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GR Research Klipsch RP-600M Upgrade Review (speaker)

Rate this speaker mod:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 10 5.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 40 20.9%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 118 61.8%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 23 12.0%

  • Total voters
    191

tential

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Dude, that's $800 with the flat pack! And you still have to build it, glue it and paint it or veneer it. It's not gonna look anywhere as good as the RP600M unless you have mad skills, which I don't, AND I believe I have above average skills when it comes to these things. Sorry, $250 more and a lot more work entailed for a lesser-looking product.
I personally would not build this kit. But I don't do low sensitivity speakers.... I need the wave guide speakers for hitting loud notes. These dome tweeters are low sensitivity never get loud. And to get them loud if they do requires an amp. Not worth it. For me anyway. I don't think you should cross compare horn/waveguide speakers with dome tweeter builds.

This situation, I'd still pick the klipsch with mod and eq. But just throwing that out there for anyone who it helps.
 

JSmith

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Almost twice the price equals not much more on what planet?
Not sure where you get twice the price from?


JSmith
 

tential

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There is no doubt the x-over was flawed and the new one is objectively and subjectively better.

At the same time I lost count how many tweeters I blew in speakers that used a first order crossover, with modestly powered amps; first with a 70s era 20wpc HK then a 80s era 45wpc NAD reciever. I'm talking on the order of dozens.
Wow... I'm not the only one! Amazing. Lol. I went through a few tweeters before I bought a crown xls 1500 which fixed the issue.
 
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Bruce Morgen

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Wow... I'm not the only one! Amazing. Lol. I went through a few tweeters before I bought a crown xls 1500 which fixed the issue.

Yup, I went through quite a few tweeters when a 25WPC Sansui AU-555A was my main amp. Getting a 55WPC Kenwood KM-8002 (driven by the Sansui's preamp output) fixed that.
 

noiseangel

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Not sure where you get twice the price from?


JSmith
Revel over Danny modded Klipsch anyday.
 

Nwickliff

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Klipsch sound like spam cans. I don't need to back anything up about my claims.
Yup. This is the problem with the internet. First of all, Klipsch have an insane amount of variety in speakers from the OG Heresy, to the RB's, the KlipschHorns, the Fortes, The Fives, RF's, RP's, Paladiem, Epic. This blanket statement just seems uninformed. What the hell does spam can mean anyway? Seriously. Just asking for a tiny shred of objective information. No you don't HAVE to back up your opinion with anything but if you don't I guess we're left with the notion of you just talking out your *&^.
having to do a Danny fix to get them to a level that makes them acceptable, makes it worse
Hmmm...not following your logic here......

I feel sorry for people that won't even attempt to develop some diy skills and have go. Surprise yourself.
I feel sorry for people who think just because they don't want to means they can't.....Built several DIY speakers already and wasn't interested this time around.
 

Nwickliff

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Not sure where you get twice the price from?


JSmith
As stated already, I paid $544 for the speakers AND the mod. If someone is paying $770 for the first-generation speaker I don't even know what to say......I was looking at Crutchfield for the revel speakers that sell for $495 each. https://www.crutchfield.com/S-3DIyj...wy1lTjHy0OTZf_lEPPNXSj3SaaJ3__9BoCxlEQAvD_BwE I've not heard of music direct. Have you bought from them? Those revels look pretty damn attractive at that price.
 
Last edited:

Nwickliff

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Given that those modded Klipschs require a pretty hefty amp -- something like a Topping PA-5 @$349 should be adequate -- and assuming no spousal approval is required (or your lady doesn't mind matte black enclosures and naked speaker cones), a pair of "2nd Wave" Kali Audio IN-8s @$800 MSRP would blow them away.

Passive speakers are passé if "bang for the buck" is your prime criterion. :cool:
Watts are cheaper than ever right now for 1. Secondly, It only loses 3db sensitivity. No Hefty amp needed to get them up and playing. Yes, the Kali's are on my short list but they are $250 more don't look as nice, and require power cables to be run to both speakers including the audio cable. I take your point that the amp is built into the Kali speakers, however. Also agree, passive speakers are starting to make less and less sense for sure.
 

noiseangel

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Klipsch all sound the same. Much like JBL, Martin Logan, DAL. They all have their own unique sound. Klipsch have an edge to the sound paper cones and NERC etc dont have. Thats what a spam can sounds like. Its metal.

Why would I buy a speaker I don't like and spend money by giving it to Danny to fix up something I don't like anyway?

I'm happy your'e a builder. So am I. Maybe next time around you might get back into it, it's a load of fun and CNC machines make things so easy now. Super flatpacks. I would be interested to see what you come with and what you would use as drivers. It;s a fun journey.
 

JSmith

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I've not heard of music direct. Have you bought from them?
No I haven't purchased from them before.
Those revels look pretty damn attractive at that price.
I though so too... pretty much a no brainer for that price range considering the quality of measurements performed by Amir.


JSmith
 

Nwickliff

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Klipsch all sound the same. Much like JBL, Martin Logan, DAL. They all have their own unique sound. Klipsch have an edge to the sound paper cones and NERC etc dont have. Thats what a spam can sounds like. Its metal.

Why would I buy a speaker I don't like and spend money by giving it to Danny to fix up something I don't like anyway?

I'm happy your'e a builder. So am I. Maybe next time around you might get back into it, it's a load of fun and CNC machines make things so easy now. Super flatpacks. I would be interested to see what you come with and what you would use as drivers. It;s a fun journey.
OMG I would die to have a CNC. My last project were an open baffle speaker with 2 GRS 15" woofers and a couple coaxials I stole from some cheap second hand Keff Q100 drivers. I like the tweeter better on the Klipsch but LOVE the sound of open baffle. Have you heard the RP600m's? Also, I bought the speaker with knowledge that I would EQ the problem in the dipped area already since I was heavy into miniDSP etc.

Also, ALL of the Heritage Klipsch speakers use paper cones not metal ones. They have serious resonance issues though. Once you hear the box you can't unhear it. I also thought the frequency craziness was a feature, not a bug (ignorance was bliss). Certain notes would jump out and grab me and I thought it was so cool before I knew it was "wrong". I kept the Heresy speakers because they're fun even though they're not correct. I EQ all my speakers.
 

noiseangel

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Getting back to this Danny mod thing, if you add up the cost of the speakers, Danny's mods and the time it takes to do the mod, would it be possible to buy something better straight out of a box?
I think it is.
 

noiseangel

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OMG I would die to have a CNC. My last project were an open baffle speaker with 2 GRS 15" woofers and a couple coaxials I stole from some cheap second hand Keff Q100 drivers. I like the tweeter better on the Klipsch but LOVE the sound of open baffle. Have you heard the RP600m's? Also, I bought the speaker with knowledge that I would EQ the problem in the dipped area already since I was heavy into miniDSP etc.

Also, ALL of the Heritage Klipsch speakers use paper cones not metal ones. They have serious resonance issues though. Once you hear the box you can't unhear it. I also thought the frequency craziness was a feature, not a bug (ignorance was bliss). Certain notes would jump out and grab me and I thought it was so cool before I knew it was "wrong". I kept the Heresy speakers because they're fun even though they're not correct. I EQ all my speakers.
If you had 50k would you buy the Hertiage or something else?
 

kokakolia

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Getting back to this Danny mod thing, if you add up the cost of the speakers, Danny's mods and the time it takes to do the mod, would it be possible to buy something better straight out of a box?
I think it is.
There are no shortage of options, all of which have compromises. I personally like Q Acoustics speakers but many folks say that they lack highs and dynamics.
 

beagleman

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Give me a day and I will find your better speakers.
You think my opinion they are terrible is wrong? That's fine. That's your opinion. I stand by mine. Klipsch sound like spam cans. I don't need to back anything up about my claims. I'm sure there are things you don't like that others do without anything to back it up other than your opinion. I Think all Klipsch sound harsh and tinny, fatiguing to listen too. I have a sound I prefer to listen to. It's not Klipsch. They are terrible, to me, and having to do a Danny fix to get them to a level that makes them acceptable, makes it worse, why didn't Klipsch do it?

I feel sorry for people that won't even attempt to develop some diy skills and have go. Surprise yourself.
I think your choice of wording comes out sounding a "tad" unrealistic.

I am NO fan of Klipsch at all, nor of Danny R., but in stock form the Klipsch are far from "Terrible" but are merely okay/flawed. If you set this speaker as your indicator of terrible, that means you have not heard the hundreds of speakers, nor are aware at least of how far worse speakers CAN BE.

I get you do not like Klipsch, but you are playing up the hatred and going to the extreme of "Terrible" just sounds like taking it a good bit too far is all.

The word "Terrible" should be reserved for TRULY bad stuff with high distortion, horrible response and so on.

This has a dip in the midrange. MANY speakers do this intentionally, and are still fairly "Listenable" to many people.

Danny did a good job here. No need to bash on him.

Remember with low cost components, (Caps, resistors and a few coils) this mod can be made FAR cheaper than GR does it, using their higher priced parts.

Is it perfection....Hell no, but from the graphs, it appears quite decent.
 

Nwickliff

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No I haven't purchased from them before.

I though so too... pretty much a no brainer for that price range considering the quality of measurements performed by Amir.


JSmith
Totally!
If you had 50k would you buy the Hertiage or something else?
Why not?!?! I’d probs my buy a jubalee just to hear it. Maybe a Palladium while I’m at it. I don’t have to keep them. I have around 8 sets if speakers. My modded RP600m’s are just one pair. People get so f’ng caught up with “this or that” and forget about “this AND that”. The world is not black and white and there is space for more than one choice. A sign of emotional maturity is the ability to hold two opposing thoughts at once. It’s an important skill to learn.
 

m8o

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Wow... I'm not the only one! Amazing. Lol. I went through a few tweeters before I bought a crown xls 1500 which fixed the issue.
Ya... square wave clipping from overdriving under powered amps is a driver killer. Hehe
 

Talisman

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I own the klipsch RP 600 M, I read Amir's first review but I made up my mind because I like the way they sound, I also own kef Q350s which are certainly more correct in frequency response, but trying them on the same tracks I had more fun with klipsch.
I don't find the point of this kit basically "correcting" a kind of frequency response that isn't right but is how the house wanted it to sound. If I had simply wanted speakers that sound good and in a neutral way, I would not have spent 500 euros for klipsch plus 250 for kits, I would have simply bought different speakers, such as the elac DBR62 and I would have spent less.
Or I would have sold the klipsch to develop something natively more balanced.
Ok that kit does his job but it makes no sense to me
 

abdo123

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I own the klipsch RP 600 M, I read Amir's first review but I made up my mind because I like the way they sound, I also own kef Q350s which are certainly more correct in frequency response, but trying them on the same tracks I had more fun with klipsch.
I don't find the point of this kit basically "correcting" a kind of frequency response that isn't right but is how the house wanted it to sound. If I had simply wanted speakers that sound good and in a neutral way, I would not have spent 500 euros for klipsch plus 250 for kits, I would have simply bought different speakers, such as the elac DBR62 and I would have spent less.
Or I would have sold the klipsch to develop something natively more balanced.
Ok that kit does his job but it makes no sense to me

The ‘house’ corrected the frequency response with version 2.0 of this speaker. Something to think about.
 
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