Klipsch RP-500PM – Reference Premiere, now powered

Reference Premiere has been a passive line since day one: you brought your own amplifier. The RP-500PM changes that. A matched amplifier per driver sits inside each cabinet, so a turntable, a TV and a phone are the whole system.

Key Features

• Axial Tractrix horn tweeter: New high-density BMC horn, flush-mounted to the baffle for a wider off-axis sweet spot.
• 5.25 in Cerametallic woofer: A stiff ceramic-coated cone keeps bass tight instead of woolly in a compact cabinet.
• An amplifier per driver: Each amp is matched to the driver it feeds, so there is no receiver and no speaker cable run.
• Built-in phono stage: A turntable plugs straight in, without a separate preamp in the chain.
• HDMI ARC: One cable to the TV, and the TV remote takes over the volume.
• Subwoofer output: A dedicated line out for when the 5.25 in woofer runs out of room.

Customer Benefits

The practical gain is box count. A Reference Premiere system used to mean speakers, an integrated amp or receiver, a phono stage and the cabling to join them. Here it is a pair of speakers, a power lead and whatever source you already own. The connection list is deliberately broad — HDMI ARC for the TV, phono for the deck, USB-C for the laptop, Bluetooth 5.3 for everything else — so the same pair can carry a living room or a desk without a rethink.

Quick Specs

• Configuration: Two-way powered monitors, sold per pair
• Tweeter: High-density axial Tractrix horn (BMC), flush-mounted
• Woofer: 5.25 in (133 mm) Cerametallic
• Amplification: Built-in, matched to each driver
• Inputs: HDMI ARC, USB-C, optical, RCA line, phono, 3.5 mm aux, Bluetooth 5.3
• Output: Subwoofer out
• Control: IR remote (volume, play/pause, input) and Klipsch Connect app
• Finish: Ebony, textured wood grain with a floating cloth grille

Ideal For

• TV sound without a soundbar
• A turntable and a shelf
• A desk that should sound like a stereo

Compatibility

Compatible with: TVs over HDMI ARC, turntables via the built-in phono input, computers over USB-C, phones over Bluetooth 5.3, and Klipsch KS-28 speaker stands.

Pros & Cons

• ✅ Reference Premiere horn and Cerametallic woofer without buying an amplifier
• ✅ Input list covers TV, turntable, laptop and phone in one box
• ✅ Subwoofer output keeps the low end upgradeable

• ⚠️ A 5.25 in woofer in a bookshelf cabinet — real depth wants the sub output
• ⚠️ Klipsch has not published amplifier power, frequency response or weight figures
• ⚠️ One finish only (Ebony), where the passive RP models also offer walnut

Powered speakers usually ask you to trade the horn for the convenience. The RP-500PM does not: it is the Reference Premiere cabinet with the electronics moved inside.