Klipsch RB-81 II (Black) Bookshelf Speakers

Klipsch RB-81 II (Black) Bookshelf Speakers 

DESCRIPTION

Your space deserves great sound, and the Klipsch Reference series RB-81 II bookshelf speaker is able to give it to you, without taking over your entire room. Utilizing a 1? titanium horn-loaded tweeter with Klipsch? s Tractrix horn technology, as well as an 8? Cerametallic woofer cone, you? ll be able to enjoy amazing, room filling sound that belies the RB-81 II? s bookshelf size. With the Reference series fifth generation, the updated crossover systems and drivers bring this speaker to a whole new level. Refinements to the look of the speaker make sure that it will seamlessly fit into your home theatre system. Bookshelf speaker (each) 8" woofer, horn-loaded 1" titanium dome tweeter,dual binding posts for bi-amping or bi-wiring,frequency response 44-24

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 17  
[Jul 23, 2024]
Kyzer1816


Strength:

This is great, it's worth the buy for this speaker. Germantown Fence Company Near Me

Weakness:

None so far.

OVERALL
RATING
5
[Mar 26, 2024]
joedavidson


Strength:

A lot of my friends at https://www.ok438 shared positive reviews about RB-81 II. Personally, i like it.

Weakness:

Nothing so far.

Purchased:
Used  
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Dec 21, 2023]
davidson02


Strength:

Wow. It's perfectly fitted in my finished room. Trumpets and other horns are also much better and the bass is much tighter and rounder.

Weakness:

Nothing so far.

Purchased:
Used  
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Aug 10, 2022]
ampva301


Strength:

Right up to the roll-off, the bass is quite nicely articulated. With the speaker grille removed, you can look sexy. Threaded inserts for installing the stand are a wonderful touch—unforgiving of poor quality source material, ideal for home film. | who is the best drywall company

Weakness:

none for now

Purchased:
New  
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Jul 11, 2022]
highfalutin


Strength:

Bass is very well articulated right up to the roll off. Look sexy with the speaker grille off. Threaded inserts for stand mounting are a nice touch. Unforgiving of poorly recorded source material, perfect for videography.

Weakness:

obviously none . .

Purchased:
New  
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Sep 04, 2021]
Rick Price


Strength:

The best speaker in this category BY FAR and I've owned a BUNCH of 'em. The power handling versatility is the BIGGEST undersung advantage. I'm running them with a McIntosh MC2155 on the top and an MC2250 on the bottom and they can use MOST of the power effectively-which is to say I can't turn it up any farther and stay in the same room and there is NO break-up or distortion and that's a LOT of power handling capability for a speaker that can also be used with 8 watt triodes. I'm seriously impressed. The newer designs are better at suppressing the infamous "horn squawk" that has afflicted the classic Klipsch designs from the past. I badly wanted to own K-Horns when I was a kid, but I just couldn't handle the woofer bottoming and that upper-mid honk in spite of how gorgeous everything else was. So...what's NOT to love in this iteration? Nothing much.

Weakness:

Nothing much. Real Wood Veneer, maybe...

Price Paid:
868.00
Purchased:
New  
Model Year:
2016
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Sep 22, 2011]
Dave
Audio Enthusiast

I've owned quite a few Klipsch speakers and have always liked their sonic immediacy, dynamics and presence. From my first set of Heresy I’s from 1978 theirs have been among my favorites. The RB-81II's are no exception and are in my opinion among the best stand-mounted/bookshelf model you can find out there. I admit my fondness for the large JBL L100’s or the first Polk 7’s is a sentimental attachment from days long gone.

Klipsch’ original entry and largest stand mounted speaker in their Reference line from 1999, the RB-5's were well built and heavy, standing 17 in. high and instead of the current 19” height and were available in black, oak or cherry real wood veneers and put out a large amount of sound for their size. Those 5’s were unlike the models that came after in that they were rear ported which increased bass response but made them difficult to place near a room boundary. Not so with the current design. Either on a bookshelf or a stand the new model sounds well balanced but I prefer them out a little more into the room. The horn and eight-inch woofer blend well together and are a redesign of the previous RB-81. With better response from bass to treble they put out some tasty up-front sound that should satisfy listeners with average sized rooms for both home theater or music. The sound is very open and clear, and you'll hear the details you won't likely find in cheaper speakers. The cherry vinyl finish is a little darkish compared to their old light colored veneer but if it doesn't work for you they're available in black vinyl as well. I would have liked to see a real-wood veneer option, standard in their top of the line RF-7II’s and classic Heritage line.

I have a Sheffield lab demo CD that has Clair Marlo singing “I Believe When I Fall in Love” that begins with a solo cello intro and you can easily hear the natural resonance of the instrument. Clair’s vocals have plenty of sweetness and ambience to them. On the last track, Jim Keltner offers up a drum solo, just over a minute long which highlights the RB-81 II’s abilities to translate the power of percussion like few speaker can and on this one everything is absolutely clear and precise from the softest cymbals to the pound of the kick drum! Comparing them with my 2005 RB-35’s there’s a distinct improvement here. The treble is not overemphasized as it is a bit on them. Trumpets and other horns are also much better and the bass is much tighter and rounder. Plucked or bowed acoustic bass is also excellent!

Not everyone is a Klipsch fan since horns have a sound that may take a little getting used to but there are a few other manufacturers that are now offering horn-type tweeters in their models, notably Chase Home Theater, BIC and Hsu. The advantage of not having to worry about the power of your receiver is in itself a plus in that a horn system can pump out lots of sound with modest amplification. I own the Hsu designed BIC Acoustech HT-75 towers, bought back in 2005 and still enjoy them a lot and though they offer a similar overall sound, they don’t have the full-frequency range and detail of the 81 II’s. The Acoustechs will need a subwoofer (unless you really hate bass) since they are purposefully rolled off at 80 Hz.

At the price Klipsch is selling them for I doubt you'll find any speaker that comes close to the RB-81 II bookshelfs in fidelity, balance or refinement as these do. For those that don't have room for a floorstander, which I would recommend for larger rooms, these may be just what you want both for casual or critical listening.

…Just a note on placement and break-in: I have my RB-81 II’s on 20 in. steel stands so that the horn is at ear level about 10 inches out from the long wall and well away from the side walls in my 12 X 16 foot room. You may need taller stands if you’re listening position is further away from the speakers than mine. I also found that a modest toe-in enhances the speakers’ imaging and soundstage but I encourage you to experiment with positioning to suit your own ears. Remember to give yourself a few weeks to get accustomed to the Klipsch sound or the sound of any new speaker and when you buy make sure you get a 30 day trial option to return them if you’re not impressed. Your brain will thank you for being such a smarty. Enjoy!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 15, 2011]
Shake777
Audio Enthusiast

This is a very good speaker which can you can display with confidence that it is among the better bookshelf speakers. I have many of the fine Klipsch reference speakers in an 11.2 system where they serve well as surround speakers. I'm sure in a smaller room these would stand alone and make fine speakers in a stereo set up with a good amp. They are that good. I have auditioned many of the better bookshelf speakers that are worth thousands of dollars and I think the RB81 speakers hold their own just fine among them. They are even that good. I'm not saying these are as good as three thousand dollar speakers but I am saying that if you spend three thousand dollars you are going to get a small amount of improvement for all your money.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jan 18, 2011]
Matt
Audio Enthusiast

These speakers sound fantastic for rock music, funk rock, country, hip hop, and most other genres. I love their seperation and detail. They do provide adequate bass, but for large rooms a powered sub might be in order. I have used them both ways and think they perform well in either scenario. If you like your music lively, detailed, and airy, I highly recommend these. Also, they play exactly what is recorded, so bad recordings will be noticed vs. a well recorded album. I think the horn tweeter's airiness is one reason why I think they stand out from the other brands that I have heard. These are more of a forward sounding speaker as well. Allow these speakers some break in time of at least 100-200 hours before judging them. I am a picky person when it comes the sound and detail of my music, and these speakers are staying with me for quite awhile. I love them.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 26, 2010]
emak212
Audio Enthusiast

Well what can I say, these speakers were the ones that let me fall in love with music. I auditioned other speakers in this price range including Polk, Infinity, Mirage, Paradigm, and others, but these were the ones I kept coming back to. Granted, there are much better speakers out there, but if you're on a budget look no further. I have yet to hear another speaker under $1000 that can produce such an open treble, wide soundstage, or bass extension as the RB-81s. Speaking of bass, these RB-81s are some of the best you can get for a bookshelf speaker. I had these bad boys hooked up to a Jolida-1501 (100wpc) Tube Hybrid amp. This is a match made in heaven. The 8" woofers can really kick hard for a bookshelf speaker. On top of that, the detail these speakers are capable of achieving is incredible (especially through a tube amp). I listen to many types of music including Jazz, Classical, Hip Hop, Techno, Electronic, Rock & Alternative. There is not one type of music the RB-81's can't excel at. The only thing you should be concerned with is listening to music through a good source. I used my laptop's USB to a Perpetual Technologies P-3a & P-1a DAC/DSP setup. This combo blew me away; there was so much to take in from every song I played. If you're going to use the headphone jack and a "Y" cable, you really should look into a cheaper speaker because that method will not give these speakers the justice they deserve. Another thing I will caution you on is that these speakers require a considerably long break-in time. I didn't get the sonic balance and wide sound stage that I was looking for until I had used these for well over 100 hours. Therefore, they may sound a little dull or harsh out of the box. Other than that, you really won't be disappointed.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 17  

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