Hi-Fi: Klipsch CS-700 Review – 74

Tone has often reported excellent results from home theatre setups of a modest 2.1 configuration – that’s just two speakers and a subwoofer – rather than the common 5.1 or the emerging 7.1. The latest serious contender in this segment, the Klipsch CS-700, maintains and enhances the reputation and capability of a good 2.1 arrangement. Enhances, because it goes significantly further than playing DVDs and providing a gripping soundtrack. Wireless technology features heavily, so the hefty 8-inch, down-firing, 200-watt subwoofer needs no cable other than one for power supply.

With this wireless capability – KlipschCast, as the manufacturer calls it – the CS-700′s party trick is being able to send sound signals through the house to satellites called RoomGroove. These are essentially rather nice iPod speaker units, capable of also transmitting music on the playlists to other RoomGrooves or back to the CS-700. You can add RoomGrooves all over the house and the product can be used as a stand-alone iPod player, without the CS-700.

You might think that something like this could be kind of naff, but Klipsch has produced a classy product that has all sorts of possible applications for people keen to add a degree of smarts to their home.

The stylish black head unit houses the CD/DVD player, an AM/FM tuner and three auxiliary inputs. Klipsch’s first home-theatre-in-a-box has Dolby Virtual Speaker technology to deliver an approximation of surround sound from its two small piano-black speakers, each with a shielded 3-inch woofer and a 0.75-inch tweeter.

RoomGroove has a small remote that lets the user select sources and control the docked iPod and other functions. It will also control the CS-700 (which is supplied with its own remote). There’s a retractable iPod dock and an auxiliary input for non-iPod audio input. The units can access the CS-700′s audio sources independently, so one listener can tap into, say, FM radio while others watch a DVD on the CS-700.

Or an iPod in one room can stream music to another RoomGroove elsewhere in the house.
In theory, that is. In reality the signal was unable to reach parts of the test house and, in some other parts, RoomGroove received only a badly distorted signal. Many users of laptops on a wireless network will already know all about this problem. Buyers should try for an in-house demo before committing to the purchase.

Setting it all up is so easy. All cabling for the CS-700 is supplied and ready to plug in; the manual is concise. RoomGrooves only need to be plugged into a socket.

Build quality is good and sound quality even better. I’ve been disappointed by the way some home theatre setups, even expensive ones, play conventional CDs, but not so the CS-700. They sound full and rich and the sub ices the aural cake. Vocals and solo instruments are particularly natural sounding.

Moving to DVDs, the surround effect is better than average and probably about as good as you can get with two speakers. That’s not meant to damn it with faint praise; watching some of our audio-rich reference DVDs, such as battle scenes in Revenge Of The Sith, I rarely felt disadvantaged by having three speakers missing. Overall, the sound is clean, clear, rich and detailed.

The RoomGroove doesn’t do quite so well. The stereo soundstage is narrow, speakers can be a little shrill and there’s not a lot of bass from the small woofers. It will play really loud with tolerable distortion. Despite all this, the sound is still involving; I wasn’t once tempted to turn it off or down.

PHIL HANSON

Specifications

CS-700 and RoomGroove

2.1 Home Theatre and Wireless iPod/Remote System

$2599 and $649

• Frequency response: 30Hz- 20kHz +/-3dB

• Amplifier power

• Subwoofer: 200W continuous, 10% THD

• Speakers: 75w x 2 continuous, 1% THD

• Crossover frequency: 125Hz, 24dB/octave

• High-frequency horn:    MicroTractrix

• Midrange: 3-inch paper cone

• Subwoofer: 8-inch downward firing

RoomGroove

• Amplifier: Class D

• Frequency response: 65Hz- 17kHz

• Maximum acoustic output:    98dB SPL at 1m

• Tweeter: 1-inch

• Midrange: 2.5-inch

• Enclosure type: Tuned port

• Inputs: iPod docking connector/stereo mini auxiliary

CONTACT:

www.soundgroup.co.nz

PROS

• Decent sound

• Clean design

• Wireless music throughout the house

CONS

• Where’s a Blu-ray version?

• Slow responding to commands

• Signal may not reach parts of house

VERDICT

• A home entertainment Swiss Army Knife that offers both versatility and good qualityThis review is from Tone issue #74.