Klipsch Ties Into DTV Transition
Unveils Recession-Priced Bundles
By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 1/23/2009
Indianapolis — Klipsch will use the digital TV transition as a way to promote the need for high-definition sound that matches a high-definition picture, and it will launch a trio of its lowest-priced 5.1-speaker packages to leverage raised awareness in a weak economy.
“We plan to do a consumer email marketing campaign surrounding this topic, and we are starting to put ‘A High-Def Picture Demands High-Def Sound’ logo on our boxes,” a spokeswoman said. The company has also created a special landing page on its Web site that features a countdown to the digital TV transition. Consumers who click on “learn more” are directed to a page dedicated to the benefits of 5.1 sound.
Klipsch believes it might be the only audio-specialty supplier using the digital transition to promote home-theater audio.
“As we position ourselves as the authority on 5.1 sound,” the spokeswoman said, “Klipsch is addressing the weakening economy by launching three HD Theater packages, which will sell at price points that are among the lowest in company history.” The $899-suggested HD Theater 1000, $599-suggested HD Theater 500 and $399 HD Theater 300 will launch in February, March and April, respectively. The systems, which feature five speakers and a powered subwoofer. will be available through Klipsch’s authorized mass and specialty dealers. Information about the three HD Theater systems will be added to the web site soon, she noted.
The brand’s lowest-priced speaker package currently on the market is the Quintet III, a five-speaker package that with recommended separately-sold subwoofer retails for a suggested $949.
Consumers must be educated to understand the role of high-performance audio in the entertainment experience before spending their entire home theater budget on just a TV, said Mike Klipsch, Klipsch brand president. “A good rule of thumb is to spend the same amount of money on a surround-sound system as the TV itself,” he said, noting that cinema operators spend 50 percent of their budget on audio when building new movie theaters.
“While video technology has improved over the years, a TV’s factory-based audio components will never be up to par with a true high-performance speaker system. And the slimmer the set, the more deficient the sound will be because there’s little room to house decent built-in speakers,” he added.
The speaker systems, though “easy on the pocketbook,” said Klipsch, are value-engineered “while staying true to our audiophile heritage.” All include Klipsch’s horn technology.
The $899 HD Theater 1000 features bass-reflex speakers with a rear port for increased efficiency and mid-bass output. Their ABS enclosures house dual 2.5-inch fiber-composite woofers and a MicroTractrix Horn-loaded 0.75-inch aluminum-dome tweeter. The 8.6-inch-tall high-gloss black speakers can be mounted on a wall or stand. The included black-vinyl bass-reflex subwoofer features front-firing slot port, 10-inch fiber-composite driver and digital hybrid subwoofer amplifier, as well as controls for volume, crossover and phase.
The $599 HD Theater 500 features sealed-enclosure speakers in high-gloss piano black with 2.5-inch IMG woofer and a MicroTractrix Horn-loaded 0.75-inch aluminum-dome tweeter inside. The center channel features dual woofers. The left-right and surround speakers come with adjustable wall brackets with a 40-degree range of motion and inserts for stand mounting. The center channel comes with a cradle base that gives it a 45-degree range of motion. The black-vinyl bass-reflex subwoofer features rear-firing flared port, Class D amplifier and down-firing 8-inch driver.
The $399 HD Theater 300 features sealed-enclosure speakers made of high-gloss-black ABS plastic, 2.5-inch IMG woofer and 0.75-inch MicroTractrix Horn-loaded textile tweeter. The left-right and surround speakers come with adjustable wall brackets, which provide a 40-degree range of motion, and inserts for stand mounting. The center channel’s cradle base provides a 45-degree range of motion. The black-vinyl bass-reflex subwoofer features rear-firing flared port, Class D amplifier and down-firing 6.5-inch driver.
