The Montana KAS2
The MONTANA KAS2 is an astonishing result of PBN Audio's never ending pursuit for sonic perfection. The MONTANA KAS2 is an exclusive non-compromise dynamic loudspeaker design capable of reproducing sound as realistic as the latest audio technology and cutting-edge engineering allows. Optimum performance is the one and only priority. The MONTANA KAS2 is the very definition of a state-of-the-art loudspeaker design.
Available Models US Pricing
| Montana Mini Monitor |
$1,875 |
| Montana Monitor |
$2,500 |
| Montana SPC |
$2,750 |
| Montana SPC2 |
$2,750 |
| Montana SSW |
$4,000 |
| Montana SP3 |
$4,000 |
| Montana SPI |
$6,000 |
| Montana SPX2 |
$6,500 |
| Montana EPS2 |
$10,000 |
| Montana EPX |
$12,500 |
| Montana Liberty "new" |
$14,750 |
| Montana XPS |
$23,000 |
| Montana XPS-SIG |
$28,750 |
| Montana KAS |
$27,500 |
Montana Sammy "new"
|
$29,500 |
| Montana KAS2 |
$37,000 |
| Montana WAS |
$55,000 |
| Montana Master Reference |
$85,000 |
Bound For Sound's
"COMPONENTS OF MERIT" (March 2005):
Bound For Sound's editor, Martin G. DeWulf, regarded the MONTANA KAS2's predecessor, the legendary MONTANA KAS, the "best" loudspeaker ever listed on the audio magazine's Components of Merit List. Imagine what the audio press will proclaim about the KAS' successor, the all-new MONTANA KAS2!
"A power speaker capable of delivering the total listening experience - and I mean the total experience. From the 16Hz tones of Shinjuku Thief, through the grinding guitars of Dream Theater, to the sky high treble of "Sir John Alot", the KAS spanned the full range of the musical experience in all dimensions.
With a speaker this large (over 400 lbs) one expects dynamic bliss; but it was also able to deliver the intimacy of female folk, as well as the busy atmosphere of a live jazz setting. Solo vocals recorded in small spaces were especially well reproduced.
Still, I can't forget the way this speaker ignited my listening room with a brawny 1,000 wpc! Recorded guitar chords so energized the room that I was strongly reminded of a concert experience with ZZ Top... power chords were at last truly powerful, they shook my person as if at a live rock event.
In a subjective sense this is the "best" sounding speaker that I know of, and the finest overall speaker in this listing. Hey, this has to be a great speaker to make it this far (Component's of Merit) while costing as much as it does. If they only cost a little less..."
The CES 2006 Jimmy Awards
The MONTANA KAS, driven by the flagship PBN OLYMIA solid state amplifiers, attained a prestigious Jimmy Award as one of the 6 best sounding systems at The High-End Show at CES 2006 in Las Vegas:
"The CES 2006 Jimmy Awards: No 6: PBN Audio. Listening to Fourplay's Chant on a big, dynamic speaker system in a huge room was a tonic I will long remember. The speaker was the Montana KAS (Kick Ass Speaker), driven by PBN Audio Olympia-LX preamp and Olympia-AX power amp."
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The MONTANA KAS2 will reproduce lower frequencies than 20 Hz with tremendous impact and definition. The transitions throughout the whole audible frequency range and beyond are completely seamless, regardless of output level and dynamic impact. The MONTANA KAS2 offers the highest attainable level of resolution all the way from the very lowest to the highest frequency tones. The MONTANA KAS2 is built to satisfy a limited and privileged audience who are not willing to make any compromise. The MONTANA KAS2 will always present the unveiled musical realism. Nothing more and nothing less.
The MONTANA KAS2 is a true world-class loudspeaker in every aspect. The MONTANA KAS2 offers unparalleled transient capacity, extreme efficiency and the highest attainable resolution, precision and refinement from any loudspeaker design. Its physical dimensions, its "floor-to-roof" driver configuration and its tremendous dynamic capabilities are features that set this loudspeaker model apart from the vast majority of available loudspeakers, even in the ultrahigh-end loudspeaker scene. These features enable the MONTANA KAS2 to reproduce all types of musical works completely unrestrained and utterly precise. In fact, these features are absolutely necessary in order to present the grandeur of for instance a classical orchestra or the imposing presence, power, impact and dynamics of for instance a blues band performing live. All the while, the KAS2 will bring about the most seductive intimacy and detail of simple, down-scaled musical compositions. It will always present the sound stage the way it was recorded, with the right size and depth. Instruments and voices are so precisely pronounced and positioned that you will get a highly engaging and pleasant feeling of being present when the music is being performed. With massive spikes mounted the MONTANA KAS2 stands over 1,80 meters tall and weighs 300 kilos a pair, and so a pair of MONTANA KAS2 are truly capable of handling any dynamic challenge in your musical recordings with ease and extreme precision. The same features that makes the MONTANA KAS2 an unparalleled music transducer even makes it the perfect loudspeaker for Home Theatre installations, as well. The MONTANA KAS2 will always present the exact size and tonal character of huge orchestrated musical pieces as well as single instruments and voices in an amazingly realistic manner.
The loudspeaker cabinet is a ceiled enclosure. The cabinet is extremely rigid due to the very thick, CNC precision cut cabinet parts. The cabinet is designed as an asymmetrical hexagon without any parallel surfaces inside the cabinet. Moreover, no internal cabinet parts have the same resonance frequency. These features effectively eliminate standing waves, which otherwise would cause distortion. Massive internal bracings contribute even further to critical vibration and resonance isolation.
The MONTANA KAS2 is equipped with meticulously designed front baffles in Maple solid wood as standard. The total thickness of the front baffle is approximately 8 centimeters, included the inner front baffle. Maple wood is unusually hard and solid, with a very high density. This is why this specific wood species is often used as a resonance material in musical instruments in order to effectively eliminate disturbing resonances. The technical features of Maple wood also makes it the perfect material for front baffles on ultra-effective high-performance loudspeakers. The precision cut solid wood front baffles improve the sonic quality not only due to their high density, but also due to their sloped shape, which reduces early reflections from the tweeter and mid range driver sections. The stunning aesthetics merely comes as an extra bonus.
Custom modified drivers of the highest quality attainable ensure the best possible integration of the drivers as integral elements of the complete loudspeaker design. Custom specified modifications of the drivers ensure that the MONTANA KAS2 will always tolerate extreme power delivery with a significantly higher efficiency than generally associated with dynamic loudspeaker designs. The measured efficiency of 93 dB/2,83 V/1 meter from a ceiled enclosure reveals that the MONTANA KAS2 will never compress the extraordinarily demanding dynamic impulses that most music actually consists of.
The 2 x 12" bass ultra long-throw drivers fully utilize the enormous cabinet volume. A built-in high-performance 1000 W power amplifier in each cabinet drives the 2 x 12" bass drivers. The result is an extremely powerful and extended bass fundament, yet utterly defined.
2 ea. 8" mid woofers, 2 ea. 5" mid range drivers and 1 ea. ultra-efficient Wide Dispersion Tweeter ensure the highest attainable resolution and tremendous dynamic capabilities. These drivers are isolated physically from each other using separate internal chambers in which the respective drivers are mounted. Thus, the loudspeaker drivers have excellent working conditions with no disturbing interference between them. The sound stage will always appear as multi-dimensional, as focused and detailed as the quality of your recordings and associated electronics will allow.
The MONTANA KAS2 is equipped with a technologically advanced high-performance sub woofer amplifier, utilizing a high-power Class A/B output stage and an advanced Class G circuit topology. A massive toroidal power supply draws current from the electricity network like a Class A/B amplifier, but the sophisticated Class G circuit topology ensures that the exact amount of power required is delivered at any time. This rare solution offers the characteristics of a high-end Class A/B design, but also reaps the benefits of a patented tracking down converter power supply to achieve an operating efficiency up to 86 %, which is significantly more efficient than offered by traditional A/B amplifier designs. You get ultra-high efficiency, yet with no compromise in terms of resolution, detail and tightness. The advanced electronics continuously surveys the input signal and adapts the voltage supplied to the output stage. Power is delivered instantly on demand instead of constantly keeping a huge power reserve. Heat dissipation and energy waste is reduced to a minimum, so that more power will control the sub woofer drivers. Parametric Bass Equalization for better room integration and system compatibility are standard features on the sub woofer amplifier that is built into the MONTANA KAS2.
To even further optimize the overall bass performance and the transition between the 9" woofers and the 12" sub woofers, PBN Audio has developed a separate PBN OLYMPIA Mini Bass Extender with a unique circitry which is delivered as standard.
With all due respect, the MONTANA KAS2 literally stands in a class of its own as far as combining world-class refinement with extreme dynamics. The MONTANA KAS2 truly is the ultimate high-end audio transducer.
Bi-wiring is strongly recommended.
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