CEDIA Expo 2009 Atlanta – Speaker maker Procella Audio will make its U.S. debut here
at the CEDIA Expo with a line of high-performance speakers that include models optimized
for large home-theater rooms with multiple rows of seats.
The brand’s U.S.
launch is led by Chuck Back, former executive VP of Miller & Kreisel Sound from
1989 to 2007. The Sweden-based brand, launched in 2006, is currently marketed in
Australia, Europe,
Scandinavia and China.
U.S. operations are headquartered
in Los Angeles.
The line consists of three LCR/surround speakers and three
powered subwoofers. The LCRs feature high-output high-frequency compression
drivers and waveguides that disperse high frequencies evenly, particularly in large
listening spaces, to deliver optimal imaging and flat frequency response to multiple
seating positions, Back said. Two of the three speakers – the $2,499-each
two-way P8 and $8,999-each three-way P815 – are larger higher power models designed
specifically for any size room up to small cinemas to deliver reference-level
playback with uncompressed dynamics, he added. The compact two-way P6 at $1,499
each, on the other hand, is designed for small- to medium-size home theaters,
living rooms and studios.
“For small home theaters, there are many good speakers to
choose from, but in larger theaters with multiple rows of seats, integrators
and enthusiasts typically must choose to compromise either proper
high-frequency coverage or sound quality,” Back continued. Procella’s compression-driver
design with proprietary wave guides “means that no compromise is necessary,
delivering audiophile sound quality in rooms both small and large, with a
dynamic range few speakers can approach,” he said.
The compact P6 and the larger P8 feature shallow-depth cabinets
suitable for on-wall and screen-wall mounting, he continued. The largest
speaker, the active biamplified P815, also features shallow cabinetry for
placement against a screen wall, and the powered subwoofers’ shallow cabinets
allow for placement against screen walls, against walls with flat-screen
televisions, and in narrow spaces near projection screens.
The company traces its roots to an installation project in DTS’s
European offices. Procella founders Anders Uggelberg and Gerben Van Duyl were formerly
directors of DTS’s European offices, where THX-trained
Uggelberg was tasked with creating a 30-seat preview theater. Uggelberg and Duyl
determined that existing speaker systems wouldn’t deliver reference-quality
sound to all seats in the room, Back said. As a result, Uggelberg designed a
new speaker system, and both men formed Procella to commercialize the designs.
Here’s what they developed:
The $1,499-each P6 is a compact, two-way speaker with long-throw
6.5-inch woofer and 1-inch high-frequency transducer for small- to medium-size
home theaters. Its recommended subwoofer crossover frequency is 80Hz.
The $2,499-each P8 features 8-inch long-throw woofer, 1-inch high-frequency
unit and recommended subwoofer crossover frequency of 80 Hz.
The three-way bi-amplified $8,999-each P815 features a 15-inch woofer
in an enclosure mated to a P8. A 2×700-watt DSP amp and active two-way
crossover in the lower cabinet delivers 700 watts to the 15-inch woofer and
another 700 watts to the two-way P8 on top. The recommended subwoofer crossover
frequency is 40Hz.
The three powered subs — the $3,999 P10, $5,999 P15 and $8,999 P18
– use shallow-depth sealed boxes to deliver superior transient response and
maximum deep bass extension, Back said. All feature dual-driver design and dual
amplifiers with 28/56 bit DSP processing, which provides four user-selectable
settings for room-boundary conditions. The settings are freestanding, against a
wall, in a corner and mounted in a baffle wall.
The P10 incorporates dual 10-inch
drivers powered by a 2×350-watt (continuous) amplifier to extend response to 19
Hz ±3dB and deliver maximum output of 119dB at 50 Hz. The P15 features dual
15-inch drivers with 2×350-watt amplifier, delivering response to 22Hz with
125dB maximum output at 50Hz. The P18 features dual 18-inch drivers with 2×700-watt
amplifier, response to 18Hz and output of 133dB at 50Hz.
