Norwood, Mass. – Atlantic Technology plans January shipments of what it calls the first in-ceiling speaker that’s purpose-built to serve as a height speaker for object-based surround-sound systems.
With dual tweeters firing at angles and with unspecified crossover settings, the speaker delivers a “very wide scatter” that minimizes “hot spotting” and replicates the movie-theater experience in which ceiling speakers are positioned high up and can’t be localized, Atlantic president Peter Tribeman explained. The IC-6 0BA speakers will produce “a bubble of height information above you” as a movie theater’s ceiling speakers do, he said. The speaker scatters upper midrange and high frequencies.
Tribeman said he doubts the effect could be achieved with current residential in-ceiling speakers promoted as wide-dispersion speakers, saying dual-angled tweeters are likely necessary.
The 4-ohm speaker features 6.5-inch dual-voice-coil woofer, dual 1-inch silk dome tweeters, and 10-125-watt RMS recommended power. It will be priced in the low- to mid-$300s.
The product will be the company’s second speaker dedicated to an object-based surround system. The first, unveiled at the CEDIA Expo, is the $499/pair 44-DA, a compact height-speaker module that fits on top of Atlantic’s THX-certified 4400 LR speakers to bounce Dolby Atmos height information off the ceiling. The module delivers an integrated one-piece look.
Because of its compact size, it can also be placed on top of other speakers or used as a standalone elevation speaker, the company added. The speaker measures 5.5 x 8.4 x 9.5 inches.
The speaker delivers a “controlled acoustic scatter” to broaden the sweet spot of the sound reflected off the ceiling, enabling greater placement flexibility in a room, the company added.
