Sunfire Adds Its First In-Wall Ribbons
By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 10/8/2007
SNOHOMISH, WASH. — Sunfire's first in–wall satellite speakers, the Cinema Ribbon CRW-3 and CRW-3C, are an extension of Sunfire's Cinema Ribbon line of in-room and on-wall ribbon speakers. All are part of the company's top-end XT series of speakers, which include an on-wall and in-wall subwoofer and a top-end A/V receiver.
Separately, the company upgraded the performance of its opening-price compact powered subwoofers.
The in-wall CRW-3 at $1,000 each is designed for L-R applications, and the CRW-3C at $1,250 each can be mounted horizontally or vertically for LCR use. They ship in November. Both handle up to 450 watts of power, more than most in-wall speakers, yet because of their 90dB sensitivity and 6-ohm nominal impedance, they can be driven with modest-sized amplifiers, the company said. They're also suited for music listening.
The two models feature 6-inch high-efficiency ribbon drivers. The CRW-3 adds three 4.5-inch woofers, and the CRW-3C features four woofers. Fully sealed cabinets enhance bass response and isolate sound from adjacent rooms.
The CRW-3C arranges drivers and crossover in a "tapered array" to reduce the combing effects produced by other multi-driver speakers. The ribbon remains centered for accurate dialog localization, and an acoustic lens consisting of graduated louvers creates 50 percent more dispersion when mounted horizontally for a wider sweet spot, the company said. The lens is removable for vertical installation.
They are also biampable, a feature not common in architectural speakers.
In stepping up the performance of its opening-price powered compact subs, Sunfire launched the $699 HRS-8, $799 HRS-10, and $899 HRS-12. All are 1,000-watt models that replace similarly priced D series subs.
The new models add new driver designs, improved bass detail and accuracy for movies and music, and improved cosmetics. All ship in high-gloss black, and the HRS-8 is also available in white for use with iPod speaker systems.
The HRS-8 packs an 8-inch driver in a in a 10-inch cube, while the HRS-10 packs a 10-inch driver in an 11.5-inch cube. The biggest model packs a 12-inch driver in a 13.5-inch cube. All feature Tracking Downconverter amp technology, said to deliver 50 percent more voltage than competing technologies while running coolly and efficiently.
