Audio Video News

McIntosh today introduced an updated version of its flagship column speaker, the XRT2K.

Representing the “next evolution of McIntosh home audio speakers,” the 7-foot-tall XRT2.1K is a four-way design that uses an incredible 81 drivers to fill a room with sound — and then some. The towering speaker is priced accordingly at $130,000/pair.

Six 8-inch woofers are joined by two 6.5-inch low-frequency midranges — all mounted in the tall slender cabinet — and a vertical line array comprising 28 2-inch aluminum-magnesium upper-midrange drivers and 45 0.75-inch metal tweeters mounted on a plate suspended in front of the enclosure; all of the high-frequency drivers have been customized for the system and use neodymium magnets. The speaker is highly efficient with a rated sensitivity of 90 dB and rated to handle up to 2,000 watts.

“The XRT2.1K utilizes our renowned line array speaker principles to produce an even sound dispersion pattern,” the company said in the press release announcing the launch. “Listeners closer to the speaker will not be overwhelmed by extremely loud sound while those further away will notice hardly any drop off in sound level. The resulting sound is smooth and wide for all listeners, producing exceptional stereo imaging in nearly all listening positions.”

McIntosh says the crossover network, which employs capacitors and inductors with low loss and high current capacity, is engineered to ensure an even frequency response over the entire audible range. The inductor used in each section of the crossover was chosen for “high linearity, even at high power levels,” which is said to prevent distortion.

Visually striking, the XRT2.1K’s cabinet is made from a combination of brushed and black aluminum, finished with seven layers of high-gloss black paint, while the line array is suspended via steel spiders capped with covers that mimic McIntosh’s iconic control knobs. The black-knit speaker grilles sport a high-gloss black trim and attach via magnets for easy removal. As a final elegant touch, the McIntosh logo on base plate can be illuminated green.

McIntosh’s patented, gold-plated Solid Cinch binding posts are designed to facilitate simple and secure cable hookups. Separate pairs of binding posts are available for the mid/high, low and subwoofer frequencies to allow for tri-amping or tri-wiring.

For more information, visit mcintoshlabs.com.