Klipsch R-41M Bookshelf Speaker Review

[xykreinov]

Why do you think a paper driver would have been inherently better? I think the peaks and dips and measurable characteristics of a driver change the tambre. Are there breakup issues with the Klipsch cone that would be fixed using paper? Does it need more dampening?

I spok with a former Harman employee over the phone who mentioned how shocked people were when some high end B&W speakers were blind tested on the carousel against JBL speakers with a waveguide... Sounds like the audience thought the B&W would have sounded smoother and the JBL would have sounded more like a horn, but since they couldn't see, they didn't hear that.

I think it's likely a similar story with cone materials not sounding "metallic" vs "organic" etc. with metal and paper cones. Heck, some paper cones I've heard are so "honky" I'd swear they were made out of plastic like a toy horn.

I could see that in some respects. However, with Klipsch, there are resonances explicitly caused by the metal cone- most shown from 600-800Hz between various models. There's a video explaining why it's largely the metal of the cone's doing and not something else, but I can't remember it.

 

[Westsounds]

Why do you think a paper driver would have been inherently better? I think the peaks and dips and measurable characteristics of a driver change the tambre. Are there breakup issues with the Klipsch cone that would be fixed using paper? Does it need more dampening?

I spok with a former Harman employee over the phone who mentioned how shocked people were when some high end B&W speakers were blind tested on the carousel against JBL speakers with a waveguide... Sounds like the audience thought the B&W would have sounded smoother and the JBL would have sounded more like a horn, but since they couldn't see, they didn't hear that.

I think it's likely a similar story with cone materials not sounding "metallic" vs "organic" etc. with metal and paper cones. Heck, some paper cones I've heard are so "honky" I'd swear they were made out of plastic like a toy horn.

Your right it's doesn't automatically mean it would be better but just think it's the weak point in the speaker, the horn tweeter works great imo, and even the cheap chipboard box doesn't sound bad as a whole, I'm suspect of that copper driver tho

 

[drbarney]

I workout with weights every morning and some evenings and I like to have music while I am pumping iron. A Wagner overture or a Rossini crescendo helps me push or pull harder. I don't need all the large chassis or a room full of quart-size 833A AM radio station transmitter tubes and Magnepan 0.7s + DWMs I have in my living room for this, only a simple stereo. I had heard Klipsch had a good reputation for dynamic sounding sensitive speakers I could power with 45s and the copper woofers look splendid. Small modest R-41Ms looked like they might do, but further looking into the matter there are two things which do not appeal to me. First, the speakers are made of MDF which I do not mind, but they are covered with fake vinyl simulated wood grain veneer, and there is something not only cheap but dishonest about fake things such as fake lattice in windows, fake stone and tile floors and walls in bathrooms, and, of course, fake wood in vinyl covered speakers. Second, your review settled the matter for me. I also thought it might be fun to restore a pair of Dahlquest DQ 10s but they are too big for my home gym and they are so power hungry it would take radio station transmitter tubes such as the 833A to power them.

 

[Westsounds]

Are they MDF? I thought they were more of a cheap particle board like chipboard when I had a pair, but I might have been wrong. They didn't feel heavy enough to be mdf, not that I'm complaining, I thought they were good. I actually think that lighter type cheap particle wood that is often used with budget speakers makes them sound a bit lighter and livelier anyway, mdf tends to sound, well, a bit dead.

 

[drbarney]

The Klipsch website says they are made of MDF.

 

[gvl]

I use a pair of older similar Klipsches in the garage for workouts and what not, they are really fine in that application.

 

[xykreinov]

I workout with weights every morning and some evenings and I like to have music while I am pumping iron. A Wagner overture or a Rossini crescendo helps me push or pull harder. I don't need all the large chassis or a room full of quart-size 833A AM radio station transmitter tubes and Magnepan 0.7s + DWMs I have in my living room for this, only a simple stereo. I had heard Klipsch had a good reputation for dynamic sounding sensitive speakers I could power with 45s and the copper woofers look splendid. Small modest R-41Ms looked like they might do, but further looking into the matter there are two things which do not appeal to me. First, the speakers are made of MDF which I do not mind, but they are covered with fake vinyl simulated wood grain veneer, and there is something not only cheap but dishonest about fake things such as fake lattice in windows, fake stone and tile floors and walls in bathrooms, and, of course, fake wood in vinyl covered speakers. Second, your review settled the matter for me. I also thought it might be fun to restore a pair of Dahlquest DQ 10s but they are too big for my home gym and they are so power hungry it would take radio station transmitter tubes such as the 833A to power them.

I know what you mean with the fake styling. Rather repulsive. My stomach turns a bit with every modern car I see which has fake plastic ducting and grilles that go nowhere.
I pump iron to my RP-41Ms a lot. But, as is the case when doing anything with them, only with 20 bands of parametric EQ! They're just not all that tollerable without it. Though, that isn't to say parametric EQ is only for fixing bad speakers. I'd use it on decent ones just the same. Marginal improvements are still improvements, and those from EQ are generally much less marginal than those from higher quality DACs/AMPs.
I would recommend you look at iLoud Micro Monitors if you need something active. If not, the JBL A130s optionally come in that wood styling you're after. Though, the A130s are a bit more expensive.

 

[bigx5murf]

I workout with weights every morning and some evenings and I like to have music while I am pumping iron. A Wagner overture or a Rossini crescendo helps me push or pull harder. I don't need all the large chassis or a room full of quart-size 833A AM radio station transmitter tubes and Magnepan 0.7s + DWMs I have in my living room for this, only a simple stereo. I had heard Klipsch had a good reputation for dynamic sounding sensitive speakers I could power with 45s and the copper woofers look splendid. Small modest R-41Ms looked like they might do, but further looking into the matter there are two things which do not appeal to me. First, the speakers are made of MDF which I do not mind, but they are covered with fake vinyl simulated wood grain veneer, and there is something not only cheap but dishonest about fake things such as fake lattice in windows, fake stone and tile floors and walls in bathrooms, and, of course, fake wood in vinyl covered speakers. Second, your review settled the matter for me. I also thought it might be fun to restore a pair of Dahlquest DQ 10s but they are too big for my home gym and they are so power hungry it would take radio station transmitter tubes such as the 833A to power them.

I went with in ceiling speakers and subs for my home gym. It was easy since I have drop ceiling. But the biggest benefit is no floor space lost to electronics at all. I put the electronics on a wall shelf near the ceiling. I'm powering them with a Yamaha AVR with Bluetooth, and a Chromecast audio.

 

[xykreinov]

I went with in ceiling speakers and subs for my home gym. It was easy since I have drop ceiling. But the biggest benefit is no floor space lost to electronics at all. I put the electronics on a wall shelf near the ceiling. I'm powering them with a Yamaha AVR with Bluetooth, and a Chromecast audio.

Oh, nice. My home basement "gym" is way too dinky for me to care about floor space. I'll be set with just an iLoud Micro Monitor or two wired to some computer.

 

[Frank Dernie]

every modern car I see which has fake plastic ducting and grilles that go nowhere

I call it styling ballast.
Extra weight and extra cost to make it look better to some people (not me)

 

[Westsounds]

I know what you mean with the fake styling. Rather repulsive. My stomach turns a bit with every modern car I see which has fake plastic ducting and grilles that go nowhere.
I pump iron to my RP-41Ms a lot. But, as is the case when doing anything with them, only with 20 bands of parametric EQ! They're just not all that tollerable without it. Though, that isn't to say parametric EQ is only for fixing bad speakers. I'd use it on decent ones just the same. Marginal improvements are still improvements, and those from EQ are generally much less marginal than those from higher quality DACs/AMPs.
I would recommend you look at iLoud Micro Monitors if you need something active. If not, the JBL A130s optionally come in that wood styling you're after. Though, the A130s are a bit more expensive.

It's possibly not your speakers you don't like the sound of if you're adding EQ to everything. It's your source or amplifier not being matched well to give you a sound you like.

 

[Westsounds]

The Klipsch website says they are made of MDF.

Ah ok, they are then. They are light considering. Must be fairly thin mdf. They still sound good to me.

I went with in ceiling speakers and subs for my home gym. It was easy since I have drop ceiling. But the biggest benefit is no floor space lost to electronics at all. I put the electronics on a wall shelf near the ceiling. I'm powering them with a Yamaha AVR with Bluetooth, and a Chromecast audio.

definitely advantages to going sub sat, that give me an idea actually.

I workout with weights every morning and some evenings and I like to have music while I am pumping iron. A Wagner overture or a Rossini crescendo helps me push or pull harder. I don't need all the large chassis or a room full of quart-size 833A AM radio station transmitter tubes and Magnepan 0.7s + DWMs I have in my living room for this, only a simple stereo. I had heard Klipsch had a good reputation for dynamic sounding sensitive speakers I could power with 45s and the copper woofers look splendid. Small modest R-41Ms looked like they might do, but further looking into the matter there are two things which do not appeal to me. First, the speakers are made of MDF which I do not mind, but they are covered with fake vinyl simulated wood grain veneer, and there is something not only cheap but dishonest about fake things such as fake lattice in windows, fake stone and tile floors and walls in bathrooms, and, of course, fake wood in vinyl covered speakers. Second, your review settled the matter for me. I also thought it might be fun to restore a pair of Dahlquest DQ 10s but they are too big for my home gym and they are so power hungry it would take radio station transmitter tubes such as the 833A to power them.

And even fake styling has to be better than something plain looking surely.

 

[xykreinov]

It's possibly not your speakers you don't like the sound of if you're adding EQ to everything. It's your source or amplifier not being matched well to give you a sound you like.

They're simply not relevant, even if they have upper treble or lower bass roll-off (pretty much the only FR related issue most can possibly have). Proper parametric EQ, when done against actual measurements of the speaker, either in your room or anechoic/Klippel, can only improve things. Same thing with headphones, though, with a greater tendency for tilt adjustments.

 

[bigx5murf]

Oh, nice. My home basement "gym" is way too dinky for me to care about floor space. I'll be set with just an iLoud Micro Monitor or two wired to some computer.

The problem with floor space is exercise equipment takes up a lot of it, and you'll need room around each piece. I've only got about 300 SF, now than half is already taken up by my treadmill, power rack, reverse hyper, dumbbell racks. I've still got plans to add a heavy bag, belt squat machine, and possibly GHD. Will be really tight on space when I'm done.

 

[xykreinov]

The problem with floor space is exercise equipment takes up a lot of it, and you'll need room around each piece. I've only got about 300 SF, now than half is already taken up by my treadmill, power rack, reverse hyper, dumbbell racks. I've still got plans to add a heavy bag, belt squat machine, and possibly GHD. Will be really tight on space when I'm done.

Nice, good stuff. There's lots of equipment I'd like to have eventually, particularly gyrotonic. I luckily don't need space for a treadmill, since there's plenty of space to run in my area and I don't care about sub-freezing temperatures.

 

[bigx5murf]

Nice, good stuff. There's lots of equipment I'd like to have eventually, particularly gyrotonic. I luckily don't need space for a treadmill, since there's plenty of space to run in my area and I don't care about sub-freezing temperatures.

I've never heard of a gyrotonic before. Quick search looks like it's a cable resistance based machine for yoga.

My issue with running outdoors is the 120F+ summers.

 

[xykreinov]

I've never heard of a gyrotonic before. Quick search looks like it's a cable resistance based machine for yoga.

My issue with running outdoors is the 120F+ summers.

Gyrotonics is technically not yoga, but ya it looks and is pretty similar.
Hah, I see. I don't mind that either, personally (assuming you're exxagerating with 120F).

 

[bigx5murf]

Gyrotonics is technically not yoga, but ya it looks and is pretty similar.
Hah, I see. I don't mind that either, personally (assuming you're exxagerating with 120F).

The only exaggeration is how often it'll get to around 120F, probably only 2-6 weeks in any given year. But people die of heat exposure in Vegas every year. Mostly hikers, and music festival goers, but runners aren't unheard of. I've personally gotten heat sickness once, doing manual labor outdoors. It was weird, felt like I suddenly came down with ta bad flu, which promptly went away away cooling down indoors, hydrating, and getting some potassium. After that experience, I never work outdoors without a cooler full of water, coconut water, and pink salt.

 

[xykreinov]

The only exaggeration is how often it'll get to around 120F, probably only 2-6 weeks in any given year. But people die of heat exposure in Vegas every year. Mostly hikers, and music festival goers, but runners aren't unheard of. I've personally gotten heat sickness once, doing manual labor outdoors. It was weird, felt like I suddenly came down with ta bad flu, which promptly went away away cooling down indoors, hydrating, and getting some potassium. After that experience, I never work outdoors without a cooler full of water, coconut water, and pink salt.

Oh wow. That's crazy. I wouldn't fair well there. I definitely do worse in extreme heat than extreme cold.

 

[Teeter]

You might want to try the R-51M, with a nice AVR and subwoofer.