Quick-links for recommended products in this article:
Klipsch RP-600M Klipsch RP-8000F Klipsch RP-8000F II
Monolith Speaker Stands Mediabridge Speaker Cables
The insidious growl of temptation. Every young adult knows it at some point in their day-to-day life, and everyone feels it slightly differently. A deep yearning for just five more minutes of sleep. A strong urge to ignore that essay, just for tonight, and go out with the boys. Or maybe a lusting desire for that newest piece of tech? I, like others, often find myself afflicted, and so here I am with my review of the latest in speaker technology from Klipsch: the brand new RP-600M bookshelf speakers. For a more general overview of audio equipment, take a look at my Home Theater Guide for help creating a new setup.
The RP-600M slots in where the RP-160M left off, settling into the pinnacle of Klipsch’s Reference Premiere line-up with impressive 6.5 inch Cerametallic woofers. For those of you looking for a premium quality sound at budget pleasing prices, you might be interested in the more wallet-friendly Reference speaker line-up as a solid alternative. If you’re absolutely set on the RP-600M you can still opt to save a hundred bucks by going with the less premium but overall attractive Ebony or Walnut finish options. Personally my lust for the eye-catching Piano Black finish got the better of me.
As far as the RP-600M goes, these aren’t just any old bookshelf speaker. These are 16 pound behemoths which stand over 15 inches tall, their premium materials and fine craftsmanship inherently obvious to anyone in possession of at least one of the five senses (Disclaimer: I have yet to taste them). Those extra expensive materials and horn-loaded tweeter make the RP-600M one of the most efficient speakers on the market with an extremely impressive sensitivity of 96db (the sound level when driven by 1 watt of power as measured from 1 meter away). This excellent efficiency means they can be driven properly with just about any amplifier, and to good effect. More detail about the specific technologies used in the construction of this speaker are available on Klipsch’s website.
As a recent college graduate, I somehow got it into my head that my audio setup was due to graduate to the next level as well. The Klipsch Pro-Media 2.1, which had graced my dorm with voluptuous bass for four years running, was out on the curb, forced down to garage duty by the tides of change.
After much deliberation about what my financial situation could support, Klipsch’s sleek new Piano Black finish seduced me into my local Best Buy, where my credit card cried out in anguish to the tune of $650 plus tax. Keep in mind that the Reference Premiere line-up can only be seen at Best Buy locations that have a Magnolia Home Theater Consultation Center (assuming they’re in stock – call ahead), making an in-store audition a royal pain. I personally ordered them without hearing them first, preferring to audition them in my own home. In-store ordering and pick-up (no home delivery) were the only options, as the Piano Black finish seemingly cannot be bought online through any retailer. Getting the Ebony or Walnut finish will certainly make your life easier in this respect.
The following week was equally split between drooling on my keyboard (interpret this as you will) and reading seventeen page articles with titles such as ‘BI-AMPING IS LIFE’, ‘The BEST Speaker Wire of 2018’ and ‘A/V Receivers: Just Buy A Sound Bar’. Cut to five days after placing my order. Tuesday’s 432nd page refresh brought an e-mail confirming the speakers were ready for pick-up, a day ahead of schedule. The screams wrought from my hatchback’s squalling tires echoed through the trees, scarring squirrels and other local fauna for life as I bent the laws of time and space. Ok, fine, I drove like every other plebian on the road and it took me fifteen minutes to get out to the mall, but in the meantime I was very excited. After calling out to a man who was driving around the parking lot with a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other(you can’t make this stuff up), I proceeded into Big Blue. I was greeted with a 40 pound box just small enough to be manageable, yet large enough to offer some shelter when I run out of money trying to fill out my home theater setup.
Upon arriving home, I was met with a joyful sight: my speaker stands had arrived from Amazon a day earlier than anticipated. Now, hold your horses, I’m getting to it. Here is the full list of equipment I ended up purchasing for use with my RP-600M speakers. I spent a copious amount of time doing research for these purchases, as in, way too much time. Eight hours of my life decided whether to go with speaker wire or pre-made cables, which gauge, and which brand. If you want to make it easy on yourself, I can guarantee that the following will produce very pleasing results with your very own RP-600M speakers:
- Yamaha RX-V483 5.1 A/V Receiver: This was the most expensive item I purchased besides the speakers, and as such it received the most research hours. I shopped the Yamaha against similar options from Sony, Denon, and Onyko. I also compared it to the 2018 version, the Yamaha RX-V485, but as far as I can tell there were no discernible updates for my purposes that justify the increased price. If you’re going to be using new technology such as Chromecast, Dolby Atmos or smart home devices it may be worth looking into whether you need the newer receiver. This receiver offers 4K Standby Passthrough, supports bi-amping, is compliant with HDCP 2.2 (this is vital if you plan on using new 4K equipment) and provides excellent power to each channel for the price – Rated power output (20Hz-20kHz): 80W (tested at 8 ohms, 2 channels driven, 0.09% THD). If you’ve got the money I recommend the Yamaha RX-V683, which has a more powerful amplifier putting out 90W per channel for fuller sound at all volume levels and also allows for 5.1 surround with bi-amped front speakers
- Mediabridge 12 AWG Ultra Series Speaker Cables: These speaker cables are the thickest that are recommended for the RP-600M at 12 AWG. This allows for more efficient power transmission and therefore the most lossless signal for your speaker. Obviously you could go with plain speaker wire for less money, but as my wiring is going to be out in the open I opted for the more cosmetically appealing and convenient cables. The banana plugs ease the task of hooking up the speakers to the receiver, but you could just use 16 AWG wire with no plugs to save a few bucks. To bi-amp the speakers like I did requires four speaker cables, whereas you only need two if you go for a more conventional setup. If you need a little bit more information before making your decision feel free to read my brief wiring guide.
- Monoprice Monolith 28 inch Steel Speaker Stands: I was concerned that the large size of the RP-600M speakers would be an issue when it came to speaker stands, and I wasn’t wrong. There are many stands out there with a capacity of only around 20 pounds, which isn’t too far off the weight of one of these speakers, and absolutely nothing came close to having a top plate dimension similar to the dimensions of the speaker’s base. Though the assembly for the Monolith stands wasn’t super easy, I would recommend looking at this stand for the RP-600M as they are very stable for the price and look quite nice. In-depth article on the set-up and utility of the Monolith stand here.
Finally, the moment of truth was upon me. I took my box-cutter to the abnormally high-quality cardboard I had received from Best Buy, and revealed stark white foam, cradling a Klipsch branded owner’s manual in a loving embrace. Throwing all that aside, both speakers were revealed, draped in fine protective wrappings. Like a lover undressing their cohort I peeled back the layers until a glossy black sheen emerged from the depths, a breath-taking finish that needs to be seen in person to appreciate.
Also apparent was the sheer size of the things! These babies might well be manufactured by taking a full-sized floor-standing speaker and chopping off the bottom half. Luckily, more air inside just makes the sound better. The 6.5” Cerametallic woofer on each speaker is stunningly accentuated by a band of copper trim, which is, in turn, met and matched by the titanium tweeter’s subtly gleaming ring. The Klipsch logo has moved when compared to the old RP line-up, settling into a more natural position near the base. The lettering adheres pleasantly to the copper-clad theme. In the Piano Black finish the edges of the speaker melt away with no clear beginning or end, leaving your eyes to wander this speaker’s sleek form.
Setting the speakers themselves up, even for bi-amping, was a breeze. On my receiver I had to change the settings to Bi-amp and configure the speaker settings I was using. I set these speakers as Large in the menu, though you’ll want to set them as small if you’re using a subwoofer. Recommended crossover setting is around 80 Hz. For the rest of the physical setup, I merely had to loosen each of the binding posts on the back of the speaker a smidgen to remove the connecting bars, then after tightening them back down I used a fingernail to pop out the red and black plastic nubs concealing the banana plug ports. I made use of a piece of paper cut to the size of the top plate of my speaker stands to guesstimate where to stick the feet onto the speaker base.
After settling the stands into place and carefully resting the pair of speakers atop them like a set of beautiful marble busts, I was able to easily insert the Mediabridge cables without a struggle. The connections fit snugly and easily into the ports on the RP-600M, without sticking out or refusing to go in like some cables I’ve read about in the past. Since I went the bi-amp route, both the front and rear channels were required just to run the RP-600M pair, meaning I would have to upgrade my 5.1 RX-V483 receiver to something more expensive if I wanted to add surround speakers and maintain the bi-amp setup.
All that was left was to fire them up. I didn’t do a break-in with any special tones, but I did give it about twenty minutes of rather low volume music. Over that twenty minutes the sound decidedly grew, suggesting the speakers were loosening up and taking less power to produce the same sound. After twenty minutes I allowed a moderate volume, similar to what I would use when watching Netflix, and left it playing for the next twenty hours or so. I doubt that it was really necessary, and there may be better methods if you do some research, but I feel more comfortable knowing the speaker surrounds have been worked loose before really turning up the volume to above average levels.
Just to be clear, I’m currently using the speakers as a stereo set-up for home theater, and making use of the bi-amp capabilities. When listening to music (via Tidal Hi-Fi and Spotify) the increase in high and mid-range power, depth and clarity is immediately apparent over my Pro-Media system (Duh). As I’ve been too lazy to create many playlists lately, I have a fairly small collection of my favorites that I listen to on repeat for up to ten hours each day. Many of these songs I’ve heard hundreds of times, and yet hearing them through the RP-600M was like listening to a different song in some cases. Small things, lost in the muddied mid-range when played through lower-quality setups, were suddenly apparent, and the songs were infinitely better for it: the sound of a finger moving along a guitar string, or a slight nuance to the bass-line. These tiny details envelop you, and when combined with the depth and richness of the sound you feel as though your favorite artist is playing a private show just for you.
I imagine some people would be fine without a sub, as these definitely move a lot of air. The specs state that they manage to get down to 45 hz, plenty low for a bookshelf speaker, however, a good chunk of my preferred music comes with throbbing bass. The difference between these and my pro-media, which included a fairly small subwoofer, is noticeable in the low-end. Another thing I noticed is that trying to force very low-end sound onto these speakers can cause a bit of muddying in certain songs, as they simply aren’t intended for tones that low. That isn’t a strike against the speakers, it just isn’t feasible for these speakers to sound great all the way down to the lowest end of the spectrum. For most people, I would say pairing these with a subwoofer and setting the cut-off at 60-80 hz is going to be the way to go if you want excellent bass response.
As far as watching things in a home theater setting goes, these make great front speakers. Honestly I can’t imagine needing anything more from your fronts, though the new Piano Black floor-standing speakers from Klipsch look so good that I might eventually use these as rears if I ever come into some money (please, somebody, stop me). As of this update there are now even newer offerings from Klipsch in the form of the RP-8000F II that might be tempting for someone with a deeper wallet, as there are several tweaks to improve on the sound quality. Again, I do think that these would be nicely complimented by a high-quality subwoofer, and I plan to add a Klipsch R-110SW to my setup so that I can really feel the low-end for movies and Netflix, etc, but the RP-600M are still a massive improvement over built-in TV speakers for explosions and other things conventionally handled by a subwoofer (As of this edit I now own an SVS SB-2000 and highly recommend spending the extra on an SVS sub. If you need the matching copper theme, the Klipsch R-112SW and R-115SW are the only subwoofers from Klipsch that seem to have overwhelmingly positive reviews).
These speakers blow anything I’ve heard out of the water in terms of sound quality, which is all I could have hoped. The RP-600M bookshelf speakers are the gift that keeps on giving, as at the same time they’re blasting tunes they act as eye-candy with their amazing glossy finish and copper accents. Attaching the cleverly designed magnetic covers lends to a more laid-back atmosphere, looking both refined and elegant. The copper elements are not at all apparent with the cover in place for those who would rather the speakers blend in with their environment, and the covers stack neatly when not in use. I haven’t seen the ebony color in person, but personally I’m so taken with the Piano Black finish that I think it was $100 well spent. These speakers are so visually impressive that I might just have to upgrade my TV, old as it is, so that it isn’t so overshadowed aesthetically.
Overall I’m extremely impressed with the RP-600M. For those starting from nothing, expect to take a hit to the wallet. In total I spent about $1200 to get these up and running, with the breakdown being $280 for a receiver upgrade to support bi-amping, $65 in speaker cables (you need twice as many to bi-amp, I found that two 6ft and two 12ft worked great for my setup where the receiver is off to one side of my TV stand), and $145 for my stands. You might also thank yourself down the road for investing in some cable ties to help keep your wiring neat.
I would definitely recommend the RP-600M to anyone considering a new setup. Hopefully I’ve provided you with all the information you need to make your own informed decision. Best of luck with your auditory conquests! If you’re looking to learn more about how to get the most out of your RP-600M’s, follow theses links to my Speaker Stand Guide and Home Theater Guide!