Klipsch updates flagship X-Series headphones, launches Bluetooth speaker

The X20i in-ears sit at the top of the range, with the $549 price tag suggesting they mean serious business: Klipsch says they're “the most revealing headphones it’s ever made”. The in-ears feature a two-way dual armature design and a super tweeter for “broad bandwidth and a transparent sound”.

The X20i headphones are claimed to be the company’s most durable in-ears, thanks to the use of injection-moulded, surgical-grade stainless steel.

Meanwhile, the X12i features a ported and vented “audiophile balanced” armature driver that the company says will produce a “classic tube amplifier sound and deep bass”. Klipsch says it’s the smallest and lightest headphone in its repertoire and, like its predecessors, the X12i will be available in a black finish for $349.

MORE: Klipsch X11i review

XR8i (left), X6i (right)

XR8i (left), X6i (right)

Also part of the X-Series is the XR8i, which claims to be the “first hybrid in-ear monitor”. Klipsch has used a new design which it says decreases distortion and interference between the woofer and the tweeter. The XR8i also uses an oval earpiece shape to help create a better fit within the ear. The XR8i costs $279.

Finally, the X6i is the entry-level model of the range at $179 and features a single full-range armature driver for a “razor-flat” frequency response and “high-clarity reference sound”. The X6i is available in black or white and like the XR8i, it has a die-cast zinc housing to keep it lightweight.

Klipsch has also introduced the Groove "ultra portable" Bluetooth speaker, which promises to be the first of many wireless speakers to come from the brand over the next year. (The Klipsch Groove brand name has been around for a while now).

It's a compact, water-resistant speaker that has one 3in full-range driver and two 2in side-firing passive bass radiators to deliver 10 watts of power. The Klipsch Groove is available now for $149.

MORE: Awards 2015 - Best in-ear headphones

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Max is a staff writer for What Hi-Fi?'s sister site, TechRadar, in Australia. But being the wonderful English guy he is, he helps out with content across a number of Future sites, including What Hi-Fi?. It wouldn't be his first exposure to the world of all things hi-fi and home cinema, as his first role in technology journalism was with What Hi-Fi? in the UK. Clearly he pined to return after making the move to Australia and the team have welcomed him back with arms wide open.