New Klipsch REFERENCE Speakers (link)

[Youthman]

Please see before what Amy and I said. Much more stuff in-store for the Reference line of product. This does NOT replace the Reference II line. Sit tight.

Have faith in the company fellas.

[Alex L]

Please see before what Amy and I said. Much more stuff in-store for the Reference line of product. This does NOT replace the Reference II line. Sit tight.

Have faith in the company fellas.

Thanks, buddy.

[Heritage_Head]

When will we see the rest of the speakers? You guys can give us a taste?

[eaux]

Yep there is no way in h3ll I'm getting rid of the 7II's whatever the upper new line of Klipsch looks and sounds like. More than likely they won't be going anywhere for a long long time.

Ditto, unless it's the Palladium

Anyway, I believe Amy did say that the RF-7 II's will continue to stay.

[Shodrewken]

Still waiting =P

[eth2]

So how long will we have to wait for the novelty to wear off and the "new" lines be affordable on the used market? I am not in a hurry to sell my Heritage stuff in any event.

[Schwa]

So how long will we have to wait for the novelty to wear off and the "new" lines be affordable on the used market? I am not in a hurry to sell my Heritage stuff in any event.

Well, since the "new" stuff (other than the Icon/Synergy replacements) isn't even out yet, I'd say we'll be waiting a while.

[Amy]

From my inside sources as a NON employee (so weird), the expanded higher end Reference line(s) won't arrive on the scene until 2015. Reference MKII is still going strong.

Continued patience will be required.

[Heritage_Head]

I'm sure Klipsch has their reasons. But I would have came out with the new and improved higher end stuff first. And then slowly launch the lower value stuff. This way people are excited and drooling over the new speakers.

[Chad]

Relevant Press Release, hot off the internet presses:

http://www.klipsch.com/reference-unity-strategy-press-release

[JL Sargent]

Interesting press release. So it looks like July '15 is the kickoff target for Reference VI items starting with a new soundbar + other items to follow?

Edited July 18, 2014 by JL Sargent

[Chad]

Interesting press release. So it looks like July '15 is the kickoff target for Reference VI items starting with a new soundbar + other items to follow?

Almost.

In other words, many products will be released, starting in July (in fact, this coming Monday), and extending into 2015.

[Shodrewken]

I know it's been expressed before, but here's hoping for an RSW-15 MK II!

[Schwa]

Way to water down the Reference brand, Klipsch! If you're going to call everything Reference, why call anything Reference?

This was clearly a move made by the marketing guys -- as evidenced by this statement in the press release:

"“We are launching exciting products in complimentary verticals with much tighter parameters for consistency in the marketplace."

Holy marketing mumbo-jumbo, Batman!

I have no doubt the products themselves will be fantastic. But there's a reason that companies don't lump everything together under one product line. I've said it before, but J6P is going to wonder why he needs to go to a specialty dealer and spend $1600/speaker on Reference RF-7IIs when he can run down to Best Buy and get some Reference R-28Fs for $450/speaker. They're all References, right?

I just don't get the strategy here. And press releases with statements like the one I quoted above sure don't help matters.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Schwa

[Schu]

why not call them all reference... there is nothing special about the 7ii's that make them more "reference" than any other RF speaker.

it's just a product name.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Schu

[eaux]

Way to water down the Reference brand, Klipsch! If you're going to call everything Reference, why call anything Reference?

This was clearly a move made by the marketing guys -- as evidenced by this statement in the press release:

"“We are launching exciting products in complimentary verticals with much tighter parameters for consistency in the marketplace."

Holy marketing mumbo-jumbo, Batman!

I have no doubt the products themselves will be fantastic. But there's a reason that companies don't lump everything together under one product line. I've said it before, but J6P is going to wonder why he needs to go to a specialty dealer and spend $1600/speaker on Reference RF-7IIs when he can run down to Best Buy and get some Reference R-28Fs for $450/speaker. They're all References, right?

I just don't get the strategy here. And press releases with statements like the one I quoted above sure don't help matters.

My thought exactly. I begin to wonder why there was ever a need for Honda, Toyota and Nissan to market their luxury cars under the Acura, Lexus and Infiniti brands respectively (maybe this is not a good analogy but you get the point).

Edited July 18, 2014 by eaux

[eaux]

why not call them all reference... there is nothing special about the 7ii's that make them more "reference" than any other RF speaker.

it's just a product name.

At least you can't simply walk into a big box store and buy a Reference speaker...well, that is until 7/21.

[Schwa]

why not call them all reference... there is nothing special about the 7ii's that make them more "reference" than any other RF speaker.

it's just a product name.

Well, regarding the RF-7IIs, since they're more than double the price of the next closest Reference sibling, not to mention their sublime performance, I'd argue that there's quite a lot special about them.

However, the point I was trying to make is that if you're simply going to call all of your consumer-line speakers "Reference," then what's the meaning of the distinction? At least when there was Synergy, Icon, and Reference, you knew where they all fit in the product line-up. Reference were the specialty dealers' line, and Synergy and Icon were the mass-market speakers. Now that everything is Reference, those distinctions become pretty fuzzy, and there's little name-wise to distinguish the mass-market References from the speciality dealer References.

I personally understand what the differences are, but since this is clearly an exercise in marketing, I find it perplexing why Klipsch would muddy the waters by using the Reference moniker for the vast majority of their consumer offerings. It's confusing to the Average Joe what the differences between mass-market and specialty dealer speakers are when even their names are the same.

Yes, it's just a product name. Agreed 100%. But if Klipsch themselves is going through the trouble of press releases and product line-up reshufflings over "just a product name," it becomes a pretty important topic.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Schwa

[Scrappydue]

I said this from the very first day I heard about it a few weeks back. I just think Klipsch hired the wrong selecting person. I think the car analogy is perfect. Toyota Lexus and what not. This while reference tier thing will confuse the average person more likely.

We all know we will understand it but none of us are average joes when it comes to this brand.

Just think it was a mistake that's all. I know other keep saying who cares. And your right who cares. Doesn't matter to me, however we are allowed to voice our opinions and apparently this one is shared by me with others.

I'm sticking with cinema as they are the bee's knees. The 63's will also stay and get a fancy facelift one day and be a one of a kind.

[Chad]

Just a quick note: I've been working on an application (that will live on the Web initially, with the potential to be in store kiosks at some point) that helps the consumer decide "which reference is right for me?" based on some input. It's something that Klipsch has needed for a long time anyway, but this presents the perfect opportunity to make it happen. Look for that sometime in the near future.

My point is, we aren't just going to say, "Hey, here's a bunch of Reference speakers, it's a crap shoot!". There is a method to our madness, that isn't quite spelled out 100% in the press release, because we aren't ready to announce everything at this time.