In a series of private meetings with members of the consumer AV and trade press, Origin Acoustics CEO Jeremy Burkhardt described his company’s second-generation Director Series and LCR Collections loudspeakers, which are hitting the market only two years into the lifecycle of their predecessors. The new lines feature several design enhancements that are meant to improve audio performance and simplify installations.
The most visible advancement is reduced depth of the Director three-way models—as much as two inches of the depth has been shaved off of the earlier design, making them fit into more ceiling spaces.
Through impedance and crossover refinements, the new series offers improved output sensitivity by an average of 3dB. This decreases power requirements in large multiroom systems, helping make Director speakers more efficient and economical. New Ultra-Pivot mid-ranges and tweeters now reside in a smoother and more secure mechanism with a precise directional focus of critical mid and high frequencies.
All models continue to feature the X-Wave Surround in the woofers. The X-Wave surround absorbs frequencies between 700-1,400Hz that typically run up and down the cone of the woofer. The surround reduces distortion and improves driver stability while in motion. The reduced width of the surround also increases usable cone area, according to the company.
In another performance enhancement of the Director collection, the interior of the baffle has been fitted with a Variable Depth Absorption Layer (VDAL), a rubberized insert meant to reduce resonances in the baffle structure while also eliminating mid- and high-frequency reflections that can negatively affect the pristine focus and clarity these speakers are capable of producing.
Origin has dubbed the Director Series “the industry’s largest matched-timbre in-ceiling line,” from its smallest three-inch model to its largest 10-inch model, with uniformity and matched materials on all five models. A reworked industrial design now includes new rubber material added to the baffle that further reduces unwanted reflections and delivers an aesthetic “blackout” through the use of black aluminum and black Kevlar components. These design enhancements also give a more modern and intricate appearance.
With Origin’s Compression Molded Woofer Baskets utilizing the latest techniques and a material in plastic fabrication, the company was able to create basket designs with improved stability and acoustic neutrality. These baskets combine with the driver suspension to increase linearity and improve overall performance.
A paintable, perforated magnetic grille, with a micro bezel, covers the entire speaker assembly and leaves a discreet finished appearance. Its magnetic attachment makes removing or replacing the grille fast and easy.
The grille magnets found on the Origin Acoustics Tool-Less Installation mounting rings are now enclosed in the same plastic, sealing them away from exposure to moisture and temperature extremes. The company’s patented Tool-Less Installation spreads the weight of the speaker over a larger area than typical mounting systems. Spring-loaded clips also create more uniform pressure against the drywall, eliminating any warping or distortion of the speaker baffle or the drywall itself.
The new model numbers for the speakers transitioned from even to odd number SKUs. The LCR Collection new models are the LCR69, LCR67, and LCR65. The Director 10-inch is the D109, the 8-inch is the D81, and 6-inch is the D65.
