INDIANAPOLIS (August 18, 2006) — Klipsch has launched three new fire-rated enclosures that allow residential contractors to meet building codes as well as diminish the undesirable transfer of sound from one room to the other.

The ME-800-C, ME-650-C and ME-650-W are manufactured from high-grade cold-rolled steel and feature a layer of insulation. All three enclosures exceed the one-hour fire-rating requirements and are designed to meet UL2043 requirements for installation in plenum spaces.

• ME-800-C – Fits all Reference Series in-ceiling speakers with 8-inch woofers

• ME-650-C – Fits all Reference Series in-ceiling speakers with 6.5-inch woofers (except square models)

• ME-650-W – Fits all Reference Series in-wall speakers with 6.5-inch woofers

These enclosures fit 16- or 24-inch stud spans. They also come with all of the hardware needed for any installation application, including tile systems, and provisions for standard conduit connections. Pre-drilled holes simplify the installation process and ensure that all safety requirements are met.

The optimized enclosure volume provides consistent acoustic performance regardless of construction variations. While the insulation exceeds fire requirements, it also reduces the sound transmission into adjacent spaces by at least 10dB.

The inside edge of each enclosure’s mounting ring will be color coded to match up with the corresponding Klipsch installation kit size code. For example, red will signify a 6.5-inch speaker and green will signify an 8-inch speaker.

While the ME-800-C carries a U.S. MSRP of $100 each, the ME-650-C and ME-650-W are $85 each.