Klipsch Synergy F2, Cinematic synergy

THE FOUNDATIONS

• Genuine home theater at an affordable price: Klipsch's Synergy series.

• Price: €1,802

• Specialists' rating: 5

• Text: Jorge Wuhrmann

At CEC we have had the occasional encounter with some of Klipsch's products (two in this issue), a very well-known name in the US and parts of Europe but one that has had a fairly low profile in Spain until now. Thanks to its acquisition of the Danish brand Jamo, Klipsch has recently gained a firmer foothold in the old continent, with a better distribution network across Europe, which is helping to popularize its range of home audio products, made up of loudspeakers of every kind: for home theater, for stereo audio, for computers, for MP3 players, for in-wall or in-ceiling installation and even dedicated outdoor models.

Within Klipsch's home theater offering we find the more exclusive Reference series alongside the more affordable Synergy series, designed to offer, at modest prices, a complete range of every type of loudspeaker for building a home theater tailored to any need. To that end it comprises three floorstanding models, three dedicated center channel models and as many surround models and, finally, two different monitor models and up to four different subwoofer models. To give us as complete an idea as possible of the combinations that can be formed from the various Klipsch Synergy speakers, the Spanish importer proposed one monitor model (the smallest), a subwoofer and the middle model of the three available floorstanding, center channel and surround speakers. The monitors and floorstanders are available in cherry or black finishes, with various titanium-colored details, while the surround and center channel speakers come in black, as do the subwoofers.

The F2s are relatively compact two-way floorstanding speakers, with a crossover frequency of 2.1 kHz. They feature a square 5" Tractrix horn with a 1" aluminum dome tweeter, accompanied by two 6.5" woofers, also with metal diaphragms; all three drivers are also magnetically shielded. Frequency response extends, according to the manufacturer, from 39 Hz to 23 kHz, and the combination of very high sensitivity (95.5 dB) with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms makes them easy to drive, so they will not be at all demanding on the associated electronics. Construction is quite decent for their price range and, since their generous bass reflex port is on the front, placement in the room is made somewhat easier. The B2 monitors are the smallest available in the series. Their configuration is the classic two-way, with a 0.75" tweeter mounted in a 4" horn, smaller therefore than in the F2 floorstanders. It is accompanied by a 5.25" woofer, and both are magnetically shielded. The crossover point in this case is 2.3 kHz, and the frequency range extends from 62 Hz to 23 kHz. As is typical of Klipsch, the 92 dB sensitivity and 8-ohm nominal impedance make them particularly easy for any amplifier to drive. The binding posts are for single-wiring, unlike those of the F2. Since the bass reflex port is on the back, it is essential to use them with a dedicated stand that also keeps them away from the rear and side walls.

Of the three types of dedicated center channel speaker in the Synergy range, we again had the opportunity to test the middle one, the C2. Its layout is no different from that of other manufacturers, with the central tweeter flanked by the two midrange drivers, although, as with the rest of its sisters, the square horn stamps the family's personality with its powerful styling. As in the F2, the 1" aluminum dome tweeter is integrated into the 5" Tractrix Horn, with a 5.25" driver on each side. The enclosure is sealed (no bass reflex), with a crossover frequency between the two ways of 2.4 kHz within the 82 Hz to 23 kHz frequency range covered. Sensitivity jumps back up to 95.5 dB with a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, in line with the front channels. All the surround speakers in Klipsch's Synergy series are dipoles. Again we had the opportunity to test the middle model of the three available, in this case the S2. Housed in a sealed enclosure with the already familiar 5.25" midrange driver in the center, on each side there is one of the familiar 1" aluminum dome tweeters, set into two 5" horns arranged at right angles to each other, resulting in the design the manufacturer calls WDST (Wide Dispersion Surround Technology), which supposedly disperses sound over a 180º angle. With a frequency range of 83 Hz to 23 kHz and the crossover point at 2.5 kHz, its sensitivity is almost low by Klipsch standards at 91 dB, although well above what is usual for competing speakers, so once again it is easy to drive for whatever receiver we connect it to.

Finally, the subwoofer used in the test was the Sub10, the smaller of the two most powerful of the four in the Synergy world. Its down-firing 10" driver with rear bass reflex is driven by a 200 W amplifier within a relatively generously sized enclosure, giving the whole a frequency response of 28 to 120Hz. On the back it has all the usual controls for a unit of this type and allows connection via low-level input (LFE channel) or even high-level, for stereo systems. The individual specifications indicate that the various elements are designed to work specifically as part of a home theater system. Thus, the frequency ranges of the surround channels, the center and the monitors clearly indicate that they are designed to work in conjunction with the subwoofer and to be set as small in the A/V receiver, placing them clearly closer to home theater satellites than to general-purpose speakers. Despite this specific design (obvious in the case of the center and surrounds), I set out to evaluate the possibilities of the B2 monitors and, above all, of the F2 floorstanders as speakers in a stereo system, since at CEC we fully understand the limitations of space and means that enthusiasts face in most cases: they cannot have one system dedicated to movies and another to audio, but must combine them into one and, on top of that, set it up in the multipurpose family living room.

To evaluate the sound quality of the Klipsch speakers I connected them to a Denon AVR-3806 A/V receiver. It is an amplifier rated at 120 W into 8 ohms for each of its 7 channels which, given how easy the set is to drive, has more than enough power to drive them comfortably in a 7.1 configuration, let alone in two types of 5.1 configuration.



VERSATILE



Using various pop, rock and blues tracks, the B2 monitors were a pleasant surprise, giving more bass than I expected, above all very well controlled, and with a very pleasant level of detail in the treble. Guitar riffs, drum solos or powerful electronic instruments are well drawn and even convincing within a soundstage which, although not drawn with total precision, does allow the main instruments to be placed. The F2 floorstanders are much better as a front pair, since we find more transparency and more precision in placing voices and musicians. But above all, the better bass stands out, in both extension and punch. Both were less convincing when faced with classical music, especially with large orchestral forces, where a certain saturation can be heard and the midrange becomes somewhat more blurred, but of course we are talking about levels of sophistication that can only be demanded of higher-end speakers.

But the set's greatest virtues are appreciated neither in stereo nor in multichannel audio, but with movie soundtracks. One of the tests I usually use is the opening sequence of Master and Commander, in which the Synergys spectacularly reproduce the subtle noises of an 18th-century ship under sail, the dialogue, the subsequent call to battle stations and the chaos of an all-out cannon battle. Of course, on a more realistic scale when we use the F2s than when we use the B2s. The same can be said of the opening of Star Wars Episode III, a space battle with ships firing from every direction and lightning-fast effects from one side of the room to the other. Dialogue is always very clear, centered, forceful and realistic, the effects believable, subtle or powerful depending on the action. The subwoofer is just as capable supporting the speakers in dialogue or music as in the most devastating explosions in the action. The Synergy set's performance for watching action movies is simply spectacular and makes you check the prices a couple of times before you are convinced there is no mistake.

If what you are looking for is a system to provide sound for a setup dedicated to the most hard-hitting Hollywood fare, the Klipsch Synergys are a highly recommendable option.

P. A. Jamo, S.A. Press and Communications



The current Synergy models are now the third generation of a well-known Klipsch series characterized by its dynamism and flexibility. These are speakers with a young and vital personality, in both expression and appearance, with attractive finishes and a sound as intense and powerful as today's musical styles demand. The various models in the series, both floorstanding and bookshelf, serve as the basis for configuring complete home theater systems, adapted to the needs and dimensions of each room.

THE FOUNDATIONS

Paul Klipsch, who founded the company in 1946, set out four basic principles for achieving the highest sound quality that remain the basis of every design the company makes today: high efficiency, dynamic range, controlled directivity and flat frequency response. All these principles are present in the classic Klipschorns, a design with a square horn shape derived from exponential horns (the horn shape of the classic gramophone), which is still available in the Heritage series.

Klipsch Synergy F2, Cinematic synergy

Specifications

B2 (monitors, €358/pair). Frequency response

62 Hz-23 kHz, ±3 dB. Power handling 75 W (300 W peak). Sensitivity 92 dB/W/m. Nominal impedance 8 ohms. Crossover point 2,300 Hz. WEIGHT 5 kg.

Dimensions 318 x 178 x 203 mm.



F2 (floorstanders, €714/pair). Frequency response

39 Hz-23 kHz, ±3 dB. Power handling 100 W (400 W peak). Sensitivity 95.5 dB/W/m. Nominal impedance

8 ohms. Crossover point 2,100 Hz. WEIGHT 20.14 kg. DIMENSIONS 991 x 203 x 381 mm.



C2 (center, €241 each). Frequency response

82 Hz-23 kHz, ±3 dB. Power handling 100 W (400 W peak). Sensitivity 95.5 dB/W/m. Nominal impedance 8 ohms. Crossover point 2,400 Hz. WEIGHT 4.5 kg. DIMENSIONS

192 x 503 x 164 mm.



S2 (surrounds, €358/pair). Frequency response 82 Hz-23 kHz, ±3 dB. Power handling 100 W (400 W peak). Sensitivity 91 dB/W/m. Nominal impedance 8 ohms. Crossover point 2,500 Hz. WEIGHT 3.2 kg. DIMENSIONS

174 x 143 x 139 mm.



Sub10 (subwoofer, €489). Frequency response

28-120 Hz, ±3 dB. Amplifier power 200 W continuous. Crossover 40 Hz-120 Hz. DRIVER 1 x 10". Dimensions 430 x 350 x 480 mm. WEIGHT 16.8 kg.



DISTRIBUTOR Productos Audio Jamo (933004458).

Price: €1,802