McIntosh has just revealed the XRT1.1K loudspeaker, a sibling to the company’s larger-than-life XRT2.1K loudspeaker. Featuring a 1,200 Watt power rating, the full range XRT1.1K is an exceptional speaker in its own right. With its more user-friendly size that is 14” (35 cm) shorter and 173 lbs (78 kg) lighter than the XRT2.1K, the XRT1.1K can comfortably fit in a wider variety of home environments. While not as large as the XRT2.1K, the XRT1.1K is still an extraordinary loudspeaker that produces a powerful aural experience and sonic performance that can easily fill a room with astonishing musicality.

The ported, 4-way XRT1.1K uses the company’s line array design to yield an even and wide sound field, producing exceptional stereo imaging in nearly all listening positions. With this design, listeners closer to the XRT1.1K will not be overpowered by extremely high volumes as they will only be on axis to a portion of the drivers; listeners farther away will be on axis to more of the drivers and will be able to easily hear the music without any large drop off in sound level or quality.

The XRT1.1K uses a total of 70 individual drivers consisting of (4) 6.5” woofers, (2) 6.5” low frequency midranges, (24) 2” upper frequency midranges, and (40) ¾” tweeters. The woofer and low frequency midrange drivers that were first designed for the XRT2.1K have been incorporated into the XRT1.1K. They are housed in the large bass enclosure cabinet located behind the line array. Their diaphragms are extremely stiff yet lightweight and their long throw design produces amazing bass extension. In front of the bass cabinet is the line array where the upper frequency midranges and tweeters, which were also first developed for the XRT2.1K, are found.

Utilizing capacitors and inductors with low loss and high current capacity, the crossover network is engineered to ensure an even frequency response over the entire audible range. The type of inductor used in each section of the network has been specially chosen for high linearity, even at high power levels. This prevents distortion of the music at any frequency. The network also employs self-resetting high current PTC type fuses to provide an extra measure of protection for the drivers.

Like the XRT2.1K, the XRT1.1K looks as striking as it sounds. The bass cabinet is finished with 7 layers of high gloss piano black paint and has touches of brushed and black aluminum. The line array features hints of the classic McIntosh front panel with a black center section and silver trim. It is suspended in front of the bass cabinet via steel spiders that are inspired by modern skyscraper construction; they are capped with magnetic covers that mimic the look of McIntosh control knobs. The speaker grilles feature black knit cloth with high gloss trim; the grilles are easily removed via their magnetic fasteners to expose the drivers. The base plate is made of machined aluminum and glass. It has 4 adjustable feet that allow the speaker to make perfect contact with the floor, thus eliminating a possible source of distortion or vibration.

The speaker cables are securely attached via McIntosh’s gold-plated Solid Cinch speaker binding posts that prevent the cables from coming loose. Separate pairs of binding posts are available for the mid/high, low and subwoofer frequencies to allow for tri-amping or tri-wiring. The McIntosh logo on the base can be illuminated with the use of the Power Control technology found in McIntosh amplifiers, preamplifiers, integrated amplifiers and other products.

Shipping starts in November at $60,000 US. For more info, check out www.mcintoshlabs.com

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