Reference (Base) Line vs. Reference Premiere

What is the difference between Reference and Reference Premier?

Can I mix Reference and Reference Premier speakers in the same system?

Components

The main difference between the two lines of speakers lies in the components used. While both lines of speakers use high quality components, the Reference Premiere line uses even better parts to maximize the frequency response and overall sound quality.

The Reference line uses aluminum tweeters and IMG (Injection Molded Graphite) woofers. Aluminum is the most commonly used metal for home theater speakers. It is light, strong, and produces a bright sound at high frequencies. The Injection Molded Graphite (IMG) woofer is exceptionally light while being extremely rigid – providing remarkable low frequency response, with minimal cone breakup and distortion.

The Reference Premiere Line uses titanium tweeters and cerametallic woofers. Titanium is stronger and more dense than aluminum, allowing for higher volume levels, power handling, and overall sound quality. Klipsch’s Cerametallic woofers exhibit a very high stiffness-to-mass ratio and superb damping, resulting in an even more powerful, solid bass foundation than the IMG woofers.

Mixing and Matching

When building a home theater system, it is very important for the sound quality to be consistent all around the room. Sometimes, having a higher quality speaker in the mix will point out some shortcomings of the lower-end speakers that would otherwise be un-noticeable. Because of this, we recommend keeping the speaker line (Reference or Reference Premiere) consistent throughout your entire system.