I'm 70 and still use my vintage 2-channel audio system for music and tv/movies. My JBL L-100s will rock the house and I just prefer the sound stage they produce. If buying today I'd probably opt for a powered stereo pair like the Klipsch. Hopefully, someone will offer grill options. A Burnt Orange like my JBL's would be perfect.

Though I am admittedly not a huge fan of powered speakers in concept, I still think they are a marvel. My pair of Edifier r1280db (~$120, powered speakers with 2 RCA inputs and BT) serve surprisingly well on a desktop when aimed at the ear. Imaging is very precise.

I love these active/passive comparison. Thank you!

Love that Julian Cope Autogeddon era trilogy of albums. No one I know have heard them and you never hear them on the radio. Good to see

I have the Fives and it blows away my Sonos Beam with a Sonos Sub. The app has helped tame the bass. I may pickup the Sevens for a basement system. I’ve only heard good things about them.

This reminds me of a Sopranos scene where Pauly goes into a fancy coffee shop and asks "you got any JUST COFFEE ?"

Happy to know these speakers have surpassed your expectations 😊

I love that you compared the RP-600mii with The Sevens. Superb.

Great review! Really loved the “set it and forget it” simplicity of the 7s

I just bought them, combined with the Klipsch R-121SW subwoofer, it's Awesome!!

Hi John, further to my comments below, I just wanted to say thanks for your efforts with your HiFi reviews. Lazy me finally took the time to read the links below regarding your website, KZfaq production & comments, etc. Well reasoned and loved the dry wit :-). Clearly, you are seeking to be as unbiased as possible and also fair and reasoned in your approach. This style of reporting I appreciate as I make my way through the quagmire that is HiFi and especially high-end HiFi. What I can say in a resounding manner, is that your channel has been very helpful on my HiFi journey and I look forward to seeing more of your reviews. Whilst long hours to produce the content, I am sure that, for the most part, you must be having a lot of fun doing something that you enjoy and is as much a hobby as it is a workstyle for you. Also, happy to buy you lunch or dinner when I get to Berlin.....or if you get down to Melbourne Australia.........hoping you might be able to squeeze this into your 70+hr week.......LOL. Now to have a look at your Patreon page :-) Cheers Tony

Seems I’m not alone in my summer sickness! You sound like I feel mate… thanks for soldiering through on a great review! 🙏🙏🙏

I love the preaching about avoiding soundbars. Future video idea: how to get good stereo sound out of movies and TV shows mixed for surround with dialogue on the center channel.

The feedback re. all-in-one speakers being a great starting point for newcomers to audio is spot on.

I was sold on this premise, Bought the sevens and was wowed. However they failed a little after a week of use. There's a whole stream of people on reddit with similar issues with shipped defective firmware. The easy solution I paid a premium for never eventuated. Ive learned to wipe and reflash the updated software. I'm still having issues, they're no longer a paperweight but seem to be getting hot and HDMI ARC will not work for the duration of a movie. This simplicity was my primary reason for purchase . I'm so disappointed with the sevens and am angry that Klipsch has shipped so many defective units, per the number of reddit reviews. The vendor is ghosting me and Klipsch have offered there dealer will repair them but no longer trust the product after reading the others experience of failures within first year. Just do your research, I wish I bought the separates as when they're not silent they sound amazing. Hoping to get a refund and will gladly get the RP-600 even after receiving the not fit for purpose sevens. Be warned not a one off issue.

I swear the intro was “Funkytown”

I’ve had my Sevens since March. They rock! I went with the Black Walnut since I hated the creme grill cover of the Walnut. Where as on the Fives I loved the Walnut with the pepper grilles. Anyways I run my Sevens daily thru an ASUS M16 laptop connected via Audioquest Carbon USB. Utilizing Tidal. I just recently bumped down to the standard Hifi Family plan instead of the Hifi Plus until Tidal decides to drop MQA. I added the AQ USB cable because I run a Dell D3100 USB Hub and wanted to ensure the 1&0s are going to my speaker un-impeded. Plus I like the look and feel of the cable. The build quality on my set is great on my left speaker and just good on my primary (right) speaker. I can run my finger down the bottom of the cones to the woofer on my left speaker and it’s all a smooth transition. On the other hand my right speaker the cone is inset about a single centimeter and it is not flush with the nice aluminum plaque above the woofer. A tad frustrating but never the less both veneers are pristine with no chips at the corners like my Fives had. Thru my laptop I run Dolby Atmos to utilize the 10-band EQ. I had to change my EQ setting in May either because my ears changed or the speakers broke in. I want to add a subwoofer soon too. Holding out though to see if SVS drops their prices or a dealer like Crutchfield has a sale.

I got my dad, and one of my friends to buy The Fives over a soundbar for their uses and they are honestly so good! I would absolutely love The Sevens. But my passive RP-8000F-PB are my daily drivers for years to come!!

I have just bought this week and it is absolutely wonderful

I heard the 600s today in my system. At $480-$600/pair they will be the speaker I suggest people buy. At $1,500 I look at others like the KEF Meta.

OOOOOOOOH! Love that cork!

They look amazing

Great review, with plenty of information and a great attitude toward Audio gear and the hobby. Thank you Darko! I do have a question...It's a One-word answer with no follow-up questions allowed: - Optional: The Klipsch Sevens or Neines? (That is if you've had any time with the Neines) - The Klipsch Sevens/Neines or LS 50 II? On a personal level, As an Oldtimer Audiophile & Music listener/Hobbyist, I am very excited about the new generation of Active Speakers and the All-in-one systems. Technology has solved many of the issues brought forth by having too many functions in a single box, hence the old gravitation towards separates (My own old/current setup). However, many of the new all-in-one systems have superior power distribution capabilities along with simply having efficient electronics and architecture making them sound as good as separates. The new generation of active speakers paired with Class A/B or D/G/H, sound amazing! The engineers matched the best setup and released it. I really see no reason to go back to separates again. Thank you, Darko. Cheers Antoni

Would be nice if Klipsch made heritage line passive bookshelves.

Great review John. I am a bit of a Klipsch fanboy (I use Klipsch Palladium P-37F floor-standing speakers, and love them). A fair and well-balanced review and really enjoyed that you went to the extra effort to compare with an "equivalent" Klipsch passive setup using the Reference series. Really enjoyed your review as I generally do with many of your reviews. BTW, looking forward to your Auralic Altair G1.1 review as this is the DAC/Streamer that I am considering. Currently, I use a Lindemann Limetree Network II. Cheers Tony

I love my Meridian active speakers. No cables, amps to deal with. Just hit power on the remote and off you go 😊

Great review! You sounded a little under the weather. If you are, hope that you have a speedy recovery!

Thank you sir for this video

I don't understand why companies don't design an input box and then send the signal to the speakers instead of having one of the speakers handle all the connections. They still use the umbilical chord anyway, so why not make it more convenient for users... don't get it. Just a rant, they do look very nice though, and seem a reasonable option.

Usually, the night mode is about reducing the dynamic range so that the loud passage wouldn't be too loud and the quiet passage wouldn't be becoming indistinct.

What a fantastic review! Thank you very much for that, everything is clear after watching this. Great job!

I have enjoyed the Fives for a couple of years now it never disappoint me everyday I long to listen to it Unexhaustedly, now I feel I have to upgrade for a much bigger output like the Sevens or the Nines.

One other reason why separates can pull ahead is that they are non dependent when some element in the chain fails. when active speakers malfunction, you're left with nothing (no amp, no dac, no features, no speakers) with separates it's easier to replace just an element and keep listening to music. this is also true if you want to change something particular to your sound, upgrade, or just having different options.

With active speakers and apps, you can change the sound almost as far as you like. How can I be sure what I hear is the most honest sound the speaker can produce..? HiFi is getting complicated these days.. hehe! 😍

Teasing the Eversolo Streamer. Looking forward to that one 🙂

I ordered Black/Charcoal grilles from Klipsch for my Klipsch Nines because I didn't care for the cream color either. Cost about $40 US through their wonderful customer service. Incredible speakers and a great review.

yep, we are all horrified by the cream coloured grills, what were they thinking? However, I had a super quick listen to the Nines in a store here in NZ, astonishing, I have not heard such an incredible speaker in years! I listened to Aja - Steely, my go to, the speakers beg you to keep turning em up, and when you do, they never get muddled. Fun fun fun

Around 12:00 I can hear why I would go with the 600 passives because although I listen to plenty of electronic music not unlike Four Tet, my benchmark is still rock/metal music, voice, electric guitar, sax, snares, cymbals, etc. That said, my current HECO Aurora 300s serve the same role as The Sevens with their low frequency range. The 600M ii combined with a sealed subwoofer seems like the upgrade for me right now. Ah, but maybe I am WRONG about this too! Those metal and rock recordings are often untamed/messy! BTW, thanks for the WiiM Pro recommendation, which has a graphic EQ -unlike Blusound product. I wish Bandcamp and Soundcloud were added to products like this as they are often sources for music discovery.

I would surmise just from observation, the horns on the 7's have wider dispersion, whereas the RP600's have that deeper narrower inner cone that concentrates the highs in a tighter sweet spot thus the brighter some say harsher sound. imho

I am an old fart with a range of Klipsch speakers and have been thinking about modernisation of my sound requirements. Thanks to you it sounds so complex, I feel I will stick to pure analogue , grin and bear it.

Future Joust - The Trail Oh, you really got me with thi one. Great vid, great music. Thank you....

I like the blonde grills, but I suppose it all depends on one's decor.

Great review and insight. I would LOVE to read/hear your opinion of the JBL 4329Ps.....a pricey powered speaker with a throw-back look...I wanna hear them....my two bits. Cheers

A sub added to my fives completely opened them up. I don't recall your video of them showing that. Just a thought. Love your videos

The cream grill covers are way better looking than the others.... hands down.

Not sure if I’d be keen with “app” control. 10 years from now, that so-called app may not even be supported. Firmware updates are a chore. Gotta keep it simple…

I think a more interesting comparison would be the $150 Fosi ZA3 and 600m (both for $500) vs the Sevens. The ZA3 is MORE than enough clean power for it. Maybe $24 for an ARC capable HDMI audio extractor and you'd be set for basic sound performance. Seven kills it on features but sound would be a toss up. It's amazing how close you can get for such little money.

I'm going for the 7 hands down 😊😊

Honestly I just bought the kef lsx 2 and I want these now

Thanks John.

Stellar review John! Love these active speaker reviews! Have you considered reviewing any of Argon audios active speakers? Would love to hear your take on the Argon audio Forte A5 MK2

I have the RP-15PMs and the wireless R-10SWI sub as my living room / tv speakers. I really like the combo, and the subwoofer allows for great bass when you want it. I saw a review (Steve Guttenberg maybe?) where he suggested tipping the speaker angels inward past where you normally would aim them toward specific listening position to create a larger sweet spot. As you say, these powered speakers are mostly better than a soundbar if you also listen to music regularly.

Totally agree with your soundbar opinion. Tested several ones (B&O Beosound Stage and Sennheiser Ambeo) for my tv-setup. But as a music lover and audiophile I bought two Dynaudio Evoke 10's instead which sounds amazing with music, movies and concerts using BS Node N130 (via HDMI) and Hegel H95 amp. And good WAF too...😉!

I was told that active speakers are those that have a dedicated amp in each speaker. Powered speakers have the amp in one speaker and the other speaker is passive.

Sounds to me like I'd like a tube preamp on the Klipsch's for better overall balance, and prefer that choice

Ironically was just at a store looking at the 600m's as I've been debating between them or the seven's (I want a 2.1 setup for the living room tv). This may have convinced me on the seven's. Great review!

Nice Video! Really good job! Would you chose the KEF LS50 Wireless II or The Sevens? I am looking for a pair of active speakers.

Bro I’ve been watching you for a long time through different accounts you do such a good job man!, thanks keeps me involved in the ever expanding AV world

I recently bought the sevens. I face problem with customised EQ settings. Every time I switch on the speakers, the app shows the custom EQ are saved but infact the sound coming from speakers is Flat. I need move EQ up/dowm little bit to remind speakers to give sound thats aligned with custome EQ.. does anyone face similar problem ?

Question here in you use case, using the Wiim for streaming over wifi rather than the Sevens' built-in Bluetooth, is there a notable difference and advantage in using the Wiim verse the Bluetooth? Thanks!

Very nice ,thank you 💙

Great review, thanks!

In The Sevens' and Nines Klipsch seem to be concentrating on stereo home theatre usage. Klipsch call them powered speakers which normally would mean the secondary speaker is passive and the electronics do not include an active cross over. These do not scale up to a six or eight channel system. They have Bluetooth but lack both wi-fi and Ethernet connections. Meanwhile Klipsch are pulling back on their WiSA home theatre system. I had some difficulty getting an Axiim Link the WiSA transmitter that Klipsch supplied for their wireless speakers.

Don't do this to me, I just got The Fives a few months ago.

How about the nines?

PS: got TV audio with volume control : TV is connected to dac via USB (yes it works) no need for hdmi arc. Bluetooth works as well...

Looking forward to any thought you have on the new Aphex 12”. Best wishes.

Ok for a cheap speaker system. I just heard and saw the Linn system recently, and basically saw how a high quality, and high end system is correctly configured. The amps are isolated, not stuck in a speaker box. The signal connection was through LAN cable. No Roon or other fad type programs necessary. But it was a model for most people including myself. An all out very expensive system.

The odd thing to me, is how the primary speaker deals with the loss of interior volume of the speaker cabinet; because of the 4 amplifiers, and their power supplies, along with the DSP hardware. The profiles of the tweeter horns/waveguide of the two Klipsch speakers - are different. Perhaps this is the difference in the treble balance? Or, the DSP is doing the crossover / driver level matching differently?

Thanks for comparing passive speakers to active like you have done several times. I remember Kef Reference to KiiThree. I would be interested to know how usual it is among this community to listen to music with your eyes closed. Since Mr Darko often mention the looks of the gear and I need to close my eyes to get into the groove of my music I wonder about this.

I, for the life of me, can’t understand the obsession in the industry with tethered smart speakers. Powered speakers are the future of hifi predominantly because of their digital crossovers and house tuned and spec’d amplification, but is it really such a dealbreaker to use a centralized hub for housing the eARC, digital and analog inputs, network connectivity, subwoofer integration, DSP, volume control, and room correction? That’s a lot of stuff that can be removed from inside one of the boxes. There’s no way that 2 completely asymmetrical speakers have the same performance, and putting all those connections and features on one box, and then having to tether it all the way over to the slave speaker, just seems kind of dumb. Maybe powered speakers with digital crossovers should be driven by a module with a lot of similarities to the upcoming NAD M66.

Great review

which would you recommend for 70% Music 30% Movies, RP500M II or the Sevens?

Hey Darko !!! JUST FOR FUN, What about (Passive vs Active vs Portable), how about a review of two JBL Partybox 110 in Stereo Mode to see what that brings to the mix, with the added benefit of portability, and the hardcore audiophiles would of course listen with party lights turned off. Thanks for all the Great reviews.

Sevens or kef lsx 2? 50/50 music vs tv

Wish the five got update in looks like the seven R-40Pm and R-50Pm. Love how big the horn is on them.

I would love to see the same but with the nines.

Do I spy a pair of Zu DXW at the 3:20 mark of the video? Great video as always.

Curious about putting electrical all in one cabinet. Weight, volume and wire length must affect sonic balance. I miss the old Paradigm A2s where you could choose your own DAC and each speaker was self contained and worked great in mono too. My KEF LSXs would benefit from a better DAC to. So far the integrated DASs I’ve tried aren’t very transparent.

While I agree that these speakers might make a great option for someone shopping for a sound bar, I am not sure I would recommend them to newbies in general. For some, sure. But, once you go to powered speakers, why would you then ever experiment with passive? As in photography, if it's good to start off, learning all of the manual controls and settings instead of putting everything on auto. In terms of active speakers, I'm more interested in the Buchardt options. But yeah, that's probably not where most newcomers would start.

KLIPSCH rb81mkii, n. 2 aiyima a07 to bi-amp them, wiim mini, 200euros smsl dac with volume, tidal hifi = cheap audio heaven for me. Terrific sound, transparency and punch. You should try...

WIIM pro will soon get a parametric equalizer.

Hi, thank for this review. What has happened to your voice ? Edit : Please forget my voice remark, I listened directly from my iPad instead of my TV as I usually did ! 😳

Brilliant video

If I wanted room correction, I couldn't really work with the Sevens or Powernode, right?

Any recommendations for smallish speakers that can sit dead close the a back wall? For a small 5x3.5m room?

I really enjoy your take on “Future-Fi” and I purchased some KEF LS50 Wireless speakers based on your review, of course I bought them a few months before the Wireless II came out. I’ve also enjoyed the Klipsch The Fives with a sub in my office. I’ve moved and am looking to buy the best speakers I’ve ever owned, Montana EPS, back from the friend I sold them to next spring. In preparation for this buyback I’m selling the KEFs and The Fives and I’m buying a Lyngdorf 1120 and some Klipsch RP 600M IIs and using them with the Klipsch sub I already have. The RP 600M IIs will be a temporary speaker, but I’m looking forward to having a “Future-Fi” system with Room Perfect and not have the unsightly mess of cables plugging into one speaker. Thanks for all you do for the Hi-Fi community and all the great reviews over the years! Cheers!

On a completely different topic… can you share where you got your sound dampening panels? Thx!

Are you going to do a stand alone 600mii review?? Please do!

I just purchased the Samsung QN800C TV and looking for a great home theater speaker system that won’t kill me on install. I am advised by one vender to pair the TV with Sonos Arc and the Sonos ERAS 300s. Another Vender recommend the Samsung - Q-series 11.1.4 ch. Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar + Rear Speakers w/ Q-Symphony. Both of these have Dolby Atmos. Then he took me in the back and let me listen to a pair of these Klipsch. I was shocked at the sound from them. I’m curious for movies and music do you think it’s better to go with a full system like these first two options or the sevens. I don’t want to have to retire the house if possible. The tv is going over a fireplace. The sevens sounded so good I’m still thinking about them. Do you think I would be missing out by purchasing the sevens and only having sound from 2 directions?

My living room is only 20 m² (4m x 5m), and which one is the best choice between Klipsch the Sevens and the Nines?

Great review, albeit from memory how would the active compared to Buchart A500 units. Was that a ever solo A6, next to the Thorens turntable?😎🎵🎵

Dear John, I own a Mojo2 ( I listen to Qobuz through my iPad ) and am wondering if plugging it to the sevens rcas , the “sound” of this lovely DAC will be unchanged … since it seems the analog signals are converted into digital signal… I own Dynaidio emit M20 and a recapped Sansui AU517 which works very well but am curious about active speakers….. thanks for your videos ! Alex from France

I agree with the sound bar quote for music, I have a Bose 500 sound bar, great for tv & movies, but for music I use a pair of JVC XS D629BM Active speakers (for now) but I love the sound and the Stereo separation, they were only £80…. Dont knock em… not for that money… and a length of QED 79, between them does the job great..i was looking at the Fives.. but put off by the reviews… but These Sevens sound promising

Thank you for this tremendous review. I was myself contemplating the purchase of either The Sevens or the passive RP600Mii ones. Question -- Would you think a different amplifier, like the Rotel A11 (or A14) change your view of the RP600Mii's? In other words, how much would an amplifier help bring the 600's closer to what you likes about the Seven's? Will greatly appreciate your thoughts. Thank you for all your hard work doing these reviews, hopping between 2 countries

All of these speaker reviews can be so contradictory especially when the reviewers are supposed to be way more knowledgeable than me🤔. Some other reviewers say the Sevens are terrible after listening to the NiNES, and vise versa🙄

I went through a few speakers a while back and ended up with the fives as a daily driver, music, voice conversations you name it. But if this bloke thinks they are rubbish then the sevens might blow my simpleton self out of the water.

Class D NAD C3050 with Dirac or Class AB Audiolab 7000A for the Wharfedale Evo 4.4 floor standers. Any recommendations?

That usb port service port is mounted at an angle...Shame!

So Sevens vs Svs Prime Wireless Pro with or without a sub?