Core Brands has unveiled its biggest product line change for Proficient Audio with the new Protege Architectural Speakers.
All models in the line are now shipping.
The Protege Series includes 28 models of architectural speakers and three architectural subwoofers, all with a thin-bezel design that eliminates the wide plastic flange that surrounds most ceiling and inwall speakers. According to the company, the sleeker look allows the speakers to blend in better in ceilings and walls.
To make transitioning to Protege as easy as possible for systems integrators and custom installers, Proficient’s engineers adapted each model in the new series from an existing design. Only the cosmetics of the speakers were changed, not the acoustical design. The Proficient Protege speakers sound, perform and install just like Proficient’s legacy ceiling and inwall speakers. Where an installer might have previously specified a C640, the Protege Series C641 can now be specified with no change in performance or installation.
“The Thin-Bezel design has become popular in the residential custom-installation market and we knew our dealers would love it,” said Core Brands’ Keith Marshall. “But we didn’t want them to have to get used to new models, especially since they like our signature sound so much already. That’s why we created Protege as an adaptation of our existing speaker line. There’s nothing new for the dealer to learn. The installation procedure is basically the same, and even the model numbers have barely changed.
The Proficient Protege includes every type of flush mount architectural speaker a system integrator might need for residential installations: 18 ceiling speakers, 10 inwall speakers, two inwall subwoofers and a ceiling subwoofer. Every home application can now benefit from the clean new look, whether it’s a dining room using Proficient’s affordable C625TT single-point stereo ceiling speaker, a custom home theater using the brand’s IW655 top-of-the-line dual 6 1/2-inch woofer inwall LCR speaker or IWS85 dual 8-inch woofer inwall sub – or anything in between.
An additional advantage for the installer is that the magnets that attach the speaker grilles are molded into the back side of the front baffle of the Proficient Protege speakers, rather than glued to the front side of the baffle.
