Founded in 1942, Capitol Records was the first major music label headquartered on the West Coast and, over the years, signed a diverse roster of hit makers that included everyone from the Beatles and the Beach Boys to Mary J. Bilge and Katy Perry. Now, in honor of its 75th anniversary, the label has partnered with audio manufacturer Klipsch to create commemorative special editions of three of the company’s premier speakers.
The new collaborative collection, which debuted yesterday, comprises three pieces of equipment: the Capitol One, Capitol Three, and Capitol Heresy III. The first two are tabletop speakers, while the latter is a floor-standing model. All three pieces share a gorgeous midcentury-modern aesthetic with a boxy, highly linear look, and each is made using premium materials like real wood veneer and gunmetal switches and knobs. Capitol Records 75th anniversary badging appears on all three speakers and each is available in a blonde finish with a tan grille cloth or an ebony finish with a salt-and-pepper grille cloth.
Klipsch Capitol One speaker in ebony Photo: courtesy Klipsch
The two tabletop speakers are Bluetooth enabled and feature auxiliary ports to allow integration with existing equipment. While the Capitol One ($300) is semi-portable, the larger Capitol Three ($500) is meant for use in-home. It’s designed for multi-room systems and comes with USB and RCA inputs in addition to an aux input.
Capitol One delivers sound through two full-range drivers and a 4.5-inch woofer. The Three, on the other hand, has the two full-range drivers as well as a 5.25-inch long-throw woofer and twin opposed passive radiators to generate richer bass. It also has its own digital-to-analog converter that can play high-resolution, 24-bit audio.
Klipsch Capitol Heresy III in ebony Photo: courtesy Klipsch
The Heresy III ($1,300 each) is a 100-watt floor-standing speaker with a three-way driver design that consists of a 12-inch composite woofer along with tweeter and midrange titanium-diaphragm compression drivers. It has a respectable frequency range that tops out at 20 kHz, though its bass only goes down to 58 Hz, so you will want to pair them with a dedicated subwoofer. Guaranteed to attract attention with its retro good looks, each speaker is nearly two feet tall and weighs 44 pounds.
The Capitol Records collection is now available online and at Klipsch dealers. And for those who really embrace the retro vibe, the company even throws in a free Capitol Records vinyl with each purchased speaker.
