If you’re short on time and just want the highlights of this article, here it is:
The Klipsch RP-500M II is a great all-around speaker that is perfect for both home stereo and home theater systems. Its Tractrix horn and LTS titanium diaphragm tweeter combine to create a wide soundstage and clear high frequencies, while the Cerametallic woofer offers punchy bass. Additionally, the improved power handling, larger voice coil, and aluminum shorting rings make it possible to play audio at higher volumes and reduce distortion.
Connectivity-wise, the RP-500M II has audiophile-grade wiring, aluminum binding posts, and a magnetic grille. It also has cork pads that protect surfaces the speaker is placed on. The ideal user for this speaker is someone who is looking for a reliable and easy-to-use speaker with good sound quality. However, if you are looking for an audiophile-level speaker, then you may want to look elsewhere. In conclusion, the Klipsch RP-500M II is a great all-round speaker that is suitable for most users.
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Now let’s get to its bolts and nuts.
Klipsch RP-500M II Review: Sound quality
Let me tell you something right off the bat.
The sound quality performance you'll end up getting from a speaker will always depend on your room acoustics - particularly room dimensions and speaker positions.
The impact of the combination of these two is actually so strong that in most cases, it doesn't even make sense to utter a single word on sound quality without speaking of them.
This is also why it's not unusual to see completely different reviews of the same speaker.
In one case the speaker might be placed in a sweet spot inside the room and hence the user might be satisfied. In other cases the same speaker might be ill placed and hence user might even have returned it.
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The point most people miss here is that it mostly isn't even about the engineering behind the speaker itself. It's about where you place the speaker inside which room.
So, in order to solve this problem, I've partnered with Acoustics and Audio Engineering PhD Andrea Cicero from AC Acustica and created Soundton - a simple, 2D, browser accessible online speaker placement calculator.
With Soundton, now there's a way to figure the sound quality of most speakers before you buy them.
Read more about its working principles at soundton.com.
The end colormap provides you the locations with the best (green) and worst (red) acoustics.