HiFi Bookshelf Speaker Klipsch R-15PM Review

Music is the most beautiful language in the world without communication barriers. Nowadays, more and more people like to listen to music at home, and speakers suitable for home use are also attracting more attention. For home speakers, the famous speaker in recent years is undoubtedly the small and powerful bookshelf speaker. Due to its small size, it is not as expensive as the floor speaker when it is placed. Today, the speaker, which has a small space, is top-rated among fans. This article is about Klipsch R-15PM.

Klipsch is one of the largest audio manufacturers in the United States. Klipsch audio products have always maintained excellent quality and irreplaceable status and praised by audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts all over the world. KlipschHorn, the flagship product that has been in continuous production for more than 60 years, is recognized as a milestone in the audio industry.

Klipsch R-15PM Product Appearance

In the appearance of the cabinet, Klipsch R-15PM revealed a retro style. Similar to the design style of its traditional audio products, its nostalgic retro style reflects the professional positioning of the R-15PM in conventional audio. R-15PM can fill the entire room with sound without occupying too much space. These all benefit from the built-in power amplifier customized for high-performance speakers to maximize output and sound quality.

R-15PM uses conventional MDF medium-density fiberboard, and the texture looks good. Although it is a 5.25-inch speaker, the size of Klipsch R-15PM is not much larger. It is more suitable for use as a computer speaker.

In the traditional desktop 2.0 speakers, 4 inches and 5.25 inches is a clear dividing line. Usually, many people think that the 5.25-inch unit will have a faster response and stronger bass.

Front: Horn-shaped Treble Cavity Design

The R-15PM uses Klipsch’s unique 1-inch (2.54cm) aluminum metal unit and a 90 ° × 90 ° square Tractrix Horn horn structure. After the high-pitched and thick sound is transmitted through the horn cavity, it will show a specific directivity, making the sound farther and more powerful.

The R-15PM’s tweeter cavity is designed with a horn shape: the square horn is selected, so that the horn angle of each side is 45 degrees, which completes the task of sound collection and diffusion, and diffuses the sound to a horizontal 90 degrees X 90 degrees vertically.

Therefore, the Klipsch R-15PM’s treble performance is guaranteed by hardware, plus its “horn” part uses unique high-end materials and makes a specific arc curvature to avoid possible resonance during output sound and harmful reflections.

The mid-bass is responsible for the 5.25-inch IMG unit. The characteristic of the metal unit is that it can dissipate the heat accumulated inside the speaker at any time; in other words, it can withstand higher continuous power.

Back: Integrated Function buttons & Rich Interface

First, the center of the panel is the volume adjustment and source selection buttons. Adjust the volume while rotating, and press the button to switch the signal source. There are many interfaces for R-15PM speakers. On the mode switch, you can control the linear input, RAC input, and phono mode, as well as the fiber input interface and USB input interface.

When decoding DAC via the USB interface, it supports a maximum of 24 bits / 96 kHz. Bluetooth mode supports the apt-X transmission protocol. What is unique is that it is also equipped with a bass output interface, which can be connected to the subwoofer to form a 2.1 system to strengthen the bass.

Full Function Remote Control

The speaker comes with a card-sized remote control that can be used to control the volume, increase or decrease the bass, and switch input channels.

The remote control can efficiently operate various functions of the speaker, such as sound source selection, audio track control, and a series of operations such as play/pause.

Sound Performance

The sound of the R-15PM speaker is not quite the same as the unrestrained style of the American stereo. The treble part of this speaker is relatively bright. The sound density of the mid-range part is good, and the human voice is relatively positive. The bass part has a certain sense of impact and strength, but the overweight bass has less diving. Listeners who like more bass may feel that the bass of this speaker is not substantial enough.

The sound field of the speaker is not very large. That is, the main feature of the vocal distance is moderate to positive. The level of stereo sound is still very clear, and there are more details of the music. Although the low frequency is not strong enough, on the other hand, the mid-frequency sound is very prominent, and the overall sound style is very natural.

In terms of sound characteristics, the 5.25-inch speaker unit does not bring a “surging heavy” bass style. The sound of this speaker looks more subtle, quite a bit of the refined sound style of Japanese speakers. If it is pure, high-pitched vocal appreciation or light music is still more pleasant. It would be better to add a subwoofer if you want to listen to pop music with heavy bass. Without the subwoofer, the sound of the Klipsch R-15PM sound is simple and not surprising. But this kind of sound with less rendering seems to be very rare.

The Klipsch system has high operational diversity. The integrated amplifier of the R-15PM speaker allows the vinyl to return to the desktop. The speaker can also serve as both a computer speaker and a mobile phone Bluetooth speaker. This integration from “old” to “new” collision, from “analog” to “digital” to “wireless” is the highlight of the Klipsch R-15PM.

If you do not listen to vinyl, it is good to buy Klipsch R-15PM as a bookshelf speaker. What makes this R-15PM speaker exceptional is the digital and wireless parts. There are not many 5.25 inch active speakers suitable for PC use, especially with USB DAC function. Klipsch R-15PM’s USB decoding and Bluetooth Aptx transmission modes are much better than analog signal input mode.

Conclusion

In summary, Klipsch R-15PM is suitable for small spaces and multi-person listening. The unique horn, wide listening angle, convenient multi-connection interface, and ice features all make R-15PM a condition for a member of the family.

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Klipsch R-15PM Specs

• FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 62Hz – 24kHz +/- 3dB
• LOW FREQUENCY EXTENSION: 54Hz
• CROSSOVER FREQUENCY: 1800Hz
• HIGH FREQUENCY DRIVER: 1″ (2.54cm) Aluminum diaphragm compression driver mated to 90° x 90° square Tractrix Horn
• LOW FREQUENCY DRIVER: 5.25″ (13.3cm), copper spun magnetically shielded IMG woofer
• AMPLIFIER POWER: 50 Watts per channel
• ENCLOSURE MATERIAL: MDF
• ENCLOSURE TYPE: Bass-reflex via rear-firing port
• INPUTS: 1 x pair of RCA phono level inputs with switch for Phono/Line input versatility (Phono Preamp with ground screw-terminal), 1 x USB digital audio from a PC or Mac single RCA line level output for connection to sub, 1 x Digital optical, 1 x 3.5mm mini-jack line level, Bluetooth® wireless technology
• HEIGHT: 12.5″ (31.8cm)
• WIDTH: 7” (17.8cm)
• DEPTH: 8.11” (20.6 m)
• WEIGHT: 10.3 lbs (4.67kg)
• FINISH: Brushed Black Polymer Veneer