McIntosh XRT2.1K 2000w speakers – 81 drivers and Nanocarbon Fibre / Nomex tech

McIntosh has been producing prestigious home entertainment and ultimate-quality audio kit for over 65 years. It has just announced the XRT2.1K, a speaker 45 years in the making.

The new XRT2.1K is a seven-foot-tall full-range design. As you would expect from someone such as McIntosh, this is no ordinary speaker. Firstly, it uses brand new Nanocarbon Fibre/Nomex Honeycomb drive units which have been specifically created for the project.

McIntosh XRT2.1K speakers

The XRT2.1K is a 4-way design and boasts excellent sound quality at all levels of the human audio spectrum.

The speaker uses a total of 81 drivers consisting of 6 x 8-inch bass drivers, a pair of 6.5-inch low frequency midrange units, 28 x 2-inch upper midrange units and 45 x three-quarter-inch tweeters.

Now, let me allow those numbers sink in for a moment.

Those new Nanocarbon Fibre/Nomex Honeycomb drivers control the bass frequencies and are housed in their own bass enclosure cabinet. Their 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. These 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 entire 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. This prevents distortion of the music at any frequency.

Sound quality

Rated to handle a bokers 2,000 watts, the full range system provides a spacious sound reproduction with an unusually deep sound stage. So says McIntosh but I would love to hear this for myself.

The XRT2.1K utilises McIntosh’s renowned line array speaker principles to produce an even sound dispersion pattern. When close to the speaker you will not be overwhelmed by extremely loud sound. Moreover, those further away will notice hardly any drop-off in sound level.

The upshot of all this is that you will get exceptional stereo imaging in nearly all listening positions.

Cabinet design

The XRT2.1K’s reinforced bass cabinet uses a combination of brushed and black aluminium. Additionally it is then finished with seven layers of high-gloss piano-black paint.

The line array is dressed with glossy black centre section and two silver aluminium end caps. This is suspended from the front of the bass cabinet via steel spiders that are capped with covers. Also, in a neat touch of design, those covers mimic McIntosh control knobs.

Finally, the removable speaker grilles are attached via magnets and feature black knit-cloth with high-gloss trim.

Around the rear, McIntosh’s patented, gold-plated Solid Cinch speaker binding posts easily but securely attach speaker cables. These not only prevent the cables from coming loose but also ensure a quality signal is delivered to the loudspeaker.

Furthermore, 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.