Klipsch Palladium P-39F Speakers Go Green

Klipsch's new Palladium P-39F floorstanding speakers take a greener approach to high-end audio using cabinets with veneers made from renewable woods.

Audio gear maker Klipsch is aware that many consumers and high-end audiophiles are eager to put their dollars where their ethics are when it comes to preserving the natural environment and supporting environmentally-friendly products. To that end, the company has added the P-39F floorstanding loudspeaker to its Palladium speaker line. The speakers feature a tall, boat-sail design that resembles high-end wooden furniture—and if that cabinetry looks like exotic zebrawood to your highly-trained eye, look again: that’s a "Linia" veneer, produced from Ayous, Obeche, and Italian Poplar, all of which are considered renewable wood resources.

"With the P-39F, we too are trying to reach upper-echelon customers using a distinct, zebra-striped veneer, but we’ve found a way to lessen the impact it has on our mother Earth," said Klipsch president and COO Paul Jacobs.

Zebrawood is a visually striking hardwood often used for veneers, panelling, furniture, and other decorative uses, and sports dramatic light-and-dark banding. However, zebrawood is considered a threatened species in its native western Africa, and its use has drawn criticism from environmental activists: in 2002, high-end designer brand Prada pledged never to use endangered wood again after protests at the use of zebrawood in its New York City flagship store.

The "Linia" veneer used in the P-39F, conversely, is made from more easily renewable woods gathered in government-sanctioned harvests, and also produces more reliable patterning with less waste than raw zebrawood, making the veneers more consistent from unit to unit, as well as over time.

As a speaker, the P-39F offers response fr 39 to 24KHz within ±3db, sensitivity of 99db at 2.83V from 1 meter, and runs at a nominal 4 Ohm load. The speakers will handle a continuous 400 Watts of power (1,600 Watts at peaks), and have a max output level of 126 db—that’s more than enough to permanently damage your hearing. The cabinets feature a 0.75-inch high-frequency driver, three 4.5-inch aluminum diaphragm mid-range drivers, and three 9-inch aluminum/kevlar/rohace hybrid cone low frequency drivers. They weigh 165 pounds apiece, and stand 56 inches (4′8").

And that Linia veneer? It’s available in natural, espresso, and merlot stains.