What amplifier does the Klipsch RP-500M need?

Pick a speaker and tell us how loud you listen and how big the room is. We work out the power it actually needs, check which amplifiers can safely drive its impedance, and rank 281 amplifiers against it.

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Passive speakers only — a powered speaker already has its amplifier inside.
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Klipsch RP-500M
Klipsch RP-500M
Bookshelf
93 dB · 8 ohm
$579 a pair
Full specs →
Power needed
3.8–60 W
per channel, into 8 ohms

To hit 95 dB peaks at 3 m from a pair of Klipsch RP-500M, you need at least 3.8 W a channel. Anything from about 7.5 W to 60 W a channel is comfortable; past that, more watts stop buying you anything.

Power is not your constraint. The Klipsch RP-500M is efficient enough that essentially any amplifier we list will drive it at this level. Choose on inputs, streaming, phono stage and price instead — and if you like valve amplifiers, this is a speaker that suits them.
Show the working
  • 95 dB target at the seat
  • +4.8 dB for 3.0 m of distance
  • -3 dB for a stereo pair
  • -91.0 dB effective sensitivity
  • 2 dB allowed for optimistic published sensitivity
  • Published sensitivity 93 dB, used as 91.0 dB per watt.

WiiM Amp Pro with the Klipsch RP-500M

Excellent match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Full WiiM Amp Pro specs · Clear this amp
 
$90 $25,000

223 integrated amplifiers suit the Klipsch RP-500M

Also show the 1 we do not recommend
1
OSD Nero Stream XD2
OSD Nero Stream XD2
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $400
Excellent match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
2
WiiM Amp Pro
WiiM Amp Pro
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $379
Excellent match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
3
Yamaha WXA-50
Yamaha WXA-50
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 55 W into 8 ohms · $599
Excellent match
12 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (55 W to 105 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
4
Eversolo Play
Eversolo Play
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $699
Excellent match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 110 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
5
WiiM Amp
WiiM Amp
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $299
Excellent match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
6
SVS Prime SoundBase
SVS Prime SoundBase
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 75 W into 8 ohms · $699
Excellent match
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
7
Emotiva BasX TA1
Emotiva BasX TA1
Stereo Receiver · Class A/B · 60 W into 8 ohms · $499
Good match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (60 W to 100 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
8
WiiM Vibelink
WiiM Vibelink
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $299
Excellent match
14 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 3 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.
9
PS Audio Sprout100
PS Audio Sprout100
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 50 W into 8 ohms · $799
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (50 W to 100 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
10
Sonos Amp
Sonos Amp
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 125 W into 8 ohms · $699
Workable with care
15 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it. Well above the 75 W the maker rates the speaker for, so keep an eye on the volume knob.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
11
Arcam A5
Arcam A5
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 50 W into 8 ohms · $699
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (50 W to 75 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
12
Onkyo Muse Y-40
Onkyo Muse Y-40
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 75 W into 8 ohms · $1,000
Excellent match
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
13
Marantz Stereo 70s
Marantz Stereo 70s
Stereo Receiver · Class A/B · 75 W into 8 ohms · $1,000
Excellent match
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
14
AudioControl Rialto 600
AudioControl Rialto 600
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $899
Excellent match
14 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
15
AudioControl Bijou 600
AudioControl Bijou 600
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $899
Excellent match
14 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
16
Yamaha A-S501
Yamaha A-S501
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 85 W into 8 ohms · $550
Good match
14 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
17
Rotel A10 MKII
Rotel A10 MKII
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 50 W into 8 ohms · $599
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 8 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
18
ELAC DS-A101-G
ELAC DS-A101-G
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 40 W into 8 ohms · $850
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (40 W to 80 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
19
Denon PMA-600NE
Denon PMA-600NE
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 45 W into 8 ohms · $499
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
20
OSD Nero Stream ARC
OSD Nero Stream ARC
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 50 W into 8 ohms · $199
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (50 W to 100 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Sensible value pick against these speakers.

Showing the best 20 of 223. Narrow it with the price range below, or a different budget split.

57 power amplifiers that would also drive them

Listed separately because they are not a complete system: a power amplifier has no volume control and no inputs to speak of, so you need a preamplifier or a streaming preamp as well. Worth it if you already own one, or if you want to buy the two halves separately.

1
Cambridge Audio MXW70
Cambridge Audio MXW70
Power Amplifier · Class D · 70 W into 8 ohms · $599
Good match
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with an 8 ohm speaker.
Power rises usefully into 4 ohms (70 W to 125 W).
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
2
FiiO EA13
FiiO EA13
Power Amplifier · Class A · 28 W into 8 ohms · $770
Excellent match
9 dB of headroom - enough, but at the modest end for this speaker, which takes up to 60 W.
Has a 8 ohm tap, which is exactly what this 8 ohm speaker wants. Taps: 4 / 8 ohm.
A valve amplifier makes the same power on each tap, so what matters is sensitivity - and at 91.0 dB this speaker is efficient enough that 28 W is comfortable.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
3
PrimaLuna EVO 400 Power
PrimaLuna EVO 400 Power
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 70 W into 8 ohms · $5,995
Good match
13 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Has a 8 ohm tap, which is exactly what this 8 ohm speaker wants. Taps: 4 / 8 / 16 ohm.
A valve amplifier makes the same power on each tap, so what matters is sensitivity - and at 91.0 dB this speaker is efficient enough that 70 W is comfortable.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
4
Rogue Audio Stereo 100
Rogue Audio Stereo 100
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $4,195
Good match
14 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Has a 8 ohm tap, which is exactly what this 8 ohm speaker wants. Taps: 4 / 8 ohm.
A valve amplifier makes the same power on each tap, so what matters is sensitivity - and at 91.0 dB this speaker is efficient enough that 100 W is comfortable.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
5
Naim NAP 250
Naim NAP 250
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $8,999
Good match
14 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 190 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
6
Schiit Vidar 2F
Schiit Vidar 2F
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $799
Workable with care
14 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
This amplifier does not publish a minimum impedance. An 8 ohm speaker is a safe bet even so.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
7
PrimaLuna EVO 200 Power
PrimaLuna EVO 200 Power
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 44 W into 8 ohms · $3,795
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Has a 8 ohm tap, which is exactly what this 8 ohm speaker wants. Taps: 4 / 8 / 16 ohm.
A valve amplifier makes the same power on each tap, so what matters is sensitivity - and at 91.0 dB this speaker is efficient enough that 44 W is comfortable.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
8
PrimaLuna EVO 300 Power
PrimaLuna EVO 300 Power
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 44 W into 8 ohms · $4,695
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Has a 8 ohm tap, which is exactly what this 8 ohm speaker wants. Taps: 4 / 8 / 16 ohm.
A valve amplifier makes the same power on each tap, so what matters is sensitivity - and at 91.0 dB this speaker is efficient enough that 44 W is comfortable.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
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Sensitivity and impedance figures are the manufacturer's own. We read sensitivity as dB at 2.83 V/1 m and take 2 dB off it, because published figures run high. Treat the result as a well-founded starting point, not a measurement. Full Klipsch RP-500M specs.