Klipsch may be one of the oldest American speaker companies, but that doesn't stop it from manufacturing iPod, computer, stereo and home theater speakers, along with a full line of professional cinema and music speakers.
Paul W. Klipsch founded the company that bears his name in Hope, Ark. in 1946. And incredibly enough, the Arkansas plant is still building the company's higher-end speakers.
I reviewed Klipsch's new flagship speaker, the Palladium P-39F ($20,000/pair), for Home Entertainment magazine, and I had a blast. The new speaker forgoes Klipsch's traditional, square-edged aesthetic; for the Palladium project the company enlisted the talents of BMW DesignworksUSA in Los Angeles, Calif. They did a great job.
The Audiophiliac and the P-39F
I found the new boldly curved speaker's "boat tail" shape distinctive as all get out and it's not just for show, the rounded cabinet's interior quells resonance that would muddy the sound. Those curved sides are made from seven ply, constrained layer, composite laminate wood panels, and the front baffle is reinforced with steel.
It's a large speaker, 56 inches tall and 24.75 deep, but it doesn't seem as imposing as some statement designs. The Palladium's zebra grain veneers come in your choice of three finishes, natural, merlot, and espresso (the wood is sourced from protected forests).
The 165-pound speaker rests on an aluminum and steel plinth/base; which reminds me, the P-39F's speaker cable connectors are stealthily concealed within its bottom panel.
It's a serious rock and roll animal, built to handle dynamics and power like ultra high-end speakers that retail for many times the price of the P-39F. Bass is meaty and solid, yet as clear and concise as the mid-range and treble. Oh, and before you get the impression these bad boys have to be played at lease breaking volume to sound their best, I found them exceedingly accomplished at hushed, late night volume as well.
When I reviewed the P-39F tower speaker it was the only Palladium available, but in New York last week Klipsch showed the P-17B bookshelf speaker ($4,000/pair), P-27C center channel ($3,500), P-27S surround speaker ($4,000/pr) and P-312W subwoofer ($4,000). Complete Palladium 5.1 channel systems start around $16,000.
(Credit:
Klipsch)
It's one thing for automakers to focus so much on technology inside the car, but sometimes it seems that they're spending an inordinate amount of time putting their nameplates on products that have nothing to do with the road. The latest example is BMW's co-branding of the Klipsch "Palladium P-39F," marking its entry into the high-end home speaker market.
These monsters stand 5 feet tall and sport a zebra-grain veneer, finished with a brushed-aluminum base. They have an exceptionally sleek appearance thanks to their flush-mounted horns and cones, according to Luxurylaunches. True to its namesake, the BMW loudspeakers come at a premium price as well: $15,000 a pair. And why not? Ferrari has put its logo on a tower system that goes for $20,000. Even at those price levels, they make more sense to us than a $600 BMW coffee maker.
(Credit:
Sybarites)
Go figure. We thought that legendary luxury goods purveyor S.T. Dupont would have better things to do than make an occasional computer peripheral. But apparently the palladium memory stick it introduced earlier this year wasn't just a one-time thing.
In between crafting museum-quality pens and lighters, the Parisian institution is continuing to forge USB keys such as those from its "Cote d'Azur" collection. The newest models are made of palladium and a choice of three lacquered colors, each bearing the company's signature diamond-head pattern.
We don't necessarily object to the company keeping up with these digital times, but we hope it doesn't sacrifice its world-class cigar accessories. And if it insists on making computer devices, why can't it combine a lighter with one of its USB drives?
(Credit:
Sybarites)
Of all the brands on the fashion world's A-list, Bulgari has always seemed to stand apart. You've got to admire a company that insists on using the Latin spelling of its name (BVLGARI) hundreds of years after the language was pronounced dead .
So we think it's noteworthy that the storied Italian purveyor of luxury goods has joined the hypercompetitive fray of designer phone straps. Bulgari's version is detachable, turning into a cube pendant of palladium when the handset is separated from the black calf leather strap, according to Sybarites. (Who says luxury accessories aren't practical?)
No pricing has been disclosed, but fear not: We're reasonably sure that this item will fall short of the $842,000 we've seen on other straps. Maybe.
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