Denver, CO–Wisdom Audio will launch its new Sage Series high end architectural and in-room audio systems at the 2007 CEDIA Expo, held in Denver from Sept. 6-9 at the Colorado Convention Center, booth SR-12.
Initially, Wisdom Audio will bring to market five speaker configurations, ranging from 15 inches to 95 inches tall, each available as an in-wall, on-wall, or freestanding solution. Multiple center channels, a dual woofer in-wall sub enclosure, integrated Audyssey Laboratories room correction software, and dedicated electronics round out the new product offerings. Depending on the model and size, Sage Series speakers incorporate proprietary thin film planar magnetic drivers and oblong shaped CLCF (Constrained Layer Carbon Fiber) woofers for greater performance and to allow for its narrow and shallow physical characteristics.
“The Sage Series represents not only the continued growth of Wisdom Audio, but the evolution of high end audio systems for the entire home theater and installation market,” said Tom Bohlender, founder of Wisdom Audio. “Our team incorporates some of the best minds in the business, and is the reason why we are able to create, implement, and deliver such a revolutionary series of products, unlike anything the industry has ever experienced.”
The Sage Series, which are available as in-wall, on-wall, and standalone models in order to offer even greater flexibility to the customer and custom installer, incorporates purpose designed Wisdom Audio technologies that redefine form factor, high end performance, user experience benefits, realizable and consistent in-room acoustic results and installer/dealer installation/set-up benefits.
“We are offering a unique addition to the state-of-the-art through the incorporation of new, proprietary Wisdom Audio designed transducer technology, an innovative in-wall mounting system yielding improved sonic and structural characteristics, bi-amplified systems employing dedicated amplifiers, and a crossover/equalizer that utilizes Audyssey automated room correction software,” explained Mark Glazier, Wisdom Audio president. “The inclusion of all of these elements in each of our systems and the resulting performance achieved differentiates our offerings from all other known in-wall solutions.”
Glazier added that the in-room product allows Wisdom to deliver a high performance planar magnetic/hybrid series of products, designed in a narrow and shallow cabinet, which has a small physical and visual foot print.
“Appealing through its performance to the most discerning music and film lovers and through its industrial design to the lifestyle segment, these offerings will have broad appeal depending on application,” Glazier continued. “The breadth of this complete series, ranging from in-wall to on-wall to in-room, while sharing a very similar complement of electronics and set-up/in-stall guidelines, will be quite desirable to the dealer and installer. Offering a single set-up/install solution that once learned allows the dealer to address a variety of installation requirements is relatively rare and, we believe, will be wholeheartedly welcomed.”
The Sage Series incorporates Wisdom Audio’s new planar magnetic drivers that use costly “rare earth” or neodymium magnets, which provide a vastly stronger magnetic field than conventional magnets, while having to use fewer and smaller magnets to achieve this goal. This vital difference yields a number of critical improvements over what was possible only a few years ago, including higher sensitivity, higher achievable SPLs at lower frequencies, tighter control, reduced coloration, and improved directivity. Advances in construction, such as utilizing latest generation thin films and adhesive-less bonding processes, virtually eliminate heat induced failures. Wisdom Audio’s thin film diaphragms are also pleated using a proprietary, high pressure process that enhances lateral stability while increasing its overall excursion capability, yielding unprecedented dynamic capabilities.
Wisdom Audio also offers multiple electronics for the Sage Series, including the SC-1 System Controller boasting a 7.3 in/14.3 out electronic crossover and acoustic room correction incorporating Audyssey MultEQ XT. It also includes selectable RS-232 operable memory settings for optimized acoustic performance in varied music and film environments. A PC-based installation application configures the SC-1 for a particular complement of speakers in a given installation.
When installed by a professional installer using Audyssey MultEQ Pro software, the Sage Series has the capability to deliver audiophile quality sound in an unprecedented variety of acoustical environments. Audyssey MultEQ XT is the first technology to properly measure sound information throughout a listening area, and then analyzes this data to accurately represent the acoustical problems in the particular room. Based on these measurements, MultEQ XT calculates an equalization solution that corrects for both time and frequency response problems in every listening position. MultEQ(r) Pro takes up to 32 measurements
around the listening area and uses high resolution equalization filters for satellites and subwoofers.
To ensure optimal in-room low frequency response, the bi-amplified Sage Series includes dedicated low frequency amplifiers for the CLCF woofers in both the full range speakers and subwoofer. Respectively, these amplifiers are the SA-3 (3 x 500W), SA-2 (2 x 500W) for full range speakers and SA-1 (2 x 500W) for the subwoofer.
Sage Series in-wall configured enclosures also represent a leap forward in installed speaker cabinet design. Each unit includes a full backbox so the speaker’s acoustical output is confined to its own “cabinet” where each transducer is allowed to perform at its optimum, not left to chance by the varying acoustic environment of the home’s wall structure. Each system is installed not with the usual dog toggle mounting configuration of most in-wall speakers, since these dogs eventually can compromise the structural integrity of the wall due to speaker vibration and humidity. It is instead installed with patent-pending “Uni-Grip” technology that provides a sonically superior, rigid aluminum frame that can actually reinforce the strength of the wall. The speaker extends only 1/8 inch from the wall so it is virtually unrecognizable, an aesthetic feature most people want when choosing a high performance in-wall speaker solution.
“Dealers and the CI market will finally have a versatile, high end audio solution to complement the wide range of high end video display devices,” said Jon Herron, Wisdom Audio vice president, sales. “The Sage Series targets the gap between the improved performance of high end video displays and lack of appropriate and complementary high end in-wall/on-wall audio solutions.”
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