Celebrating 20-years as innovator and manufacturer, and displaying on its own for the first time in six years, Amnia Technologies had much news to share with dealers at the recent CEDIA Expo. This includes resuming management of its own distribution after a transition from Triad/Control4, and the launch of updated versions of Mobius and EDGE speakers, which mark improvements in performance and installation.
Founded in 1999 by managing director Richard Newlove, UK-based Amina Technologies entered the North American market in 2004 with Keith Vanderkley joining in 2006 as Worldwide VP of Engineering Technologies and VP of Sales for the Americas.
In 2013, Amina’s products became exclusively distributed through Triad Speakers, which in 2017 was acquired by Control4. In early 2019, following a transition from Control4, Amina began managing its own distribution in North America. The company set up Amina America, putting in place infrastructure, inventory, fulfilment, and customer support from within a facility in Fort Lauderdale, FL and appointing an independent manufacturer sales representative network.
“We felt that this new approach, with a deeper direct presence, was the best way for Amina to effectively serve and grow the North American business,” says Vanderkley. “Our focus is to develop and maintain partnerships with dealers as we fully recognize and value the skillsets they bring to the table. As our installation partners they are an integral part of our final product’s performance, and by listening to their experiences, they become active participants in our product development.”
Amina’s speakers are sound panels that become completely naked to the eye once installed in the wall or ceiling and finished with a skim coat, wallpaper, or veneer. The panels are comprised of aluminum honeycomb or composite soundboards with integrated exciters that come together to radiate detailed and full-bodied sound.
Available are 12 solutions across the company’s Mobius, EDGE, iQ Developer, Lifestyle (70-volt), and ALF (low frequency enhancer) series, all engineered and hand-built by Amina at its Great Britain workshop, plus high pass filters (limiters) and backboxes.
The Mobius sound panels are engineered to work behind a range of covering materials such as wet plaster skim (2mm), stucco, wood, leather, natural, or man-made veneers and laminates. The newest version, Mobius-i, utilizes a 2nd generation Excelsior class high-frequency driver integrated into a honeycomb aluminum soundboard. This brings a 6 dB boost in mid-range sensitivity, an extended lower frequency, and increased smoothness and extension in the high frequencies to above 30 kHz, according to the company. Two models are available: Mobius5i at $1100 MSRP each and Mobius7i at $1600 MSRP each.
The proprietary EDGE-i sound panels get installed by replacing a small section of plasterboard/drywall that is attached only to the wall and not the studwork, so no special framing is required. Once filled, taped, feathered, and painted, the panel becomes fully invisible. It can also be installed as a post-plaster retrofit product. The newest version, EDGE-i, delivers low frequency extension with increased power handling and a sensitivity of 90dB @ 1 watt/1 meter including finish. The new models are the mid-level EDGE5i ($1000 MSRP each) and top-of-the-line EDGE7i ($1500 MSRP each).
All the Mobius-i and EDGE-i series sound panels are shipping now.
For more information, visit www.aminatechnologies.com.
