Customer Ratings & Reviews

Pros Piano black gives elegant appearance Cooper driver and ring create a sophisticated look Grill cover holds on with magnets instead of pegs Retaining magnets have felt to protect finish MDF enclosure snubs any hint of vibration or distortion High sensitivity doesn’t require much power Warm, slightly bright tone without Selectable Atmos and Surround mode Can be ceiling fired to mounted on walls Dolby Atmos certified elevation speakers More useful than 3D video Includes cleaning cloth Cons Finish shows scratches, dust, and fingerprints easily Included rubberized feet are easy to lose in package Klipsch has long been known as a company that produces great sound for good price while keeping an emphasis on appearance, so you are proud to have these in your room. The Klipsch RP-500SA is the latest iteration of the Reference Series which has already proven in previous reviews to be a great line of speakers. If you are looking to improve your movie experience with height the RP-500SA can fit the bill. Previous generations included the copper driver which create a look of sophistication when the grill is removed but the latest generation includes an extra thin copper accent line. It might not sound like much, but it really improves the overall appearance. More notable is the change from the old black vinyl appearance to the new Piano Black finish. In pictures you might think it cheapens the appearance, but you really must see them in person to appreciate. The best way to think of the look is to imagine when you have seen a gloss black grand piano or any other musical instrument with that deep, dark, highly polished finish. In person you see a quality finish that adds a bit of elegance to your setup. Just keep in mind there is one downside to having that very glossy finish. Scratches, dust, or fingerprints show up easily but with proper care the look can make the difference between your room looking like it’s filled with plastic boxes or high-quality enthusiast equipment. For enthusiasts they can become a piece of furniture you will love to look at. If for some reason you need to cover up the drivers, you can always opt to leave on the included grills which hold on with magnets. With magnets there is no need to worry about damaging fragile pegs and when removed it leaves a completely clean finish on the front of the speaker. Mounting options include laying flat as ceiling firing Atmos speakers for elevation or as well mount speakers. A switch on the back changes the speaker mode from Atmos to surround. Range isn’t specified except that they are Dolby Atmos elevation speaker certified. As dedicated Atmos speakers, you can add them to your existing surround sound system to add height if you have a receiver which supports Atmos. If you plan on having them ceiling fired just be sure you have a flat ceiling or it won’t work. Appearance means nothing if it isn’t backed up with great sound. Since the RP-500SA are intended as more of a supplemental role, regardless of mode, it isn’t quite as easy for everyone to recognize them at work at first. When you watch a movie which has Dolby Atmos you will notice at certain scenes it will seem as if sounds come from places in the room where there isn’t a speaker. Although more subtle than the bank of ceiling speakers in an Atmos enabled movie theater you can notice during scenes with fireworks they seem to explode in places that seem impossible, like above you. When a helicopter is flying across the scene you can hear it start at one speaker and transition to another as if it flying above you. If you have an Atmos capable received and want to add another dimension to your movie viewing experience, the Klipsch RP-500SA warrants serious consideration.

I have these set up as 5.0.2 set up. I am using these as 2 front height speakers. The first thing I like there is a switch in back of speakers for Atmos or Surround. You can use these in different applications. I decided to use Atmos setting and mount them on the wall. I could have use then to fire up on ceiling but Atmos is least effective in that application. Best option is in ceilings, second is height speakers and last option is up firing. The build quality is great. I love the style of speaker with its own personality. The sound is really good and I’m content. Now I purchased these for $400 on sale. MSRP is $500.00 and with 20% discount it made it 400.00 on sale.

I recently upgraded from the R-15M bookshelf speaker to these. I use them in a surround sound configuration instead of an Atmos. They have a toggle on the back for selecting between the two sound modes which is handy. I also really enjoy looking at the walnut finish although it is just a plastic veneer. The finish gives them a slightly warmer look than the black version in my opinion. At the end of the day, I bought them to upgrade my side surrounds and have not been disappointed with the acoustics.

Purchased these at Best Buy on sale to complete my 7.2.4 set-up. These sit in the front Height position, mounted as height speakers rather than utilizing the upward firing option. I chose to mount them due to the ceiling fan and reflections not being as clear as direct Atmos front height speakers. Pioneer Elite SC-LX901 pushing all speakers with ease.

Purchased an entire new speaker system of Klipsch products. These Dolby Atmos speakers are a great alternative to traditional rear surround sound speakers and the speakers fit perfectly on top of the Klipsch bookshelf speakers (without having to buy more expensive wireless rear surround sound speakers). I definitely recommend these Klipsch Dolby Atmos speakers.

In the past, the evolution of the home theater was contingent upon adding more speakers (channels), where setups such as 5.1 or 7.1 were most common. Recently, with the advent of Dolby Atmos, there seems to be a shift towards object based placement - enhancing sound through physical placement of Atmos enabled speakers to seemingly create a new experience. Nonetheless, it is still unclear if this is actually a superior experience or are we just renaming what we have done all along: adding more speakers? Thus, enter Kilpsch's new entry in the award winning Reference Premiere line, the RP-500SA. With an all new tweeter design, the RP-500SA are sure to catch the attention of audiophiles! Given this, I was excited to finally be able to test Dolby Atmos certified speakers! Upon inspection of the RP-500SA speakers, I was pleased to note that they were packaged extremely well. The speaker was completely enclosed with a soft cloth cover, with a second set of plastic on top of that. Additionally, the RP-500SA is supported by a Styrofoam block. Once opened, you are treated to one of the most beautiful piano black appearances you will ever see. To the touch, the speakers are extremely smooth and rounded perfectly on all sides. The gloss is just impeccable and absolutely gorgeous. In addition, the piano black finish surprisingly did a fabulous job of concealing the fingerprints, though you will notice them up close. The included cloth easily wipes them away. Nonetheless, the speakers are absolutely stunning to see in person; no picture will be able capture the full elegance of the glossy finish. If you are on the fence on which variant to pick (Ebony, Walnut, Piano Black), I would strongly suggest the piano black variant, if of course your budget allows for the extra cost. Physically, the speakers are quite heavy for such a compact speaker, coming in at roughly 8 pounds. Additionally, I was also extremely impressed with the unique triangle design of the RP-500SA. On the back of the RP-500SA, you will note a crossover switch that will allow you to switch the mode of the speaker to operate either as an Atmos speaker (default) or as a standard surround speaker. Lastly, the protective grill magnetically clips on to the front of the RP-500SA. Overall, the RP-500SA are sure to impress and were fairly easy to setup! For my audio test, I wanted to see how the RP-500SA performs in a multichannel environment. For a standard 5.1.2 Atmos configuration, I used two RP-8000 as the front channels with the RP-500SA placed on top. The RP-500SA were connected to the height terminals on my receiver. For my surround sound speakers, I used a pair of RP-600M and for my subwoofer I used the R-115SW. To power the speakers, I used a Pioneer Elite VSX-LX303 receiver, tied together using Audioquest 14 AWG X2 speaker wire that was manually cut from a 100ft spool. The VSX-LX303 receiver was also plugged up to the wall using an Audioquest NRG-Y3 AC cable. Additionally, my R-115SW subwoofer was connected via an Audioquest Irish Red subwoofer cable. For movie playback, I used my Sony Ultra Bluray UBP-X800 player, with audio set to bit-stream directly to the receiver. I also made sure that the receiver's listening mode was set to Dolby Atmos. In addition, I verified that Atmos was correctly displayed on the status overlay of the receiver. Lastly, I would like to note that depending on your receiver, speakers, and your personal settings, the perceived audio quality will more than likely differ than what I have described here. You may have to configure more or less to get the speaker to sound to your liking. I would also like to note that for my surround speakers (RP-600M), I had to manually add +4.0dB (+0.5 dB increments) in the Pioneer VSX-LX303 setup to bring them slightly up with my front speakers. Lastly, I also replicated this with the RP-500SA and added +4.0 dB in the setup. Every other speaker was left at default with no changes made. For my movie tests, I selected three Dolby Atmos encoded movies to give you an idea of what one may expect. On John Wick 2, the movie itself is quite exhilarating so naturally its Atmos presentation should be similar. With the opening car chase scene, the RP-500SA begins with strong reproduction of the background music. At 7:22, when the car is started, both speakers roared as the engine started. I also heard people shouting in the background. Starting at 8:19, the multiple car crashes are extremely potent! The high frequencies were quite stunning. At 24:38 mark, and lasting for eleven seconds, the explosions are heard with loud ferocity. In addition, the broken glass was isolated on the right speaker to correspond where Wick was propelled on screen. At 58:21, gunshots ring with accurate precision. In the glass exhibit, at 1:38:50, there is a loud barrage of breaking glass on the right speaker to match its placement on screen. It is still present on the left speaker, but at a much lower volume. Lastly, both speakers are used to great effect at 1:46:10 to replicate a ferocious gunshot. Conclusively, the RP-500SA performed extremely well in every situation; standard affair such as gunshots, glass, and explosions were all of incredible quality when the RP-500SA were used. However, despite some instances throughout the movie where the RP-500SA are not used, it would not surprise me if this particular movie ended up being one of the more aggressive Atmos titles. With Annihilation, I was curious to see how the RP-500SA would handle such contrasting styles of sound within an Atmos experience. At 20:52, you can hear quite a bit of thunder and rumbling activity from the mysterious void that is seen on the horizon. The rumbling is exciting and extremely clear. From 29:50 and onward, you will notice various sounds of the rainforest such as water in the background and the gradual chirping of birds. Starting at 35:50, there is more ambient activity from both speakers - increasing in volume as the duration progresses. Another place worth noting was between 46:11-46:22, where the speakers moan horrifically in a monk like chant! Without spoilers, the lighthouse scene is both an audio and visual delight and will probably stand out for most people. The electronic sound effects are extremely potent here, with loud pulsating periods of sound and varying tones. Starting at 1:35:12, there is a strong propeller sound that lasts for ten seconds. The clarity is quite breathtaking! Additionally, at 1:37:15, I noted some strong chime effects that are handled flawlessly; four seconds later you will hear an absolute crushing electronic tone! Conclusively, the RP-500 contributed extensively to the overall depth and clarity of sound, echoing at times the rest of the speakers, but was rather reserved on its own. Nevertheless, this was an exciting and unique experience with this particular movie as I believe the audio greatly adds to the captivating visuals. As an older Dolby Atmos encoded title, I was curious to see how the sheer chaos in San Andreas would translate within an Atmos environment. Contrasting the other movies, there were instances where the RP-500SA actually had its own sound rather than echoing sounds from the two front channels. During a scene at the college (30:20 mark), the Atmos speakers shrieked as the glass shattered around the building. As expected, the RP-500SA was amazingly sharp and clear. Another instance at 38:11, I heard tree branches snapping and debris falling from the ceiling. A few seconds later, at 38:26, I heard additional breaking glass and debris from the collapsing structure. Contrastingly, I also noted an instance where only one speaker was used. At 43:40, the helicopter door is ripped off its hinges on the left side of the screen. Only the left speaker is used to reproduce the effect. Both speakers resume seventeen seconds later (43:57) as the helicopter tries to escape. Once again, the RP-500SA reproduced everything with stunning results. Another cool effect was during the car rescue scene. On the left speaker only (47:02), I heard the falling debris from the parking garage that corresponded to what I saw on the left side of my TV screen. Two seconds later (47:04), the right speaker resumed as the debris now encompassed the rest of the viewing area. Overall, the RP-500SA performed exceptionally. High frequencies were reproduced with stunning clarity; middle channels were handled with finesse to great delight. Perhaps contrary to expectation, there was a good portion of the movie where they are not used, though this is not necessarily a bad thing as it certainly validates that less is certainly more. Nevertheless, the RP-500SA thoroughly impressed with the sound. In conclusion, the RP-500SA is a fabulous choice for any audiophile looking to add Dolby Atmos to an existing home theater as an upgrade or as part of a new system. Physically, the RP-500SA is absolutely stunning with its reflective piano black finish and impeccable craftsmanship. Additionally, the sound quality is equally impressive, easily reproducing middle and high frequencies with ease. As for Dolby Atmos, the enhancing capabilities by using sound with regards to its placement on screen is quite exciting to say the least. As for a completely new experience, I feel that it is somewhat inaccurate to describe it as such; more accurately, it is certainly a refinement of sound - adding layers to fully complement the movie for more depth. In other words, you should only expect small nuanced improvements, and naturally it will depend on the movie. Therefore, we can be certain that the RP-500SA emphatically creates an environment that it was designed to do. If the budget allows, and you would like to have an exciting Dolby Atmos experience, the RP-500SA is an excellent choice. Thus, the RP-500SA comes highly recommended.

Had them for a month before I installed them. Instead of putting them on top of the speaker I mounted them on the front wall. Was waiting on wire and banana jacks. Now to do adjustments on AVR Yamaha 2080. Will update at a later date on how they sound.

Really good set of speakers; added more panache to my surround.

You got what you paid for. Hands down for quality speakers.

One of the big challenges with current surround setups is to 'do Atmos' gradually. If you want to do it properly then you need multiple surrounds and ceiling mounted speakers, but these 500SA give you a flexible upfiring option. Sit them on top of either the front or rear speakers in your setup, and you now have a 5:1:2 configuration , prime for filling the soundspace by bouncing the audio from the ceiling. I should add that this is obviously a compromise from the 'full' setup, but for those of us trying to do Atmos on a budget, this is a great middle-ground. Its not an exact science, so I'd recommend pairing it with an AVR that not only supports 5:1:2, but allows you to optimize the upfiring signal (e.g. Pioneer VSX-LX303). If Atmos isn't your thing, or you already have the full setup you need, the 500SA's will also function happily as a surround satellite with a smaller footprint than a regular bookshelf speaker (see the images for Atmos/surround options). The gloss black finish is a dust magnet and over time will probably attract some very visible microscratches. If you dont have this setup in a dedicated theatre room and are just speakers in your regular living space, you might want to consider the regular matte black finish. As surrounds they're great price-performers. The only question to ask yourself is if you're looking to pay the premium for Klipsch speakers, can you justify the price tag for these to exclusively provide an upfiring signal for entry-level atmos. I received this product at no charge for evaluation, but the opinions expressed here are my own and based on a real-world deployment in my own setup.

Coming from Andrew Jones add on Dolby speakers, these klipsch are far better. I played both sets back to back with various scenes and these speakers are louder, clearer and more immersive. I found can hear sounds that were not obvious with the pioneers. Don't get me wrong the pioneers are pretty goid speakers which made a big difference over no atmos, but these klipsch add another layer of immersion, they now give me the feeling lie I'm in a bubble of sound, filling the ceiling with sound, the gloss black is much nicer than the vinyl option and worth the upgrade

Brings My Dolby Atmos soundtracks to life. I have a high ceiling (9ft) basement and at this time, running overhead speakers is not an option. Luckily the ceiling is flat and only has a few in-ceiling lights and is a perfect candidate for the atmos reflection. After using these 500SAs in the back and 8060-FAs in the front, I feel no need to put in-ceiling speakers in. The precision is there. I spent a little time to calibrate with the receiver and then used a sound meter ( and my ears) to get the levels to my liking. I also made sure I put the distance from the ceiling into my receiver accurately and put the switch in Atmos mode for all calibration. The sound on John Wick, Mandolorian, Apocolypse now, and Matrix were all great. Rain scenes were completely immersive, and object-based audio is incredible, with the onscreen action tracking wonderfully with the sound. Instead of a bubble-like 5.1, the soundstage becomes enormous. The DTS X on Gladiator was also spot on. I had a smaller reference series version of these, and they are doing great in a smaller room. My larger basement needed the extra size these provide. As a side note, the 8060 FA atmos speakers in the front are harder to localize, almost impossible. I temporarily moved these to a location inline with my front atmos as Dolby recommends) and they really seemed to disappear, but that location won't work for the day-to-day. I had to play with the rear placement of them on top of my surround speakers and at different angles to the couch to get the same effect. Then I calibrated again, and now everything really blends well and is simply stunning. On sale at $350, my value is a 5. Ease of use is a 3 because it may take some time and effort to get the sound right.

Great speakers, it’s hard to beat klipsch reference premier quality and the piano black is amazing!

Watching the new top gun made a difference Dont think the speakers are big enough

Speakers sound great ! After hooking them up and watching movies with Dolby Atmos ,Wow what a difference! Added a whole new listening experience to movies.

Purchase these speakers for height channels on Dolby Atmos setup definitely adds depth to my home theater system

Excellent quality. Easy and low weight. Sound quality is impressive

The modules are easy to handle and set up. On my system they act like front Height speakers unless Dolby signal is sent to the speaker. I can tell there is more sound in the room with these height speakers. All of the Klipsch speakers that I have recently purchased for my home theater are really enhancing my movie experience. Yes I would recommend these Speakers.

Great addition to my reference series surround set up. Now I fully enjoy 4k films w Dolby atmos surround. Comparing the mesh cover from Klipsh old reference series models, the magnet on these speakers doesnt seem to hold it firm as it slides easily when it's barely touched. Other than that, these are great speakers for a good discounted sale price.

These are installed as front upward firing. The speakers do bring another dimension of sound to my system. I know ceiling speakers would probably work better, but I can't install in ceiling or height speakers. Glad I bought these!