The "House Sound" of Listening Fatigue | Klipsch 600M II Review

Summary

The video script reviews the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II speakers, noting their popularity and comparing them to the original model. The reviewer acknowledges the improved features like better-looking terminals and a larger horn but finds the sound to be forward and potentially fatiguing, with exaggerated upper mid-range and less refined mid-bass. Despite the speakers' attractive appearance, the review suggests that for the price, there are better options available with more balanced sound quality.

Takeaways

• 🏆 The Klipsch RP-600M was extremely popular and won numerous awards.
• 🎶 The speaker's design has been updated in the RP-600M Mark II with improved hardware and a larger horn.
• 🔍 The Mark II model has a slightly deeper and taller cabinet compared to the original RP-600M.
• 👀 The fit and finish of the speakers are of high quality, emphasizing Klipsch's attention to aesthetics.
• 👂 The speakers offer a forward and exciting sound with a strong presence in the top end and time domain.
• 🎵 The RP-600M Mark II is particularly good with upbeat and exciting music genres.
• 😖 However, the speakers can cause listener fatigue due to their emphasis on the treble and lack of mid-range balance.
• 👎 The mid-range of the Mark II is described as thinner and less full-bodied compared to the original model.
• 📉 Female vocals can sound overly forward and sibilant, which may be fatiguing to some listeners.
• 📚 Objective measurements of the speakers corroborate the subjective listening experience shared in the script.
• 🚫 The speaker may not be recommended for those seeking a balanced and refined audio experience, especially in the mid-range.

Q & A

What is the speaker being discussed in the script?

The speaker being discussed is the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II.

How does the popularity of the original Klipsch RP-600M compare to the new model?

The original Klipsch RP-600M was extremely popular, winning more awards than Madonna, and the script suggests that the new model is being evaluated to see if it can live up to that popularity.

What changes were made to the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II compared to its predecessor?

The Klipsch RP-600M Mark II has nicer looking hardware on the back terminals with jumper wires, a larger 'Tractrix' horn, an updated woofer, a slightly deeper and taller cabinet, and it comes with cork pads instead of rubber bumpers.

What is the reviewer's initial impression of the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II's design?

The reviewer appreciates the fit and finish of the speaker, noting that it looks fantastic and that a great deal of effort has gone into its appearance.

How does the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II perform in terms of sound presence and top-end extension?

The Klipsch RP-600M Mark II is noted for having a forward and exciting sound with a lot of presence and top-end information, which some listeners might find appealing.

What issues does the reviewer have with the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II's sound in the upper mid-range?

The reviewer finds that instruments in the upper mid-range can sound exaggerated and fatiguing, making it difficult to relax and enjoy laid-back music genres.

How does the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II compare to other speakers in terms of mid-range performance?

The reviewer suggests that the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II's mid-range performance is thinner and cleaner than the original model but still lacks compared to other speakers like the ELAC Reference DBR-62s and Unify 2.0.

What was the outcome of the poll conducted by the reviewer regarding the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II and other speakers?

The poll, which had 228 votes, showed that the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II came in last, with only 13 votes, indicating that it was the least favorite among the three speakers compared.

What does the reviewer think about the bass performance of the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II?

The reviewer finds the bass performance of the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II to be similar to the original model, with relatively deep but boomy bass that lacks texture, tone, and resolution.

Why does the reviewer suggest that Klipsch should focus on a balanced response?

The reviewer believes that a balanced response would allow the music to offer the necessary details when called upon, rather than having the speaker impose its own character on the sound.

What is the reviewer's final verdict on the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II?

The reviewer concludes that while the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II is an improvement over its predecessor, it is still a tricky speaker to recommend due to its sound characteristics, which may lead to listener fatigue and lack of refinement in the mid-band.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 Speaker Evolution and Design Insights

The script begins with an introduction to the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II speakers, comparing them to their predecessors and discussing their popularity. The narrator acknowledges the original model's controversial sound signature but expresses curiosity about the updated version's potential improvements. The summary of changes includes redesigned back terminals, an updated horn and woofer, and new accessories like cork pads. The speaker's aesthetics are praised, and the expectation is set for a detailed sound analysis, focusing on the top and extension, time domain performance, and potential listener fatigue due to the forward and exciting sound signature.

05:01

🔊 Critical Sound Analysis and Comparison

This paragraph delves into the sound quality of the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II, highlighting the presence and top-end information that may initially impress listeners. The narrator discusses the potential for listener fatigue due to the emphasized upper mid-range and top-end, which can overshadow the mid-range body and result in a less relaxing listening experience. A comparison is made with other speakers, such as the ELAC Reference DBR-62s and Unify 2.0, suggesting that the Klipsch model falls short in terms of mid-range refinement. The base performance is also critiqued as being boomy and lacking texture and resolution, similar to the original model. The narrator also mentions the community's response to a poll and comments, indicating a general consensus on the speaker's sound characteristics.

10:01

👋 Final Thoughts and Speaker Recommendation

The final paragraph wraps up the review with the narrator's personal thoughts on the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II. While acknowledging that the speaker performs better than its predecessor, the narrator finds it challenging to recommend due to its sound signature that may lead to listening fatigue and a mediocre mid-band. The narrator wishes for a more balanced sound from Klipsch and suggests that those seeking a more refined listening experience might prefer other models. The script ends on a humorous note, inviting viewers who appreciate the speaker's unique sound characteristics to look forward to the next video.

Keywords

💡Klipsch RP-600M

The Klipsch RP-600M is a model of loudspeaker known for its popularity and numerous awards, as mentioned in the script. It represents the subject of the video, which is a review and comparison of its successor, the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II. The script discusses the speaker's performance and updates from its predecessor, making it a central concept in understanding the video's theme.

💡Out-of-phase relationship

An out-of-phase relationship in audio refers to the timing discrepancy between different frequency components of sound, which can affect the overall sound quality. In the context of the video, the reviewer mentions this term to describe a perceived issue with the original Klipsch RP-600M's sound signature, suggesting that the woofer and tweeter may not be well-aligned, leading to a less pleasing audio experience.

💡Mid-band

The mid-band in audio refers to the middle range of frequencies, typically where the human voice and many instruments reside. The script indicates that the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II has a 'huge hole in the mid-band,' suggesting a lack of presence or clarity in this frequency range, which is crucial for a balanced sound and is a key point in the reviewer's critique.

💡Eclipse RP-600 Mark II

The Eclipse RP-600 Mark II is the updated version of the Klipsch RP-600M discussed in the video. The script mentions several improvements and design changes, such as the new terminal hardware and an updated 'trick horn' and woofer. It is the main subject of the review, and the script explores whether these updates address the perceived shortcomings of the original model.

💡Fit and finish

In the context of speakers, 'fit and finish' refers to the quality of the speaker's construction and appearance. The script praises the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II for its great fit and finish, indicating that it is well-made and visually appealing, which is an important aspect for many consumers when choosing a speaker system.

💡Top and extension

Top and extension in audio reviews refer to the high-frequency response and how well a speaker can reproduce the highest notes. The script notes that the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II has an impressive top and extension, providing a sense of presence and detail in the high frequencies, which some listeners may find appealing but others may find fatiguing.

💡Smiley face or U-shaped voicing

Smiley face or U-shaped voicing describes a sound signature where the bass and treble frequencies are emphasized more than the mid-range, creating a curve that resembles a smile or the letter 'U'. The script uses this term to critique the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II's sound, suggesting that it may overemphasize the highs and lows at the expense of a balanced mid-range.

💡Listening fatigue

Listening fatigue refers to the phenomenon where prolonged exposure to certain types of sound can become tiring or uncomfortable for the listener. The script mentions that the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II can cause listening fatigue due to its forward and exciting sound, which may be too much for some listeners, especially during extended listening sessions.

💡Bass performance

Bass performance is a critical aspect of speaker reviews, focusing on how well the speaker reproduces low-frequency sounds. The script critiques the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II's bass as being deep but lacking in texture, tone, and resolution, suggesting that while it may be suitable for some music genres, it may not meet the expectations of audiophiles seeking a nuanced bass response.

💡Binaural sound clips

Binaural sound clips are audio recordings that simulate the three-dimensional auditory perspective of human hearing, often used in speaker reviews to give listeners an impression of the sound quality. The script mentions the use of binaural sound clips to compare the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II with other speakers, indicating that the community's feedback aligns with the reviewer's own impressions of the speaker's performance.

💡Balanced response

A balanced response in audio refers to a speaker's ability to reproduce all frequency ranges evenly, without overemphasizing any particular area. The script suggests that the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II lacks a balanced response, with a particular emphasis on the treble and bass at the expense of the mid-range, which is a critical factor for the reviewer when evaluating the overall sound quality of the speaker.

Highlights

The Klipsch RP-600M was extremely popular, winning numerous awards.

The speaker's out-of-phase relationship between the woofer and tweeter was noted.

Introduction of the Klipsch RP-600M Mark II with potential improvements over the original model.

The Mark II features updated hardware and a redesigned horn and woofer.

Cabinet dimensions of the Mark II are slightly larger than the original 600M.

The Mark II comes with cork pads instead of rubber bumpers for better stability.

The speaker's fit and finish are praised for their quality and effort.

The speaker's sound is described as forward and exciting, especially in the top end.

The speaker may cause listener fatigue due to its emphasis on the treble response.

The speaker's voicing is compared to a 'smiley face' or 'U-shaped' EQ curve.

The lower mid-range is described as thinner and less full-bodied than the original model.

Female vocals may sound overly forward and sibilant on the Mark II.

Male vocals, particularly lower in pitch, are noted to sound decent on the Mark II.

Comparisons to other speakers like ELAC and Unify reveal the Mark II's shortcomings.

A poll indicates that the Mark II was the least favorite among viewers in a comparison.

The bass performance of the Mark II is similar to the original 600M, described as boomy and lacking texture.

The reviewer suggests Klipsch should focus on a more balanced sound profile.

The Mark II is recommended for listeners who prefer a more aggressive sound signature.

Transcripts

all right so let's see if we can pull

this off right now the kids are in the

playroom just beyond me they're making a

little bit of noise but

let's give it a go so unless you have

been living under a rock you already

know just how insanely popular the

klipsch rp

600m was and still is

that speaker has won more awards than

madonna and when i finally had a chance

to check them out for myself

i thought

not quite my tempo it's all good no

worries here we go so while i would make

the argument that the 600m doesn't have

much of a leg to stand on when it comes

to an objective point of view if an

out-of-phase relationship between the

woofer and tweeter with a huge hole in

the mid-band is what bakes your

audiophile bread

then who the heck am i to judge fast

forward to the eclipse rp 600 mark ii

has klipsch done away with what some

might believe is the

house sound of clips for something a

little more linear in response and with

a warm welcome back to new record day

that's exactly what we are going to find

out

the rp600m mark ii looks nearly

identical to its predecessor with a

couple new features worth chatting about

most notable is the back terminals have

been changed to nicer looking hardware

with jumper wires instead of the metal

clips that's used for by bywire or by

amping

another change is what klipsch calls

their truck tricks horn

is larger than the original model and

the woofer below has been updated

according to the klipsch website the

cabinet of the mark ii is slightly

deeper in a smidge taller than the 600m

and last clips provides cork pads

instead of rubber bumpers for security

on a table or a stand so getting to the

point the fit and finish on the speaker

is great and it's easy to recognize that

a great deal of effort goes into looks

so no matter how this review goes rest

assured that we're going to agree

regardless of how this thing actually

sounds it definitely looks fantastic

while some say beauty is only skin deep

and perhaps that might be true let's

transition to how the heck this thing

sounds starting with top and extension

and all things in the time domain

if i was a betting man i'd wager a fair

amount of the folks who fire up the 600

mark 2s will notice what i did when

hearing these speakers for the very

first time wow listen to all that

presence and top end information

once upon a time

this is the sound that i was searching

for and i remember working for best buy

in circuit city and knowing which

speakers did this and which ones didn't

do you want to take a guess as to what

speakers sold more than the others

that's right the ones that offer this

hyper detail and exciting extension

right out of the gate combine that

forward sounding presence with some

decent low end bass and what you have

folks is a winning formula for the

masses getting to the point these

speakers will sound forward and exciting

with just about everything that you

decide to throw at them listening to

anything that might be considered laid

back such as natalie merchant or maybe

nora jones it's important to understand

that some of the instruments that sit

within the upper mid-range bandwidth

will always sound a little exaggerated

the top end of snare hits and most

symbol information will typically lead

the charge in a performance and it's

because of this it can be hard to just

sit back and relax with these speakers

obviously switching gears to something a

little bit more upbeat and exciting the

voicing of the speakers tends to work

better with those genres but as they say

there is no such thing as a free lunch

what i found with the 600m mark 2s is

while they are super fun and engaging

for a short period i do enter listening

fatigue when rocking out and i need to

take a break before i can jump back into

the ring all time domain information is

certainly a strength of this speaker

but before we pop the champagne

it's critical to understand that in this

case

it comes with a disclaimer we must

understand that there are

many different ways of getting detailed

information out of a speaker in one way

which is what we have right here is

voicing the top and extension to be

higher than the mid-range bandwidth some

call this a smiley face or u-shaped

voicing but in either case what happens

is you have a higher amplitude meaning

decibels in a specific part of the

speaker's bandwidth the bottom line is

this is why this speaker is going to be

shining a flashlight on every single

nook cranny and crevice in the time

domain it's really quite that simple at

the same time and i need to be clear

here while it's exposing a lot of

information in the treble response it's

not at all the same thing as a linear

speaker exposing hear me

just as much

or even more detailed information in the

time domain

but that's for a different show

the lower mid-range of the 600 mark twos

sounds slightly thinner to me than the

originals most baritones on the newer

model do sound a little bit cleaner than

i remember hearing on the original so

that is a step in the right direction

all acoustics sounded vibrant and snappy

but that information was the trouble

response overshadowing the mid-range

body which in comparison sounded more

like an afterthought female vocals are a

different story and there is no great

news here either depending on the pitch

of the singer and how high they are

singing in the upper mid-range they can

sound pretty dang forward very sibilant

and at times downright fatiguing i

suppose lower altos are fine for the

most part but still suffer from the

tweeter calling attention to itself

as mentioned lower male vocals sounded

pretty good and i'll say

most male vocals actually sound decent

but the reality is

decent for the asking price of these

speakers doesn't add up comparing these

to something like the elac reference dbr

62s well there is no comparison and

don't get me started on these versus

unify 2.0 which again offers so much

more refinement in the mid band and are

both cheaper than the 600 mark ii's i

recently made some binaural sound clips

and a comparison video featuring these

speakers and i took a poll asking which

was your favorite speaker of the three

we had 228 votes so far and of the three

the rp 600m mark 2s came in last by a

wide margin with only 13 of the viewers

choosing them while i would agree that

sound clips aren't the best way to

capture this type of data

what did impress me is all of the

comments that described in detail

all of the same things that i am hearing

with these speakers in the sound clips

and in the room so

before you start thinking that i'm being

a mini pants let me remind you i ain't

the only one that's picking up what i'm

putting down

oh the sweet sound of well farts look

when i was 10 years old and i was

jamming out to m.c hammer

well farts were not a problem at all

but as i grew to love and appreciate

both deep and meaningful bass that also

has texture tone

and resolution i have a hard time

appreciating anything but that keeping

this brief and to the point the base of

the rp 600m mark ii

sounds so much like the original 600m

that it doesn't make any sense to waste

my time and to waste your time so yeah

check out that review and everything

that i had to say about the base

performance of the original speaker it

also applies here in a nutshell it's

relatively deep bass that sounds boomy

and lacks any sort of meaningful texture

tone and resolution normally i would

take the time to measure these speakers

using my clio pocket but there really is

no point aaron's audio corner and geo

research already published measurements

of these and in both cases i've seen

enough of the data to be satisfied that

what i am hearing matches up with

all of the objective data i'll link to

both of those videos down below and if

you have any questions about their

measurements and you need clarification

of what you're seeing in their

measurement versus what i'm saying i'll

be happy to respond in the comments

section down below

so yeah folks on one hand we do indeed

have a better performing speaker than

its predecessor but it's still a tricky

speaker to recommend

i wish and i hope more than anything

the clips would follow suit of jbl and

try focusing on a balanced truly

balanced response and rely

on the music to offer all of the details

that we are looking for when it is being

called upon in any event the rp 600m

mark ii is a great speaker for those who

want to enter listening fatigue in a

quick hurry love the sound of mediocre

mid band and enjoy deep bass with little

to no resolution

harsh

maybe

but those are my thoughts on the klipsch

rp 600 and mark ii

and with that

i'll see you crazy horn loving

knuckleheads in the next video