The Article
R-41PM Powered Speakers from Klipsch
20th November 2018
Need a pair of value for money powered speakers? Paul Rigby reviews the R-41PM speakers from Klipsch
At the moment, the hi-fi industry is in an all-in-one everything frenzy. If there’s a chance to combine two or more products in a single chassis, then manufacturers are doing it. The industry believes that value sells and that people are also concerned with minimising footprint.
There’s the convenience issue too, of course. There’s fewer boxes to mess around with, less set-up issues and cable numbers are reduced along with the attendant clutter. Budget is another factor. You can lower the price when you bundle items together.
It’s arguable that, for all of the bundling going on in the market, the powered speaker design is the most popular. They’re a big favourite with second systems, budget vinyl systems, student hi-fi users and more.
This relatively low cost powered option from Klipsch features a built-in amplifier and featured Bluetooth, so wireless connections with phones and tablets are possible. There’s also optical, aux, analogue RCA and USB inputs to offer further connectivity options. Vinyl fans will be happy to know that the speakers also include a built-in phono amplifier for MM cartridges.
The R-41PMs also, “…dynamically match the ear’s ability to hear lower frequencies. Typically, only available with audio/video receivers, dynamic volume is a first for Klipsch powered monitors,” said the company. What you effectively get is enhanced bass when the listening volume is low. A remote is also part of the package.
A figure-of-eight-terminated power cable brings the whole thing to life. Spanning 24.8 x 14.9 x 19.1cm, the speakers weigh in at 8.5kg.
SOUND QUALITY
I started by plugging my Red Wine-modded Astell&Kern AK120 into the rear of the speakers, via the optical port and listened to the 24bit/88kHz version of Dire Straits’ Money for Nothing.
Glancing at the price tag, I was prepared for fairly serious compromises. After all, the price is not just for the speakers but all of the other gear inside too. Hence the speakers themselves, if you think about the project budget as a whole, are actually only a part of the overall price.
What I heard though was surprisingly balanced. In fact, I was very surprised at just how evenly, in relative terms, the sound was delivered. I have heard powered speakers at twice the price produce a coloured sound in comparison. Although the R-41PM speakers could verge on the strident at high volumes, in general terms they produced an open and airy midrange which allowed the lead vocal the freedom to roam around the stereo image, giving it a grand and significant presence. It also helped the backing vocal from Sting, giving the lead and backing voices a distance and a sense of the 3D.
The open nature of the mids also aided the keyboards, adding to their grandeur and giving them an important part to play in the mix.
Bass was satisfyingly tight, the small mid-bass units offering a welcome wallop for their size while the attack from the percussion was not as plastic as I thought it might be. The admirably neutral aspect of the drums softened and helped the lower end to infuse a touch of naturalism into the bass.
This particular rendition is a little strident in the mastering and the R-41PM speakers didn’t veil that part of the delivery. The treble was a touch pinched and the upper mids a little edgy but I wanted to the truth from this track and that’s what I was given.
I then swopped the AK120 and the optical cable it was attached to, moving it to the phono connections and upgrading the cable to a high quality example form Chord. Playing the same song, I was very happy to hear that the speakers could translate the sounds from the better cable. That is, the cable’s superiority was fully represented in the sonic output.
Via the phono sockets, the music was mature, rounded and better structured. Drums had a more organic output, the midrange produced a less pronounced edge during crescendos while the treble was bearable, this time around.
Turning to a slice of low key piano from Erik Satie and Gymnopedie (16bit/44.1kHz), the relatively neutral stance of the speakers – except for some slight tightening in the upper mids during high volume sequences – allowed the piano’s detail to be satisfyingly conveyed. Of course, the resolution of the file and the quality of the speakers themselves will only allow the fine quality of this performance to be taken so far but, putting those factors into consideration, the R-41PM speakers did remarkably well. The piano is arguably the most difficult of all instruments to track properly by any hi-fi component, it is a chaotic production of conflicting tones and resonances. The Klipsch, although struggling a touch as any hi-fi in this price bracket will, offered an admirable translation.
I ended with my MacBook as a USB source, playing through Audirvana Plus, and Sonny Rollins’ Jazz track, St. Thomas at 24bit/96kHz.
The R-41PM speakers performed well here taking note, not just of the fine music output, but also the silences that were as much of a part of the track. Yes, the piano was slightly rolled off but, on the whole, the midrange was splendidly insightful bestowing a naturalistic tone on the Rollins sax while tracking the delicate cymbal work with ease. Bass also performed well, proving to be a sure foundation for the entire track.
CONCLUSION
Throughout the test I never felt short changed by the Klipsch R-41PM speakers. You have to keep in mind how much you’re asking these speakers to do for the money and, as such, they offer a lot for the price. Coupled with the wide array of connectivity options (more than some expensive models I could mention), the comparatively neutral sound output and the admirable clarity over the entire soundstage, the R-41PM speakers offer tremendous value for money. If you’re looking for a pair of powered speakers, keep the Klipsch R-41PMs at the top of your demo list.
KLIPSCH R-41PM ACTIVE SPEAKERS
Price: £400
Tel: 01235 511166
Website: www.henleyaudio.co.uk
TO BUY CLICK BELOW:
EUROPE – https://amzn.to/3286VhD
GOOD: connectivity, open midrange, punchy bass, clarity
BAD: slight stridency at high volumes
RATING: 8
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REFERENCE
Rega RP1 Turntable
Pro-Ject RPM3 Turntable
Rega Brio-R amplifier
Tellurium Q cabling
Blue Horizon Professional Rack System
Harmonic Resolution Systems Noise Reduction Components
All vinyl was cleaned using an Audio Desk’s Ultrasonic Pro Vinyl Cleaner
Hi Paul, I followed your advice on upgrading the AT-LP3 with cartridge and external phono amp. All I can say is thank you man! I got the AT-VM95E and the amp you recommended above from Pro-Ject and wow, I begin to wonder, if this rig sounds this good, what‚Äôs further down the rabbit hole üòú. But for now I am very happy with what I have, LP3 R41 VM95E PhonoMM. Thank you again for the reviews and the recommendations.
Not a problem, and thanks for the update, gerdez. I’m happy that you’re happy 🙂
Do you know which Blutooth Version they have and do they have aptX?
I’ll check for you, Joe – be back ASAP.
Hi, Paul! Sorry to be bringing up an old article but I just purchased a set of Klipsch R-51PM’s and hooked them up to my Audio Tehnicha LP60 turntable. They sound great, but the volume with the turntable does not get nearly as loud as I can go if I bluetooth my phone to the speakers. The max volume with the turntable is pleasant in my small room, but there are times it would be nice to have it just a tad louder. Do you think the Pro-Ject phono amp would solve this?
I’m also not sure I have them set up right? The turntable has a built in phone amp like the speakers and I’ve tried setting both to line and both to phono with the same results. Switching one of them to line and one to phone didn’t work either, one resulting in just loud feedback and the other resulting in barely any volume at all.
Would love some help on this if possible. Thanks for the great wehsite!
Not at all – all reviews, news, features, etc on here are fully supported, no matter how old they are.
Try connecting the 60’s RCA plugs to the Klipsch’s RCA sockets, flick the 60’s phono switch to Phono and the Klipsch also to Phono. How does that sound? Don’t forget to turn the Klipsch to On via the Remote and alter the Volume, make sure Mute is Off and the Source is Phono.
A Pro-Ject phono amp may help in volume terms but it definitely will improve sound quality, so it’s worth it for the latter alone.
Hi Paul, brilliant review and comments in the thread very helpful. Have just set up the R-41PMs and will take your advice on the external phono amp. My question is the same as Nick’s in that the volume via the turntable is adequate (albeit short of what I would like) in terms of max volume but when connected via Bluetooth the max volume is substantially higher. Have tried setting both the turntable and R-41PMs to phono but max volume issue remains. Any help would be welcome. Cheers.
Hi Mick – so you have a turntable with a built-in phono amp? What’s the turntable, by the way? If so, are you sure that your phono amplifier is connected and switched correctly? The phono amplifier is switch to ‘use the turntable’s phono amp’ and not ‘use an external amp’?
Hi Paul, appreciate the quick reply. Turntable is Sony PS-LX310BT. I have set turntable output to ‚ÄòPhono‚Äô and I have set the speakers to ‚ÄòPhono‚Äô also. Don’t get me wrong, this delivers decent max volume but nowhere near the max volume compared to music played from phone via Bluetooth. I‚Äôve also tried setting turntable to ‚ÄòLine‚Äô and speakers to ‚ÄòLine‚Äô and seem to get the same result (albeit with possibly a little less quality). I don‚Äôt have much experience with this stuff but just a bit puzzled as to why I can‚Äôt get the same level of volume when playing vinyl compared to when my phone is hooked up via Bluetooth? Is this to be expected? Thanks again.
Hi Mick,
Before you do the following, turn the volume down to minimum and *then* slowly increase the volume after you’ve flicked your switches. Don’t do this test with the volume high in case you blow your speakers with a rogue signal pop. After each successful connection, increase the volume on the rear of the speakers.
OK, have you tried setting the turntable to Line and the speakers to Phono (which uses the speakers phono amp). Then setting the turntable to Phono and the speakers to Line? (which uses the turntable’s phono amp). To see if there are volume differences?
Unusually, the Sony arrives with a ‘gain’ switch. Try changing that to see if you find the volume you’re after. Again, lower the speaker volume *first* before you change this gain switch and slowly increase the volume knob afterwards.
Hi again Paul,
I tried ‘turntable to Line & speakers to Phono’ and just got nasty crackling distortion even at minimal volume. I then tried ‘turntable to Phono & speakers to Line’ and got output but volume was very very low. I tried lifting the ‘Gain’ switch from ‘Mid’ to ‘High’ on various settings and the only time this made a difference was when the settings were Turntable = Line & Speakers = Line’ (lifted the volume a bit but in the process delivered distortion at higher volume so no progress).
Paul I think you’ve exhausted all possible avenues so I really appreciate your help walking me through it. Seems it may simply be a limitation with the turntable? Maybe something for me to consider an upgrade in the future (any recommendations on some decent mid range models?) Thanks again.
I refuse to be defeated on this! 🙂 (It’s my stubborn streak) Let me talk to Klipsch first before we give up.
Well, they were prompt! 🙂 From Klipsch,
“At face value this seems like the usual question of output at point of signal generation. Turntables are ‚Äúalways‚Äù quieter as even with an adjustable phono stage the signal strength produced from a turntable is typically lower than a digital source. The exact calculations are dependent on the cartridge/phono stage combination, which is difficult for me based on the Sony‚Äôs available information. But the Sony does seem to have an adjustable gain ‚Äì so I would suggest he tries setting this to ‚ÄúHigh‚Äù ( 6dB). That might make the difference he wants.
Similarly, it’s not clear if he’s tried the Bluetooth output from the turntable to the Bluetooth input on the R-41PM. Is it still quieter this way? Again, I don’t know the Sony in enough detail but I suspect this would also be a bit quieter compared to Bluetooth playback from his phone.
At it’s core, this is almost certainly nothing to do with the R-41PM and also it’s likely there is nothing wrong with the turntable. It is instead about the relative signal strength being received by the amplifier from each of the source devices.
Hope that helps.”
Mick, This sounds like the exact problem I was having with my Audio Technica LP60 and the R-51’s. Adding the Pro-Ject phono amp Paul recommended solved my problem immediately.!1000% better!! I’ve since upgraded my turntable to one without a built-in phono amp and the ProJect is still very satisfying to my ears.
ProJect Phono amp will improve sound quality a lot, but not the volume. At least this is my experience. I have AT-LP3 via ProJect Phono to Klipsch R-41PM. Bluetooth from phone is louder.
Thanks for the help. You were right in that it only helped a bit with the volume, but made a huge difference in the quality. Thanks for bringing the topic up originally. Your post really pushed me to go ahead and give the Pro-Ject phono amp. Thanks for that!
Not a problem Nick! Are you still having volume issues then?
No, not at all. It wasn’t that I wasn’t getting any volume like you would get if you didn’t have the speakers powered on. The volume just wasn’t very overpowering even at full volume . With the Pro-Ject that’s all fixed. Excellent solution! Thanks for the help!
Ahh, ok – glad you’re enjoying your music now Nick.
Hi Paul, thanks for the great review. I’ve just purchased the Rega Planar 1 Turntable and was looking at buying speakers with a phono preamp to use with it as I’m on a budget and have limited space. I keep changing my mind between the Klipsch R-51PM’s and Kanto YU6’s and was hoping you’d be able to offer me some advice on deciding which ones to buy. Thanks a lot.
You may want to also look at the KEF Egg and Ruark powered speakers too. The Klipsch is a very nice speaker indeed. A bit bright at high volumes during crescendos perhaps. The Kantos are good all rounders but the KEFs may beat them for sound.
Hi Paul, thanks for the response. I’ve been looking into your great recommendations but seem to be leaning towards the Klipsch R-51PM. Sorry to hassle you with another question, but I intend to use the phono preamp built in to the speakers when connecting them to my Rega Planar 1 turntable. However, I watched your video review of the Kanto YU4’s and noticed you mentioned the sound wasn’t great when connecting them to your turntable due to the vibrations etc. Not sure if you’ve been able to test the phono preamp in the Klipsch R-51PM, but do you think I’d have the same issue with the sound when using those with my turntable? Thanks.
An external phono amplifier is much preferred, Nick. A low-cost Pro-Ject MM phono amp would be an upgrade.
Thank you for this really helpful review. I’m trying to decide between the R41 and the Ruark MR1 Mk2 to set up with an entry level turntable (either the Sony PSLX310 or the Project Primary E). Interesting about the external preamp making such a difference. I’m still undecided which to go for – do you think that the Klipsch will sound noticeably better on a bookshelf setup?
Since I posted this, I’ve decided to add the Rega Planar 1 into the mix, in case that changes anything 🙂
I’m actually looking to buy the exactly the same setup. Would love to hear more about this pairing; especially at this price point and size.
Same here, I am also in the market for a rega planar 1 and very undecided on which way to go for a speaker set up. I would be very interested to hear the recommendations betweeen a Ruark MR1 Mk2 vs Klipsch R-41PM vs something else in a similar price bracket?
I think I made a huge mistake. I needed bookshelf speakers and on a whim while at Best Buy bought the R41-PM. I didn’t read about or research these speakers. Once getting them home, uh oh! I just wanted bookshelf speakers that I connect to my amp. The amp is in my basement and speaker wires run up through the ceiling/floor to my study. (My main listening is in the basement and the living room is just for dinner music) Anyway, these speakers won’t run this way?? I’m not an audiophile. Please be gentle with me. Thanks.
What would be your budget for a new pair of speakers, Chris?
Hi Paul, Great site, am subscribed to your youtube channel. Just a quick query. I’d like to team these with an old Pioneer turntable. Do the Klipschs – or the Kantos you’ve reviewed – have any provision for headphones? Many thanks!
Thanks Paul and I’m afraid not – you would need to grab a separate headphone amplifier to run your ‘phones.
Hi again, Paul! I have the Klipsch R-51PM‚Äôs hooked up to a Fluance turntable using the Pro-Ject phono amp you recommended and it works like a charm. But occasionally I’d like to be able to listen to the turntable with some cordless headphones. Is there a headphone amp out there you’d recommend, preferably with Bluetooth capabilities? And where does the headphone amp go in the hook up?
Thanks for the help!
Hi Nick – this is the benefit of a separate amplifier. You can plug more things in it 🙂 That said, you should, using a convertor, be able to plug in something like an AudioQuest Dragonfly into one of the digital inputs on the rear of the Klipsch. The speakers have a Type B socket but the Dragonfly uses a Type A plug so you need a convertor for that.
Paul have you listened to the Peachtree Audio M25s? I am concerned about how bright the Klipsch are, as I find that can be fatiguing. It looks like they do not have as good a DAC as the Klipsch. Just wondering about an overall perception.
Sorry Ian – been some time since I heard any Peachtree. From what I hear, they do wander around a warmer sound signature than the Klipsch but I can’t offer any firm opinions I’m afraid. Last Peachtree product I reviewed was an amplifier, a combo valve/solid state thing that I liked a lot. Assuming that the company has retained its sense of values and quality then I would have high hopes that these speakers would do a job for you.