Customer Reviews

Klipsch WC24 2-Way Center Channel Loudspeaker (Espresso)

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I already owned a pair of klipsch WF(?) series towers and needed a center channel to really pull together the movie watching experience. What a huge difference this made! I am very satisfied with the crisp clean full sound that my 3-speaker klipsch setup puts out.

Having never spent much money on speakers before, I was kind of hesitant dropping this kind of money on speakers. But I spent a lot of time combing through reviews, reading technical information about speaker construction and performance, and frequently visiting forums for insights. But in the end I wasn't very impressed - most "respectable" speakers came in a single variety. Piano black boxes. As someone with a great deal of natural wood and earth tones in my apartment, I was apprehensive about buying a big black shiny box that would stand out with that much contrast and draw so much attention to itself. Now, I understand that most of the impressiveness of a high-grade speaker is in the technical design. But to my logic, there are plenty of fantastic speaker manufactures out there that make great products, that I should be able to find something that I think looks good and fits my decor. These fit the bill wonderfully, providing impressive sound in a cabinet that looks gorgeous. I would have actually preferred the Cabernet finish, I think that's about the best looking finish I've seen an ANY speaker, but it just wouldn't have matched as well. The Espresso finish of the wood is a rick dark color, and is an actual wood veneer over 3/4" MDF. It feels really solid, and at this point it actually the nicest furniture I have in my living room, acoustics aside.

Now, before you get the impression that I bought these on looks alone, I want to stress that they sound even better than they look. The XT Tractrix Horn does an impressive job of diffusing the sound from the tweeter, without overly noticeable drops in sound quality. This really maximizes the effective "sweet spot" listening area. The two mid-range woofers complement well (one of which is actually only passive), delivering full spectrum sound that doesn't sound too bright or low. The dialogue during movies is unheard of! It's so clear that I don't have to turn it up uncomfortably loud just to understand it (as I did with my TV speakers), or keep having to either re-wind, ask others "What did he say", or just pretend I understood it. Even whispers are crystal clear, even at quiet volumes. Simply amazing sound!

Here is my current set-up:
LG 47LH90 47-Inch 1080p 240 Hz LED Backlit LCD HDTV, Glossy Black/Infused Blue
Pioneer VSX-1120-K 7.1 Home Theater Receiver
PlayStation 3 160 GB
2 Klipsch WF-34 Icon W Series Furniture-Grade Floorstanding Speaker (Espresso, Each)
Klipsch WC24 2-Way Center Channel Loudspeaker (Espresso)
Klipsch WB-14 Icon W Series Furniture-Grade Bookshelf Speakers (Espresso, Pair)

I bought the whole Icon W series line for a full 5.0 system, and because Klipsch is clearing these out for the next series, the prices that they're going at are unbeatable. In fact, I had intended to buy the Klipsch WF-35 Icon W Series Furniture-Grade Floorstanding Speaker (Espresso, Each), but they had sold out before I could get a pair. Get these now, before you loose your chance!

Well, I have owned the Klipsch Reference series 5.1 Speaker System for over 10 Years. They have sounded great from day one and still continue to impress. They are Big Black floor standing Speakers with big bulky rears and the center channel (model # RC-1) was a little bulky too. Now Slowly I am replacing them to this years Icon Series. The WF-34 Center channel looks and sound incredible. So far I have bought a RW-10d Sub, which delivers great bass and this review here for the WC24 Express Center Channel; Much smaller than my 10 year old Reference Series center channel, but looks amazing and is as heavy as my old center at twice it's size.

Now the sound is fantastic. Deep bass with tight vocals and sound effects. Really fills the room with rich sound. Voices are very clear and not drowned out by the other speakers (which at this point don't match as far as series)

Today September 14th 2010 I will have my Left and Right Front pair, the WF34 espresso speakers to finally see what they will all sound like together. Next month I will complete the upgrade with the matching WS24 Rears.

I will post reviews once the entire system is complete for each speaker.

I finally won a spousal battle over speakers. I had gone down to nice satellites, Mirage, a few years back. Couple with a Mirage center channel and hefty sub, they worked pretty well for movies but left a lot to be desired when it came to music. I spent a long time researching and listening to many floorstanding speakers and settled on the WF-35s. While not short by any means, they are narrower than many other mid-range speakers out there. And the dark espresso furniture grade finish is somewhat rare (black or cherry are more common options) and looks great. These two factors were important since I knew the visual impact would be important to my wife.

Sound wise, I use the speakers in my family room, which is open to the kitchen area, for both music and movies. So I wanted something that could fill the area with top quality sound. The WF-35s are not overly sensitive to listener position, which is ideal for my setup and needs. The three dimensional horn design helps disperse sound throughout the room. They really sound great throughout the two room area. The full spectrum sound of these as compared to the Mirage's is nothing short of amazing. The crispness and clarity, coupled with seamless transitions from highs to lows is just awesome. I still use a 12" sub and recommend it for these. One of the ways Klipsch achieves the narrow profile is through using three smaller woofers and advanced porting. While having bass eminating from the towers is fantastic for music (much more accurate, tight, and full range), for the heavy lows from movies and hip hop, the sub picks up where these leave off.

Regarding the center channel specifically. I had initially kept my Mirage center since it fit in my cabinet well and I had always been satisfied with it. I later reluctantly ordered the WC-24 center channel hoping that having matching vocals would clarify movie dialogue like I had experienced with my music through the WF-35s. Man, what a huge difference that made over the Mirage, which itself was no slacker. The range is much fuller and dialogue is so much crisper and cleaner. Yet I still achieve the same omni-directional sound that the Mirage speakers are known for. And it barely squeezed into my fabric covered cabinet (it's amazingly small).

The speakers are very efficient, and while I run a 110 watt/channel Onkyo, it's pretty clear that I'll never push the volume anywhere near the point of distortion.

All in all I am extremely satisfied with this speaker series and highly recommend them. I've read that Klipsch is discontinuing them so pick up a set at discounted prices while you still can.

I've recently hooked up this center channel speaker and matching bookshelf fronts (WB-14) to an Onkyo NR509 receiver. For me, the speaker is just what I wanted in size and style. It's definitely not small and so can't be hidden from view easily. And since it's very attractive with a great fit and finish, you wouldn't want to anyway. The sound is warm and clear and it adds significantly to the experience of watching DVDs. The full retail price is too high but if you can find this on sale, along with matching fronts, I would highly recommend it. Also, I could be mistaken, but I believe both woofers are active unlike what another reviewer has suggested.