Sonance Rolls Out In-Wall Subwoofers
Sonance announced it will begin shipping two new in-wall subwoofers designed exclusively for home-theater systems. The new models, SUB12-500 and SUB10-250, join the existing Cinema series of in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers, expanding the options for media rooms of varying sizes and configurations.
Sonance announced it will begin shipping two new in-wall subwoofers designed exclusively for home-theater systems. The new models, SUB12-500 and SUB10-250, join the existing Cinema series of in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers, expanding the options for media rooms of varying sizes and configurations.
The 12-inch SUB12-500 and 10-inch SUB10-250 each comprise a three-piece system that features a high-performance woofer and grille integrated into a vibration-free enclosure with an outboard mono amplifier. Both models have been designed for consumer electronics installation professionals who have requested sub-bass performance while maintaining a slim profile. The Cinema series in-wall subwoofers feature Sonance’s Visual Performance micro-trim grilles that are designed to blend in with their surroundings.
According to the company, Cinema series in-wall subwoofer enclosures are constructed from a combination of half-inch and 1-inch MDF for isolation of bass and extruded aluminum bracing for minimal obstruction of airflow inside the enclosure. Sonance also incorporated mass damping of the front and back walls of each enclosure and long strand fiberglass internal damping for standing wave dissipation. Additionally, a floating enclosure design is meant to minimize vibration transfer to adjoining rooms. Both enclosures fit in a standard 2×4 stud bay and a blank pre-construction plate is included for easy installation.
The Cinema series in-wall subwoofers feature a low-profile driver with an ultra-low distortion motor and 4-inch diameter voice coil. The Cinema 12-500 incorporates a 12-inch woofer, while the 10-250 uses a 10-inch woofer. Dual central-mount spiders are used in both models to maximize the linear movement of the laminated carbon fiber honeycomb woofer cone.
According to Todd Ryan, chief speaker engineer, the 4-inch diameter voice coils were chosen for two reasons. “First, a large diameter voice coil will be able to continuously handle high levels of power and absorb all the power from the new digital amplifiers. The second reason was to allow us to place the spiders on the inside of the voice coil. In most shallow woofers, due to the short distance from the surround to the spider, the cones have a tendency to rock. This rocking requires the use of a larger gap in the motor to reduce the output of the driver. In our design, the spiders are placed at the center of the driver and connected to a post, which is bonded to the cone,” he explained in a statement.
The outboard Cinema series subwoofer amplifiers feature Class-D output stage, line, and loudspeaker-level high-pass filtering and are designed specifically to complement the SUB10-250 and SUB12-500 drivers and enclosures. Each amplifier can drive up to two woofers. The SUB10-250 extends down to 30 Hz and produces 108 dB of output at 1meter when using the matching SUB10-250D amplifier. The SUB12-500 extends to 25 Hz and can produce 114 dB of output at 1 meter when using the SUB12-500D amplifier.
The price of the 12-500 enclosure, woofer and grille, and amplifier is $1,000 each. The price of the 10-250 enclosure, woofer and grille, and amplifier is $700 each.
