Klipsch Jubilee Floorstanding Horn-Loaded Loudspeakers: The Culmination of a Dream

Klipsch has started shipping their largest and most advanced loudspeaker in the company’s 75-year history. As the new flagship, the Klipsch Jubilee is the realization of the final project, founder Paul W. Klipsch (PWK) worked on before his death in 2002. It was his dream to create a fully horn-loaded speaker that would satisfy the most ardent audiophiles.

Originally intended to be the successor to the Klipschorn, PWK soon realized it was much more than that. Twenty-first century advancements in engineering and technology have allowed Klipsch to make his dream a reality.

An excerpt from PWK’s AES white paper, A Revised Low-Frequency Horn of Small Dimensions (paywall), reveals some of the loudspeakers history.

JAES Volume 48 Issue 10 pp. 922-929; October 2000

ROY DELGADO, JR., AES Member, AND PAUL W. KLIPSCH, AES Member Klipsch LIC, Hope, AR 71801, USA

Published October 1, 2000

More than 50 years after the introduction of the KLIPSCHORN, a revised low-frequency horn for the system is presented, which will return the system to a two-way design as originally envisioned by its inventor. How this was achieved is discussed with the support of data and results.

INTRODUCTION
Paul Klipsch's paper describing a low-frequency horn was first published in 1941 and subsequently re-printed in this Journal in 1979. The paper described the thoughts and reasoning behind the KLIPSCHORN low-frequency horn. Today, more than 50 years after its introduction, the low-frequency section of the system remains for the most part unchanged. The current loud-speaker is a three-way, fully horn-loaded system, which still commands respect in the company of most of today's high-end loudspeakers.

BACKGROUND
The advantages of horns are well known. Many designs have been implemented and some patented. The efficiency and the low distortion characteristics of properly engineered horn-loaded cabinets are not rivaled by vented or sealed systems. Horn-loaded low-frequency sections must be large to go down to any appreciable cutoff frequency. And small horn-loaded low-frequency sections have a high cutoff frequency, typically in the 60-100-Hz range. One major advantage of the current low-frequency unit is that it has a cutoff of 38 Hz and is still able to fit into most living rooms. It takes advantage of the fact that it operates in a corner(one-eighth space). Therefore it does not require the large mouth the same horn would need if it were to operate in full space. Because the driver is horn loaded, the amount of excursion it undergoes is reduced, and thus distortion is also reduced. A driver that is able to withstand 250 W of input power produces high sound pressure levels (SPLs) because of the efficient loading of the horn. The new low-frequency unit is to have all of this as well as the ability to go 200 Hz higher (1/2 octave) than the current low-frequency unit.

The New Klipsch Jubilee

The new 2022 Klipsch Jubilee is now the only speaker in the company’s 75-year history to surpass the legendary Klipschorn in its spot at the top of the Klipsch Heritage series.

The Klipsch Jubilee is a fully-horn loaded two-way loudspeaker, designed to deliver the ultimate listening experience. It incorporates the latest in acoustic developments to accomplish this feat, featuring a patented horn-loaded vented low frequency enclosure and an all-new horn-loaded compression driver.

Each component is specifically optimized to operate in its individual pass-band, resulting in the Klipsch Jubilee being one of the most efficient commercially available loudspeakers.

Higher efficiency yields greater acoustic power, which is generated with considerably less effort. The result is the cleanest, most dynamic sound possible throughout the entire musical range.

Horn-Loaded Vented System

The patented low frequency enclosure of the Klipsch Jubilee is designed to provide magnificent presence, by leveraging the efficiencies of both horn-loaded and vented systems. The typical vented system already increases the efficiency and sensitivity for extended low frequency performance.

Horn-loading this system allows the Klipsch Jubilee to be a staggering 10 to 20 times more efficient than a conventional loudspeaker. This results in unrivaled low frequency performance, maximizing output while minimizing distortion, for dynamic and clean bass.

High Frequency Compression Driver

The Klipsch Jubilee features an all-new large format compression driver with a 7” axiperiodic Titanium diaphragm. The single, large diameter diaphragm provides very wide bandwidth performance, eliminating the need for a mid-range driver – true to Paul Klipsch’s original Klipsch Jubilee design.

This wide bandwidth design lowers the crossover point below the critical vocal range to maximize clarity and accuracy. The axiperiodic design delivers a smooth response, while still maximizing output and minimizing distortion for a more effortless performance.

Active Crossover

The Klipsch Jubilee features an external active DSP crossover network to ensure
the highest degree of accurate reproduction of sound. The DSP network adjusts
the phase and time delay of each acoustic component to eliminate acoustic phase cancellations and maximize output in the crossover region for truer-to-life sound.

The DSP network also provides the necessary EQ and gain adjustment to blend the two acoustic components together seamlessly. Designed for shelf or rack mount applications, the Klipsch Jubilee active crossover also features adjustable low frequency and high frequency trim levels to ensure a listening experience tailored to your room and personal taste.

Key Features

• A patented, horn-loaded, vented, low frequency enclosure that delivers unrivaled dynamics and clean bass from its dual 12” woofers and three 4” ports. 
• An all-new, horn-loaded, compression driver with a 7” axiperiodic titanium diaphragm provides a wide bandwidth for seamless clarity and accuracy.  
• Each component is specifically optimized to operate in its individual pass-band, making it one of the most efficient loudspeakers on the planet. 
• An active crossover network ensures the highest degree of accurate, true-to-life sound reproduction through a built-in digital signal processor (DSP) and equalizer. It enables using separate amplifiers for the high frequency and low frequency speakers, eliminates phase cancellation in the crossover region and may be shelf or rack-mounted.

Specifications

¹ Sensitivity in average listening room

Made in USA

Like the entire range of Klipsch Heritage speakers, Klipsch Jubilee speakers are designed and handcrafted in the USA and carry an unprecedented 10-year warranty. Each speaker is grain-matched using wood veneer panels from the same timber, resulting in a speaker pair that is virtually indistinguishable from the other.

Price & Availability 

The Klipsch Jubilee loudspeakers are available now for $35,000/pair (USD) through Certified Klipsch Heritage dealers only in satin black ash or American walnut.

For more information: klipsch.com

About Klipsch Audio

In 1946 Paul W. Klipsch, inventor, acoustics pioneer and maverick, founded Klipsch Audio with the sole purpose of bringing the power, detail and emotion of the live music experience into his living room. Through the use of highly efficient speaker designs, handcrafted cabinetry and a thirst for real engineering breakthroughs – Klipsch, the great American loudspeaker company, was born in Hope, AR. Today, our diverse range of quality audio products includes speakers and headphones for almost any consumer and professional application – including cinema, whole-house, wireless, home theater and portable offerings. Honoring our founder’s legacy, Klipsch continues to be the legendary high-performance brand of choice for audiophiles and aficionados around the world. We are the Keepers of the Sound^®.