I can't fathom someone who isn't totally happy with the RB-3. I've had mine for quite some time,and they knock me out - great imaging, beautiful detail and strong dynamics.
I have two systems that play through them, switched one system or the other.
First system is the System One by Nakamichi, circa 1976, the other is the baby Nak Stasis receiver. Either one sounds wonderful through the little RB-3s.

Punch
dynamic
Sound great on trumpet music
An involving listen with sweetsounding amps

At this price nothing.. but:
Can be harsh at times
Don't like hard-sounding components
Treble

Had just moved to Stavanger and was looking for å box speaker since i don't have any place of my own and just rent. So i went to a store nearby which, fortunally, were having a kind og "quit-sale".
Didn't have any real knowledge about the brand except Klipsch is one of the oldest and well-reputated american speaker-factories.
Though they sounded thin on the Sony-setup i bought them, since i knew that my setup which then included a Elecrocompaniet 4.5+aw100dmb coud be a perfect match.
And yes it did! Bought them for 5000NKR which is the same as 600USD, but i got some stands too.
Have also had the EC Eci3 in the house, which also sounded great, but the truly showed their potential when i got my valve amp setup with Croft pre and a Dynaco ST70!
Sweet and dynamic at the same time.
But i've had them for 3,5years and is still satisfied so..

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XTZ wm99

-Dynamic
-They go loud
-sensitvity (perfect with small tube amps)
-soul

-Treble doesn't really shine
-bass
-Not among the most holographic

Bought these in 2003, and to be honest haven't i had a speaker that had that great blend of being revealing and fun listening to at the same time.
I must admit that i've heard speakers who could dig deep into the scenario of the music. Placing musicians, and so on making a perfect holographic experience. But at the same time losing the nerve which is so important!

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XTZ 99
Kef Q1
Opera Mini callas
B&W 805 (older)

Price/performance ratio compared to others.

At the price how could anyone say x is a weakness,get real.

For the price they are hard to beat,NOPE,they aint Khorns,but for smaller area,surr or rear c they are good.I was at BB,they DON'T sell reference and I could not find the Khorns either(ha).Just listen to your ears and pay little attention to those that want Heritage for a few hundred bucks,shees.

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long list of inferior bookshelfs.

None. Well, I guess they're cheap. They ought to just be included in "home theater in a box".

Too many to go into.

I've had these for over a year and I'm dumping them on some other sucker on Ebay. They absolutely suck. Klipsch has long since devalued themselves. My dad was friends with Paul Klipsch in Arkansas in the '70s, back then they made good speakers. Now, they are being sold at Best Buy. That should say it all. They've devalued their product so much that I'm having to practically give them away. In a complete surround system they are bearable, but listen to them in 2 channel mode. They suck!

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I used to have a pair of Denon bookshelf speakers that came off a compact system that blew these away. I think I paid $150 for those at an overpriced retail outlet in Houston. And these things retailed for $650!! Bend over, here it comes.

-Excellent highs and mids that blend together well -Great sensitivity = louder, cleaner sound -Great looks -Bi-wire capability

-Bass is not as loud as some may like

I bought these RB-3s to replace a set of entry level JBL 500s that had served me well, but were simply being outclassed by the rest of my system. I am hooked on Klipsch. I'm moving from an all JBL system to an all Klipsh Reference system. While the sensitivity of this speaker is actually lower than average for Klipsch products, its 94 db/m sensitivity is significantly higher than most other products in the same price range. I got an incredible deal on these, but I would have paid much more for the quality sound they produce. Highs are crisp, clear, and well defined, blending well with the mids. Volume of bass leaves a little to be desired, but since this is approximately a 6 inch woofer, I was more concerned with smoothness and clarity. The RB-3 delivers on this front, providing excellent sound quality at this price point, coupled with excellent box asthetics and a sweet-looking copper cone and horn tweeter that make me want to leave the grills off all the time. I definitely recommend this speaker, and rate it five stars because at this price, it's as close to perfect as you can get.

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-JBL 500 Bookshelf (not really in the same class, but the only other bookshelf I've owned.)

Highs are great, mids are clear and filling.

Need more base...put in a true 6.5" woofer

Great sounding speakers for the price. Highs are very nice and accurate, but needs more lows and a true 6.5" woofer (only 5.5" at best). Wood finish is nice and constructed well.

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Klipsch SB3, SB1, quintet II, promedia 5.1 & 4.1, Boston BA7000

GREAT CLEAN SOUND with a HEAVY POWER punch. Amazing for the size. Worth your hard earned $$$ !

None so far VERY happy !

Luv these little guys, The girl and I wanted to clean up the room a bit so moved the Floorstander Paradigms Studios into another now fully music only room. Don't miss em much at all, These Klipsch kick butt !!! Really surprised as I never tried Klipsch before...boy was I wrong.

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B&W, Paradigm, customs, LOTS of others...

Very clean, very clear, very bright. Full range of highs to lows. Bi-wire capability. Sturdy construction. Cosmetically appealing.

None

I purchased these speakers as the final component to my home theater system. I actually use them as my surrounds. They are exceptionally clear, bright and possess full range for a speaker this size. The ability to bi-wire them makes them sound even better. Very sturdy construction. Internally wired with monster cable, I couldnt be happier. They sound great on my Harmon Kardon AVR 210. I am even thinking about using these as my front left/right and getting some designated Klipsch surrounds. They sound that good.

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Klipsch RC-3

Smooth, warm, yet dynamic sound. Very nice looking finish in cherry veneer. Made in USA of high quality materials.

Sensitivity and high resolution of recorded details means that you should power them with quality electronics. Garbage in = garbage out!

Having recently switched to using a low-power amp I was interested in some new speakers with greater sensitivity ratings than my old ones. The local dealer sold Klipsch Reference and so I decided to give the Klipsch RB-5 and RB-3 a new listen. I say "new" because I had been unmoved by certain other Klipsch models in the past. However, after a careful audition using some of my better CD's, I was surprised by the excellent sound of these speakers. I did some research, found some professional reviews at ecoustics.com, and decided to go for the RB-3's. Both models have garnished excellent reviews, but according to the published graph measurements (both speakers measure very well), the RB-3 has a more rolled off treble presentation that makes this model the choice for smaller listening rooms such as mine. After I got the speakers home I was not disappointed. To my ears they trounce the B+W 601 S-2's (that I had previously relied upon) in almost every sonic category that matters, and that is saying something. Part of this is due to the sensitivity of the RB-3, but the bass is leagues ahead of the 601 S-2, as is the overall sense of crispness and resolution, even when I feed the B+W's more power than the RB-3's (the S-2's have a nice balanced presentation, though, and are still an excellent choice in every way). I also felt that due to the more subdued treble region of the RB-3, it was a bit more transparent and warmer sounding than the RB-5 (but with less bass power of course). I think that these speakers can stand up well to any product in the under $1000 category. Very well designed. I give four out of five stars as overall rating only because five stars should be for the absolute cost-no-object type products. These speakers are simply some of the best you are likely to find in this price range, and probably give you at least 90% of the absolute pinnacle of performance available in this category.

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B+W 601 S-2, others,