By: Dipin Sehdev
At Milan Design Week, where furniture and fashion often take center stage, Klipsch chose to do something different. It brought sound into the conversation. To mark its 80th anniversary, the American audio company unveiled the kO-R2 loudspeaker, the latest collaboration with Devon Turnbull, the multidisciplinary artist and acoustic designer behind Ojas. The setting, Fondazione Luigi Rovati, a museum known for its reverence of craft, felt intentional. Klipsch and Ojas are making a statement about what high-end audio can be when it steps outside the traditional boundaries of engineering and into the world of design and culture.
A Collaboration That’s About More Than Sound
The partnership between Klipsch and Turnbull is not new. Their previous release, the kO-R1, sold out quickly and drew attention well beyond the usual audiophile circles. The kO-R2 builds on that foundation, but with a clearer sense of purpose.
“Working with Klipsch continues to be an exploration of how we can strip audio down to its most essential, emotional core,” said Turnbull. “With the kO-R2, we focused on creating something that feels immediate and human—where the technology disappears and the listener is left with a pure, physical connection to the music.”
That philosophy is evident in both the design and the experience. At Milan Design Week, Klipsch hosted appointment-only listening sessions, inviting guests to bring their own records and engage with the speaker on a personal level. It’s a far cry from a typical trade show demo.
Design Rooted in Heritage—and Reimagined
The kO-R2 is a two-way, sectoral horn-loaded loudspeaker, handcrafted in Hope, Arkansas, the same place Klipsch has built speakers since 1946. At its core is the Ojas 1506 multisectoral horn, made from heavy cast aluminum and finished in a matte black powder coat. The design draws inspiration from classic Western Electric and Altec horn geometries, but reinterprets them in a way that feels modern and sculptural. The result is a distinctive, faceted structure that is visually striking and functional.
- Even frequency distribution across horizontal and vertical planes
- Controlled dispersion for a more stable listening experience
- Reduced distortion, a hallmark of horn-loaded systems
Paired with Baltic birch cabinetry, the kO-R2 blends traditional craftsmanship with a minimalist, almost gallery-like presence.
Built for Enthusiasts Who Care About the Details
The kO-R2 includes:
- Premium compression driver
- Five-step high-frequency gain attenuator
- Anodized aluminum binding posts
- Anti-vibration rubber feet
- Laser-engraved metal ID plate
They’re purposeful ones, designed to give listeners control and precision, especially in real-world environments where placement and room acoustics matter.
Specs, Availability, and Price
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Klipsch x Ojas kO-R2 |
| Type | Two-way sectoral horn loudspeaker |
| Horn | Ojas 1506 multisectoral (cast aluminum) |
| Cabinet | Baltic birch |
| Tuning | 5-step high-frequency attenuator |
| Build Location | Hope, Arkansas, USA |
| Finishes | Red Oak veneer / Hammertone Silver |
| Production Run | Limited to 600 pairs worldwide |
| Price | Not officially announced (expected premium tier; kO-R1 was $8,498) |
| Availability | Preview at Milan Design Week (April 2026); Global launch June 2026 |
A Limited Run That Will Go Quickly
Only 600 pairs of the kO-R2 will be produced globally.
That number is not accidental. It reinforces what this product is meant to be:
- Not mass market
- Not widely accessible
- Not driven by volume
Instead, it’s positioned as something closer to a collector’s piece, a blend of high-performance audio and design object. If the kO-R1 is any indication, availability will be tight.
The Cultural Angle Matters
Klipsch could have launched this speaker at an audio show. It didn’t. Instead, it chose Milan Design Week. That decision says as much about the product as the hardware itself. This is about expanding the audience, bringing in people who might not read frequency response charts but still care deeply about how music feels in a space.
As Vinny Bonacorsi, COO of Klipsch, put it:
“The kO-R2 represents a powerful intersection of heritage and forward-thinking design. Partnering with Devon allows us to honor Klipsch’s 80-year legacy while pushing into new creative territory—delivering a product that is as culturally relevant as it is acoustically exceptional.”
Not for Everyone and That’s the Point
The kO-R2 isn’t trying to compete with mainstream speakers. It’s not chasing:
- Smart features
- App integration
- Voice assistants
Instead, it focuses on something simpler; Delivering a pure listening experience
That makes it a very specific kind of product, aimed at:
- Audiophiles who value horn-loaded design
- Collectors who appreciate limited-run pieces
- Design enthusiasts who want their audio to look as good as it sounds
The Bottom Line
The Klipsch x Ojas kO-R2 is not just another speaker launch. It’s part of a broader shift in high-end audio, one that values experience, design, and emotional connection as much as raw performance.
Yes, it will be expensive.
Yes, it will be hard to get.
But that’s not really the point. The point is that, in an industry often driven by incremental upgrades and spec comparisons, Klipsch is doing something different: It’s making people feel something again when they listen to music. And that might be the most important spec of all.
