Klipsch - Icon 5-1/4" 2-Way Bookshelf Speakers (Pair)

I honestly think Best Buy and Bose had a falling out - when i purchased these about two years ago, they were on display right next to a pair of Bose 201s, and when switching between them its obvious the KB-15s are a better product, with a smaller footprint, and usually at a lower price. I originally used these as the 8 and 9th channels in a 9.1 system - using them as the height speakers. They fit in wonderfully with my higher priced Reference system for the special height effects. I A/B'd them to compare against my floor-standing RP-3 and when aided by a sub-woofer for the low frequencies, they sound every bit as rich when listening to most music, but did lose a bit of body in comparison to speakers that are about ten times the size. When the sub-woofer was turned off, it was obvious that they could not compete with the big guys, but i was surprised that they do extend low enough to get a significant kick out of the bass. I compared against some KLH, Panasonic, and RadioShack brand speakers that ranged from the same size to about twice as large, and the KB-15s outperformed all of them in every imaginable way. I've recently moved them into my 10x16 office at work, connected to a small portable DJ amplifier with input from my phone for streaming radio. Placed properly, they fill the room with powerful sound - bass extension in a smaller room means im pretty sure i'm not missing out on a thing, crisp highs and impactful lows abound, they sound absolutely amazing in this environment - i really dont think im missing out on a single detail. The ability to direction them towards my listening location means i can have them playing at a fairly loud volume without it disturbing anyone else in the neighboring offices or common area, without shutting the door. The only downside to these speakers are inherit to their size and cost. While the build quality is definitely solid, after 2 years of babying these speakers, the veneer is starting to peel on one ever so slightly at the corner, which was never well matched up since the day i received them. I own many other pairs of speakers from other companies as well as Klipsch, and while i have experienced this in cheaper brands, it is a first from Klipsch. That said, at the price point, i can accept the not-perfect veneer matching - these are still heavy and solid, and can probably withstand being thrown across the room. The way these speakers are designed with a port vented out the back, you can get a good deal of low frequency extension past what they are rated for if you position them properly, close to a wall will help out, but could cause some distortion in the way of an overly boomy sounding midrange. (If actually placed into a bookshelf, this may happen. For most people it would probably provide a nice full warm sound that is desirable.) So to summarize - these are not the best sounding speakers i own, but they are competing very well with much larger and much more expensive models, and completely destroying the similarly sized and priced options i have. At their normal price, they are a good deal - on sale, they are an exceptional value. Perfect for bedrooms, dorms, home offices, etc. that cant fit something larger, but still want top notch audiophile level sound.

My concern when buying these were the reviews I read here that said they had no base, and you needed a subwoofer.... what I discovered is they have plenty of base for their purpose. To those who have problems with the base, I'd say check the settings on your receiver... I quickly noticed that surround sound systems tend to channel base to a subwoofer, weather there is one attached or not... you needed to find a pure stereo setting to get the base channeled to these speakers. That learned, I hooked these up to a very small bookshelf stereo I own, and discovered they put out about twice the Volume the speakers designed for it did. The speakers aren't being stressed in the least even at the stereos highest volume, It's a very nice sound! I have wanted a pair of Klipsch for years, these did not disappoint.

My daughter is mostly deaf so getting speakers to work so she can hear the music is not easy. With these she has enough bass to hear the music and really enjoy it again. THe size is perfect as you can put them almost anywhere in the room. Much better than the huge ones we had before. Also the sp=eakers go out into the room and not just straight forward so you can be anywhere and hear all the sounds. If you want some speakers that are a great buy then these are it.

I had a set of Infinity mini speakers and the sub died. I decided that it was time to look into good speakers. I wanted the best sound for the money, and I wanted it to be reasonably priced. I went in and listed to the Klipsch floor speakers and these speakers, and these speakers blew the floor standing ones away. Especially when you think about for the price difference you can easy get a good sub. If you can find them, buy them. If not, check out the newer version of the speakers. Defilnitly worth a listen. Don't spend your money on a set of speakers because of the name, do it because they sound good.

Downsized from a more powerful system that I had for twenty years. Was looking for the right bookshelf system because I was downsizing to a smaller apartment. Having to shop for sound electronics after 20 years I shopped around and decided to review Klipsch. And only two other brands. I was totally sold on Klipsch. The size, sound clarity and delivery is the best. What has made this bookshelf system even better but not needed is the Klipsch subwoofer. Put these bookshelf up high and with the subwoofer down low the two together is everything you will need in a stereo sound system for music. I do not use this for home entertainment system/tv. I use it for music and I am very pleased in my downsized apartment. The volume is low and the sound fills the room.

I blew a 12" woofer out of my Cerwin Vega DX7's which were 15 years old. They were huge, and filled a lot of room on either side of the media center. I never thought I would be able to use bookshelf speakers, because on top of standard home theater use, I still like to rock out like I was still in the 70's. I figured since I already had a polk 12" powered sub in the system, I might be alright, so I tried these speakers, as they are from my home state (Hope, Ar) and are made in Indiana, and have a rather cult like status around here for quality and sound. The results were astonishing. Not only did the KB15's sound better than the DX-7's, but even without the sub, had good enough bass for standard volume listening. I set the crossover at 100hz, balanced the sub to match (the volume levels of the KB15s were very close to that of the DX7's which were rated at 93db/m@1w under the old measurements. Music sounded so much better now. Being in my 50's, my high end hearing is probably a tad on the low side, hence I didnt notice any tinniness, or overly bright highs, I actually welcomed the open and clear sound. Well worth a home audition, if you want some excellent speakers at a good price, with a great warranty. I was just going to use these until I could get my DX7's repaired, but have decided to keep these, and not bother repairing the DX7's at all.

These speakers exhume a sophisticated image without the high price. I was lucky enough to pick up a pair of these when they were dirt cheap for $98, which is an unheard of price for a pair of Klipsch speakers. The craftsmanship of these speakers is really quite good. They look just as good with the covers on as they do without. In fact I couldn't decide! These may be the low-end of Klipsch's bookshelf lineup, but the fact is that Klipsch's "low end" speakers rival that of some other speaker maker's mid-range offerings. I find the highs to be extremely crisp with virtually NO sibilance at all! What this means is that there is no annoying distortion on the "SSSSS" sounds in singer's vocals. I compared these to the Polk TSi speakers that retail for slightly less than the Klipsch speakers, and to my ears the Polks had a slight sibilance in the highs. they just aren't as accurate and precise as the Klipsch's aluminum dome tweeters. These speakers have been described as being having a foreward and revealing sound. The vocals blend seamlessly with the rest of the music with no drop or peaks, and create a precise and sharp phantom center image. The sweet spot if very wide thanks to the horn. Again, I compared these to the Polks and let me tell you, dome tweeters alone don't have as wide of a sweet spot. If you move around a lot or are watching movies with your family, you will appreciate the wide sound stage that horns offer. (There is a reason why movie theaters use Klipsch speakers .... sensitivity--and of course those wide dispersion horns!) The bass is just right: not too boomy, with well defined lows, despite being ported. I was surprised that a 5.25" speakers could produce so much bass. The speaker cabinet's size and depth comes into play here; they are quite deep, and having a rear port, they need to be placed a few inches from the wall. that means they might stick out a bit into the listening area.

Now at $199, they are a great bargain. These are specially made for BB and are probably under rated and not getting any attention. BUT, these are worth a look. Do what I did, go in a test drive them.... I asked the BB agent for a mini to mini so I could plug in my ipod into the receiver driving the display units, and when i went to Robben Ford, "good time" I was simply amazed at what I was hearing.... I turned it up and people came up to me and wanted to know what I was playing. They said it sounded great and they were all the way accross the store and had to come and see what and who it was..... The bass is exceptionally tight and soild. A sub is not a must have with these speakers. YOu can actually hear the bass guitar riffs, instead of a boom boom boom. The highs are nice and crisp. Cymbals and hit hat are nice and clear.... and dont sound like one sizzle... vocals and lead guitar are true.... You wont be disapointed.... BTW, I am driving them with a new Dennon AVR 1912.... The clarity is really nice......