Klipsch has done a terrific job over the last twenty or so years in significantly diversifying its overall portfolio and company image. In the old days, Klipsch was all about volume and brute force. Today, it has retained that aspect but also added other facets like lifestyle, architectural and mobile awareness, to make it into a true well-rounded loudspeaker company that speaks to modern customers.

Additional Resources
• Read more bookshelf speaker reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Explore subwoofer options in our Subwoofer Review section.

Need a home theater speaker system with matched designs, drivers, cabinets, etc? Well, Klipsch only has 28 from which to choose (These guys really need to pick up the pace.). Even as the entry-level model amongst all of these offerings, the HDT 300 ($399.99/MSRP) brings a lot of substance to the party. A 5.1 system, the five high-gloss black satellites employ a 2.5-inch IMG (Injection Molded Graphite) woofer and a MicroTractrix Horn-loaded 0.75-inch textile tweeter, within a sealed ABS plastic enclosure measuring 5.5 inches high by 3.6 inches wide (7.5 for the center) by 3.85 inches deep, and weighing 1.5 pounds (2.75 for the center). The subwoofer employs a downward-firing 6.5-inch fiber-composite cone within a Black pica (matte) vinyl-wrapped bass-reflex (rear ported) enclosure measuring 11.8 inches high by 9.9 inches wide by 14.6 inches deep, and weighing 19 pounds. The subwoofer provides controls for volume, low pass crossover and phase, and offers speaker level and line level inputs, but no outputs. The system comes with handy wall brackets (with a 40-degree range of motion), a template and one-quarter/20 inserts for stand mounting, and a cradle base for pivoting the magnetically-shielded center channel up to 45 degrees. The fit and finish of the HDT 300 is impressive, and the brackets and cradle just add to the value. While not particularly heavy, the small satellites convey tremendous quality, with a great finish and build quality. Everything fits right and looks great. The grills pop off easily, the push pin connectors feel as good as can be expected. The woofer, while not exactly designer-like, has a solid feel and its back panel fits into the cabinet crisply, with quality switches and knobs. The flared port and driver fit great, and the feet offer a solid base for the hefty cabinet.

Sound
The HDT 300 sounded crisp and punchy with music tracks, especially those of the rock and electronic variety. The horn-loaded tweeter didn't get too aggressive or edgy, and drew a nice balance with the small woofer driver. Large scale classical tracks were rendered with enough weight to create a good sense of space and overall substance. Vocal and acoustic tracks needed a bit more oomph in the midrange, with vocals especially sounding somewhat shallow and cold. The woofer mostly avoided sounding boomy and slow, keeping up with the rest of the system overall. On movies and games, with the receiver set to Subwoofer On/Small Speakers/max crossover, the HDT 300 sounded very good, with a crisp character that added a lot to intense action scenes. The woofer didn't play particularly low, but had good speed and punch. Dialogue was pretty intelligible, but lacked warmth and body. For such a small system, it was easy to drive, and the sound was pretty big, and, although lacking ultimate refinement, speed and slam, very satisfying overall.

Competition and Comparison
If you want to compare Klipsch's HDT 300 home theater system against other similar systems, read our reviews for Orb Audio's Mod1 home theater system and the Boston Acoustics Classic CS 2310 speaker system.  You can find more information available in our Bookshelf Speaker and Subwoofer sections.

Read the High Points, Low Points and Conclusion on Page 2