Klipsch has updated its two top speaker lines, the Reference, now in its seventh generation, and the Reference Premiere, now entering its third generation. They boast several changes from previous generations, including larger Tractrix horns for the tweeters, improved internal bracing within the cabinets, and a discrete wiring system for adding Dolby Atmos height-channel modules. These wired speakers for both hi-fi and home theater setups are available now via Klipsch.com and select retailers, with prices starting at $299 and going up to just under $3,000 depending on the model. The Reference line is available in black (Ebony), while the Reference Premiere comes in your choice of Ebony or Walnut finishes.
Each line features floor-standing speakers, floor-standing speakers with built-in Dolby Atmos height modules, bookshelf speakers, and center channels, but the Reference line also includes two subwoofers, while the Reference Premiere line includes bi-directional corner surround speakers. None of these are new models per se; instead, Klipsch has updated all of the speakers with a few new features.
The most visible change is the size of the iconic Klipsch Tractrix horn — the circle-in-a-square component that houses the tweeter in each speaker. For 2022, the Tractrix horn is even bigger than previous generations, in some cases reaching all the way to the edge of the enclosures, which Klipsch claims will improve high-frequency response and extension and create a larger soundstage and enhanced directivity, all while enhancing imaging and dynamics.
The signature Cerametallic woofers, with their unmistakable copper color, have also received an upgrade in the form of larger voice coils and new aluminum shorting rings, designed to reduce distortion while increasing power handling. On the inside of the speaker cabinets, Klipsch has fortified the bracing, and divided the internal volume into separate spaces for each driver, with the goal of further reducing unwanted vibrations.
Klipsch has also been paying attention to the way its speakers are wired. New binding posts have been added to the rear of the cabinets — they’re aluminum on the Reference Premiere series and metallic-coated on the Reference line. Some floor-standing models, that don’t include integrated Dolby Atmos height modules, now include a discrete set of height-channel output jacks near the top of the cabinets so you can add a set of dedicated height modules without draping speaker wire down the back of the towers themselves.
Here’s the full lineup of speakers for each series:
