Stealth Acoustics, the Mt. Vernon, WA, manufacturer of invisible-style in-wall speakers, has begun shipping its StingRay product, which the company calls “the world’s first, completely sealed, outdoor speaker.”
“When we first demonstrated the StingRays unique environmental and performance characteristics to the CEDIA channel and then again to the professional market at ISE in Europe last month, we received tremendous response from dealers and integrators to the product’s sound quality and near hemispherical sound field,” said Steve Olszewski, vice president of Stealth Acoustics.
Stealth also announced successful completion of IEC standard Ingress Protection (IP) rating testing for the StingRay. IP ratings certify the resistance of a product to dust and water intrusion. The Stingray obtained a rating of IP-68, which exceeds the IEC standardized category maximum of IP-67.
“An IP rating of 67 is the top standard rating, meaning the speaker is fully dust proof and waterproof down to 1-meter depth for 30 minutes,” Olszewski said. “Beyond that, a manufacturer can specify a more strident testing metric to receive a higher rating. In this case, we specified the water test to be for 64 hours at 1-meter depth. We achieved this goal and now have perhaps the only speaker with an IP-68 rating.”
Based on Stealth Acoustics’ LRG invisible speaker platform, StingRay’s 8-inch cone driver generates bass response down to 35 Hz, and its directly-coupled 20-watt neodymium driver generates high frequencies out to 18kHz, according to the company. Both fire into the speaker’s sealed Fidelity Glass, glass-fiber radiating surface. Power handling is rated between 180-160W, full-frequency dispersion is 170 degree nominal and the unit is proven environmentally stable from 0 degrees F to 150 degrees F.
StingRay features a completely sealed, injection-molded enclosure constructed from marine-grade UV-protected ASA plastic. As a result, it can withstand the harshest environmental conditions, including rain, snow, sunlight, the effects of seasonal variations, and extreme weather. It is also resistant to the impact of water and damage or discoloration caused by salt, mold, or fungal growth.
Available now in a matte white or black finish, StingRay is also custom printable using any captured image and standard exterior graphics material as a wrap. It is supplied with a proprietary mounting bracket for quick and easy wall or freestanding installation.
Watch a brief YouTube video on the StingRay at:
