I have not looked at the 1.6, 2.4 prices is a couple of years, but it seems like the 1.7 price is a big increase from the 1.6 and the 2.7 is a big increase from the 2.4 The 1.6 was in the mid $2s and the 2.4 in the mid $4s last I looked. Looks like big price increases to me. I have not heard either of the new speakers so I cannot comment on how they compare to speakers in their comparable price ranges. But it seems like their entry level real floor stander is now $4K. That seems like a big change to the product line.