Напольная акустика — Vienna Acoustics The Kiss

The Kiss is a three-way loudspeaker in the Klimt series from Vienna Acoustics of Austria. The company calls it a compact monitor, yet it arrives with its own integrated stand, so in use it stands on the floor like a tower. The enclosure is split into two independent blocks that are decoupled from each other. The original US price was USD 16,000 per pair. Piano black and sapele lacquers are the two finish choices, and parts and labour are covered under warranty for 5 years.

Key specs that matter

A 1 inch (25 mm) centre-vented silk dome tweeter sits coaxially inside a 7 inch (180 mm) Flat-Spider-Cone midrange, and a 9 inch (230 mm) Spider-Cone woofer handles the bass. Both cone designs are proprietary to Vienna Acoustics. Rated response is 36 Hz to 20 kHz, sensitivity is 89 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m, and nominal impedance is 4 ohm. The recommended amplifier power is 50 to 180 W. The main enclosure is 273 mm wide, 540 mm high and 540 mm deep and weighs 43 kg. The matching stand, sold as part of the design, adds 730 mm of height including spikes, measures 273 x 530 mm at its footprint and weighs 23 kg per side.

Engineering and use context

Mounting the dome inside the midrange cone makes the two drivers radiate from a common point, so the upper band leaves the cabinet from one location across the crossover region between them. The flat midrange diaphragm keeps the tweeter free of a deep cone around it. Splitting the cabinet into two decoupled blocks keeps vibration from the large woofer away from the coaxial unit above it. The stand also places the woofer well above the floor, the integrated design removes the need to buy separate stands, and it fixes the height of the drivers relative to the listener. With its considerable depth the speaker occupies more floor space than its width suggests, so it needs clearance behind and around it and fits rooms of about 20 m2 and larger.

Pairing

With such a low nominal impedance, the amplifier should remain stable at low impedance and deliver current freely, such as a solid state stereo amplifier or integrated rated within the recommended band. A valve amplifier with a dedicated low-impedance output can also be considered at the upper part of that power window.

Alternatives

The Beethoven Baby Grand Reference from the Concert Grand series is another Vienna Acoustics floorstanding model.