Klipsch Quintet III
Manufacturer: Klipsch Part number: QUINTET III
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Klipsch Quintet III speaker system belts out a hugely impressive sound despite the speakers' small size.
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CNET editors' review
Klipsch Quintet III price range: $559.99
- Reviewed by: Steve Guttenberg
- Edited by: David Rudden
- Reviewed on: 05/05/2006
- Released on: 10/01/2005
The good: The ultracompact five-piece Klipsch Quintet III surround speaker system utilizes a horn tweeter that offers great sound and ample volume. Its speakers are fitted with wall/shelf brackets for easy mounting.
The bad: Klipsch doesn't sell extra speakers for expanding to 6.1 or 7.1 surround systems, and you'll need to purchase a matching subwoofer separately. Adjusting the speaker-subwoofer blend can be tricky.
The bottom line: The Klipsch Quintet III speaker system belts out a hugely impressive sound despite the speakers' small size.
The Quintet III includes four 8.3-inch-tall satellites and a 12-inch-wide center-channel speaker. The satellite speakers come premounted on a swiveling metal pedestal base that serves as a wall mount or as a stand for tabletop placement. Each satellite weighs 3.5 pounds, and their construction feels first rate. The matching center speaker isn't pedestal-mounted; you just plop it on or underneath your TV. The speakers' plastic cabinets have a dark-gray finish with medium-gray accents. The optional Sub-10 and Sub-12 subwoofers (sold separately) feature black vinyl finishes with titanium accents that complement the Quintet III both visual and sonically. Curiously, Klipsch doesn't sell extra satellite speakers for buyers with 6.1- or 7.1-channel systems; the Quintet III is sold only as a five-speaker package.
Each magnetically shielded satellite employs a 0.75-inch aluminum diaphragm tweeter fitted to a MicroTractrix Horn that dramatically increases the tweeter's efficiency. That design feature allows the speakers to produce more volume per watt than conventional direct-radiating tweeters. It also controls the tweeter's dispersion, minimizing floor and ceiling reflections so that imaging is sharper and clearer. The 3.5-inch woofer's bass output is enhanced by the satellite's rear port. The center speaker features two 3.5-inch woofers and two ports.
With speakers as small as the Quintets, most manufacturers use inexpensive spring-clip speaker-wire connectors, so we were pleased to see the Quintets sporting burly binding posts. They more securely accept banana jacks, spades, or bare wire connections.
For this review, we used the Klipsch Quintet III with a Sub-12, and while it's a superb subwoofer, we had to invest an hour or so fine-tuning the sound to get the satellite and subwoofer to blend just right. Our Denon AVR-2807's bass management had to be set to a rather high crossover point (150Hz) to minimize the bass gap between the teensy sats and the humongous sub. Positioning the sub within a few feet of the front satellites also helped in that regard. In the end, we were reasonably happy with the matchup, but it wasn't perfect; as we played CDs and DVDs, there were times when the subwoofer or the satellites had too much or too little bass. In those cases, we adjusted the subwoofer volume to sound right with the disc.
It's amazing how big the Klipsch's small satellites sound. They didn't have to strain to belt out at a surprisingly loud volume, and their distortion remained much lower than that of most similarly sized speakers. Their treble has an open quality and clarity that we associate with much larger speakers. The Quintet III even has what it takes to fill large 400- to 500-square-foot rooms with sound.
Impressed with their stamina, we started our auditions with something really big, the King Kong DVD. We felt the heat of the jungle, and when Kong finally appears, his guttural, bellowing growls emerged from the Quintet III's center speaker with startling ferocity. The entire system unfurled an enveloping jungle panorama with remarkable depth. Of course, the Quintet III was ably assisted by a Klipsch Sub-12 subwoofer, which supplied the room-shaking bass. The blend wasn't perfect, and we sometimes wished the satellites fleshed out more middle bass, but it performed well enough to get us caught up in the movie.
The Klipsch Quintet III reproduced the big, pounding drums on the House of Flying Daggers DVD with exceptional clarity and definition. We were again surprised by the Quintet III's ability to disappear as a sound source; its imaging specificity was well above average. We can't think of another comparably sized satellite system that comes close to the Quintet III's abilities.
Listening to CDs in stereo usually reveals shortcomings in pint-size speaker packages, but the Quintet III again surpassed our expectations. Tony Bennett's lush Sings Ellington CD sounded refined, and the spread of the orchestral backing wasn't inhibited by the speakers' stature. On our Barry White CDs, the Quintet III subtracted more than a few pounds from his weighty presence, but we regained some heft by turning up the Sub-12's volume.
We ended our time with the Quintet III with the Led Zeppelin II CD. Switching back and forth between stereo and Dolby Pro Logic II surround, the sound was equally enjoyable. The little speakers' vivid presence seemed to bring out the best from everything we tried. We have no doubt that Klipsch's larger systems, such as the B-2 or the F-1, will produce even more impressive results. But for those who prefer smaller speakers--and aren't averse to investing some time in adjusting their audio system for the best sound--the Klipsch Quintet III speakers will provide remarkably dynamic and pure sound for music and movies.
User reviews
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The best so far...
by Eardison on January 17, 2007
Pros: Compact size, big sound
Cons: No bundled subwoofer
Summary: I’ve owned three other similar speaker packages within the past two years, all big(ger) name brands. The Quintet III system (only when coupled with a sub) definitely out ...
Summary: I’ve owned three other similar speaker packages within the past two years, all big(ger) name brands. The Quintet III system (only when coupled with a sub) definitely out performs them all. When adjusted properly (placement, sub and EQ), you will think you are listening to speakers twice their price and size. Well worth the money. Again, don’t expect these to give you big sound out of the box; you need to purchase a subwoofer. I bought a Yamaha and it fits in fine with the system.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great product. Highly recommend
by wsftlf on December 25, 2006
Pros: Crystal clear sound and compact size
Cons: None so far.
Summary: A quality made, compact speaker set that I couldn't be more happy with. I was considering buying the Bose 3-2-1 system but got these and a Yamaha receiver for ...
Summary: A quality made, compact speaker set that I couldn't be more happy with. I was considering buying the Bose 3-2-1 system but got these and a Yamaha receiver for cheaper and it sounds WAY better.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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For the size, they're amazing
by Nuggits63 on April 28, 2008
Pros: They're small, but, the sound they make isn't
Cons: Due to their size, they don't have the sheer power you'd get from larger speakers
Summary: I have the Quintet III with a Klipsch Synergy Sub-12; and while the sub takes care of the lows very well, the speakers aren't overpowered by it, which is ...
Summary: I have the Quintet III with a Klipsch Synergy Sub-12; and while the sub takes care of the lows very well, the speakers aren't overpowered by it, which is a VERY good thing.
However, you do notice when playing playing music, that the whole warmness in the music isn't 100% there as it would be with larger speakers. However, if you are limited to a smaller speaker size (as I am right now) these speakers do a wonderful job.
But, if you do have room that would allow larger floor standing speakers, by all means, look for those instead. I'd suggest the Klipsch RF-63's or (if you have the budget for) the RF-83's.
But, if you do tweak the settings on your amplifier just right, the Quintet III series do an excellent job by far; and if I could, I'd give these speakers an 8.5 for sound quality, and build quality.
I've owned the speakers a little before Christmas '07 to today (April 28th '08) and after excessive volumes from gunfire from Call of Duty 4 and explosions in movies, they still sound like new.
I highly recommend these speakers if you're in the market for new ones.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Deal
by kinggorman on January 30, 2007
Pros: Great sound, small, cheap, easy to install (wire and hang on wall)
Cons: Center speaker is a little tinny sounding
Summary: These speakers far exceed what I thought I would be receiving for the price I paid a few months ago. They have very good sound for speakers as small as ...
Summary: These speakers far exceed what I thought I would be receiving for the price I paid a few months ago. They have very good sound for speakers as small as they are. I live in an apartment and could not by anything much bigger for fear the sound would end up with me being evicted. I bought a 320 watt Klipsch sub-woofer to go with the speakers and it sounds wonderful.
Setting it up with my yamaha receiver proved to be a bit tricky though. I work in IT and a rather tech-savvy person. It was not difficult for me to set the speakers up, it was just time consuming to get it to the point that the sound was where I wanted it to be.
I decided to set my crossover frequency at 100mHz, after listening for a while at 80mHz, a lot of people thought it to be a bad idea. It worked out rather well though. I like that more bass goes to the powerful subwoofer than otherwise would. It just sounds better.
After hanging the speakers on the wall and running wires to the receiver and calibrating everything, football and hockey are just amazing. I cannot believe how much I was missing in the sound fields that are in HD hockey.
The only gripe I have is with the lack of range provided by the center speaker...it sounds too tinny, it's not as good as the sound from the surrounds.
What I like the most though, is listening to my XM on the speakers. It comes through in crisp, clear, 2-channel stereo that sounds as good as many systems I have heard with much more powerful speakers.
I could not be happier with my purchase.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great quality out of a small package!!
by kdamghani on April 2, 2006
Pros: Beautiful Lifelike sounds out of a small sleek sexy set of speakers.
Cons: None that I can find.
Summary: Hook this set of speakers to the Klipsch 12" subwoofer and feel the movies you watch!! This is a great and powerful set of speakers when hooked up to the ...
Summary: Hook this set of speakers to the Klipsch 12" subwoofer and feel the movies you watch!! This is a great and powerful set of speakers when hooked up to the right reciever to make it all come together.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A phenomenal choice for great sound on a budget!
by jeduan on December 11, 2011
Pros: Room-filling sound with great clarity, texture, and separation. You could spend twice as much or more and not get the quality of sound. FIVE year warranty. Fantastic bang for the buck. What's not to love?
Cons: I chose floor speaker stands for a number of reasons. The speaker stands I got won't accept the heavy gauge wire I used (wire too big to fit through the hollow tube stand). Wish Klipsch made speaker stands to match their products. My only complaint.
Summary: First, you should probably know that I do a lot of research before I purchase anything costing more that a couple hundred bucks. Everything I read about the speakers was ...
Summary: First, you should probably know that I do a lot of research before I purchase anything costing more that a couple hundred bucks. Everything I read about the speakers was extremely positive. Well, Best Buy had them on sale for $275 on Black Friday (2011), so purchased them without having ever listened to them. WOW, what clean, crisp well-defined sound. My home is small, and anything bigger than the Klipsch Quintets would have been way overkill. I popped in a BluRay disk and was wowed by the detail, texture, and sound quality. Of course, you need a subwoofer with the system, so I got a 10 inch Polk Audio sub on sale for $100. For my home and listening preferences, the Polk Audio is more than enough (I don't need to feel like I'm having a heart attack everytime the subwoofer fires off a round). Mated the components to a Yamaha RX-V371 (also purchased on Black Friday). Best Buy had a Panasonic 50" plasma on sale for $600. All told, I got a fantastic bang-for-the-buck system for just over $1700 (got a Panasonic BlueRay to go with the system). As mentioned above, I did my due-diligence on the other items mentioned in this review and am very happy with the other home theater components, too. The only caveat I have is that if you have a large (and I mean LARGE)room, you may want to look at other speakers, but do listen to these before making a decision. In closing fantastic sound and a five year warranty on the speakers. How can you go wrong? Now if they only made floor stands to mate with the speakers.
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Very Nice!!!!!!!!
by deeman54 on October 9, 2009
Pros: they have the capability of hitting very high notes without distortion. It sound like AMC in you living room lol.
Cons: They speaker it self comes with a mounting platform i know for a fact that it starts to wear off and your speaker losses its tention
Summary: Go and get them they are great.
Summary: Go and get them they are great.
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They DO sell extra speakers!!!!
by joe8686 on July 14, 2009
Pros: SEPARATE KLIPSCH QUINTET III 's ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE by calling their parts department at 800-554-7724 x1048 8am-5pm Mon-Fri EDT.
You can also buy a pair from their website. Looks like they just started selling them in pairs.Cons: No matter what, your always going to get bigger sound from a bigger speaker.
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one word WOW!
by psgmolina on September 1, 2008
Pros: Everything, I feel that i am at the movies.
Cons: nothing to mention
Summary: I saw these on sale as Best Buy for under 400 and i went for it. They replaced the HTIB system that i had. I am glad i went with ...
Summary: I saw these on sale as Best Buy for under 400 and i went for it. They replaced the HTIB system that i had. I am glad i went with these.
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Great Speakers
by sndper on May 26, 2008
Pros: Wonderful Sound
Cons: None at all
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Klipsch
- Part number: QUINTET III
- Description: A third generation product, the Quintet III home theater system carries on its popular lineage by remaining the all-time best-selling home theater bundle. It proves that compact dimensions and sophisticated style can coexist with dynamic sound.
General
- Product Type 5.0-channel Home theater speaker system
- Speaker Components 5 speakers
- Dimensions (WxDxH) / Weight Details Satellite speaker : 5 in x 6.3 in x 8.3 in / 3.5 lbs,
Center channel speaker : 12 in x 6 in x 5 in / 5.5 lbs - Enclosure Color Dark gray
Speaker Features
- Speaker Type Passive
- Nominal Output Power (Total) 275 Watt
- Max (RMS) Output Power (Total) 1100 Watt
- Response Bandwidth 120 - 23000 Hz
- Input Impedance 8 Ohm
- Crossover Frequency 2800Hz,
2700Hz - Output Features Bass Reflex
- Magnetic Shield Yes
- Connectivity Technology Wired
- Detachable Grilles Yes
Speaker Details
- Features 4 x Satellite speaker - 2-way - 50 Watt - 120 - 23000 Hz - 8 Ohm - Wired,
1 x Center channel speaker - 2-way - 75 Watt - 125 - 23000 Hz - 8 Ohm - Wired - Driver Details Satellite speaker : 1 x Tweeter driver - 0.75 in - Aluminum - MicroTractrix Horn,
Satellite speaker : 1 x Woofer driver - 3.5 in - Driver Details Center channel speaker : 1 x Tweeter driver - 0.75" - Aluminum - MicroTractrix Horn,
Center channel speaker : 2 x Woofer driver - 3.5" Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Satellite speaker stand
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Klipsch products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Klipsch
- Address:
3502 Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, IN 46268 - Phone: 1-800-554-7724
- Fax: 317-860-9195
