(September 27, 2019) As expected, CEDIA 2019 was bubbling with intriguing new products, including a total blindside reveal by last year’s show darling: KLH. The company arrived at CEDIA 2018 under the control of brand-new ownership, pulling the curtain back on a veritable truck-load of new speaker models. And this year, CEO David Kelley and company stirred more excitement by showcasing a new loudspeaker design.
The Maxwell Monitor One is a bookshelf-sized speaker (11 3/4”H x 7 7/8”W x 10”D, 15 lbs) designed around a relatively unique concentric driver concept. For those of you unfamiliar with the design, a concentric driver array is, for all practical purposes, two drivers in one. What you see from the outside appears to be a single 6.5” mid/bass driver, however hidden behind the dust-cap is a 1” silk dome tweeter. Sometimes referred to as “point source” or “coaxial," concentric drivers are praised for their ability to eliminate frequency interference issues that occur near a crossover point on more traditional speakers.
According to KLH’s press materials, the company has endowed the Maxwell Monitor One with premium innards, complete with high-end components and parts. Externally, the speakers are drop-dead gorgeous, featuring eye-popping lines, a machined aluminum CNC baffle, and a range of finish options. At launch, those finishes will include a painted Ferrari red and either Figured Koa or Cocobolo veneers.
Sound-wise, KLH says its engineers dedicated attention to fine tuning crossover points and overall voicing, which is described as a “balanced and nuanced sound with a very wide 140-degree dispersion.” If true, that means the speaker will deliver an impressively wide sweet spot.
Overall frequency response is a weighty 35Hz-20kHz (sensitivity 90dB)
“The Maxwell Monitor One, just like this past year’s awarding-winning line products, are built upon the same principle that original KLH co-founder Henry Kloss demonstrated time-and-time again, that is to deliver to the masses innovative, great sounding music systems that represent tremendous values,” says Kelley. “The Maxwell Monitor One are passionately designed and manufactured to be the best-looking and best-sounding of their type in the sub-$2,000 price category, a timeless design that will be cherished and passed on to future generations much like we still see with Henry’s iconic speakers such as the KLH Model Five.”
The Maxwell Monitor One is backed by a 10-year warranty. MSRP is set at $999 per pair, shipping is expected to begin during Q4.
For more information about KLH and it's entire speaker lineup, visit https://klhaudio.com.
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