Amazing detail

All this talk of might could make you think the Klipsch THX Ultra2 system is a product for hooligans, but the fact is that it can do delicacy and refinement, too.

Amazing detail retrieval, and superb definition to the edges of sounds, means that the impact the system delivers seems effortless. And the Klipsch array does all this without the faintest hint of strain, or any onset of the harsh toughness that overcomes many speakers when you get over-excited and crank them up.

Disappointing aesthetics

The only caveat to this £6,000 setup is that these fabulous speakers – like those of a few other top-end brands, Miller & Kreisel in particular – are so God-like in their acoustic signature and so close to professional audio tools that cosmetics have been left completely behind.

They are finished in a matt concoction called 'Galaxy Black', and they have black anodised aluminium front panels hidden behind plastic and cloth grilles. They are pig-ugly – no veneer, a real Henry Ford choice. Presumably it's because in most installs, they are hidden behind acoustic walls.

They can also be wall-mounted by way of the OmniMount suspension points on the rear of the LCRs and surrounds. In fact their very rugged and fancy internal 'dado and rabbet' MDF construction is designed to allow them to be suspended without their own weight dismantling themselves.

They can be hung in the upper corners of a big room, not be looked at, yet able to reach every audience member and touch them with raw power. Overall, then, the Klipsch THX Ultra2 comes very highly recommended.