With good build quality and stylish looks, the Klipsch Quintet SL home theater speaker system offers solid performance, easy mounting, is extremely user-friendly, and the Klipsch signature sound.

The Klipsch Quintet SL is not the lowest priced small home theater speaker system available, but it is a good performer. The front three speakers are a woofer-tweeter-woofer style alignment and each contain two 3.5-inch long-throw woofers, and a 0.75-inch aluminum dome tweeter attached to a Tractrix horn. The surround speakers contain a 3.5-inch woofer and a 0.75-inch aluminum dome tweeter attached to a MicroTractrix horn. (These are the same little speakers offered in the Quintet III system.) Included are foot pedestals for the fronts along with dual keyholes for easy wall mounting, and swiveling pedestal stand/mounts for the surrounds. We really like not having to pay extra for mounts, and all the speakers feel very solidly built and have decent binding posts.

At first glance the Klipsch system looks like a well-made computer speaker system, but that is where any similarity ends. In keeping with classic Kilpsch tradition, all the speakers have a high sensitivity rating--one of the highest we have seen on speakers this small. This will allow even the most modest of home theater receivers and amplifiers to reach loud volume levels with little effort.

The sound of Klipsch horn loaded tweeters has been the subject of many audio debates for decades, and only a handful of companies have ever implemented them as well as Klipsch has. When it comes to movie soundtracks, horn loaded tweeters have their advantages. We were able to achieve loud volume levels and at no point was there any hint of distress. Imaging and placement was spot on and being perfectly timbre matched made for smooth, seamless pans. Crossed over correctly with bass management and combined with a good sub-woofer, these little speakers will perform admirably. In small to medium-small rooms, they definitely impress.

Because of the woofer-tweeter-woofer alignment of the center channel, we recommend placing it vertically if at all possible. This will provide better dispersion of center channel dialog for other listeners throughout the listening area. This is one disadvantage of this design, but it is common in the industry. Klipsch at least makes this optional, while many others don't.

When space, and aesthetics are a concern, but sacrificing sound quality is not an option then the Klipsch Quintet SL speaker system is a good choice. With the ability to play louder than most speakers in their class, the Quintet SL system will make for thrilling movie nights, and a happy spouse.

Pros: Excellent build quality, included mounts/stands, easily driven by modest receivers
Cons: Separate Surround Back satellites not sold individually for 6.1/7.1 systems, sub needs to be purchased separately, a little pricey