Klipsch R-41SA Speakers Review: Great For Dolby Atmos
Klipsch R-41SA Speakers Review: Great For Dolby Atmos
The Klipsch R-41SA speakers deliver clear and realistic sound effects from above thanks to their compatibility with object based sound formats like Dolby Atmos & DTS:X. These speakers are also easy to set up, and can be used as modules on your front speakers or wall mounted.
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What Is Object Based Sound?
As great as traditional surround sound might be, it can sometimes be limited due to the speakers being on a single level plane.
That means the sound they propagate would only travel horizontally.
Should you sit too far above or below that point, the illusion of surround sound can be lost.
Object based surround sound, if installed correctly, can provide a bubble of sound around you; with audible effects from above.
To put it simply, object based sound tracks individual objects in the sound mix to replicate each one separately.
This can provide a much more realistic and believable bexperience overall.
The two most common object based sound formats are Dolby Atmos & DTS-X.
They usually require the usage of ceiling speakers, or in the case of the Klipsch R-41SA, speaker modules that reflect the sound off the ceiling and towards the listener to give the illusion of sounds coming from above.
Features
Exclusive Tractrix horn technology
Utilizing Klipsch’s exclusive horn tweeter technology, experience extremely clear and lifelike fidelity elevating your movie watching experience to incredible new levels.
Linear Travel Suspension
Built in linear travel suspension helps to minimize distortion for better sound quality even at higher volumes.
Kapton Tweeters
At the heart of the Klipsch Tractrix horn technology are the tweeters made of the unique material Kapton.
This is a lightweight yet rigid material that helps the tweeters produce a more accurate sound quality while being more efficient in their delivery.
Injection Molded Graphite Woofers
Injection molded graphite goofers (img) provide rigidity and flexibility allowing the driver to have a lower frequency response in turn providing for richer sound and incredibly low distortion.
Reinforced MDF Construction
A reinforced MDF wood construction reduces cabinet resonance, allowing the sound to be that much more accurate.
Low Profile Magnetic Grille
A removable low profile magnetic grille gives the speaker a more streamlined and aesthetic look
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Specs
The specs are as follows:
4 inch copper spun woofer
1 inch aluminum tweeter
90×90° square Tractrix Horn
50 Watt RMS & 100 Watt Peak
Dimensions – 13 x 5.75 x 7.5 inches
Weight – 6.75 pounds
How To Set Up & Use The Klipsch R-41SA Speakers
There’s 2 ways to setup these speakers, laying them flat atop your front speakers, or using them as elevation speakers.
They don’t come with wire in the box though, so here’s the kind that I use.
Anyways, if used as surround height speakers, you can mount them on the wall via the handy keyhole slot on the back.
Also important to note that if you’re using them as height speakers for a Dolby Atmos configuration, they should be placed directly above your speakers since that’ll help provide a more immersive sound.
It’s also possible to add additional pairs to the side and behind you, but I’d recommend starting with placing them upfront first (this is if you’re mounting them on the wall)
Alternatively, if you’re using them as modules and not wall mounting them, simply place them on top of your front speakers with with the logo facing you.
Besides that it’s just a matter of stripping some speaker wire and connecting it into the back of the speaker.
Here’s how to do that if you need a reminder.
For the purposes of this review, I tried both configurations to see how they’d sound which we’ll get into.
Klipsch R-41SA Sound Quality When Used As Elevation Speakers
As elevation speakers, in typical Klipsch fashion, they performed exceptionally with how they sounded.
When watching Atmos content, it was immediately clear to me how much of a difference these height speakers made.
It’s hard to describe in words, but there was just an extra degree of realism that made watching content so much more enjoyable.
From articulate sounds like glass breaking, to more dramatic effects like aircrafts flying overhead, these speakers do a terrific job with making you feel like you’re actually there.
What stood out to me in particular about these speakers though was just how detailed they manage to get.
When I used them as height speakers, I noticed they had an incredible attention to detail when dealing with the audio mix in movies without sounding too bright.
Every detail was produced to an impressive degree, and there were certain instances where I questioned whether it was the movie or the speaker making a specific sound.
Again it’s hard to describe how awesome Atmos content sounds with these without trying it yourself, but they did a great job to put it simply.
Klipsch R-41SA Sound Quality When Laid Flat
When I used them as modules (placing them on the front speakers and reflecting the sound that way) they still sounded great, but not as good as when placed on the wall in my opinion.
The perception of sound effects happening above was still there, but it didn’t have the same precision in special effects like when they were wall mounted.
Obviously it was still way better than not having them at all, but when comparing them to being wall mounted, it’s something I couldn’t help but notice.
It still did a good job with reproducing the Atmos effect, and their fidelity was still really clear. It just sounded more diffuse I would say; like the sense of directionality was lessened.
If wall mounting isn’t possible in your particular case, I still personally think they’re an awesome choice because what they were still able to accomplish when used as sound modules added a lot to the experience.
They made a big difference when it came to immersion — and it’s for that particular reason that I wholeheartedly recommend them.
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Unboxing & Appearance
When I opened the box, it was immediately apparent that the contents inside were well protected since there was a styrofoam covering layered on top of the speakers.
As for what you get in the box, there’s a user manual, warranty information, and the speakers themselves.
There’s no wiring included so that’s something you’ll need in order to use them.
Here’s the one I use.
When taking the speaker out of the box though, the first thing I noticed was their unique shape.
Unlike a typical speaker, these are sloped since they’re designed to either sit atop the front speakers, or be mounted upwards and used as height surround speakers.
The outside is made out of a textured black wood grain that looked and felt premium with 4 rubber feet on the bottom for better grip.
On the front of the grille towards the top is a shimmery Dolby Atmos branding, and located towards the bottom is the classic Klipsch insignia.
With the grille removed, what was immediately noticeable was the beautiful copper woofer that Klipsch is so well known for — and its tractrix horn tweeter that helps with bringing out higher end sounds.
Also, due to their smaller size, if you decide to place them on top of your front speakers, they won’t take up additional space elsewhere, making them that much more convenient.
Overall, they’re beautiful speakers, and look even better in person in my opinion.
Likes
- Great sound quality
- Adds substantially to the movie experience
- Attractive look
- Easy to set up
- Not large
Dislikes
Had to slightly adjust the volume in the receiver to hear them adequately
Final Thoughts
That’s about it for this Klipsch R-41SA review.
In short, they’re great Atmos speakers that are simple to setup, and do a great job with adding an extra degree of dimensionality to surround sound effects in a home theater.
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About Me
Jay
Hey everyone it’s nice to meet you. I'm Jay, writer & founder of the site Easy Home Theater. I've been with this hobby of home entertainment for many years now. I decided to create this site to be a helpful resource, and share everything that I've learned from personal experience with you. I also happen to be a huge gamer, lover of all things tech related, and a major fitness buff (love weightlifting)
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