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Advice on R-15m as rear channels


DerekBro

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Hi everybody! I’m trying to determine if the R-15m bookshelf speakers (that are 50% off right now!) would be suitable rear channels for my home theater setup. My primary concern is that my receiver may not be powerful enough to drive them along with the other speakers, and that I would potentially damage my speakers.

 

The receiver is an Onkyo TX-NR555. The specs are here: https://www.onkyousa.com/Products/model.php?m=TX-NR555&class=Receiver but I’m having trouble interpreting them when comparing

them with Klipsch specs. This receiver is currently powering the RP-150m bookshelf speakers as the front left/right channels and the RP-250c center channel. I’d like to add the R-15m as the 2 back channels for a true 5.1 experience but I’m not sure if I’d be exceeding recommended wattage for this receiver. Help!

 

I asked for advice last month about how to set up my subwoofer and the advice proved to be super helpful. Thanks in advance to any advice you can give!

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You shouldn't have a problem with driving them at all.  Side surrounds function better with omnipole though - where rear surrounds are better as direct firing.  That's the only reason I ask.  The R-14S or RP-240 (or 250S (timbre matched)) would be better in that position.  

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Just to put it out there...they're still not timbre matched, but at least they still use the titanium tweeters instead of the aluminums the R-15M and R-14S use...I have a pair of RS-3's I am selling right now.  They might work nicer in your setup unless you're looking at the RP-240/250S.

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Thanks guys. I think I'd need to find a way to put these on the side in order to be happy with them. That's one of the reason I've held back on the side surround channels--our living room will need to be reconfigured (again) to make it work. Man, I hadn't even heard about timbre matching--I'm reading about it now. I was wanting to jump on the R-15M's because of the price but maybe I should just hold out for a better match and that will give me time to figure out our room setup. You guys are raining on my parade! ;)

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2 minutes ago, DerekBro said:

Thanks guys. I think I'd need to find a way to put these on the side in order to be happy with them. That's one of the reason I've held back on the side surround channels--our living room will need to be reconfigured (again) to make it work. Man, I hadn't even heard about timbre matching--I'm reading about it now. I was wanting to jump on the R-15M's because of the price but maybe I should just hold out for a better match and that will give me time to figure out our room setup. You guys are raining on my parade! ;)

Haha...no worries buddy.  You'll get there.

 

I don't know what the difference in timbre is between what I have and the RP versions.  They're technically from the same build quality/line, but these are the great-great-great-great-great-great grandfathers. lol

 

Good luck in your search.

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The omnipole are better but, from what I was told, not always suitable depending on the room.  I'm using RB-61 II's for my side surrounds.  My couch is against the back wall so I have no room for rear surrounds and my side surrounds are in the rear corners of the room (at ear level) to be in the 90*-110* placement range so omnipole speakers would be bouncing sound off the rear wall in my case.

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The specs given are disappointingly incomplete, so you can't really know what it will do.  Still you probably will not exceed 20 watts/channel out of the 60-ish it should be able to deliver to all channels at once (80w x 2, 20-20k Hz, @.08%, into 8 ohms).  No worries there.

 

There may be better speakers for side surrounds that diffuse the rear signal. 

 

 

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3 hours ago, JohnA said:

The specs given are disappointingly incomplete, so you can't really know what it will do.  Still you probably will not exceed 20 watts/channel out of the 60-ish it should be able to deliver to all channels at once (80w x 2, 20-20k Hz, @.08%, into 8 ohms).  No worries there.

 

There may be better speakers for side surrounds that diffuse the rear signal. 

 

 

Thank you! I'm thinking it might be better to wait until I'm ready to purchase/mount the RP-240S or the RP-140SA and use them as surround speakers.

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i use a pair now as back surrounds 13ft away.  imo they are surprisingly nice and i see no issues with you blowing them up

 

i also agree with the opinions that the wide dispersion surrounds (double faced speakers) are beyond awesome.

for value go r15m or rb51s

 

for coolest best surround go rp240s or rp250s or rs52ii...they are all excellent

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1 hour ago, RoboKlipsch said:

i use a pair now as back surrounds 13ft away.  imo they are surprisingly nice and i see no issues with you blowing them up

 

i also agree with the opinions that the wide dispersion surrounds (double faced speakers) are beyond awesome.

for value go r15m or rb51s

 

for coolest best surround go rp240s or rp250s or rs52ii...they are all excellent

 

Do you notice any timbre problems using the RP speakers in front and the R15m speakers as surrounds, or do they match well enough in your opinion?

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Timbre matching is more important IMO for the L/C/R as most of the sound comes from there during movies. 

 

Regardless, you've come closer than me with overall timbre matching :)   My Front L/C/R is RF-7II and RC-64II.  My "side surrounds" are completely different, in-ceiling RSL's.  My surround backs are completely different, SVS Ultra bookshelf speakers.  Then my front and rear height are Klipsch CDT-5800II.  I'm quite happy with the sound for movies, even 11 channel stereo sounds good to me when I use it.  No glaring sound disparity, in fact it's not noticeable to me at all in my space.  

 

 

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