Healthcare software company Unlimited Technology Systems reported that more than 3.8 million people were impacted by a data breach incident that occurred in October 2025.

The organization submitted data breach notification samples to the authorities this year on July 1st without revealing the exact number of impacted individuals.

An entry on the breach notification portal of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services now shows that a company server was breached and data of 3,803,750 people was exposed to an unauthorized party.

Unlimited Technology Systems is a software company specializing in providing financial and revenue cycle technology for specialty healthcare providers. According to its website, the firm serves 4,500 clinics and 6,500 specialty healthcare providers across the United States, and processes more than $70 billion in net healthcare charges annually.

In October 2025, the firm detected unauthorized activity in its commercial data center and launched an investigation that revealed that hackers had accessed certain files for a five-day period.

“On October 19, 2025, Unlimited Technology Systems detected unauthorized activity within its commercial data center and launched an investigation with the assistance of a cybersecurity forensic firm,” the company disclosed on July 20, 2026.

“That investigation determined that, between October 5, 2025, and October 10, 2025, an unauthorized actor accessed files and may have obtained copies of personal information belonging to patients of the healthcare providers Unlimited serves.”

The data types that were potentially exposed in this incident include:

• Full names
• Social Security numbers
• Dates of birth
• Email and mailing addresses
• Phone numbers
• Demographic information
• Scans of driver’s licenses/other government IDs
• Insurance cards
• Intake forms
• Health insurance policy numbers
• Claims and benefits information
• Medical record numbers
• Dates of service
• Diagnosis information

The company notified law enforcement of the incident and began distributing data breach notices to affected patients on July 1, 2026.

According to the notification, no ransomware or data-extortion groups have publicly claimed responsibility, and Unlimited Technology Systems has not identified the perpetrators.

Because Unlimited Technology Systems processes information on behalf of healthcare organizations, affected patients typically have no direct relationship with the company itself, and receiving a notice of data breach from it can be confusing.

To mitigate the risk that arises from the exposure of sensitive data, notice recipients were offered identity monitoring services through Kroll.

Security teams log 54% of successful attacks and alert on just 14%. The rest move through your environment unseen.

The Picus whitepaper shows how breach and attack simulation tests your SIEM and EDR rules so threats stop slipping by detection.

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And it could explore all areas, regardless of illumination.

PROMISE the rover

So, when will we see PROMISE head to the moon?

The upgraded M5 MacBook Air has 24GB of memory to boost performance, and it’s $150 off this weekend only.

B&H’s best-selling 13-inch MacBook Air configuration is $150 off as part of the Apple Authorized Reseller’s broader M5 MacBook Air sale. What makes this particular model especially appealing is its upgrade to 24GB of RAM.

Buy 13″ MacBook Air 24GB RAM for $1,349

Priced at $1,349 after the discount, the upgraded configuration in Silver features Apple’s M5 chip with a 10-core GPU and a bump up to 24GB of unified memory. Storage comes in at 512GB, but you can always add an external SSD if you’d like more space to store files.

According to B&H, limited supply is available at the reduced price, and we’ve seen other MacBook configurations sell out before the deals are set to end. Provided inventory holds, the $1,349 MacBook Air deal is set to expire on Aug. 9 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. B&H does close for 24 hours at sundown tonight, though, so if you’re planning on snapping up this offer, it’s best to shop early.

B&H is also throwing in free 2-day shipping within the contiguous U.S. so you won’t have to wait long for your new system, which is great if the laptop is a back-to-school purchase.

For even more offers and the latest availability, be sure to check out our M5 MacBook Air 13-inch Price Guide, which is updated throughout the day.

Creative built its reputation by making PC audio matter long before laptop manufacturers decided that two downward-firing drivers were sufficient punishment for buying a thin computer.

The new Creative XF1 desktop speakers return to that battlefield with a surprisingly complete feature set for $179.99 USD, which includes Bluetooth 6.0, LDAC, 24-bit/96kHz USB audio, bi-amplification, a 10-band parametric equalizer and a dedicated output for adding a powered subwoofer.

Related Reviews:

Active Two-Way Design With 72 Watts

The XF1 is a compact 2.0 active speaker system built around two custom 3-inch woofers and two 3/4-inch tweeters.

Creative says it used Finite Element Analysis to model the woofers and optimize their behavior for higher output and lower distortion within the XF1’s small enclosure. That kind of computer-assisted driver development is common in serious loudspeaker engineering, although the eventual listening results matter considerably more than the colorful simulation graphics.

The system uses a bi-amplified architecture with a dedicated amplifier channel for each driver. Creative rates each woofer channel at 26 watts RMS and each tweeter channel at 10 watts RMS, producing a claimed total system output of 72 watts RMS.

Specified frequency response is 55Hz to 40kHz, with a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 85dB and THD+N below one percent. The XF1 has received both Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification.

Bluetooth 6.0 and LDAC

Bluetooth 6.0 remains uncommon among desktop speakers, although the version number should not be mistaken for an automatic guarantee of better sound. Key benefits include channel sounding, advertising improvements, and lower-latency framing options. However, wireless sound quality could vary across its supported codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC, A2DP and AVRCP profiles, and over its 10 meter (33 feet) of range.

LDAC can carry substantially more data than SBC under suitable conditions and will be most useful to listeners streaming from compatible Android devices, Windows computers or dedicated transmitters.

Apple users will fall back to AAC because iPhones and iPads do not transmit LDAC. That does not make the XF1 useless within the Apple ecosystem, but it does remove one of the product’s more heavily promoted advantages.

USB Type-C, Analog Input and Subwoofer Expansion

The XF1’s USB-C input accepts PCM audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, allowing a laptop, desktop computer, tablet or compatible smartphone to bypass its internal headphone output and send digital audio directly to the speakers.

A 3.5mm stereo line input supports analog sources. Creative shows a turntable among its suggested source components, but the XF1 does not include a phono preamplifier. A turntable must therefore have a built-in phono stage or connect through an external one.

The dedicated subwoofer output is especially useful. Compact 3-inch woofers are not going to reproduce the bottom octave with meaningful authority, regardless of how many times the words “extreme fidelity” appear in the brochure. Adding an active subwoofer should provide better extension for electronic music, hip-hop, games and movie soundtracks while reducing the temptation to force too much bass from the main speakers.

Controls include a front-mounted multifunction knob for power, volume and source selection. A Bluetooth pairing button and defeatable energy-saving switch are positioned on the rear panel.

There is no optical input, HDMI ARC, balanced XLR or TRS connectivity, RCA input, headphone output or integrated phono stage. The XF1 is designed primarily as a desktop system rather than a miniature television sound system or production monitor.

Creative Nexus Parametric EQ

Creative’s Nexus app provides one of the XF1’s most distinctive features: a 10-band parametric equalizer.

A parametric equalizer offers considerably more control than the fixed bass and treble adjustments found on many powered speakers. Users can target particular frequencies, adjust gain and change filter width rather than merely pushing broad sections of the spectrum up or down.

That can be useful on a desktop, where reflections from the work surface, nearby walls and computer monitors frequently alter tonal balance.

Creative also provides more than 120 presets covering over 20 music genres and almost 100 games. That number borders on absurd, but the underlying control is genuinely valuable. Nobody requires a separate EQ preset for every game involving a man with a rifle and unresolved childhood trauma, but the ability to create and save sensible custom curves is welcome.

Compact Enough for a Real Desk

Each speaker measures 155 x 99.7 x 191 mm (6.10 x 3.93 x 7.52 inches). The left speaker weighs 1.29 kg (2.84 pounds), while the right weighs 1.36 kg (3 pounds). The XF1 will be available in black and white.

Creative also includes removable cork feet that angle the speakers upward toward the listener. Proper tweeter alignment matters in a near-field system, particularly when the speakers sit below ear level beside a computer display.

What Makes the Creative XF1 Different?

No single XF1 feature is revolutionary.

USB-C audio is becoming common. LDAC is available from Edifier and FiiO. Kanto and Audioengine offer compact speakers with subwoofer connectivity. App-based EQ is no longer exotic.

The XF1 stands out because it combines nearly all of those capabilities in one compact system:

• Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC, AAC and SBC
• 24-bit/96kHz USB-C audio
• Active bi-amplification
• A 10-band parametric EQ
• More than 120 presets
• A dedicated subwoofer output
• A small desktop footprint

The parametric EQ and subwoofer output are the strongest differentiators. Together, they give owners a meaningful way to address both desktop placement problems and the inevitable low-frequency limitations of a 3-inch woofer.

Who Is the Creative XF1 For?

The XF1 is best suited to desktop listeners, remote workers, gamers, students and music listeners who want a substantial upgrade over built-in monitor or laptop speakers without adding a separate DAC and amplifier.

Android users with LDAC-compatible devices receive the strongest wireless feature set. PC and Mac users can ignore Bluetooth entirely and use USB C for a reliable 24-bit/96kHz digital connection.

The subwoofer output also makes the XF1 more appealing to buyers who want to begin with a compact 2.0 system and expand later.

The XF1 is less appropriate for recording engineers who require balanced inputs, television viewers who need HDMI ARC or optical connectivity, and vinyl listeners hoping to connect a conventional turntable directly without a phono preamplifier.

Competitors?

The Edifier M60 is the XF1’s most obvious rival. It sells for $199.99 in the United States and combines 66 watts, 3-inch mid-bass drivers, 1-inch tweeters, Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC, USB C and app support. The Creative counters with Bluetooth 6.0, a published 10-band parametric EQ and a dedicated subwoofer output.

The Edifier MR4.5 costs $249.99 and offers larger 4.5-inch drivers, 80 watts, Bluetooth 6.0 with LDAC, balanced XLR and TRS inputs and room compensation. It is the more appropriate option for content production and audio interfaces, but it omits USB audio and a subwoofer output.

The Audioengine A2+ Next Gen costs $279 and provides USB-C, Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX HD, RCA and 3.5mm analog connectivity in proven wood cabinets. It lacks LDAC and app-based parametric EQ but has an established performance record and broader analog connectivity.

The Kanto ORA sells for $349 and includes USB-C, RCA, Bluetooth and a subwoofer output. It remains a strong compact desktop option, but the XF1 offers newer Bluetooth support, LDAC and substantially deeper software adjustment.

The FiiO SP3 BT also costs $349 and supports LDAC, aptX Adaptive, USB, optical and coaxial digital inputs. Its broader digital connectivity and 3.5-inch drivers make it a more ambitious system, although at more than twice the XF1’s confirmed European price.

Creative XF1 Key Specifications:

• Model: MF1730
• Speaker Type: 2.0 powered desktop speaker system
• Available Colors: Black or white
• Dimensions: 6.10 x 3.93 x 7.52 inches per speaker
• Weight: 2.84 pounds left speaker; 3.00 pounds right speaker
• Drivers: Two 3-inch woofers and two 3/4-inch tweeters
• Power Output: 72 watts RMS total
  • Woofers: 2 x 26 watts
  • Tweeters: 2 x 10 watts
• Frequency Response: 55Hz – 40kHz
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 85dB or greater
• THD+N: Less than 1%
• Bluetooth: Bluetooth 6.0
• Codecs: SBC, AAC, and LDAC
• Wireless Range: Up to 33 feet
• USB Audio: USB-C, up to 24-bit/96kHz
• Analog Input: 3.5mm stereo
• Subwoofer Output: Yes
• Controls: Multifunction power, volume, and input knob
• Additional Controls: Bluetooth pairing button and energy-saving switch
• Certifications: Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless
• Included Cables: 4.9-foot USB-A-to-USB-C cable and 6.6-foot speaker interconnect cable
• Power Adapter: 48 watts, 24V/2A

The Bottom Line

At $179.99 USD, the Creative XF1 looks like an aggressive attempt to move the company beyond inexpensive computer speakers without abandoning the desktop category that helped make Creative relevant in the first place.

The Edifier M60 will be the immediate fight. Both offer compact cabinets, LDAC, USB C and similar power, but the Creative’s parametric EQ and subwoofer output provide a more flexible upgrade path. Ultimately, the XF1 does not look like another pair of plastic PC speakers designed to make notification sounds and gunfire slightly less miserable. There is enough engineering, connectivity and useful adjustment here to make it genuinely interesting.

Price & Availability

The Creative XF1 will be available in black or white beginning August 6, 2026, priced at $179.99 at Amazon in the United States, £139.99 in the United Kingdom, and €159.99 in Germany.

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Legendary singer, songwriter, and producer Curtis Mayfield’s third solo album, released in 1972, was also his first soundtrack, created for the controversial blaxploitation film Super Fly. Although the film was not a major success, Mayfield’s Grammy-nominated, soulful, and funky score took on a life of its own, reaching No. 1 and eventually selling millions of copies worldwide.

Super Fly’s combination of timely themes opposing drugs and violence, which ran counter to the film’s message, and killer grooves proved irresistible, keeping the music in heavy rotation on the radio. The album features at least three bona fide soul classics: “Freddie’s Dead” and the title track, both million sellers, along with the poignant “Pusherman

Over the years, as I began seriously collecting Curtis Mayfield’s albums on vinyl, I came to understand just how popular this album was and remains. It took me ages, with several upgrades along the way, to find an affordable original Curtom Records pressing with the super cool die cut half cover in good condition.

Super Fly was a party album, and like many hit soul and jazz records of the era, it was played hard, often on the average automatic record changers of the day. As a result, clean original pressings in excellent condition are fairly scarce and can command high prices on the secondary market, ranging from about $50 to well over $100. Check Discogs for an idea of what I am talking about.

Fortunately for audiophile oriented Super Fly fans, that is no longer an issue. Rhino High Fidelity’s excellent edition is readily available and actually sounds better than my original pressing. The overall presentation is far less compressed, with richer bass, more expressive midrange, and cleaner highs. The stereo soundstage also feels wider, more spacious, and more natural.

That is not entirely surprising given Rhino High Fidelity’s exemplary track record for presenting classic recordings in their best light. Kevin Gray of Cohearent Audio cut the new lacquers, and Optimal Media in Germany manufactured the 180 gram vinyl pressings.

The glossy laminated tip on style cover is arguably more attractive than the original, save for one crucial detail: Rhino did not recreate the die cut design. In a way, I get it. You cannot play the cover, right? True. But it remains a very cool and iconic part of the album’s visual identity.

Still, you know what? I am learning to live with it. The overall production quality of the new Rhino High Fidelity edition is superior, with crisper photography, clearer details, and a full gatefold featuring newly included period images.

At the end of the day, it is all about the music, and Rhino High Fidelity’s Super Fly reissue sounds terrific. More than five decades later, the album remains timeless. While the album will probably eventually be available on other outlets, the current numbered limited edition (of 5000) is available direct from Rhino’s website for $39.98 so get one while you can.

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ (5 out of 5) Music

★★★★★★★★★★ (5 out of 5) Sound

★★★★★★★★★★ (4.9 out of 5) Packaging

Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. Learn more about him at LinkedIn.

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The start-up was co-founded by Dublin-born chief operating officer Robbie Falkenthal in 2023.

Irish co-founded legal-tech Wordsmith AI is extending its Series B to $84m led by new investment from Toronto-based Intact Private Capital.

The $14m extension to the round first announced in June also includes investment from existing backers Highland Europe and Index Ventures.

Wordsmith also added the corporate venture arm of the Financial Times (FT) Group, FT Ventures, as a shareholder.

The New-York headquartered company is the creator behind an AI platform designed to assist in-house legal teams with routine tasks, and is used by the likes of Canva, BT, Trip.com, FT and Trustpilot.

The additional investment comes as the company recorded a 14-fold growth in revenue year-over-year, following a positive trend seen across this niche sector in AI that is expected to grow at an compound annual growth rate of nearly 10pc.

The funding deepens Wordsmith’s presence in North America, where demand from enterprise legal teams is accelerating, it said.

Wordsmith said it planned to expand its global workforce to 300 by the end of the year, adding to its 130 employees across offices in the US, the UK, and Europe, Middle East and Africa.

A new Irish office to meet local demand is also on the cards for the company this year. It hasn’t confirmed the location for its EU headquarters, but said in June that Ireland was a strong contender.

Wordsmith was co-founded in 2023 by Dublin-born chief operating officer Robbie Falkenthal, who spent six years at KPMG in Dublin before occupying senior roles at Flutter Entertainment, RSM Ireland and TravelPerk.

Alongside Falkenthal as co-founders are CEO Ross McNairn, a former lawyer who helped scale Perk and held senior roles at Skyscanner, and chief technical officer Volodymyr Giginiak, who held senior engineering roles at Facebook and Instagram.

“In-house legal teams at financial services and insurance companies need legal infrastructure that can operate at enterprise scale while maintaining the control and auditability required in highly regulated environments,” said Justin Smith-Lorenzetti, the managing director at Intact Private Capital.

“Wordsmith is built precisely for that challenge, with a deep understanding of how these organisations work and the infrastructure to match.”

Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

from the right-to-repair dept

For years, John Deere had actively made repairing their tractors near-impossible for anyone but itself and the few “authorized” repair shops—regardless of the ability of its customers to actually visit such shops. Now, in a major win for farmers and right to repair advocates, John Deere must soon provide farmers with not just the tools and resources to finally repair their own John Deere equipment, but also access to future updates for said equipment.

In 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought a suit against farm equipment manufacturer John Deere, alleging John Deere used their control over equipment repair tools and resources to limit the ability of farmers and independent repair providers (IRPs) to repair John Deere equipment. Earlier this month, John Deere reached a settlement with the FTC in which they will immediately make available a tranche of repair resources, then continue to make further resources available until the end of the year. Five states joined the FTC in this suit, and over the next 10 years these states will work alongside the FTC to ensure John Deere complies with this settlement. 

It is worth noting there is a second, farmer-initiated antitrust lawsuit against John Deere, also concerning a farmer’s right to repair their own equipment. In April, John Deere agreed to a $99 million settlement in that case, which also includes right to repair provisions.

This fight is just one example of how, as machines become increasingly computerized, companies like John Deere restrict your ability to repair machines behind software subject to legal regimes that don’t just lock down repair, but make unauthorized repair a potential criminal offense. 

John Deere’s market dominance in farm equipment led to an extraordinary power over access to the tools and resources of repair. John Deere actively restricted who had access to repair tools, and monopolized who could do the repair. This revenue stream—and control of it—is built into the business models of a lot of the technology we buy today. It also encourages companies to move away from the kinds of devices that can be easily fixed at home to ones that offer bells and whistles no one wants but makes repair difficult—like app-enabled toasters. 

This whole saga with John Deere has been an exemplar of the greater need for right to repair laws, policy, and enforcement.  There was a time when you bought a tractor and with some know-how and a manual could fix it yourself. It is easy to envision why someone with John Deere farm equipment might find it inconvenient to wait for John Deere approved repairpeople to come and fix any broken equipment. Especially when it meant waiting for days or weeks. Especially if it meant their crop was withering on the vine. This settlement will help ensure this is no longer the case. 

But it’s not just about farm equipment; If you can’t fix it, you don’t own it. While some might feel more willing to agree they “shouldn’t” futz with laptops or smartphone, it still stands that — whether it’s farm equipment, a car, a laptop, or even your phone — if you legally cannot fix it yourself, if you must go hat in hand to an “approved provider,” you are at the mercy of a corporation. It is why EFF continues to support right to repair laws that ensure people truly own what they buy. And it is why EFF continues to fight for exemptions to the law that makes it most difficult to tinker and repair your own devices.

Originally published to the EFF’s Deeplinks blog.

Filed Under: ftc, ownership, right to repair

Companies: john deere

Wondering what to watch this weekend but too lazy to dig around? No worries, I have rounded up three hidden gems you can binge-watch in a single weekend. There is a technothriller stuffed with cold-case flashbacks, a tense two-hander that unfolds almost entirely inside a basement, carried by sharp dialogue, and a divorce story that turns messier and more human with every episode. I recommend these three limited series on Hulu for their unexpected plot twists and stellar performances.

We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best free movies, and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video.

A Murder at the End of the World (2023)

Genre: Mystery, thriller, drama
IMDb: 7.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

Darby Hart (Emma Corrin), an amateur sleuth and hacker, is invited to a secluded Arctic retreat hosted by a reclusive tech billionaire (Clive Owen). When one of the other guests turns up dead, Darby has to use her investigative skills to prove it was murder before the killer strikes again. The show splits its time between the present-day retreat and flashbacks to an earlier road trip Darby took with a fellow hacker, layering a cold-case mystery underneath the main one.

Beneath the whodunit setup, this underrated TV show is really about isolation, technology, and how much control we have handed over to people who never asked for our trust. Emma Corrin plays Darby with a sharp, guarded intelligence that makes her easy to root for even when she is the only person who suspects anything is wrong. Clive Owen plays the tech mogul with a quiet menace that keeps you questioning his real motives. It’s a slow burn that rewards patience, especially once the final twist comes into focus.

You can watch A Murder at the End of the World on Hulu.

The Patient (2022)

Genre: Psychological thriller, drama
IMDb: 7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

Therapist Alan Strauss (Steve Carell) gets kidnapped and held captive in a basement by his own patient, Sam (Domhnall Gleeson). Sam turns out to be a serial killer who wants Alan’s help to suppress his urge to kill again. Trapped on a chain, Alan must navigate his captor’s twisted mind while confronting his own family trauma. This underrated show on Hulu displays much of the tension through dialogue, since Alan spends most of the series chained up in a single room with almost no physical way to fight back.

Steve Carell delivers a phenomenal performance that relies on micro-expressions and quiet vulnerability. I really liked how he stripped away every trace of his usual comedic energy to create an uncomfortable atmosphere that grips you instantly. Meanwhile, Domhnall Gleeson matches him scene for scene, making his character feel disturbingly human rather than a typical movie villain. If you enjoy high-stakes, nerve-wracking stage play, this limited TV series is for you.

You can watch The Patient on Hulu.

Fleishman Is in Trouble (2022)

Genre: Drama, comedy
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

Toby Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg), a recently divorced doctor, is finally enjoying success on dating apps when his ex-wife Rachel (Claire Danes) vanishes without warning, leaving him to care for their two kids alone. As Toby scrambles to find her, the show slowly peels back both sides of their marriage, revealing a much messier and more sympathetic picture than either of them originally let on. What starts as a story about one man’s midlife reinvention also sheds light on ambition, resentment, and how differently two people can remember the same relationship.

I enjoyed how this show makes its characters unlikable before earning your sympathy for them. Jesse Eisenberg brings a jittery, self-absorbed energy to Toby, and Claire Danes delivers one of the show’s best performances in a late-series episode that changes everything you thought you understood about Rachel. I admit the show takes a bit of patience early on, but the payoff is worth it.

You can watch Fleishman Is in Trouble on Hulu.

Klipsch is arriving at Audio Advice Live 2026 with considerably more than a few familiar copper-colored woofers under its arm. The American loudspeaker manufacturer will use the Raleigh show for the full debut of its new Reference Premiere III speaker lineup, following an early preview at CES 2026, with Onkyo electronics helping power the demonstration.

A second system will move considerably further up the Klipsch food chain, pairing the Limited Edition 80th Anniversary Klipschorn with the company’s Heritage Active Crossover for what should be one of the more interesting two-channel demonstrations of the weekend.

The timing and venue are significant. Audio Advice Live returns to the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel from August 7 through 9, 2026, with more than 60 experience rooms, more than a dozen immersive Dolby Atmos theater systems, major product debuts, educational sessions, simulators, and live music. More importantly for enthusiasts, you can actually buy a ticket and walk through the front door. Unlike CES and CEDIA, which are primarily industry events, Audio Advice Live is built around giving consumers direct access to manufacturers, engineers, designers, and the equipment itself.

That increasingly makes Raleigh a destination for hi-fi and home theater enthusiasts who want an actual ears-on experience with new products rather than forming an opinion from a YouTube video, measurement chart, or 47-message forum argument between people who have never heard the product.

The company behind the show is also becoming much harder to describe as merely a regional retailer. Raleigh-headquartered Audio Advice has expanded beyond its North Carolina locations in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Wilmington into Nashville and St. Louis, recently acquired Sound Components in Miami, and has a new Las Vegas location listed as “coming soon.”

That gives the retailer an increasingly national footprint at the same time Audio Advice Live is evolving into one of the more important consumer-facing audio and home theater shows in the United States.

We have already reported on several of the more significant products making their way to Audio Advice Live 2026, along with an in-depth look at the rather ambitious Ascendo, Trinnov, and Christie 9.7.4 home cinema showcase systembeing demonstrated in Raleigh. 

Playback Distribution is also taking over three rooms at this year’s show, giving attendees a much broader look at its growing portfolio of high-end audio, networking, furniture, subwoofer, and acoustic-treatment brands.

Klipsch and Onkyo Go Big With a 7.4.4 Channel Home Theater System

For its primary home theater demonstration at Audio Advice Live 2026, Klipsch and Onkyo are building a 7.4.4-channel system around the global debut of Klipsch’s new Reference Premiere III loudspeaker lineup, powered by Onkyo’s current flagship TX-RZ70 11.2-channel AV receiver.

And Klipsch is not exactly easing the new range into the shallow end of the pool. The system uses four RP-8203F floorstanding loudspeakers, four RP-1600CSW subwoofers, four in-ceiling height channels, and enough amplification and processing to give attendees a proper sense of what the new Reference Premiere III models can do inside a full-scale Dolby Atmos home theater.

Klipsch and Onkyo 7.4.4 System

• Klipsch RP-8203F Floorstanding Speakers (Walnut) x4: $799.99 each
• Klipsch RP-6103M Bookshelf Speakers (Walnut) x2: $699.99 each
• Klipsch RP-5403C Center Channel Speaker (Walnut) x1: $749.99
• Klipsch Pro-180RPC In-Ceiling Speakers (Black) x4: $699.99 each
• Klipsch RP-1600CSW Compact Subwoofers (Black) x4: $1,499.99 each
• Onkyo TX-RZ70 11.2-Channel AV Receiver (Black): $2,899.99

Audio Advice Live System Price: approximately $17,050

Klipsch Reference Premiere III Series

The Klipsch Reference Premiere III Series consists of nine models in total, with four of them featured in the company’s 7.4.4-channel Audio Advice Live demonstration and compared in our chart below.

The new Reference Premiere III lineup builds on the previous Reference Premiere II Series with a redesigned high-density Tractrix horn tweeter that uses an upgraded BMC material intended to reduce unwanted resonance. Klipsch has also flush-mounted the horn assembly into the front baffle to minimize wave breakup, improve off-axis response, and create a wider, more consistent listening sweet spot.

Klipsch has also given the Reference Premiere III Series a cleaner and more contemporary industrial design. New knife-edge cabinets are designed to improve structural rigidity while giving the speakers a more streamlined appearance that should integrate more easily into modern living spaces.

The technology may be familiar territory for Klipsch, but the changes suggest the company is focused on refining the Reference Premiere formula rather than reinventing it — probably the smarter move for one of its most important speaker families.

Klipsch RPIII Speakers Compared

Four Klipsch RP-1600CSW Subwoofers Bring the Low-End Muscle

The Reference Premiere Subwoofer Line

The Klipsch Reference Premiere Subwoofer Series consists of three models, with one of them featured in the company’s 7.4.4-channel Audio Advice Live demonstration.

Each subwoofer combines a rigid sealed enclosure, a high-excursion front-firing Cerametallic woofer, a precision analog preamplifier, and a high-efficiency Class D amplifier designed to deliver clean, articulate bass with impressive depth and output from a relatively compact cabinet.

The new Reference Premiere subwoofers are equally at home in two-channel and home theater systems, and are designed to integrate with Klipsch loudspeakers or just about any system in need of more low-frequency authority. Klipsch says the compact designs can extend bass response by as much as an additional octave, adding greater impact and realism to music, movies, and gaming without demanding a ridiculous amount of floor space.

And then there is the most important specification of all: the rear-panel gain control goes up to 11.

The spirit of Spinal Tap is alive and well in Hope, Arkansas.

Klipsch and Onkyo Go Old School With a Heritage Reference Two Channel System

If high-end two-channel listening is more your speed, Klipsch and Onkyo are also teaming up on what they are calling the “ultimate” two-channel system, anchored by the Limited Edition 80th Anniversary Klipschorn with Heritage Active Crossover.

Priced at $24,998 per pair, the anniversary Klipschorn sits at the opposite end of the Klipsch universe from the Reference Premiere III system being demonstrated elsewhere at the show. The system pairs the legendary horn-loaded loudspeakers with Onkyo’s new Icon Series P-80 preamplifier and M-80 power amplification, giving attendees an opportunity to hear one of Klipsch’s most historically significant designs with decidedly modern electronics and active crossover technology.

Klipsch and Onkyo Heritage Two Channel System

• Klipsch Limited Edition 80th Anniversary Klipschorn with Heritage Active Crossover: $24,998/pair
• Onkyo Icon P-80 Preamplifier: $1,999
• Onkyo Icon M-80 Power Amplifier: $1,999 each

Audio Advice Live System Price: approximately $32,000

The Klipschorn has been around in one form or another since 1946, but pairing an 80-year-old loudspeaker concept with an active crossover and Onkyo’s latest flagship separates is hardly an exercise in looking backward. If you want to understand how Klipsch intends to carry its Heritage lineup into its next chapter, this might be the more revealing of its two demonstrations in Raleigh.

Klipsch Brings the New Rebellion Heritage Bookshelf Speaker to Raleigh

Beyond the components featured in its 7.4.4-channel home theater and two-channel Heritage systems, Klipsch will also be showing the Rebellion, one of the company’s most interesting new loudspeakers of 2026.

First shown at HIGH END Vienna 2026, the Rebellion expands Klipsch’s Heritage lineup into a more compact form factor while drawing heavily on the company’s horn-loaded design history. That alone makes it one of the more intriguing Klipsch products to hear in Raleigh, particularly for listeners who appreciate the Heritage aesthetic and dynamics but do not necessarily have room for a Klipschorn or La Scala.

Onkyo will also bring several products first introduced in Vienna, including the Muse Series Y-50 Network Integrated Amplifier Anniversary Edition, along with the CREATOR GX-30ARC and GX-10DB Powered Monitor Anniversary Limited Edition compact speakers.

The Bottom Line 

Klipsch and Onkyo appear to be entering one of their strongest product cycles in years, with a complementary approach to home theater, two-channel audio, and increasingly ambitious product development. Audio Advice Live 2026 gives consumers a rare opportunity to hear much of that progress in one place.

The $17,050 Reference Premiere III 7.4.4 system should be especially compelling for home theater enthusiasts because it is relatively attainable compared with many of the more elaborate demonstrations at the show. Heritage fans will gravitate toward the anniversary Klipschorn and Rebellion, although we still wish Klipsch had brought the much-discussed OJAS kO-R2 along for the ride.

You can’t bring everything to Raleigh.

Price & Availability

Klipsch Reference Premiere III Speakers will be available beginning in October 2026; Reference Premiere Compact Subs will become available in November. The Pro-180 RPC in-ceiling speaker is currently available.

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