Klipsch RPC1080 LCR Review

[Buckeye Amps]

Yeh, these are architectural speakers where they are installed to not be seen first and foremost, and producing sound, second. While these latest generation in-ceilings are much better, they are not remotely ideal when they are firing down this way.

I had tried several different in ceiling designs for the Atmos channels in my current living room setup. One of the best measuring ones (Revels) had the “worst” real world performance when it came to creating an immersive overhead environment. They sounded great when standing right under them but for proper Atmos layout where they were at 30+ degree angles to the MLP, they didn’t work well for the task.

On the flip side, the latest speaker I am now using are Goldenears with built in 30 degree angles. Their measurements are average at best but for Atmos/immersive duty, it is the best my room has sounded to date.

 

[amirm]

I had tried several different in ceiling designs for the Atmos channels in my current living room setup.

My comment above was with respect to LCR use where almost all the sales of this type of speakers are sold for. Not Atmos.

 

[JDS]

I had tried several different in ceiling designs for the Atmos channels in my current living room setup. One of the best measuring ones (Revels) had the “worst” real world performance when it came to creating an immersive overhead environment. They sounded great when standing right under them but for proper Atmos layout where they were at 30+ degree angles to the MLP, they didn’t work well for the task.

On the flip side, the latest speaker I am now using are Goldenears with built in 30 degree angles. Their measurements are average at best but for Atmos/immersive duty, it is the best my room has sounded to date.

I'm interested in how you evaluated this. I haven't tried a lot of Atmos source material yet with my all-KEF coax 5.1.2 setup, and I have no frame of reference for the stuff I have tried, so I don't know how, say, the Atmos version of "Spiderverse" should sound.

 

[rynberg]

My friend's home has full house audio with ceiling speakers everywhere...(almost three dozen). We auditioned several models with actually mounting them in the ceiling. The Klipsch model (slightly lower model than tested here) were the worst by a mile. Just grossly inaccurate and unpleasant sound. Plenty other models didn't sound very good, but the Klipsch were the only ones that were just plain terrible.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

My friend's home has full house audio with ceiling speakers everywhere...(almost three dozen). We auditioned several models with actually mounting them in the ceiling. The Klipsch model (slightly lower model than tested here) were the worst by a mile. Just grossly inaccurate and unpleasant sound. Plenty other models didn't sound very good, but the Klipsch were the only ones that were just plain terrible.

The Reference series or Designer series?

I had tried older Reference series Klipsch in a room a few years ago and definitely was not impressed either.

 

[rynberg]

The Reference series or Designer series?

I had tried older Reference series Klipsch in a room a few years ago and definitely was not impressed either.

They were either the CDT-3800 or CDT-5800, I don't remember which.

 

[Buckeye Amps]

They were either the CDT-3800 or CDT-5800, I don't remember which.

Oh. Yea those were the ones I had tried years ago. Can confirm, not good.

 

[kschmit2]

@amirm Amir, I see you gave the Vertical dispersion curve of SPL/frequency in order to represent the sound that becomes direct sound, shown as 40 to 50 degrees off-axis.

But since this speaker is meant to go in the L and R locations which will often be near side walls, it would be relevant for us to see the horizontal curve too, at least around the 45 degree mark. The design of the speaker means horizontal will not be same as vertical.

In fact, if your tool collects it, the best SPL/curve to represent the first reflection off the near side wall, would be a measurement axis half way between the classic horizontal and vertical arcs, taken at about 45 degrees off the axis that is orthogonal to the ceiling.

cheers

wouldn't you just angle them towards the listening position to eliminate most of that problem?