Look at this --
another 2-channel stalwart company that has made the transition to the living room-as-theater world.
Klipsch has introduced its Icon W speaker lineup, a traditionally designed (and we think, quite handsome) series that fills in the approximately $2,500 price point for a 5-channel (sans sub) setup. Klipsch has always been associated with horn-loaded drivers, and the tradition continues with the 1-inch Tractrix Horn tweeter deployed across the lineup. And here's something we like -- a naming convention that makes sense. The floorstanding WF-34 and WF-35 (pictured) floorstanders add in three of the 4.5-inch and 5.25-inch woofers, respectively. The WC-24 center channel and WS-24 surrounds use two of the 4.5-inch woofers; we'll let you guess the driver compliment on the WB-14 bookshelf model. Look for these at your local Magnolia store, with "per pair" prices from $499 on the WC-24 center to $1,499 on the WF-35.
posted Jun 7th 2008 11:32AM
Welcome to the 2008, Klipsch. Horns have been dead in consumer Hi-fi for 30+ years. Moving toward a wave-guided tweeter is a great step forward for Klipsch. Also narrow speaker can provide better imaging, and are easier to sell than the coffin speakers Klipsch has been selling recently. Well done Klipsch, well done!!!!
Horns have been dead for 30+ years!! What have you been smoking. Those are the only kinds of speakers I have been buying over the past 13 years. I love the Klipsch sound and my latest are the RF5, RC7 reference series. The horns sound great.
Yeah, lets pull the plug on Martin Logan also - WTF are they thinking with that 'crazy' electrostatic panel! A $3 dome tweeter is just the same!!!
/sarcasm
Klipsch doesn't need your help. They are selling a huge amount of profitable stuff - they are just fine ;)
Damn!
those are hot speakers
@Siva,
There is a reason why very few companies offer consumer loudspeakers with horn loaded drivers today. Dome tweeters offer wider dispersion and flatter frequency response. The single advantage horn load tweeters have is effeciency, an advantage not necessary for consumer loudspeakers. You are free to enjoy them, and I won't knock you for that, but the audio industry moved away from horns 30 years ago and hasn't looked back.
BTW, Avantegarde is considered part of the Audio lunatic fringe just like all of the 3 watt single ended triode amp makers.
@Ken
Electrostatic loudspeakers with few exceptions dipole speakers, which create a drastically different radiation pattern than typical dome/cone/horn speaker designs. Horns however, just offer higher distortion, limited dispersion, and poorer frequency response compared with domes and cones. Again, Horn loaded drivers offer no useful advantage over cones and domes in consumer loudspeakers.
True, Klipsch doesn't need my help. They know what I say is true and design horn loaded speakers for marketing purposes and not for performance. Yet, if you think that electrostatics and horns are high fidelity products, then YOU DESPERATELY NEED MY HELP!!!