Mark Fleischmann

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Surround Sound System ReviewsBookshelf Speaker ReviewsSubwoofer Reviews
Klipsch Reference Theater Pack Speaker System Review
Mark Fleischmann  |  Mar 27, 2018

Reference Theater Pack
Performance
Build Quality
Value

R-8SWi Subwoofer
Performance
Features
Build Quality
Value
PRICE $999

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Klipsch’s classic horn-loaded sound at a budget price
Minus
Enclosure adds some coloration

THE VERDICT
This redesign of Klipsch’s bestselling sat/sub system makes some compromises from its predecessors—but still produces excellent sound.

Some people are just good at things. People like Rembrandt van Rijn, who could make a painted image gaze into your soul; or Meryl Streep, who can be Anna Wintour one moment and Julia Child the next; or Warren Buffett, who’s been known to make his shareholders a dollar or two; or Billie Holiday, who could sing like Louis Armstrong’s trumpet and fit a lifetime of hard loving into a single phrase.

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CES 2012
Klipsch Shows Very Large Console Speaker
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 10, 2012
As reported by our colleague Darryl Wilkinson, the Klipsch press conference mentioned the G-17 Air compact system, whose drivers and flat enclosure hail from the new Gallery line, and the ginormous one-piece Console, the latter to be produced in Klipsch's hometown of Hope, Arkansas. But the latter was not shown at the time, so here it is. Interesting, the bleeding-edge Palladium and other higher-end Klipsch lines are moving their manufacturing from China back to Arkansas due to higher costs in the former. This isn't a knock against the Chinese but we can't help feeling pleased that more Klipsch speakers are going to be made in America.
Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
Klipsch Synergy B-20 Speaker System
Mark Fleischmann  |  Apr 05, 2011
Price: $1,307 At A Glance: Horn-loaded tweeter draws on long Klipsch tradition • Tweeter surround allows more piston-like movement • High sensitivity suits any A/V receiver

Toot Your Horn

Surround sound is an indispensable part of home theater. But some people still have difficulty making the leap from two-channel to 5.1-channel-plus. One question that comes up is: Doesn’t going from two speakers to five or more place a strain on the amplifier? After all, an amp driven into clipping suffers from harshness and compression, and that’s never pleasant to listen to.

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CEDIA 2015
Klipsch Thinks Systematically, Expands Wireless Lineup
Mark Fleischmann  |  Oct 15, 2015
Klipsch is expanding its recently introduced Reference Premiere speaker line by adding new wireless powered models, based on the WiSA wireless standard, and piecing them together into full systems.

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Ears On
Klipsch X5 Lightweight Headphones
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 03, 2008
The description in the headline above is Klipsch's, not mine. I usually refer to this kind of product as earbuds. But Klipsch is allergic to that term for arcane technical reasons explained in this FAQ. So headphones these wispy transducers are.
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CES 2011
Kondo Wins Coveted HT Blog Slogan Prize
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 07, 2011
We're pleased to announce that the Kondo/Audio Note exhibit has won the Home Theater 2011 CES Blog's Award for Distinguished Achievement in Slogan Writing. See above. Really, isn't this what audio is all about?
CEDIA 2012
Krell Gets Back into Sub-$10K Territory
Mark Fleischmann  |  Sep 07, 2012
Krell is getting back into the sub-$10K price point with the Foundation pre-pro. At $6000, it offers fully balanced output stages, as you can see from all those XLR outs. Ever conscious that the surround audiophile may also be a stereo audiophile, it supplements its eight HDMI ins and two outs with a stereo preamp mode that keeps the signal entirely in the analog domain. Add some combination of Krell's five-, three-, or two-channel power amps and you've got a compelling system.
Audio Video News
Labels Smack Pandora for Pre-’ 72 Grab
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jul 21, 2014
Several major labels have sued Pandora for streaming pre-1972 music without paying for it. Why would Pandora even attempt such a thing? Well, federal copyright law extends only that far back. However, copyrights can still be protected at the state level, so Vivendi, Sony, Warner, and ABKCO are suing in New York state courts. They point out that their music enables Pandora to rake in subscription fees and ad revenues, yet “it refuses to obtain required licenses or pay for its commercial and profitable exploitation of plaintiffs’ valuable property.” Pandora retorts that “the time, effort, and cost of securing such licenses could be significant,” while removing the pre-1972 music “could harm our ability to attract and retain users.”
Audio Video News
Labels Team Up with MySpace
Mark Fleischmann  |  Apr 10, 2008
The latest heavy-hitting entry to the music-downloading scene is MySpace Music. It's a joint effort that brings together three of the four of the major record labels with the social networking site owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
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Ears On
Lang Lang and Sony Tap Classical's Promo Power
Mark Fleischmann  |  Apr 16, 2008
Last Friday I had the privilege of watching Lang Lang perform a freshly commissioned piano concerto by Tan Dun (who composed the score for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) at Avery Fisher Hall in New York. The 25-year-old wunderkind brilliantly exploited the work's wide dynamic contrasts and powerful sonorities, often conjuring extraordinary tone color by hammering the lowest notes of the keyboard, and bewitching the audience with extravagant gestures. Lang Lang is to the piano what Leonard Bernstein was to conducting. Anyway, Sony slipped me a ticket to celebrate its three-year pact with what is arguably the world's greatest living pianist. "Sony is delighted to welcome Lang Lang as a 'brand ambassador' who can reach and connect with audiences around the world," said Sir Howard Stringer in a press release. Lang Lang describes himself as "a long-time Sony user." No doubt he'll boost Sony's popularity, not only in America but in classical-conscious Europe and his native China. It's great to see a major corporation hitching its wagon to a major pianist. Rumors of classical music's death have been greatly exaggerated.
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