Paul
Hales of Concept Audio Design was at CEDIA 2023 placing on his reliably spectacular
demonstrations with the model’s comparatively compact (but typically shockingly
highly effective) loudspeaker techniques. Concept’s gear is designed to work collectively as a
full system, together with the processing, amplification, and loudspeakers.
This strategy ensures infallible efficiency and a constant sonic signature
from any Concept set up, in response to Hales. New for this 12 months is an
intriguing speaker known as the sb25aw, an all-weather, 4-ohm or 70V/100V model
of the corporate’s exceptional sb25 indoor floor mount loudspeaker. Over the
previous couple of years, the compact sb25 has earned a repute for excelling in
virtually any utility: dwelling theater, distributed audio, Hello-Fi stereo, gaming —
the sb25 can seemingly do all of it. This
high-output, bass-reflex design with twin 5-inch woofers made fairly an
impression on Audioholics founder Gene DellaSala at CEDIA just a few years again:
We
sat down for a demo of this technique at CEDIA 2019. The very first thing we seen
was how spectacular simply the 2 sb25 audio system sounded on their very own with
two-channel music.
—
Gene DellaSala, President of Audioholics
Like
the sb25, the brand new sb25aw is a wide-bandwidth, high-output multi-use
loudspeaker, good for quite a lot of indoor/outside functions, from resorts
swimming pools and outside purchasing facilities to outside seating at eating places — an space
that grew exponentially through the top of the Covid 19 pandemic. However the
sb25aw isn’t only for industrial installs. The speaker is simply at dwelling… at
dwelling. Even earlier than Covid, the marketplace for residential outside {custom} set up
gear had been rising for the higher a part of a decade. And since 2020, that
development of constructing outside leisure areas has solely been on the rise. However
the weather could be onerous on audio system and electronics. Wind, rain, snow, and solar
can all wreak havoc. (I do know a man whose outside audio system stopped working
as a result of spiders had nested inside an amplifier, presumably as a result of they had been
drawn to the warmth it put out.) The sb25aw is reportedly designed to
stand up to the slings and arrows of outrageous climate, thanks partly to a
powder-coated and anodized extruded and machined aluminum enclosure. The
speaker is reportedly all aluminum and chrome steel, and may by no means rust.
The “absolutely weatherized” design presents mounting choices to fulfill “each attainable set up
want,” in response to Concept Audio Design. Porches, patios, pool decks, backyards, and
even yachts are potential targets for the sb25aw. The speaker incorporates a
sturdy perforated chrome steel grille, and a water-tight entry level for
speaker cables. Beneath the grille you’ll discover a pair of custom-designed
5-inch carbon fiber woofers and a {custom} 1.4-inch “AdvancedPoly” high-frequency
compression driver with a 125-degree axisymmetric waveguide offering
ultra-wide conical protection. Concept says the sb25aw is “able to astonishing
vary and output” (most 117dB/1m). From an enclosure simply 3.8 inches deep,
that spec is spectacular certainly. Selectable hi-z or low-z working modes
present further flexibility for system design. Concept Audio Design says the
speaker is “a jack of all trades and may have you rethinking the way you
incorporate sound in your subsequent high-value undertaking.”
Concept’s
raison d’etre is to ship pro-level efficiency
from merchandise which are sufficiently small (and engaging sufficient) to be on show
with out inciting violence from the inside designer. To that finish, the sb25aw
boasts a slender enclosure with a premium end. Concept says that the
speaker’s sculpted curves “permit it to nearly disappear into the
architectural background whereas trying surprisingly good-looking in environments
the place it’s simply seen – stealth and fairly on the identical time.” It may be
mounted flat to a wall utilizing the included z-clips. Alternatively, the again
panel has mount gap patterns for a number of high-quality third-party speaker
mounts. Additional set up flexibility is offered by an optionally available yoke
mounting bracket, which is each surface-mountable and pole-mountable. The
Common Mount Adapter permits the speaker to be mounted to a pole, to any 75mm
or 100mm VESA mount, or to quite a lot of pan-and-tilt wall and ceiling mounts
from Adaptive Applied sciences. Lastly, the optionally available tabletop stand accent
permits the sb25aw to face up on flat surfaces, akin to speaker stands, mixing
desks, consoles, tabletops, and bookshelves. It really works for each vertical and
horizontal orientations.
There
has by no means been a extra compact and succesful loudspeaker within the integrator system
design toolbox. Able to astonishing vary and output, and at lower than
4-inches in depth, the sb25aw is a digital acoustic Swiss military knife and can
have system designers rethinking how they incorporate sound into their
high-value tasks. We anticipate that they may rapidly be taught to make use of this extremely
succesful little speaker in all places.
—
Paul Hales, CEO of Concept Audio Design
Like
the complete Concept product ecosystem, the sb25aw guarantees to mix the
efficiency qualities {of professional} audio merchandise – easy dynamics,
excessive effectivity, and rugged sturdiness – with the sonic delicacy, element, and
decision that audiophiles anticipate from high-end Hello-Fi merchandise. One of many
keys to delivering on this promise is Concept’s clever full-system design strategy, which incorporates
automatically-tailored loudspeaker DSP. Subsequently, the sb25aw have to be used with
considered one of Concept’s Loudspeaker Controllers to ensure that it to carry out because it was
designed to. The sb25aw is out there for pre-order now, and can start transport
in This autumn 2023. The tentative pricing of $1,350 every could change earlier than transport
begins, in response to the corporate.
Concept
Audio Design Architectural Subwoofers
Concept
has additionally launched its first architectural subwoofers, the iws12-6 ($1,900
every) and iws12-9 ($2,050 every). Each subs make the most of a 12-inch long-throw woofer
with a 4-inch voice coil, and the 2 fashions supply equivalent efficiency, however
in several form-factors. This permits the client to ship high-performance
bass in any set up setting, in response to Concept. In-wall, on-wall,
in-room, and ceiling-mounted choices are all coated. These subs, subsequently,
eradicate the necessity for the client to allocate ground area for big subwoofer
cupboards. Whereas these are passive designs with out onboard amplification, they
could be (and in reality, have to be) pushed by considered one of Concept’s Amplified Loudspeaker Controllers.
In accordance
to Concept Audio Design, the iws12-6 and iws12-9 subwoofers ship “deep,
visceral bass that belies instinct, extending deeper and with extra authority
than appears attainable from their ultra-compact enclosures.” Along with enjoying
loud and digging down low (-3dB at 24Hz), the subs promise “tight, tuneful
expression.” The iws12-6 is designed to be put in flush into 2×6 stud partitions.
It may also be put in as an on-wall, and is simply 5.5 inches deep. However at 14 inches large and 5
toes tall, the iws12-6 does require a good quantity of actual property as an on-wall.
When put in in a wall, solely the (optionally available) low-profile and paintable
perforated grille must be seen. The iws12-9 is a really totally different form,
at 34-inches large, 14-inches excessive, and solely 9-inches deep. With its optionally available
good yoke bracket, it may be wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted, or flown
(suspended from the ceiling by way of a particular rig). In circumstances the place ground
area is out there and set up simplicity is the aim, the iws12-9 can
merely be positioned on the ground, utilizing the included toes. The specs are the identical
for each the iws12-6 and iws12-9 — the 2 subs solely differ of their
form-factors and supposed set up sorts. Each promise as much as 124 dB of
output (measured at 1 meter)with a frequency response of 24Hz – 125Hz ±3dB.
Usable bass extension digs right down to 18Hz (-10dB). The subs supply impressively
excessive sensitivity at 95.5dB, and 700 watts of energy dealing with. However Concept
prospects needn’t fear a lot about these specs, because the subs will undoubtedly
be used as a part of an entire Concept-branded system, wherein all guesswork has
been eliminated.
The
iws12 subwoofer driver isn’t any client or car-stereo woofer with an outsized
encompass stuffed in a sealed field proportioned to slot in a wall. The driving force at
the core of the iws12 fashions is a professional-duty, high-efficiency, 1,400W
(700W AES) twelve-inch woofer with large four-inch voice coil. The driving force was
developed particularly for architectural functions and positioned in an
optimally-tuned bass reflex enclosure. The iws12’s power-handling, output,
visceral impression, and tonality are unmatched by consumer-grade subwoofers.
—Paul Hales
Each
fashions can be found now for pre-order and can start transport later this fall.
Extra
info: Concept
Audio Design
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