The Klipsch RB-51 is a small bookshelf loudspeaker that is built to the same high standards as Klipsch's other Reference Series floor-standing models. We recently had a chance to test and review a pair of these dynamic speakers from the acclaimed manufacturer.

These well-made bookshelf units come in a black wood-grain vinyl finish. The attractive black grills attach via a quartet of magnets, and throughout the review period, we removed and replaced the grills several times without any problems. In fact, we found the magnetic grills to be one of the best loudspeaker design innovations we have encountered in some time, and it is a solution other manufacturers should seriously consider. On the other hand, the RB-51's wire terminals have clear ends, which made it inconvenient to differentiate the negative and positive.

With the grills off, the RB-51 speakers reveal the trademark Klipsch copper-colored woofers and black Tractrix horns. Each cabinet is home to a 5-1/4-inch cerametallic cone woofer with an inverted copper dust cap, as well as a tweeter composed of a 1-inch titanium-diaphragm compression driver mated to a 90-degree by 60-degree square Tractrix Horn. These components produce a frequency response of 50Hz to 23,000Hz, as well as excellent sound quality in general.

In our listening tests, we were impressed by the RB-51's ability to accurately reproduce realistic-sounding strings in both classical string quartets and folk music recordings. Overall, the speakers produced a bright but still sonically pleasing tone when playing rock, jazz and country at typical listening levels. However, in recordings that included large dynamic ranges, especially vocals, the speakers tended to push the highs to the front of the recording, resulting in a lack of warmth.

The RB-51 speakers had no problem filling our listening room, which is comparable in size to most typical living rooms or media rooms. Given their small size, they performed surprisingly well at loud volumes. The rear-firing ports helped to produce adequate bass, but keep in mind that this design means you can't place these speakers in an enclosed cabinet or directly against the wall.

These speakers performed solidly in our review, especially when you consider the price. While we weren't blown away during our listening tests, the RB-51 speakers offer strong build quality, great looks and respectable performance with most music genres. As stereo speakers or the front left and right pair in Klipsch's matching RB-51 Home Theater System, the RB-51 bookshelf speakers offer a high level of quality and a smart value.

The MSRP of $348 is per pair.


Pros: Affordable, great performance for the price
Cons: Horn-loaded tweeter characteristics will not appeal to some ears

Warranty
5 years