Klipsch R-15PM Powered Monitor (Pair) (Open Box)

**UPDATE - 3 years post-purchase - Still very happy with these speakers. Have now run them in two different homes with different electrical, and have never noticed any sort of hum or noise. Primarily using USB input for the most part, but have tested the RCA stereo input & have used BT occasionally. The R-15PMs, and an R-112SW sub, have been plugged into a new gaming desktop/monitor I got in April and frankly this is my favorite setup for gaming & listening to music without headphones. The sub does a nice job of rounding out a bottom end that would otherwise be lacking. Was initially hesitant to get powered speakers based on horror stories about powered speakers' propensity to make noise and distortion when playing loud, but I really didn't have anyplace to locate an amp or receiver. FWIW, I've had these cranked up very loud in a bedroom sized room I used as a dedicated office (2 desks w/chairs, a large rug covering the floor, and some wall art, 8' ceiling) and never noticed any distortion when playing music. Generally speaking, I use them at much lower volume levels but still loud enough that anyone trying to get my attention or speak to me would have to raise their voice or shout to be heard over the music or gaming action. **Original Review - Summer 2021 For the money, I'm really happy with the clarity and power of these speakers paired with a Klipsch R-12SW subwoofer in my home office. I spent much of last year chasing the perfect headphone/amp/DAC setup and ended up with some nice gear. Nonetheless, I really missed having decent speakers in the one room where I'm presently spending 80% of my life. The R-15PMs were ideal because I didn't want to deal with a receiver, and can instead feed them from my PC directly via USB. I purchased these speakers fully planning to connect them with a Klipsch 12" subwoofer that I already owned as I opted to upgrade my home theater to a 15" sub. Given that they're small bookshelf sized speakers, the R-15PMs do not provide a full range sound on their own - no surprise there. But with the subwoofer they sound fantastic to my ears. Bonus: the finish on the R-12SW is the same brushed satin as the R-15PMs. Others have noted that the R-15PM's 24bit/96khz built-in DAC is lacking, but I can't say that I've noticed. Thus far I've been listening to some rock and lots and lots of EDM, including tracks that I've listened to on various headphones many, many times. In a critical listening test, I fully expect headphones to provide flatter frequency response and more detail, but conversely they lack the feeling & impact that loudspeakers provide. And I don't feel like the sound is lacking, at least not with any of the source material played thus far. I should also note that I haven't bothered trying any of the other inputs - using USB from PC exclusively - so I can't comment on how well they work. For $250 I'm super happy with these powered speakers. Oh, two things I want to note: (1) My speakers shipped from Crutchfield, and while they're clearly marked as Klipsch R-15PMs on the back panel, they do not have a power switch as shown in all the R-15PM documentation/literature I've been able to find. The back panel looks like the one from the newer R-51PM. Not sure why as these are not remanufactured and the discounted price vis a vis the R-51PM suggests Klipsch isn't making them any longer. The speakers power off when I hibernate or turn off my PC and the remote has a power switch as well, so this isn't a big deal for me, but may be for someone else. (2) And speaking of the remote, it's not like the one in the photos. The remote is fine, such as it is, except for one glaring omission - there are no controls to advance tracks or go backwards: you can adjust volume up and down, you can trim the subwoofer output, you can reset the subwoofer level, pick other audio sources, mute, and pause/play tracks, but you cannot advance or go back. I find this to be kind of annoying since I have these speakers set up on a desk opposite my work desk, and I had planned to use the remote to skip or replay tracks. My solution was to spend another $18 on Amazon to get a knock-off Klipsch-style remote like the one shown in the photos - it arrives today, and hopefully it works as expected.

After disappointing trials of 2 well reviewed speakers from another manufacturer (rhymes with “Shedifier”), on the advice of friends I decided to give the Klipsch R-15PM a try. They do not disappoint! Out of the box I noticed these are definitely NOT desktop speakers, as they measure in at 12 1/2” high x 7” wide x 8” deep. Great on a bookshelf, but significantly larger than other speakers I tried. The trademark copper woofers and boxed tweeters look cool, although they lack the screw details of some of the more expensive models. Build quality seems average. The exterior finish looks kind of cheap, and some of the connectors don’t line up perfectly in their openings in the back. You also have to stick on the supplied rubber feet yourself. Not really a high-end unboxing experience. It’s obvious to me that Klipsch put the money in the speaker cones and circuitry, and the exterior appearance was lower priority at this price. Also they’ve ditched the speaker covers completely, so even if you wanted to cover the cool cones, you can’t. One primary driver of this purchase was the potential of ditching my dying receiver but still being able to use my prized 80’s Sony linear-tracking turntable. Set-up was relatively trouble-free. The R-15PMs have a built-in switchable preamp, so you don’t have to buy a separate one if your turntable needs it. If your turntable is already amplified or if you want to use a separate preamp, no worries, there is a “line” switch at the back of the speaker that disables the built-in amp. I plugged in an old subwoofer (straight RCA connector) to enhance the bass. I did have a little trouble with the initial Bluetooth connection, but after about 4 tries it’s working reliably. Some reviewers complained about the volume level resetting after the speakers shut off. This isn’t a problem for me, and honestly I didn’t even notice it. I guess if you’re far away from your music source that could be irritating. I adjust the volume at my device or using the remote with no issues. Sound is impressive for the kind of music I listen to (mostly rock and jazz). Highs are crisp and definition is great. Bass is clear and not muddy. Keep in mind these are only 5” woofers so if you want to rock the house with earth-shaking bass you’ll need to look for something bigger. I had to turn up my sub to 7/10 to even hear it, which is fine for my needs, but I think the lack of additional amplification from the receiver affects the subwoofer performance. But I’m by no means an audio expert. Although these speakers are made in China, Klipsch is an American company that’s been around a long time and has a good reputation. I like the idea of supporting an American company. Terms like “reference” and “studio monitor” are bandied about these days, but these affordable units really fit the bill. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find better speakers with these features without spending a LOT more. Looking forward to using these speakers often and hoping they will get even sweeter after a good break-in period. Pros: 1. Great sound! Tremendous, sharp highs and decent bass. (A subwoofer is recommended) 2. Turntable ready- really! No preamp required, which saves at least around $20, making the Klipsch an even better value. 3. They look cool with the signature copper woofers 4. Subwoofer input (standard RCA which is a plus) Cons: 1. No bass/treble controls (not a big deal) 2. Build quality is a little lacking. The quality obviously went into the internals. 3. Bluetooth connectivity is a little fiddly, but reliable once it’s connected 4. No covers (nice to have, but they hide the cool cones), DIY rubber feet 5. Lacks some of the latest digital connectivity; not WiFi compatible. Not a deal-breaker for me. 6. Remote has limited functions (and it’s NOT the one pictured!)

I'm coming from a bose cinemate gs ii, a polk audio 5.1 setup before that (towers and all), a stereo pair of sonos play 1's, and a sonos play 5. My review will be in comparison to those setups. I needed a sound system for my home gym, which is 14.5x18 feet. I tried the play 5 in there and it was decent, but the room has a lot of echo and I wasn't impressed with the muddy sound. I started looking at soundbar sub combos. After reading all of the 3 star reviews, and knowing what a 3" driver was limited to, I decided against the soundbar... the last thing I wanted was tinny or hollow sound for a workout. I need some serious punch with my workouts. I found the edifier 2000's and was impressed by the reviews. I had never heard of the brand, though they are supposedly a top brand in China and have glowing reviews. One drawback... no dedicated subwoofer out. Apparently you can use a sub thar has a built in crossover, which my polk psw450 does, but I'm not very technical with this stuff. Even at double the price of the edifier, I decided on these. I couldn't find of there was a speaker wire included... and in case you're wondering, there is... it is truly a plug and play system. On to performance... I was a little nervous that so many people were using these as a computer system. I could remember back to my old altec Lansing speakers and sub... which was decent for an apartment, but certainly not what I was looking for. I was worried that my 12" 450 might be overkill for a pair of computer speakers. Boy was I wrong. These are NOT computer speakers! In fact, I would say having them at a computer desk would be massive overkill lol. These things put out some serious volume, and I'm pretty sure I haven't taken them to their end range. I can't speak to the bass yet because I have only had them for today, and I couldn't bring myself to unplug my sub to test them. I will update my review if I ever get around to it. Honestly, though, I worked out for an extra hour because I didn't want to leave the room. I was that impressed. It could be from so many years of only having the bose cinemate gs ii (thanks to my woman making me dismantle my "unsightly" 5.1 setup lol), but I think most will be very impressed with these speakers. I haven't watched any movies or tv shows yet so I can't speak to their ability to separate voice from mids... I will update my review when I do. I did experience a problem. My sub was making a horrendous robotic noise, like a loud scraping rattling sound. It only happened a couple of times, but was very unsettling. This was earlier in the day. After some brief research, I changed the settings of my sub... turned down the volume to half, turned down the frequency to roughly 60hz on the dial, and flipped the phase to 180° After over 2 hours of loud playback, the problem was solved, and the bass was plenty enough for me. I really like my base. Music played... marilyn manson, prodigy, five finger death punch, epic music, and all of it sounded in your face, and incredible with zero distortion. I also played some "corazon" by Arno Elias, and it was beautiful with excellent separation. "Think" by Kaleida (john wick soundtrack) had an excellent mix of highs, mids, and some really smooth base. It sounded great. I'm sitting here in my living room almost dreading turning on a show with my bose lol. I have attached a couple pictures to show my very preliminary setup, aND give an iDea of the room size. The listening height is wrong, the speakers are right next to each other... and it still filled the room and sounded brilliant. I can't imagine what that room will sound like once I get these wall mounted across from each other pointing inward! I gotta say, for the price of some of these soundbar sub combos... a pair of these and a 10" sub is the way to go. I can't imagine a soundbar would come even close. No question these would be enough for any living room/dining room/kitchen open floorplan.

I like the speakers but, as the remote was scratched up and already had the batteries in them, this was not a brand new box of speakers.

USB: I RMA'd my pair of speakers because the USB port was not working. The Klipsch representative told me that this has been common with these speakers. My symptoms were that when I plugged the speakers into any of my computer's USB 2.0 ports, I got an error from windows 10 saying that the USB device had malfunctioned. Klipsch asked that I try two different USB cables, I did so, and then they had me mail my speakers back and they mailed me a new pair. The new pair gave me the same error in my two of my computer's USB 2.0 ports, that the USB device had malfunctioned. I can't honestly say I remember whether or not I tried this with the original pair I received from Amazon, but I tried plugging them into a USB 3.0 port, and they worked! When plugged into USB 3.0, Windows immediately set up the speakers as my primary listening device. I encountered a similar issue with Windows 10 and my new phone, a Huawei Mate 10 Pro with a USB C port. The phone came with a USB C to USB 2.0 cable (I am assuming it is USB 2.0 because it does not have the extra 5 connectors inside the plug that you would find on a USB 3.0 or 3.1 connector). When I plug my phone into a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port on my computer, windows 10 gives me exactly the same error, claiming that the USB device malfunctioned. The only way I can sync this phone with my computer is by plugging it into my computer's one and only USB 3.1 port, or my computer's USB C port with a USB C to C cable. It is as if windows replaced the old "This device can perform faster" from Windows XP with a failure message and the complete disabling of the connected device. Who knows, hopefully Windows will fix this soon! Bluetooth: You have to either hold in the Bluetooth button on the remote or hold in the volume knob while already in the Bluetooth input to get the speakers to enter discoverable mode. The blue light blinks at a medium rate when you turn it on and choose the Bluetooth input, and this means it is not connected and is NOT in discoverable/discovery mode. When you hold in the Bluetooth button on the remote or hold in the volume knob, the blue light will start to flash faster, and when it is flashing at a faster rate, it is in discovery mode! Also, you may read in other reviews that you will need to reconnect to these speakers each time you want to listen to music. This was true for my iPhone 6S+, but now I have a Huawei Mate 10 Pro which has Bluetooth 4.2, and this phone will automatically connect to these speakers as soon as they are powered on, and they actually remain connected to the speakers if they are turned on but not set to the Bluetooth input. I absolutely love the sound quality of these speakers, both vocal and low frequency reproduction is stunning. I often find myself confused that there is not a subwoofer in the room. The tweeters have incredible voice reproduction. If you listen to Money by Pink Floyd, the saxophone and the coin sounds come through beautifully. I think that song is one of the best that you can use to judge the accuracy of speakers, as everyone has heard coins falling, and a lot of people have heard saxophones in person.

I did a ton of research into bookshelf speakers to go with my wife's turntable and just to be overall good speakers before settling on these, and I was not disappointed! These speakers arrived in a box with the Klipsch logo proudly printed on the outside, as well as the phrase "Keepers of the sound." I could not be more pleased with how Klipsch backed up that tagline, because the sound from these are crisp, clear, and clean. I tried them first by themselves, and even then, I was blown away by the balance of clean highs and powerful lows. Since then, I have added a subwoofer, but trust me- you'll do just fine without one. To start, the build quality is fantastic, and the speakers look gorgeous. The copper colored cone is bold but not overbearing, and the matte black box is subtle and understated. The LED is inconspicuous, and changes color depending on the input selected. It can also be turned off with the remote. Setup is, to use a trite phrase, a breeze. Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) you need is included, although the ease of using Bluetooth almost makes the other connections redundant. But it is so nice to have all those other options, because as I mentioned, I bought this to use with my wife's turntable, which requires a phono input. These perform wonderfully and I can't imagine using anything else. everything is plug and play, and they can be wireless as well. Bluetooth pairing is a snap. As easy as using any other Bluetooth speakers. The remote is kinda small, but honestly, it's perfect. It has all the buttons you ever need, with power, volume (including a separate control for sub woofer gain if you have one hooked up like I do), buttons for all the different inputs (no more scrolling through them-just one button push!) pause/play, back/forward buttons, and even a button that controls the LED on the speaker (if you're like me and sometimes want them on at night without the light). In summary, these speakers are exactly what I wanted and you will be getting value for every cent you spend on them. I have had them for almost a year now and I still fall in love with the sound quality every time I use them. It elevates your music listening experience and makes it joy to put on your favorite track. It's like listening to it for the first time again. Thanks Klipsch!

HAD THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED BUYING NEW SPEAKERS. THOUGHT THESE WERE THE ANSWER. WERE CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR THE FAMILY; OPENED ON DEC 23RD SO COULD PLAY CAROLS THRU THE HOLIDAYS. HAD BOUGHT TO PLAY WITH THE MOVIES ON TV THAT ALSO HAD BEEN SPECIALLY PICKED OUT FOR THE HOLIDAYS. ONLY TO FIND, WHILE THE SPEAKERS DID HOOK UP TO THE COMPUTER AND PLAY, NO CONNECTION WORKED ON THE TV. TALKED WITH AMAZON'S TECHNICAL STAFF WHO CONCLUDED THE SPEAKERS WERE FAULTY AND WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO SEND A PRE PAID SHIPPING RETURN LABEL FOR REFUND. HOWEVER, THE DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE FAMILY COULD NOT BE REPLACED. WE WERE ALL SO DISAPPOINTED. WILL NEVER BUY THIS BRAND AGAIN; IT WAS THE FIRST TIME AND WE WERE PLANNING ON BUYING THE SUBWOOFER NEXT MONTH. GUESS WILL NEED TO JUST GO BACK AND RESEARCH SOME MORE, BUT DEFINITELY EXCLUDE ANY KLIPSCH BRAND ITEMS. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO QUALITY CONTROL TESTING? AMAZON'S RETURN/REFUND POLICY FOR DEFECTIVE ITEMS IS GREAT AND MADE THIS WHOLE UGLY DEAL WITH THE SPEAKERS SOME WHAT BETTER TO ACCEPT. THANK YOU, AMAZON UPDATE DEC 24, 2017: ONE DAY LATER AND THE COMPUTER HOOK UP HAS COMPLETELY FAILED. THEREFORE, NO CONNECTION IS WORKING MULTIPLE TEST RUNS WERE PERFORMED ON THESE SPEAKERS INCLUDING A GOOD NEIGHBOR THAT HAULED OVER HIS TV AND SPEAKERS. THESE KLIPSCH SPEAKERS DID NOT WORK ON HIS TV, EITHER. WHILE HIS SPEAKERS DID WORK ON MY TV, PROVING IT WAS NOT MY TV AT ERROR. BUYERS BEWARE: IF YOU DECIDE TO BUY THESE, BUY ONLY DIRECTLY FROM KLIPSCH AS KLIPSCH DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE WARRANTY IF BOUGHT FROM UNAUTHORIZED SOURCES, SUCH AS HERE ON AMAZON. AMAZON DOES REFUND YOUR MONEY THO FOR DEFECTIVE SPEAKERS.

Let me preface with the statement "I've owned other music systems". Large component systems, phono ready, high quality systems. Each component chosen for a particular quality or ability. The last one was about 13 years ago and then gave the system and vinyl up for the more portable and user friendly MP3 format. Earbuds and costly Bluetooth speakers, tiny and thin sounding computer speakers. This summer I decided as my life had become more rooted I would collect vinyl lp's again. Enter these klipsch powered monitors. I hadn't had the highest expectations. I figured these would be great to start with as they have a phono in, an integrated amplifier on board and would handle my respectable digital file collection. I could get these, a new turntable and begin collecting and listening to albums. I figured they would sound good, great even but probably not like the speakers used to treat like deity. Upgrade later. Right? Good enough. Right?...I'm blown away. I've only yet played high quality digital files as I haven't settled on a phonograph yet but I'm simply blown away. I remember the sound of high end, audiophile grade stereo equipment. I remember getting really big, very clear sound from my entire wall of stereo gear. I get the very same experiences from these lovely klipsch speakers; from digital files. Aretha sounds like she's in the room, the Pistols, Rollins band and Green Day hit like I'm the very focus and of all that angst and anger and I just discovered this morning there are parts of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody I've missed altogether. Certain higher frequency atmospheric sounds I was completely ignorant of. Aretha's Chain of fools raises goose bumps. Lady soul grabs you and won't let go. I could go into numbers but others have and they're better at it than I am but I can say the sound I've gotten from these is stunning. I will probably still upgrade to the rack type systems I had such fondness for as my wife has found a love for sound in these speakers but doesn't want to muck about with turntables and switches. I will find myself with a wall of sound with another high end amplifier and whatnot but the speakers will probably always be klipsch as I'm am that impressed with these. They are a gateway drug to the audiophile.

Klipsch R-15PM Powered Monitor - Black (Pair)Great, while they worked... Bottom line - buzz from left speaker only 2 months into owning, makes listening difficult as occurs between 2,500 and 4,000 Hz from left channel (passive) speaker. No crazy concert level dbl going on here, so not sure why they would fail so fast...but think the driver has blown. Past my return (1mo) and service question time-period with Huppins - hope they contact me to work through solution. Anyway, here's my review: Before failure, I would rate sound quality at 6.5/10 - but given price, appearance, plethora of inputs, easily a 9/10 for value. Bought these for a stereo solution for my LG C7 65" Oled on walnut console with SVS SB13-Ultra subwoofer. Did not want to do another full setup with amp and receiver/preamp and a million remotes, so compared various power monitor like speakers - lead pick was KEF LS50 wireless, but these were roughly 1/10th the cost for similar colored cherry wood. I own Yamaha HS-8s (and previously Rockit monitors) for sound production which both blow these away in terms of accuracy and bass, but the only include 1/4" inputs and no real way for volume control. Nevertheless, monitors are a great solution and I predict will become more and more prevalent given their accuracy with made-for-cabinet/speaker amplifier solution from manufacturer. Not a soundbar fan... Anyway, given my record with monitors, the great price, and the fact that my history with Klipsch products has been solid, I went ahead with these. Price: Bought cherry color to match decor, great price, retail is $500, but can find for roughly half this. Amazing deal for what the solution these speakers represent. Klipsch does make some other options that are a bit more in price but come with more power (the sixes, floor standing monitors, reference models), however for the price, I thought these would work for my TV setup in the living room. Design: Moderately good to excellent wood color and finish on the cherry wood enclosure. No grille so orange/bronze driver will be exposed. Can turn off the status light, will auto turn-on/come off standby when TV comes on and input detected; not sure what happens with RCAs. Usability: Comes with credit card size mini remote to control volume, subwoofer level, inputs, play/track forward and back for bluetooth sources, and LED light. Glad they put individual inputs on the remote so one doesn't have to cycle through inputs. Also nice is a subwoofer reset that allows one to easily return to mid-level as no indicator for where sub level it turned to on the speaker/remote. As for day to day, quickly learned my appleTV remote for volume and now just use that. Remote sits in drawer so as to not get lost. With my TV, unable to change volume through the optical, so I use the appleTV remote to change volume, previously was using remote. Some TVs may let you use TV remote which would easily make these a 10/10. Bluetooth sources can obviously be volume adjusted in app - for instance, use Spotify on iPhone to blue tooth and can change volume on phone/source once level is set on speakers. Setup: Very good input selection. RCA, phono, 3.5mm mini jack line level, USB (see specs for D/a conversion capacity). Also with knob for volume on back. Subwoofer out as well. Pretty coarse subwoofer levels, but functional. Use your subwoofer for cut-off frequency. I experimented with 80Hz, but getting better performance with 63 on SVS with these. 40 leaves a gap in sound. Do yourself a favor an buy banana plug wiring for the passive speaker, the wiring that comes with this setup is bare, thin cable. Sound: Excellent highs per usual with Klipsch. Mid ranges are bloated and between 3000-8000 Hz they are not exceptionally clear. Reasonable low level punch. Could do without a subwoofer for most TV listening, but if you already own a sub, easy to connect. Plus, if you're used to that extra sound, you will want to add a good sub. Low level sound is clear in the highs, and the lack of superb clarity in the midrange - despite it being over projected with these speakers. Compared to live demos of the LS50 wireless and previously owned LS50 passives with Marantz SR7002, these have the characteristic sense that there is a blanket in front of them while playing sound. Definitely not deal breaker though given price and ease of connectivity to TV and multiple other sources. Sound better than any speaker I've heard sub $400. My motion 15s, used for surround in theater sound completely different in character, but I would say equal in terms of quality (finish on the motions is superior, as are magnetic grilles which I think some folks will find fault with in these klipsch speakers). However, the 15s require wiring, power from an amp, preamp, etc so not a fair price comparison. Overall value: If you've got a turntable that you want to power, or if you are looking for a soundbar competitor for your TV, these handsome, versatile speakers are very good sounding, especially given their price. Sound is outstanding for sub $500 speakers and while I haven't compared with their other options that feature more power, these will fill your room with high-quality sound. Now for the obvious...failed speaker. Have only had one other speaker fail in my life - Rockit 5 after roughly 8 years. Believe blown driver in the passive channel or faulty wiring - clearly unacceptable especially given these are designed in toto. The amp should not be able to blow a driver in a monitor and the wiring should be robust internally. Regardless, will work with supplier and Klipsch on replacement as the buzz from left channel at mid ranges clearly represents a defect. Will update rating commensurate with any and all solutions I find with Huppins and Klipsch, but hope this has helped with your consideration of this product!

I luv the sound from these speakers. I have always liked Klipsch products. I have a Klipsch Home Theater system in my family room. These replaced a 4 year old Klipsch Pro-Media 2.1 system, that I outgrew. I had to replace the driver in the woofer three times. I found myself listening to music more and more on my Mac and less and less on my home theater. Next to my new system, the Pro Media system is a toy. I tried the R-14PM first, but the ones I received had a bad negative terminal on the main speaker, and the sound was a little bright, so I returned them and got the R-15PM. These are paired with the Klipsch R-10SW subwoofer for a 2.1 system. The R-15B is not as bright as the smaller speaker. They sound GREAT IMO and blend very well with the sub. The soundstage is full and bright in my office. The mids are full and the highs are bright and clear. The reason for the downgrade, is that this speaker has, what I consider to be a serious deficiency. They power off when not in use, and they forget the volume they were at when powered back on. When powered back on, they are at their lowest volume. What makes this a frustrating issue, is that there is no visible indication of what the volume setting is. I called Klipsch and was told there is no way to turn this "feature" off. I inquired about the new replacement speaker, the R-51PM, and was told that they too behave the same way. EDIT - I've now had these speakers for 90 days, and I'm still very happy with them. However, I had them coupled with a Monster Aux Cable. DON'T BUY THIS CABLE. It's junk. Very flimsy, and failed at 90 days, first the right than both channels. I have since replaced it with a cable from another supplier, much cheaper and superior and heavier construction. While waiting for the new cable, I used a digital signal using USB. In my opinion the DAC in my Mac Pro is better then the one in the Klipsch speakers. When Using USB, the speakers didn't forget the volume like the do with the analog signal. But, when using a source with intermittent sound like normal computer alerts or a game, the sound is choppy and goes in and out. Usually out. When play something with steady sound like music, the sound is fine.