Vienna Acoustics The Kiss Including Stands

The Vienna Acoustics The Kiss does something that almost no speaker at any price can do: it puts a seven-octave coincident driver, a dedicated 9-inch woofer, and a precision-adjustable decoupled enclosure system into a package that disappears into your room. This is the same Flat Spider Cone technology from The Music, Vienna Acoustics' $50,000 flagship, scaled into a compact three-way design that includes its own integrated stands. Built in Austria by Peter Gansterer, The Kiss sits in the Klimt Series alongside The Music and represents the same obsession with phase-coherent, single-point-source reproduction.

Key Features of The Kiss

• Coincident Flat Spider Cone Driver: Patented 18cm coaxial midrange covering seven octaves from a single point source, with a 25mm hand-coated silk dome tweeter at its center using a neodymium magnet structure
• 9" Spider-Cone Woofer: Proprietary X3P cone with multiple-radius profile for maximum stiffness and minimum mass, housed in its own bass reflex enclosure
• Mechanically Decoupled Music Center: The midrange/tweeter enclosure sits on a drawn aluminum swivel joint with micrometer-precision adjustment for both rake angle and toe-in
• First-Order Crossover: Modified first-order topology using highest-grade components for minimal phase shift through the vocal range
• Separate Bass and Midrange Enclosures: Complete mechanical isolation between the woofer cabinet and the Music Center eliminates cabinet resonance transfer
• Room Compensation Switches: Rear-panel T (treble) and B (bass) switches for minute room-acoustic fine-tuning
• 89dB Sensitivity / 4 Ohm Impedance: Compatible with quality amplifiers from 50 to 180 watts, including well-built tube designs
• Integrated Stands Included: Asymmetric single-pillar design calculated into The Kiss's performance parameters, with spike assembly for stability

The Coincident Driver: Seven Octaves From a Single Point

At the heart of The Kiss is the same patented Flat Spider Cone coincident driver found in The Music. This 18cm coaxial design places a hand-coated silk dome tweeter with a neodymium magnet structure at the center of a flat, radially-vaned midrange cone. The result is a single coherent point source covering seven full octaves without introducing crossover components through the critical vocal range.

The flat cone surface eliminates the time and frequency-specific phase shifts that conventional curved cones produce. The cone material is X3P in a proprietary blend optimized through finite element analysis, manufactured by Vienna Acoustics in Austria. Peter Gansterer used FEA to achieve maximum rigidity while interfering as little as possible with a flat frequency response. The radial vane structure gives a flat piston the dynamic stability that normally requires a conventional cone shape.

Bass Architecture: Port-Loaded Spider-Cone Woofer

The Kiss uses a single 9-inch Spider-Cone woofer with the same X3P cone material and multiple-radius profile as the drivers in The Music. This driver is housed in its own independent bass reflex enclosure, mechanically separated from the Music Center above. The port-loaded design reaches a genuine 36Hz, delivering bass extension and authority that belies the compact enclosure dimensions.

The woofer's NAWI cone design prioritizes both stiffness and low mass, a combination that gives The Kiss fast, articulate bass without sacrificing extension. The separate enclosure means the woofer does its work without contaminating the purity of the coincident driver above.

The Adjustable Music Center

The Kiss's upper enclosure (housing the coincident driver) connects to the bass cabinet through a high-tech drawn aluminum swivel joint. This allows independent adjustment of both rake angle (forward/backward tilt) and toe-in (left/right rotation), controlled by precision-threaded screws on the rear panel. Each adjustment has its own meter for repeatable, consistent results.

What this means in practice: instead of a single sweet spot where everything locks into focus, The Kiss creates a broad listening zone. You aim the midrange dispersion pattern precisely for your room and seating position, reducing early reflections and broadening the optimal listening area. Setup takes time and attention, but the reward is a speaker that locks in like nothing else once dialed.

The Integrated Stand

The Kiss ships with purpose-built asymmetric stands that are calculated into the speaker's acoustic performance. These are not aftermarket accessories. The single-pillar design keeps the visual profile minimal while the mass (50 lbs per stand) provides a stable foundation. The stand height places the coincident driver at optimal ear level for seated listening, and spike assemblies ensure rigid coupling to the floor.

Cabinet Construction and Finish

The Kiss is available in Piano Black lacquer and Sapele veneer. Each speaker weighs 95 lbs (43 kg) before the stand, and the combined speaker-plus-stand weight of 145 lbs per side tells you something about the internal bracing and driver mass involved. The build quality and attention to detail rivals speakers at considerably higher price points, with every joint, binding post, and finish element reflecting in-house manufacturing standards.

Explore the Full Vienna Acoustics Klimt Series

The Kiss is part of the Klimt Series, Vienna Acoustics' statement line named after the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. The series shares the same design philosophy and driver technology at different scales:

• The Music is the Klimt Series flagship, using three 9-inch woofers and a supertweeter alongside the same coincident driver
• Liszt Reference offers Spidercone bass technology in a slimmer floorstanding cabinet
• Beethoven Concert Grand Reference is the entry point to the Klimt Series sound
• Maestro Grand Reference is the dedicated center channel for Klimt Series home theater systems

The Listening Room Difference

We're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. At this level, every detail matters, and we're here to make sure you get it right. Whether you need help with system matching, setup guidance, or just want to talk through your options before pulling the trigger, owner Mike Hoatson is a phone call away. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, and our support lasts well beyond the sale. Call or text 410-239-2020.

Vienna Acoustics The Kiss Specifications