Peabody, Mass. – Boston
Acoustics has replaced its three-year-old Classic series of value- and
performance-oriented in-room speakers with the similarly positioned Classic II
series.
The original
Classic series was launched in 2008, marking the brand’s return to a price
range that it had dropped more than two years before. Like before, Classic II is an open line,
whereas the brand’s Reflection and flagship VS series are targeted to A/V
specialists.
The vinyl-clad
series, available in a black walnut finish, consists of the $199-suggested-each
CS 260 II 6.5-inch two-way floorstanding speaker; the $199 CS 225C II two-way
center channel speaker with dual 5.25-inch woofers; the $149 CS 26 II two-way
6.5-inch bookshelf speaker; the $99 CS23 II two-way 3.5-inch compact bookshelf
speaker; and the $299 CS Sub10 II 100-watt 10-inch down-firing DCD subwoofer.
In addition, Boston Acoustics is packaging four CS 23 II bookshelf speakers and
a CS 23 II center channel into the $579-suggested CS 2300 II surround-sound
speaker system.
The speakers sport
a more refined cosmetic design that cleans up their lines and provides a more
streamlined appearance “while at the same time maintaining the gently curved
grilles and overall proportions,” a spokesperson said.
With the line, the
company also reduced the number of SKUs while also providing enough models to
let consumers create a variety of “very capable” two-channel and home theater
systems, the spokesperson said.
Like before, the
series features soft-dome tweeters made of Kortec woven polyester with a
special stiffening agent to deliver high-frequency extension typically
associated with metal dome tweeters but without their harshness, the company
said. The speakers also incorporate graphite-injected woofers featuring Deep
Channel Design (DCD) to deliver more bass output with less amplifier power. DCD
driver design uses a deeply grooved pole plate that lets the voice coil travel
farther for greater output, the company explained. The speakers also feature
acoustically tuned ports to extend bass response.
The previous
Classic line topped out at a suggested $249 for a single 6.5-inch two-way
tower.
The speakers will
ship in late August.
