The King is a mature product; I do not know of any major revisions to it since I first saw it at RMAF 2008.
The King II is an actual speaker, an extension of the King concept, not a slight variation. It has never been presented to me as a fix, but as a further development of the technology. (The King does not have a sound which needs fixing, in my experience it is standard-setting for full range ESLs of that size/price, especially in the bass) It has the similar panel technology to the Prince II, and at the time of the show had an outboard power supply. The goal is that by Fall the power supply will be worked into the base of the speaker like the King. The King II also has an an optional/alternative traditional wooden latticework frame and wooden feet. I do not believe the King II is available yet.
I can see where if the speakers were moved about regularly a few bolts may loosen a bit. If I move the speakers I exert a lot of energy; I grasp them on their side trim and physically manhandle them, lifting them like a fork lift and walk with them erect until I place them down. Imagine holding a 100 pound weight out in front of you nearly at arm's length and walking twenty feet with it! It's tougher, but puts zero stress on the panel. I do not walk the speakers at all to move them. I can see how things might loosen if they were walked to and fro several times as it might place an ever so slight torque on the metal frame. This is just conjecture.
I wonder if the high humidity of Singapore contributed to Kiwi's troubles sonically with the King. My understanding is that ESLs have a tough time in high humidity environments. It is conceivable that the humidity would influence the bass response. If there was a microscopic amount of condensation on the drivers that would be a significant variable, I would think - especially given the ultra-light nature of the driver and it utilizing nanotechnology in their coating. Maybe the speaker was turned into a giant Ionizer? Kiwi, did you notice the air fresher in the room after listening sessions? ;)
It's much to the Kingsound design's credit that even driven to the point of the drivers making contact with the stator that they weren't damaged severely! That would have toasted many other manufacturer's designs!
Upon occasion I see a review which the experience of the writer is nearly an inversion of what I have experienced. There are still some mysteries in the world, not the least of which is, "How can two people hear things so differently?" :)
