting to listen too now.
I got the rp-160m's last year and love them. I don't feel any need to upgrade my front channels anymore. They can do it all and are a real joy to listen to. 👍
@Trucker_Pete
Right!! Heck in my man cave I’ve even turned off my sub and with my bass control set at +2 I’ve measured the bass response and it’s flat down to 31hz!!! I find these speakers to be amazing actually. I’ve had floor standers for decades and I don’t see myself going back.
Carl Smith Agree. When I first tested them out, I turned off my center, surrounds and subs just to see what they could do and was blown away by their ability to fill the space in between them and deliver deep bass. The sound was so convincing, I had to check a couple of times just to make sure I was hearing just the 2 speakers. If I had to, I could be happy listening to only these 2 speakers. I didn’t think that was possible.
@Trucker_Pete
Agreed!! I did a demo for my son and he couldn’t believe the sub wasn’t on!
All these years I’ve been duped into believing bigger is better! Well, at least in the case of speakers it isn’t. 😂
Which one would be better suitable for indian music..??