RP-504C Center Channel Speaker (Ebony)

Edit 4/30...One thing I have noticed and did not mention, is the massive width of this speaker really helps for anyone not sitting centered in the sweet spot. The RP500 C I had before was actually very good when right in the sweet spot, but off axis to either side it quickly got worse. Of course sitting in the sweet spot of this 504C is the best but it's still very good to either side. Although I did not try the 600C, this is why I think this 504C is easily better than that one as well. There also may be some break in happening since it keeps sounding a bit better each day since I've gotten this. The Walnut still on sale for under 400 is a steal, I'd highly recommend getting this before it's no longer available or if the price goes up (the 504C ii is over twice as much at 800). Amazing speaker! Surprised how the Ebony version is $250 higher, I'm glad I like Walnut better. It matches my RP8000F towers (also walnut) & the sound blends in perfectly. The only negative thing about this is also why it's so great - it is HUGE. So very tough to fit in a shelf/entertainment center. I actually had gotten the RP500C before this, because it was the largest RP center that would fit in the shelf I had for it. I had my TV on top of the shelf. The option of putting the TV on top of this speaker came to me after having the 500C almost a month, so barely in the return window. Klipsch told me this was OK, I called their support not sure if this would be safe. They said they have gotten this same question from many other customers, and their Engineering dept looked into it & advised anything under 75 lbs can sit on top. I added furniture feet glider pads under the speaker's corners, and also put some of these under the TV stand. I also found out there are other Klipsch owners doing the same thing with no issues. If this is something you'd consider just be sure it isn't larger than the stand it sits on top of. Mine isn't that large and is barely bigger than this speaker. Dialogue is better with the 4 woofers & tweeter horn. Klipsch actually had this as a 2.5 way speaker with two different crossovers, one for the outer 2 woofers and one for the inner two. This helps improve the overall sound, not just the dialogue. In addition to the RP8000F towers, my system includes RP 500M rears, RP 500SA Atmos, & an SVS SB3000 sub. My Yamaha Aventage A28 is powering this center along with the rear & Atmos surrounds. Outlaw 2220 monoblock amps are powering the RP8000Fs. If my AVR had more than 2 preouts, I would have added one more Outlaw for this RP504C. But it sounds great as is, with the towers not being powered by my AVR it has more watts to go around. I also cross the 504C over to my SVS sub at 80 hz. Low bass is the biggest watt eater so the Yamaha sounds perfectly sufficient. This speaker along with Klipsch speakers in general is also very efficient with sensitivity in the 90s, helping make it easier to drive. I have heard numerous times the Klipsch sensitivity numbers are 6 db inflated. They measure in room vs anechoic, which is how every other speaker manufacturer measures that. So this being listed at 96 db is really about 90. Still very efficient, as 90 or above is considered good. I highly recommend this speaker for your center channel. Even if you don't have the Reference Premier series, if it's a Klipsch speaker this could still work well in your mix. The center channel & subwoofer are the 2 most important speakers for home theater - the others are primarily ambient background effects. So my suggestion is don't skimp on the center channel - in the Klipsch RP series this is the biggest & best. Only negative is it took two shipments for this. The 1st had a massive gash in the front. Fortunately the 2nd one was perfect.

I recently added the Klipsch RP-504C Center Channel Speaker (Ebony) to my home theater setup, pairing it with the Klipsch Reference Premier Floorstanding Speakers, rear speakers, and subwoofer. I couldn’t be more pleased with how this center channel complements my system—it really takes the sound performance to the next level! The RP-504C is well-balanced and delivers crystal-clear dialogue, which is exactly what I needed for a premium home theater experience. The midrange is rich and full, and the high frequencies are bright and detailed without being too harsh. Whether it’s watching movies, listening to music, or playing games, this speaker delivers excellent clarity and depth, making it an essential part of my setup. Klipsch’s Reference Premier series is their high-end offering, and you can really tell with this speaker. The cabinet is made of high-quality materials that look and feel like furniture-grade wood—heavy and durable. It’s definitely built to last and adds a touch of elegance to my home theater room. That said, this speaker is large, so make sure you have enough space for it. It requires a substantial amount of room, so it’s not ideal for smaller areas. But if you have the space to accommodate it, this speaker will deliver outstanding sound quality and be a great focal point in your setup. Overall, I’m extremely happy with my purchase. The Klipsch RP-504C is an exceptional center channel speaker that pairs perfectly with my other Klipsch components, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade their home theater system. If you have the space, this speaker is definitely worth it!

What a difference this center channel makes. I considered the 504C II but went with the 504C for a few reasons. First, price, it’s considerably cheaper. Second, the reviews seemed to suggest the performance was comparable. Finally, most importantly, the size. Check your measurements as these are large center channels. The 504C II is significantly larger than the 504C. I had to purchase a new tv stand to mount to my tv to raise it up to fit this 504C on my entertainment stand. Well worth it. The 504C sounds incredible. The dialog clarity is so much better than my original Klipsch soundbar setup. I highly recommend the RP-504C.

Fantastic speaker in every way. Larger than expected but the sound quality is amazing.

In December 2023, I made a significant leap in my audio experience by upgrading from a soundbar to a Klipsch 5.2.2 Reference system for $1,500. This was my first home theater setup, and it included R-26FA towers, R-12SW subwoofers, an R-52C center channel, R-41M bookshelf speakers, and a Denon S970H 7.2 receiver. After spending time on AV forums and home theater subreddits, I learned that the center channel is often considered the most crucial speaker for dialogue clarity. However, I found dialogue hard to understand during high-intensity scenes, which led me to upgrade the center channel. I decided to return the R-52C and go for the higher-end RP-504C, which I found on sale for just $150 more. When the 504C arrived, its size caught me off guard, it was massive compared to the 52C! To accommodate it, I mounted my TV on the wall, and I’m glad I did. The setup looks incredible, with the TV and neatly routed cables through the drywall adding a clean and professional finish. The RP-504C turned out to be a complete game-changer. Dialogue is now crystal clear, and its performance during movies and gaming on my PS5 and Series X has brought an entirely new level of immersion. Every movie scene and gaming session puts a huge smile on my face! This year I’m upgrading the R-26FA towers to the RP-8000 II, along with the RP-500SA II and RP-600M II speakers. Patience is key in this hobby, it’s all about waiting for the right deals, which typically pop up in November and December. For my setup, I’ve configured all speakers to 80Hz and the subs to LFE 120Hz. This configuration strikes a perfect balance, delivering both clarity and powerful sound across the board.

This awesome speaker has been transformational in how we watch and listen to anything on the TV. We can better hear everything coming from our good TV's so much better now.

Bought this speaker to complement my R-28F main speakers and replace my old RP-250C center speaker. My main issue with the RP-250C was lack of clarity and muffled, lost speech - even at 3dB higher levels than the main speakers. What I liked about it was its compact size and quality workmanship - but movie dialogs would often totally get lost in the mix. I've had the 504C for several days and watched quite a bit of content with it. Here's what I have to say so far: * I realized my old center speaker was sounding thin compared to my big speakers (what did I know!?). The RP-504C is now much beefier-sounding, in line with the bigger cone woofers in the main speakers. Better bass. The sound in the room is now much more consistent from one speaker to another. * Clarity is a notch better, but the improvement is incremental. Nothing groundbreaking, unfortunately. Thankfully, I got this one on sale for $380, so I don't feel too bad about it. * The 504C is WAY bigger and heavier than I thought and takes a huge chunk of my space under the TV. I had to move my TV to the wall to free up some space for the speaker. * If you really want the best and clearest possible dialog sound, you have to get the RC-64 III. The RC-64 III wins massively in every department based on what I've seen and heard. Except for price - which is more than 5 times higher than that of 504C. * Great craftsmanship. Beautiful materials. Based on all that, if you have the space and find this speaker on sale, I'd recommend it. Despite the incremental progress in clarity over a smaller RP speaker, it's still one of the best decently priced center channel speakers I've heard.

This is a very high profile center channel speaker. The crisp sound of dialogue and center presence is unbelievable making movie watching a real pleasure. Paired with a set of Klipsch RF-280F reference premiere main speakers is the real deal. It’s like having a real band in my living room. Lows are not as pronounced as I expected seeing the massive size of these furniture grade speakers but the sub is really designed for sonic lows. As a reference speaker, if the material calls for subtle lows, the speaker delivers as it was intended with no added bass. Speech is really pronounced overpowering the main speakers as it is supposed to when listening to movies. Music is the opposite whereas the main speakers dominate the center channel very noticeably as they were intended. These however fill the hollow gap between left and right channels so stereo sound is not coming from extreme left and right but instead from a panoramic left to right presence. This effect was AWESOME! The sound is EVERYWHERE simulating a real live event. VERY IMPORTANT...these are like horizontal tower speakers!!! This is a HUGE speaker and very few cabinets and stands support this massive weight and size. MEASURE YOUR PLACEMENT CAREFULLY. After lots of research, I finally found a tempered glass TV stand that supports this size speaker perfectly, so much so that I thought it was designed for this speaker. Amazon sells the AVF SDC1140-A three tier stand as you can see from my photo. The piano-grade cabinet is high-end and too nice to risk damaging it by placing a TV or any component on it. The stand I recommend should compensate for this risk.