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Reference Premiere HD Wireless is Available NOW!


Alex L

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Yeah, a good receiver can run around $1,500.

The one thing I don't like about the advertising is that they don't show the power wires, which each speaker still needs..

 

If you want to stay 5.1 or 7.1 you wont need a reciver, but if you want room calibration or DTS:X, Atmos or Auro you'll still need a preamp at min.

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Yeah, a good receiver can run around $1,500.

The one thing I don't like about the advertising is that they don't show the power wires, which each speaker still needs..

 

Fair point. As you can guess, it's a controversial topic amongst our staff.

 

I am not so sure about that. With all of the press Atmos and DTS-X has made recently, I am sure there will be updates available. At least I hope there will be...

 

While there will be firmware upgrades obviously to the original HD Control Center, there will also be new and different levels of the HD Control Center.

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I am not so sure about that. With all of the press Atmos and DTS-X has made recently, I am sure there will be updates available. At least I hope there will be...

 

That's fine, but it's not going to add in the extra amp channels needed etc. I'm sure it'll be another hardware upgrade you would have to purchase after the fact.

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Considering msrp of the 150m's is $500(and under), then RP-140m's would be around $400. That's $200/ea.

Meaning you have around $400 "worth" of amplification and wireless tech inside EACH monitor.

 

I don't know enough about pricing mechanics to really comment directly on this. What I would say is that HD Wireless took a whole lot more R&D for our engineering team than the passive Reference Premiere lineup. Plus, amplificatioDirector of Technology and Innovationn is expensive which is why you don't see it built into a lot of speakers.

 

Anyway, Matt Spitznagle, newly promoted Director of Technology and Innovation, answered a question about these speakers' amplification on Facebook that I think would be interesting to y'all:

 

"Each amp channel is limited to 25W per driver.  The power supply in the 440WF and 440WC is 125W.  The 140WM has a 50W power supply.   The 110WSW amp can output 200W. The biggest reason you don’t see amps in speakers is amps are expensive and can be difficult to implement, especially when they are quiet enough for Klipsch speakers.  Acoustically, this is a superior solution because it allowed us to use a DSP crossover.  It also means each speaker doesn’t have to share a power supply like it would with a receiver.  2 WF’s, 1 WC, and 2WM’s have 460W of power supply available.  Most mid-grade receivers may rate themselves at 100W/channel but most can’t come close to that with all channels driven."

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Considering msrp of the 150m's is $500(and under), then RP-140m's would be around $400. That's $200/ea.

Meaning you have around $400 "worth" of amplification and wireless tech inside EACH monitor.

 

I don't know enough about pricing mechanics to really comment directly on this. What I would say is that HD Wireless took a whole lot more R&D for our engineering team than the passive Reference Premiere lineup. Plus, amplificatioDirector of Technology and Innovationn is expensive which is why you don't see it built into a lot of speakers.

 

Anyway, Matt Spitznagle, newly promoted Director of Technology and Innovation, answered a question about these speakers' amplification on Facebook that I think would be interesting to y'all:

 

"Each amp channel is limited to 25W per driver.  The power supply in the 440WF and 440WC is 125W.  The 140WM has a 50W power supply.   The 110WSW amp can output 200W. The biggest reason you don’t see amps in speakers is amps are expensive and can be difficult to implement, especially when they are quiet enough for Klipsch speakers.  Acoustically, this is a superior solution because it allowed us to use a DSP crossover.  It also means each speaker doesn’t have to share a power supply like it would with a receiver.  2 WF’s, 1 WC, and 2WM’s have 460W of power supply available.  Most mid-grade receivers may rate themselves at 100W/channel but most can’t come close to that with all channels driven."

 

Hey Alex, I had a few questions/comments regarding the HD Wireless system I hope you will pass along.

I just got my hub in today, and my pair of 140-wm's come in tomorrow. I am going to copy and paste this from my on-going AVS post (found HERE).

 

ISSUES:

  • HDMI Pass-Through does not work. The TV does not receive video signal when box is off, even if the option turned on in the settings.
  • Delayed Start Time. The initiation lights (volume indicator lighting) bears no relation to actual start time. It seems to take around 40 seconds right now for the control center to start before video is sent. You know its ready because all the lights on the front turn off real quick. During this startup, I found if you click different HDMI inputs to quickly, it could lead to video cut outs every 5 seconds. It only occurs when there is sound played.
  • No direct audio pass-thru option. Hopefully it won't do this when off and the aforementioned pass-through feature is fixed, but my TVs audio was really messed up by the audio sent from the CC. Its volume adjusted everywhere. I found the solution to be adjusting the Surround Sound setting on the TV to OFF and turning off auto volume on the TV. It may not seem like a big issue, but I know there are some times when just the TV audio is needed, and this really is concerning. I tried all the available sound modes to no avail.
  • Clicking "Adjust Speaker Settings" will cause TV speakers to play static (loudly) if they are still on.
  • Menu options to adjust the CC lighting does not show up, along with the speaker option. Again, my speakers don't come in until tomorrow, but at least the CC lighting should be there.

Feature Enhancements:

  1. BlueTooth Audio Laid Over a video input. Sometimes having a different audio input overlaying a video input would be nice. For instance, I like to use my TV as a monitor. My audio still comes from a different (BlueTooth) source, so I would like for audio input AND my computers video. 
  2. Menu Transparency. The current menu structure looks like an early 2000s system. Aside from the visual pixelated text, adjusting settings like Lip Sync Delay is difficult when 2/3rds of the (middle of the) screen is solid black from the menu.
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Hello! Anyone know what brand/model speaker stands these are? I'm curious because I have a pair of RP-140WM's in a 2.1 setup, but am thinking about going 5.1 and would want the bookshelf speakers on stands located in the rear of my room.

 

Thanks,

 

Nick

 

HD-Wireless_Lifestyle_Growth_2.jpg

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Hello! Anyone know what brand/model speaker stands these are? I'm curious because I have a pair of RP-140WM's in a 2.1 setup, but am thinking about going 5.1 and would want the bookshelf speakers on stands located in the rear of my room.

 

Thanks,

 

Nick

 

I was wondering the same thing too at first. They look very much like Sanus mounts. After researching though, I plan to get these awesome stands from Ultimate Support. 

Ultimate_Support_17448_MS_90_36_Second_G

 

They look great, have great reviews, and are vibration isolating to make sure sound is best projected.

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Hello! Anyone know what brand/model speaker stands these are? I'm curious because I have a pair of RP-140WM's in a 2.1 setup, but am thinking about going 5.1 and would want the bookshelf speakers on stands located in the rear of my room.

 

Thanks,

 

Nick

 

I was wondering the same thing too at first. They look very much like Sanus mounts. After researching though, I plan to get these awesome stands from Ultimate Support. 

Ultimate_Support_17448_MS_90_36_Second_G

 

They look great, have great reviews, and are vibration isolating to make sure sound is best projected.

 

Thank you for the recommendation.

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I am not so sure about that. With all of the press Atmos and DTS-X has made recently, I am sure there will be updates available. At least I hope there will be...

 

That's fine, but it's not going to add in the extra amp channels needed etc. I'm sure it'll be another hardware upgrade you would have to purchase after the fact.

 

Somewhere in the fine print I remember reading that one hardware upgrade and several software upgrades were included in the price.  I'm not sure if I read it online or in one of the booklets that were packed in with the units.

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@Alex L, Can you please tell Jason that I (Nathan) am still waiting on some sort of email regarding the testing software builds? Additionally, can you inform him I have a couple other weird issues for them to look into once I know where's the best place to send them. He can contact me either here, via my email/phone which he has. Thanks.

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$5,100 for a 4" driver HT setup? Pass...

Your quick glance and immediate disapproval is unjust. Look further into the system and you will see that you're paying for much more than a uncompressed wireless speaker system. They are pushing the envelope to the max with these because they have integrated amplifiers. Each speaker has an independent, customized amplifier designed to play these speakers to the max without worrying about things like tuning (due to AVR manufacturer differences) and having a steady power supply (as a good portion of AVRs are not great at dividing many channels and sending its "designed power max" efficiently. Usually to get this power management, you'd need a pre-amp (and possibly a processor) to ensure everything is proper. 

 

As for driver size, its 4.5". Instead of driving the larger ones like on the 280F, they chose to just double the drivers on the towers. I haven't purchased it yet, but judging from the performance my bookshelf's provide, their decision is likely well founded and provided good results.

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$5,100 for a 4" driver HT setup? Pass...

Your quick glance and immediate disapproval is unjust. Look further into the system and you will see that you're paying for much more than a uncompressed wireless speaker system. They are pushing the envelope to the max with these because they have integrated amplifiers. Each speaker has an independent, customized amplifier designed to play these speakers to the max without worrying about things like tuning (due to AVR manufacturer differences) and having a steady power supply (as a good portion of AVRs are not great at dividing many channels and sending its "designed power max" efficiently. Usually to get this power management, you'd need a pre-amp (and possibly a processor) to ensure everything is proper. 

 

As for driver size, its 4.5". Instead of driving the larger ones like on the 280F, they chose to just double the drivers on the towers. I haven't purchased it yet, but judging from the performance my bookshelf's provide, their decision is likely well founded and provided good results.

My quick glance and disapproval on cost is certainly justified when you consider other offerings from other companies for speakers and amplification that would decimate what is being advertised here. I understand this is a first step for Klipsch, but to seriously sit there and argue that it's a great value is absolutely laughable.

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"If you have any questions technical or otherwise, please feel free to ask them and I'll do my best to get them all answered!"

 

Alex

I have a question for you. Do you remember back, oh IDK, maybe October, I asked you about picking up another pair of Image ONE headphones? You said you said you had it covered and they would arrive shortly. I PM'ed Chad and he said he would have you call or email me. I'm still waiting, feel free to respond when you get a chance :D :D :D

 

TY

 

Mark

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My quick glance and disapproval on cost is certainly justified when you consider other offerings from other companies for speakers and amplification that would decimate what is being advertised here. I understand this is a first step for Klipsch, but to seriously sit there and argue that it's a great value is absolutely laughable.

 

I never said "great value". I simply was posing there is more at play here than you probably considering. Sure, you can buy an equivalent or better system for less, no ones going to argue that. These however are a push to re-introduce amazing ht setups that are rapidly being stolen by sound bars.  People like convenience. They pay extra for convenience and ease of use. Soundbars are plug and play that really do better the sound, but will never compete with an actual system. Try to get a large portion of the population to hook up a regular 7.2 system. Its probably gonna take them forever to run the wires correctly. They will likely never tune the speakers to match them to the AVR. To them, most AVRs look and operate in another dimension. Its just a lot of time and effort most people are not willing to spend when a sound bar take less than 5 minutes to do. Operating the system is just as confusing to most.

 

Now give them this option. You will pay a little more, but the system will work outta the box in under 10 minutes. Its not requiring running wires everywhere, especially if you add more speakers. They come tuned, so you get max performance out of the box. No thought required, plug in, and it works. Instant gratification and amazing performance. No confusing menus. No large AVR to find a place to hide and then fiddle with if something goes wrong. Plug the box and speakers in, hook up hdmi cables, done. People will be inclined to invest in such system. 

 

fyi, I deal with scenarios A LOT that this system could have benefited. I'm actually younger than you (20) and have several (older) "clients" that I regularly see to update their tech, teach them more operational things, and field phone calls for questions. Ease of use can really only go so far. I can't tell you how many times I have had to describe how to update the phone, or print a document knowing full well I have shown them multiple times. But because its nice to have and wanted, they will pay someone to guide them. People want nice things, make it usable by them, and they will buy it. Convenience is key here.

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