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A Fresh Look at the In-wall Speaker

origin-logoRiverside, CA– September 8, 2014 – Origin Acoustics, the team that invented the architectural loudspeaker, has reunited to take the industry by storm as they re-imagine the in-wall loudspeaker. Starting from scratch in a category they pioneered three decades ago Jeremy Burkhardt, Ed Hasse and Ken Humphreys looked at every aspect of the loudspeaker and determined to dramatically advance the entire category one detail at a time.

They began with the installation process. The Composer Collection features the new SpringLock™ mechanism. This innovative installation method requires no tools, as the dogs are spring loaded and snap into place with a twist of a thumbnail. The precise amount of needed torque is placed on the drywall avoiding any warping of the baffle or damage to the wall itself while securing the speaker and maintaining the seal between the exterior and interior air spaces.

Reinventing the drivers was the next step. A new surround technology is employed on all the woofers in the collection. The X-Wave™ butyl rubber surround is actively involved in absorbing 700-1,400Hz resonances that run up and down the woofer cone causing unwanted distortion. The surround is also part of a progressive suspension system that becomes more rigid as the driver approaches its furthest excursion point. This results in greater control of the cone and less distortion at maximum volume levels.

The Dual Plane Stabilized Diaphragm or DPSD™ tweeter is suspended at both the outside edge as well as at the peak of the dome. This improves linearity and power handling along with lower frequency extension. This allows the tweeter to crossover much lower to the woofer section resulting in a major improvement in overall dispersion of the system.

“We set out to make a difference in the sound quality people can expect from an in-wall speaker,” said Ken Humphreys, the company’s head engineer and CTO. “As we focused on each small detail of the speaker we heard the sum of these advances truly deliver a substantial improvement in sonic performance.”

Not satisfied with only improving the sound quality and ease of installation, the team also changed the aspect ratio of the baffle to closely mirror the Golden Mean. This aspect ratio is found in everything from ancient architecture and design to classic works of art. The longer and thinner profile is much more aesthetically pleasing in the home.

There are 10 models in the Composer Collection ranging in MSRP from $250 to $1,600 each.

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