Archives: March 2017

A major NAMM 2017 highlight was the unveiling of Keith R. Klawitter's new KD Elite Series Reference Monitors. Following last year's unveiling of the new Klawitter Designs' range of studio monitors, the man behind the extraordinarily successful KRK Systems monitors, presented a mature concept for the new generation of studios with the KD Elite Series. I didn't necessarily like the green and gold finishes of the displayed models, but from what we could hear on the noisy show floor, these will be serious contenders in the market. Active speakers designed to be as transparent as possible, with newly designed custom Kevlar drivers, high-power integrated amplifiers, and onboard high-resolution DSP (including an all-digital crossover), the monitors are available in 6.5" and 8" models, along with a complementary 12" subwoofer. The aim is to improve monitor performance in terms of linear frequency response, precise time-alignment with exact phase coherence, and ultra-low distortion. But perhaps as important for the market segment, the KD Elite Series features support for high-resolution audio sources with optional Dante/AES67 network card, and computer control.