Indianapolis – Klipsch’s new
17-SKU Reference II series of in-room speakers is the first of multiple
introductions that the company will unveil in the coming weeks, the company
promised.
The launch of the Klipsch-branded
Reference series follows last month’s launch of the company’s Jamo-branded D 500 THX Select2 speaker and Jamo D
600 THX Ultra2 speaker.
The
fifth-generation Reference series consists of five floorstanding towers priced
from a suggested $549 to $3,198 per pair, four bookshelf models priced from
$279 to $798 per pair, four center channels priced from $229 to $1,299 each,
and four surround speakers priced from $329 to $1,198 per pair. They’re
available in black ash or cherry wood and vinyl veneers.
All
speakers feature a new crossover system and re-engineered drivers, including an
upgrade to the company’s proprietary Tractrix Horn tweeter technology and new
lightweight, rigid Cerametallic woofers.
The
new Tractrix horn tweeters feature a new suspension system and titanium
compression drivers, both intended to work together to reduce distortion and
provide an open, natural soundstage, the company said. The design already
appears in the company’s step-up Palladium flagship series. Tractrix Horn technology
also delivers high efficiency, improved reliability, a wide soundstage, and
well-defined imaging, the company noted.
The Cerametallic woofers feature aluminum drivers specially treated to improve
damping and thus reduce distortion and tighten bass response, the company
said. Reengineered crossovers offer
smoother on-axis and off-axis integration.
The four surround speakers add the
company’s Wide Dispersion Surround Technology (WDST), said to reproduce
localized and ambient sounds with maximum dispersion and allow for greater
placement flexibility.
The new line also features
several cosmetic upgrades, including new black-metallic finished baffles,
machined Cerametallic woofers, new logos and rounded feet, which protrude to
give the cabinets a slimmer look. The feet feature new copper accents that
match the line’s copper-colored woofers.
All models are said to live up to
the four design principles of company founder Paul W. Klipsch: high efficiency
with low distortion, controlled directivity, flat frequency response, and wide
dynamic range.
