Proficient Protege’s new industrial design
At CEDIA this week, Proficient (Booth 4128) will debut an all-new flagship line of architectural speakers and a revamp of its existing Protege speaker line. These models will create new options for installing dealers while staying within the Proficient brand.
The addition to the Proficient Signature Series line of 10 architectural speakers builds on the success Proficient achieved with its Signature Series high-gloss black cabinet loudspeakers and subwoofers. The focus on the flagship ceiling, in-wall, and outdoor speakers will provide installing dealers a way to upsell Proficient by focusing more attention on its position at the top end of the brand.
Proficient Signature Series offers a major step up in performance over Proficient Protege and incorporates a striking new industrial design. All models will use the hi-powered combination of Kevlar woofers and aluminum-dome tweeters, and will continue using the clever thin-bezel grille design of legacy Protege models.
“One of the best things to come out of this upgrade path is the first brand segmentation in our 15-year history,” said Keith Marshall, founder of Proficient Audio and senior vice president of Core Brands. “Now dealers can easily explain to their customers that if they want the very best that Proficient has to offer for their home, it’s Proficient Signature Series.”
Marshall noted that while dealer may want to start at the top with the Proficient Signature Series, if needed they can drop into the more affordable “yet super-sounding combination” of graphite woofers and silk-dome tweeter speakers in the Proficient Protege line.
This sell-up strategy is the beginning of a larger brand segmentation program to come. This new approach will allow dealers to more fully leverage the power and prestige of the brand with an expanded product portfolio of 12 models in the Proficient Signature Series.
Adding to the Proficient Protege Signature Series high-gloss cabinet loudspeaker line will be five Home Theater loudspeakers led by a 10-inch 3-way ceiling speaker, 8-inch and 6.5-inch LCR ceiling speakers plus 6.5-inch and 5.25-inch Dual-Woofer Inwall LCR speakers. For distributed audio, there will be four models: 8-inch and 6.5-inch ceiling speakers and 8-inch and 6.5-inch inwall speakers. And there will be an 8-inch 3-way outdoor speaker in the Proficient Signature Series lineup.
“At Core Brands Booth 4128, we will be doing demos with two systems, a Proficient Signature system featuring our GL6 dual woofer high-gloss black cabinet loudspeakers and another system featuring the Proficient Protege dual 6.5-inch inwall speakers,” Marshall said. “Dealers should come by and have us play something from our selection of 300-plus music concerts on our two Kaleidescapes and really listen to how Proficient sounds.”
