McIntosh XCS1.5K

I gave up counting when I passed the 30, and instead opened the press release, which could tell of no less than 43 (!) drivers. That’s sensational for any speaker. In a centre speaker, it’s certainly a record that’s unlikely to ever be beaten. And nobody would want to do it.

McIntosh’s new XCS1.5K centre speaker is simply a beast! It’s far from their first centre speaker, but definitely the most hard-hitting. It is said to be able to handle a full 1500 watts of power. Paired with a pair of floorstanding XRT2.1K or XRT1.1K front and rear, you’re sure to be able to make a brutally good home theatre system out of it.

The 43 drivers are divided into twenty-five 3/4-inch tweeters, fourteen 2.5-inch midrange drivers as shown in the image above, and behind the ‘bridge’ on which the 39 drivers are placed are four 8-inch (20 cm) woofers.

Did someone say excessive?

The speaker is equipped with three sturdy tri-wiring binding posts at the rear, and the cabinet can be tilted in five different angles so that the sound reaches the listening position better.

The XCS1.5K cabinet is finished in seven coats of gloss black lacquer and comes with a fabric grille covering the front midrange and tweeters.

If you really, really want an XCS1.5K for your home theater, wait until October and make sure to save up. The price is as hefty as the speaker: $40,000.