With its iconic horn-loaded tweeter design and copper hued drivers, Klipsch has not only carved a special place in the hearts of Audiophiles in the USA but also other parts of the world, including India. For nearly 70 years, the company has created some of the most revered and coveted speakers that still resonates with high-fidelity audio lovers the world over.
"My theories on audio and audio reproduction will be proven wrong only when the laws of physics change."
- Paul W. Klipsch
With bold designs and a bolder head honcho, Mr. Paul Wilbur Klipsch, the company has achieved somewhat of a Rockstar status among home audio brands. The company has a longstanding and detailed legacy which is hard to encapsulate in a few words. At Ooberpad, we are huge admirers of both the brand and products it offers. As authorised dealers of Klipsch speakers in India, we want to pay a small homage and celebrate the legacy of this iconic American audio brand.
The Early Days
After nearly 70 years of producing high-quality audio products, it is hard to believe that the company’s story began in a tin shed in Hope, Arkansas. By way of an eccentric spirit, ambitious character and a little bit of hope, Paul W. Klipsch began a mission to change the standard of sound forever.
Paul W. Klipsch served in the U.S. Army during World War II, earning the rank of Lt. Colonel. It was during his service at the Southwest Proving Grounds located in Hope, Ark. that Mr. Klipsch refined his corner horn speaker design. Visitors to his officer's quarters were amazed by the lifelike reproduction and encouraged Mr. Klipsch to start his own manufacturing business.
He received a patent on his loudspeaker design in 1945, registered the name Klipsch & Associates in 1946, and began making each loudspeaker with his own two hands until he hired his first employee in 1948.
An Arsenal of Patents & Technologies
The acoustics career of Paul W. Klipsch spanned from 1946, when he founded one of the first U.S. loudspeaker companies, to 2000 when the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society published one of his papers. Over that time, he accounted for 23 patents.
From all these patents, perhaps the most iconic is the K-Horn. The Klipschorn, or K-Horn, the loudspeaker is the flagship product of the company. It was patented by founder Paul W. Klipsch in 1946 and has been in continuous production in the company's Hope, Arkansas, plant since then—the longest run in speaker production history.
Tractrix® Horns have for many years been the driving force behind Klipsch’s stunningly precise acoustics. A signature feature on the Reference Series speakers, Klipsch’s Cerametallic woofers exhibit a very high stiffness-to-mass ratio and superb damping, resulting in a powerful, solid bass foundation. As the cornerstone of every Klipsch surround speaker, proprietary Wide Dispersion Surround Technology (WDST) provides astounding sonic detail for rooms with less-than-ideal placement configurations.
The Current Scenario
Today the company produces loudspeaker drivers and enclosures, as well as complete loudspeakers for high end, high fidelity sound systems, public address applications, and personal computers.
Interestingly, Klipsch owns the Danish loudspeaker brand Jam. In 2006, acquired the brands of Mirage, Athena, and Energy speakers from Audio Products International (API) of Canada. On January 6, 2011, Audiovox announced that the company had signed a "term sheet to purchase all the shares of Klipsch Group Inc". The sale was completed March 1, 2011.
The Klipsch worldwide headquarters building in Indianapolis, Indiana features a state-of-the-art audio research and development facility. Dubbed The Klipsch Engineering and Technology Center, it is one of the most advanced audio facilities in the U.S. It boasts two anechoic chambers (echo-free rooms), digital electronics workstations, a full-featured transducer lab, an engineering model shop and an industrial design lab.
The company is extremely proud of being from Indianapolis. As a result, many of the speakers are stamped with the Indianapolis skyline and a tagline that reads "Designed with pride in Indianapolis" on the bottom of the speaker.
