ATLANTA
– Here are some of the
custom-installed speakers that will
debut at CEDIA Expo from a variety
of brands.
Colorado vNet:
The first vNetbranded
speakers, shipping in the
fourth quarter, will be designed to
match the amplifiers in vNet’s touchscreens
to maximize output and performance.
The five-SKU selection of two-way
speakers will consist of one in-wall
speaker and four in-ceiling speakers,
including one single-speakerstereo
model. All will feature 7-inch
woofer and 1-inch tweeter except
for the single-speaker-stereo model,
which will feature an 8-inch woofer
and two 1-inch tweeters. They’ll feature
baffles that tilt up to 15 degrees
and flat, flat magnetically attached
speaker grilles, and optional back
boxes built from flexible material for
easier installation. Pricing wasn’t
available.
JL Audio:
The company’s first
two in-wall subwoofers, previously
shown and just now shipping, are the
$4,500-suggested Fathom IWS System
One with single driver and the
$7,500 Fathom IWS System Two with
dual drivers.
The former features 13.5-inch driver
and 1,000-watt outboard amp. The latter
features two 13.5-inch drivers and outboard
2,000-watt amp.
Both fit in standard 2×4 and 2×6 wall
framing and feature a single-pivot damped
mounting system to isolate the subs’ enclosures
from the studs and wall surface
to deliver “rattle-free” performance.
The outboard amps feature proprietary
Automatic Room Optimization (ARO)
technology to deliver one-button automatic
correction to compensate for a
room’s acoustics.
Nuvo:
The company’s first single-pointstereo
speaker is a three-way model with
7-inch woofer. Its 14-inch width enables it
to fit into a single stud bay for a quick install.
It’s designed to complement the Renovia
power-line-based multi-room-audio
system, which is also promoted as offering
an east, minimally invasive install, the
company said. Pricing was unavailable.
Phase Technology:
For small spaces
such in kitchens, bathrooms, stairways
and other rooms, the company is launching
four 3-inch speakers available in surface-
mount, in-ceiling, and in-wall applications.
All feature 3-inch full-range driver.
The $125 SPF-15 is surface-mount
speaker that connects to a wall plate that
swivels 173 degrees in two directions.
No tools are needed to lock the driver
into place. It’s available in black or white,
and a 70-volt transformer is optional.
The round $250 CI 1.5 mounts in the
ceiling and comes with shallow 3.75-inch
back can. Components are weatherized
for outdoor use. A 70-100-volt transformer
is included.
The $260 CI 15 is a square inwall
speaker with 3.75-inch back
can and optional theft-resistant
stainless-steel grille. A 70-100-volt
transformer is included.
The $160 CI-MM3-II, an updated version of the current
3-inch SPacia in-wall speaker, fits in a doublegang
box or mud ring. It comes with snap-on grille.
All grilles are paintable.
Polk:
In its Vanishing Series, the company
plans January shipments of six
three-way in-ceiling models previewed at
January 2010 CES. Like their previously
announced in-wall counterparts, which are
now due in October, the in-ceiling models
feature slim 3mm bezels, grilles that protrude
only 7mm from the sheetrock, and
micro-perf grilles backed with a fine-mesh
scrim to appear as unobtrusive as possible.
Unlike the in-wall models, the ceiling models
reduce their footprint without
sacrificing bass output and
extension by mounting
an oval woofer to a
behind-the-ceiling
tube that in turn
fires through a
15-degree-angled
baffle. The
angled baffle
is also home to
the midrange and
tweeter. The inceiling
speaker with
9-inch oval woofer delivers
the surface area of an
8-inch round woofer and fits in
the cutout usually required for a traditional
6.5-inch speaker, the company said.
PSB:
The CS1000 at a suggested $499/
pair is the company’s first outdoor speaker,
a two-way model with bracket system that
allows for horizontal or vertical mounting.
The speaker also rotates 90 degrees in one
plane and 180 degrees in a second plane.
It’s available in black or white.
Features include weather-resistant
sealed enclosure to keep moisture out, a
front port with port plug, a wire-management
system, and five-way gold-plated
binding posts with covers.
Also designed for commercial applications,
the speaker features 6.5-inch clay/
ceramic-filled polypropylene cone, 1-inch
titanium-dome tweeter, 89dB sensitivity in
a typical listening room and 20-150-watt
power handling.
Revel:
The brand, part of the
Harman High Performance AV
(HPAV) group, plans to launch 21
new in-wall and in-ceiling speakers
with bezel-less designs and
a patented one-handed install process
that requires no tools, the company
said. Prices range from $400/pair
to $1,749 each.
The lineup will feature technologies, such as
low-distortion tweeter design and waveguides that appear
in Revel’s high-end in-room Salon2 and Ultima2
speakers.
Wisdom:
A new high-end subwoofer is designed to
be hidden behind a false wall, under a floor or under
risers in large residential theaters where users want extended
bass and high SPLs without opting for large
commercial subwoofers, said Wisdom president Mark
Glazier. Commercial offerings aren’t necessarily accurate,
he added.
The STS features dual 15-inch drivers in a 17.5- by
36- by 17.75-inch enclosure whose shape enables its
port to fire out on any of three sides, allowing for subwoofer-
placement flexibility during installation, he noted.
It handles 5,000 watts of peak power and uses a regenerative
transmission-line design for fast results, accurate
timbre, and 130dB SPL at 20Hz, the company said.
It ships Oct. 1 at a tentative price of a suggested
$10,000.
