McIntosh has released details of its ‘Nanocarbon-driver’ tech loudspeaker, the XRT2.1K. The level of components used and build quality is reflected by a price tag of £137,500 for the pair.

The units feature newly developed custom-made Nanocarbon Fibre drive units, 81 in total for this luxury speaker which stands seven feet high.

The new XRT2.1K is a four-way design, set to produce high-quality sound at all levels of the human audio spectrum and deploys Six 8in bass drivers, two 6.5in low frequency midrange units, 28 2in upper midrange units and 45 three-quarter-inch tweeters.

The new Nanocarbon Fibre/Nomex Honeycomb drivers specifically created for the XRT2.1K control the bass frequencies and are housed in their own bass enclosure cabinet. The maker says the extremely stiff, yet lightweight diaphragms deliver incredible bass extension. Located on the line array are McIntosh’s aluminium/magnesium upper-frequency midrange and tweeter drivers, which have been specially customised for the XRT2.1K and feature powerful neodymium magnets.

The crossover network is engineered to ensure an even frequency response over the whole audible range. It utilises capacitors and inductors with low loss and high current capacity. The type of inductor used in each section of the crossover network has been specially chosen for high linearity, even at high power levels, to prevent distortion of the music at any frequency.

Sound quality and cabinet design

Rated to handle a meaty 2,000W, the XRT2.1K represents the next evolution of McIntosh home audio speakers. The manufacturer says the speakers deliver a spacious sound reproduction with an unusually deep sound stage. The XRT2.1K also utilises McIntosh’s line array speaker principles to produce an even sound dispersion pattern — listeners closer to the speaker will not be overwhelmed by extremely loud sound, while those further away will notice very little drop-off in sound level. The resulting sound is designed to be smooth and wide for all listeners, producing high-quality stereo imaging in nearly all listening positions.

The XRT2.1K’s reinforced bass cabinet uses a combination of brushed and black aluminium and is finished with seven layers of high-gloss piano-black paint. The line array mimics the familiar McIntosh front panel appearance with a glossy black centre section and two silver aluminium end caps. It is suspended from the front of the bass cabinet via steel spiders that are capped with covers that look like a McIntosh control knob. The removable speaker grilles are attached via magnets and feature black knit-cloth with high-gloss trim.

McIntosh’s patented, gold-plated Solid Cinch speaker binding posts securely attach the speaker cables to prevent them from coming loose while also ensuring a quality signal is delivered. 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 front of the base plate can be illuminated green with the use of McIntosh’s Power Control technology found in the amplifier, preamplifier, integrated amplifier and other products.

Orders for the XRT2.1K can be placed now with shipping in the UK expected to begin in early this year. McIntosh is distributed in the UK by Jordan Acoustics.