ces2015 On display: Heritage-Inspired Wireless Speakers

[DaveWJr]

Chad and Alex:

 

Thank you for the great information about these speakers, and also your posts about what Klipsch is doing and where you are headed.

 

I think folks are struggling with the "concept" in terms of who and what these speakers are intended for.  I know that I initially did until I thought about it and started looking at what else, if anything, was out there.  I initially thought that the only products (since I am not in that "market") were compact sound bars that you plug an iphone into (cradle), or something high end like the Stadium, or maybe the Sonus speakers where you can get "whole house" audio without wiring.   When I looked around for "bluetooth tower speakers" what initially popped up where speaker from Craig, Jensen, VM Audio and some others that ranged from about $100 to $300.  The VM Audio Exat 33 were very looking and appeared to be the best of the bunch at about 300 a pair. 

 

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I think it is all very exciting and looking forward to seeing how things go.

 

Travis

 

Edited

 

P.S.:  The total value of the "high end" audio market is 200 million.

Fantastic post and insight. You have hit this dead on.

[Kent T]

Let us call this new line SOH (Son of Heritage and extended) . Olde styling, new features. Built in the USA to boot. Build them, the sons of Heritage line owners would love them alone, helps keep them in the Klipsch family. 

[Chris A]

Let us call this new line SOH (Son of Heritage and extended)

 

I'd prefer if you didn't, actually. 

 

I'd call them "wireless active prototype loudspeakers from Klipsch".

Edited January 14, 2015 by Chris A

[Alex L]

 

Let us call this new line SOH (Son of Heritage and extended)

 

I'd prefer if you didn't, actually. 

 

I'd call them "wireless active prototype loudspeakers from Klipsch".

 

 

The official name at CES was Klipsch Bridge (Model Number).

[Guest Steven1963]

Notice that someone stole the freakin' PWK badges off our Heritage speakers! Basterds. 

 

Khornkupia, it was a pleasure to meet you as well! Lovely chat.

 

I'm not surprised.  Have you priced those on Ebay???

[Alex L]

 

Notice that someone stole the freakin' PWK badges off our Heritage speakers! Basterds. 

 

Khornkupia, it was a pleasure to meet you as well! Lovely chat.

 

I'm not surprised.  Have you priced those on Ebay???

 

I keep looking for them to pop up.

[mike stehr]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/One-Small-Speaker-Badge-Klipsch-Pie-Shaped-Logo-Plastic-Grille-Emblem-Nameplate-/351287131277?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51ca583c8d

[Schu]

pre logo theft

 

 

[Alex L]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/One-Small-Speaker-Badge-Klipsch-Pie-Shaped-Logo-Plastic-Grille-Emblem-Nameplate-/351287131277?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51ca583c8d

 

Those are actually the old ones.

[The History Kid]

^ Because as it has been said before, and advertised again and again, these were concept only - not an official rollout.

That doesn't mean it'll never happen, just that it wasn't supposed to this year, or perhaps even next year.

[OO1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mQR67e8dfQ&list=UUXM22I-U2so4gK0b0E5o3Jg&index=3

 

 

they sound like cans - horrible -

[OO1]

pre logo theft

 

 

now you are talking - I remember when they discontinued Cornwalls - are these scalas timeless -

[Schu]

Hello... cell phone video you nut

Edited April 19, 2015 by Schu

[Alex L]

So when are these shipping? I hate the fact Klipsch showed the world.......and now dead silence. Not sure why you would not proceed with these. Kick *** idea. I'm ready to buy! :-)

 

Stay tuned.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mQR67e8dfQ&list=UUXM22I-U2so4gK0b0E5o3Jg&index=3

 

 

they sound like cans - horrible -

 

 

A. It's a cell phone video B. It's on the CES show floor.

 

We demo'd a newer version of this recently and they were right there with speakers in our own lineup that are much more expensive.

Edited April 24, 2015 by Alex L

[The Dude]

So when are these shipping? I hate the fact Klipsch showed the world.......and now dead silence. Not sure why you would not proceed with these. Kick *** idea. I'm ready to buy! :-)

Stay tuned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mQR67e8dfQ&list=UUXM22I-U2so4gK0b0E5o3Jg&index=3

they sound like cans - horrible -

A. It's a cell phone video B. It's on the CES show floor.

We demo'd a newer version of this recently and they were right there with speakers in our own lineup that are much more expensive.

I could use some nice looking outdoor speakers[emoji1]

[rockhound]

I have a couple sonos play speakers I would gladly replace with these, love the looks. I do like the sonos app tho and woul expect to see an app like it to control different music sources and speakers.

[twistedcrankcammer]

Thank you Andy and David for chiming in!

 

I will tell you that initial response from CES has been extremely positive. 

 

WISA has been a huge hit. The people who demo'd Reference Premiere Wireless WISA in the sound room at CES have been blown away. We even just won an award from Digital Trends for them. You are looking at very very low potential for interference. 

 

Like Andy said, there is a potential that this could become more than just floorstanders/bookshelves thanks to WISA.

 

Also, for people crying out for passive versions, I getcha...but, at the same time, that would be somewhat redundant with the current Heritage line.

 

Also, "Made in USA" is making a HUGE comeback among people 25-40. That's part of the demographic for a product like this. BUT, these people are also looking for modern convenience which is why this solution is so intriguing. These speakers are not just for people who remember when Heritage was all we sold.

I live within 20 miles of Lima, Ohio. At one time, Lima Locomotive built 98% of all steam powered Locomotives in the USA. When Diesel Electric came out they pooh-poohed the idea and never got into building Diesel Electric Engines. The Locomotive Giant went under! I can see this as an expensive Dr. Dre Pill with Fidelity for my daughter to take to College. Not much room in a modern dorm room, and being convienent for her.

Roger

[twistedcrankcammer]

Notice that someone stole the freakin' PWK badges off our Heritage speakers! Basterds. 

 

Khornkupia, it was a pleasure to meet you as well! Lovely chat.

Why oh WHY don't you guys use a go pro or similar so you can catch guys like this?????

Hand the photos over to us the faithful, and let us ferret out the culprit???

This IS NOT rocket science!!

Roger

[twistedcrankcammer]

Chad and Alex:

 

Thank you for the great information about these speakers, and also your posts about what Klipsch is doing and where you are headed.

 

I think folks are struggling with the "concept" in terms of who and what these speakers are intended for.  I know that I initially did until I thought about it and started looking at what else, if anything, was out there.  I initially thought that the only products (since I am not in that "market") were compact sound bars that you plug an iphone into (cradle), or something high end like the Stadium, or maybe the Sonus speakers where you can get "whole house" audio without wiring.   When I looked around for "bluetooth tower speakers" what initially popped up where speaker from Craig, Jensen, VM Audio and some others that ranged from about $100 to $300.  The VM Audio Exat 33 were very looking and appeared to be the best of the bunch at about 300 a pair. 

 

So it initially looked like you were way over market, but I started looking around some more and ran into Focal Easya at Crutchfield, for about $2,800 a pair photo, and these would appear to be the upper end of the market, or at least what initially popped up when I looked.  Introduced late 2013, they were apparently on display at the T.H.E. show in 2014.  It looks like there is a huge gap between the lower end stuff at Walmart, Bestbuy, etc. and the Focals.  Of course, I know I am not telling you anything you don't already know, just laying it out for those who may be struggling with who exactly these are intended for like I was.

 

Was there many new "wireless tower/floor-standing speaker" offerings at CES this year besides yours?

 

I think part of the problem with the question you posed, at least for me, is in asking what we thought of the idea most of us on here don't have a current realistic reference point.  The best analogy I can think of would be if this were a high end automobile owner's forum (take your pick, Mercedes Benz, Lexus, Lincoln, Porsche, Ferrari, Corvette, Viper, etc.) and they had a "concept" car at the Detroit auto show with one of their high performance cars of the past that had an electric motor that ran on batteries, and could go about 70 miles on a charge.  Few, if any, current owners of a high performance vehicle would be interested unless there might possibly be some potential collector value to it.  I remember twenty years ago seeing "electric" concept cars at high end auto shows and nobody could see it, except maybe executives of energy and power companies.

 

Members on here, with great sounding two way speakers, regardless of whether they are Heritage, Reference, or otherwise, are not in the "market."  I think you have tried to bring out in many of your posts on here that the new,  current, younger market is very much different.  I think we are all aware that there was a major degradation of sound the new generation was brought up on with inferior downloads (we will never agree as compared to what, vinyl, CD, DVD-A, SACD), but everyone recognizes that too many shortcuts were taken to the point that the market and artists (Neil Young) are pushing back and demanding better fidelity software, regardless of whether it is a download or not. 

 

It wasn't until your post and looking at this that I had forgotten that the market, or a vast percentage of it, believes that the best sound they ever heard was when they switched from standard earbuds to Dr. Dre Beats for their MP3 player.  I don't think that is really that far off.  I think for ages 14 to 25 the vast majority would have a reference point that comes from:  1) what comes through their television speakers, 2) computer speakers, 3)  sound at the movie theater (about a 50% chance it is Klipsch, which is why you need a movie trailer at the beginning of the movie that is mind blowing that says:  The Audience is listening . . . to KLIPSCH), 4) the ear phones they have plugged into their MP3/portable player, or, 5) their car speakers.  

 

Most of the market (here's a shocker) believe all audio equipment pretty much sounds alike.  Thus, the mass-market's emphasis on selling components is by features and price.  

 

I wonder how many people on here know that the headphone market exceeds 2 Billion (that's billion with a "B".  Before the sale to Apple, Beats was 25% of that market (500M).  I wonder how many know that the "high end" audio market has declined 50% over that last 10 years.  I wonder how many know what the total market for high end audio is?  I know Mr. Shalam, as a current Board Member of CEA knows, and by virtue of his membership on the Board of the Audio Divison of CEA, that Mr. Jacobs is acutely aware as well.

 

I have enjoyed many of your comments on here explaining to folks what it is that Klipsch is trying to do.  That Klipsch intends to focus on quality products worthy of the Klipsch brand as opposed to being the cheapest.  A great case in point has been your stadium product.  You look on websites that carry that product, Parts Express for example, and you look where it lies in the range, it is at the top.  

 

This reminds me of being in an Apple Store recently with my girlfriend who had to purchase something, while we were waiting I of course went over to the audio products (which is pretty much only headphones) and there in a line from left to right were about 5 options all in a row from lowest to highest price and set up so you could easily compare them to one another in terms of sound, comfort, etc.  On one end was something like Urban Ears, and then Beats, and then Sennheiser, and at the far end, Bowers and Wilkins.  There were cards in front of each set of headphones with specs and features. I was curious to watch and listen to people's reactions and, for the most part, people over 30 said they thought the sound of the Sennheiser or B&W were best out of the five or six available; and they either concluded that the extra money was either worth it or not.  However, they did conclude for themselves they were of higher build and sound quality and why they cost more.  The younger crowd didn't even want to compare, they wanted Beats because "Tim has these" or "Susie just got these in purple and they sound awesome."  It is great to see Klipsch exploring the headphone, wireless and other product markets.  

 

Wireless tower speakers are for sure a "niche" market as you say.  I think most forum members are going to fall outside of that niche.  You would certainly know best on how big it is, what the best price points are, and ultimately whether it is worth or not to expand beyond the wireless Premium Reference (which sounded like would be produced for sure, and could be run in a 2 channel set up just as easily as a HT system?).  I would say that most Heritage owners, even the most loyal, are not in the market for it.  As you have seen, neither nostalgia or sentiment are enough to even see the "need" for this product, much like people initially seeing the need for an electric vehicle.  

 

For me, I have two spaces that it would be nice to have a 2 Channel set up in with sound in the background (kind of what the Stadium is designed to do), and it would be great to have a great sounding 2 channel "system" without having a separate amp to be able to play a cd or digital file.  

 

These are perfect for dorm rooms, apartments, vacation/2nd homes, and anyone who wants better sound without having to get an amp or HT receiver.  Like you say, this generation (the market), is used to being able to plug a mini-jack into something and have sound come out of it.  I am not a big headphone listener, but I would think they would agree that good floor standing speakers are a definite move up in sound quality from their tv speakers/headphones/car audio they are used to listening to.

 

Regardless of whether they are launched or not, it is nice to see that Klipsch is focusing on being on the far end of a row of products, where after a prospective buyer listens to 3 or 4 similar products says "those Klipsch for sure sound the best, I can see why they cost more" and that sound will either be worth the difference or not.  Some will buy it because it is made in the USA because, like you, I buy American whenever I can.  (I know how much Gittman shirts and Oxxford suits cost).  Some will buy it because of the Klipsch name, the sound quality, the appearance (not much comment of what great WAF there is here), and probably a dozen other factors or combination thereof.  Of course, many won't.  They, like the vast majority of the market, buy based on "price and features."  

 

I think it is all very exciting and looking forward to seeing how things go.

 

Travis

 

Edited

 

P.S.:  The total value of the "high end" audio market is 200 million.

Absolutely agree with Travis here all the way!

[twistedcrankcammer]

So when are these shipping? I hate the fact Klipsch showed the world.......and now dead silence. Not sure why you would not proceed with these. Kick *** idea. I'm ready to buy! :-)

 

Stay tuned.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mQR67e8dfQ&list=UUXM22I-U2so4gK0b0E5o3Jg&index=3

they sound like cans - horrible -

 

A. It's a cell phone video B. It's on the CES show floor.

 

We demo'd a newer version of this recently and they were right there with speakers in our own lineup that are much more expensive.

THAT is not necessarily a GOOD thing........... I have heard the Paladiums!!!