Klipsch R-15M Bookshelf Speaker (Pair)

I previously purchased a set of Klipsch R-15M's for my HTS as rear surround speakers. I currently have the RP-150M's as fronts and the R-25C for center, driven by a Denon AVR-S720W. I really enjoy my HTS with using Klipsch as my surround speakers. I recently set up a "vintage" Kenwood receiver and tuner for some casual listening in another room. The speakers that were used with this system were no good anymore. The foam surrounds were dry rotted. I temporarily hooked up the R-15M's from my HTS and I was quite surprised how well they sounded. The Kenwood is rated at 40WPC and the Klipsch's are very efficient. Nice match for the Kenwood I thought. I set the tone controls at "0". No problem "cranking" the volume up a bit..the speakers produced great sound. I was really impressed with the bass for a bookshelf speaker in a 2 channel system! The mids and uppers were clean. Yes, Klipschs are known for their "forwardness", but I always preferred a dynamic, engaging sound. I ordered a second pair of the R-15M's and also a set of Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2's for comparison. The Elacs are a little more expensive, but thought "lets give the Klipsch's a run for the money". I hooked both sets of speakers up to a AB switch. I know that to do a "real" comparison I would need to let the speakers break-in for a period. Well, if the speakers were being installed in my main 2 channel audio system, and were up in the thousands of dollars range, yes, I would let them break in according to the manufacturer and do longer listening sessions for comparison. In this instance, I decided to give the listening sessions a couple of days with various media. I used a Audioengine B1, Thorens TD160 turntable, and a Adcom GCD-575 CD player. Good quality audio components for their respective price range. I set the speakers up six feet apart at ear level. The room has no special acoustic treatments. Curtains behind the speakers, both side and opposite wall is drywall. Large area rug on floor. Upholstery chair. "Average room" furnishings. Nothing special. Both pairs of speakers were placed right next to each other, four feet from the rear wall just slightly facing in. I was sitting in the sweet spot at 15 feet. Both sets of speakers produced great sound on all of the respective audio components. The Elacs really came through on the Thorens listening to Adele's 25. Definite "wow" factor! The cartridge is a Shure M97. The Elacs were outstanding on this album! They also stood out on Dire Straits Brother in Arms 20th Anniversary Edition on the Adcom CDP. The Klipsch speakers sounded to me, more engaging, dynamic, more punch, and yes, "forward". The Elacs sounded clean, smooth, although not quite as much low end as the Klipschs on this system. Possibly the Elacs lower efficiency rating may have affected the low end? I really liked the Elacs. The mids and highs were much more easy listening to, more accurate, but yet kind of "sterile", I thought. Compared to the Klipsch R-15M in this particular listening comparison, overall the Elacs to me were a little too neutral, not as engaging for my listening preference. After going over the positives and negatives of both excellent sounding speakers, my preference leaned more towards the Klipschs. I felt more "involved" with the music coming from the Klipschs. More dynamic. Either speaker would be a great choice in its price range for quality of sound. FYI. I have no affiliation with either of the speaker manufacturers. Enjoy the music!!

I live in an apartment, which I don't mind for the most part...except I'd really love to have a loud sound system for movies. When I really want to crank it up, I use a nice pair of headphones.However, even when I'm just watching whatever on TV...I want some bass. These TV speakers don't cut it.But I can't have too much bass. Fran in 9B will complain.That's exactly what these are: Bass...but not too much. It's a very punchy, fun bass too.These sound GREAT at low volume. I use them along with my TV speakers and you can really tell the difference. And when you turn them up a little they really shine.The detail is amazing. For the price, I don't think you can beat these. I think they blow sound bars out of the water unless you really want some sub-bass.They add another dimension to sports broadcasts. You can hear so much that mic picks up during game action as well as all of the little sound effects when the graphics fly across the screen lol.They look amazing. Get yourself a couple of decent looking stands and make your living room....stand out.Anyway, the value is off the charts. I think you get more than you pay for here. Five stars.

Absolutely incredible speakers! I first tried out the very popular Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Andrew Jones Designed Bookshelf Loudspeakers(7-1/8" x 12-9/16" x 8-7/16" & weighs 9 lbs 2 oz) before I caught the R-15M's on sale. This would be for my first proper stereo system after having used the Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker System (Black) for the better part of a decade. Paired with a new Yamaha R-S202BL Stereo Receiver and BIC America F12 12-Inch 475-Watt Front Firing Powered Subwoofer, the Pioneers sounded ok. Nothing about them was particularly lacking but nothing about them really stood out either. Overall the Pioneers were a nice, well balanced pair of speakers. Soft highs resulted in a smooth, easy to listen to package.However, when it came to the Klipsch R-15M Bookshelf Speaker (Pair)...man these are an entirely different animal! I unboxed the R-15M's and hooked them up to my receiver to do A/B testing and the difference was astonishing. This of course is due to the horn loaded tweeter design that Klipsch incoorporates into their speakers. For me, this tweeter design absolutely brings music and movies to life! From this I get crisp, clean highs and a certain sharpness and clarity that I just did not get from the Pioneers. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is in the vocals. With the Klipsch the vocals are much more powerful and lifelike. Those who are familiar with the Klipsch sound will know what I'm talking about. It is a sound signature that over the years, I've grown accustomed to and I now know I prefer. With that said, after testing the speakers side by side with all types of music, it didn't take long for me to identify the Klipsch as the clear winner. The mellow Pioneers simply did not stack up to the liveliness of the Klipschs. So back in the box the Pioneers went to be returned.Klipsch speakers seem to be a love/hate thing and unsurprisingly so. In my own (limited and not professional) experience I've yet to hear something better. But because sound is subjective there is still no better way of knowing if these speakers will be for you other than giving 'em a listen. Having said all that I highly reccomend the Klipsch R-15M Bookshelf Speaker (Pair).