Klipsch Makes High-End Statement, Adds Series For Use With Flat TVs
By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 10/8/2007
INDIANAPOLIS — Klipsch is launching the most expensive speaker pair in its history and a new series of thin-cabinet home theater speakers intended to complement flat-panel displays.
Calling it its most esoteric speaker ever, Klipsch has unveiled the $15,000 per pair Palladium P-39F floorstander, the flagship in an esoteric Palladium series that will be expanded to seven SKUs at January's CES. The Palladium is the most expensive speaker ever produced by Klipsch. The second most expensive speaker is the Klipschorn at $7,500. In 2006, the company made a limited edition 60th anniversary Klipschorn at $13,000 per pair, a spokesman said.
The P-39-F is a 3.5-way speaker with wood-grain "boattail"-style cabinet, which incorporates 0.75-inch tweeter in a Tractrix horn to deliver flat response from 3kHz-30kHz. The 4.5-inch inverted-dome aluminum midrange is coupled in a 90x60-degree Tractrix horn, and three 9-inch aluminum-cone woofers with side-mounted triple ports to boost bass response.
The new thin-cabinet Icon speakers series consists of six SKUs, including the $2,498 per pair XF-48 floorstanding speaker, the $499-each XL-23 LCR and $498 per pair XB-10 bookshelf. Those three are due in October. The $299-each XC-10 center channel, $999 XW-500d powered sub and $699 XW-300d powered sub are due in January.
All feature black-grain extruded-aluminum cabinets, and all but the subs feature a new wide-dispersion Tractrix Horn-loaded tweeter to deliver a smooth 80x80 degree dispersion pattern from thin cabinets. The two-way floorstander features two 5.25-inch woofers, two 8.5- by 5.25-inch passive radiators and a 0.75-inch horn-loaded tweeter. The XL-23 LCR uses the tweeter and two 4-inch woofers. The bookshelf and XC-10 center channel use one 4-inch woofer.
The XW-500d sub uses 500-watt BASH amp and 10-inch driver, while its counterpart uses a 300-watt amp and 8-inch driver. They feature three preset EQ modes and three user-adjustable music, movie and night modes.
