News

4/9/2003

Polk Audio Introduces New LCi Series In-Wall/Ceiling High Performance Loudspeakers

Based on acclaimed LSi Series technologies, new line delivers audiophile performance

Polk Audio showed an all-new line of in-wall/ceiling loudspeakers called the LCi Series. The four new models (2 rectangular and 2 round) feature technologies used in Polk's critically acclaimed LSi Series floor and bookshelf loudspeakers to deliver the performance of stand-alone models. The rectangular models feature Polk's patented Power Port technology and available Performance Enclosures for consistent, high performance bass response.

"It used to be that in-wall and ceiling speaker just had to be good enough to serve up decent sound for background music," said Polk's Product Line Manager Al Baron. "But now consumers expect true high performance from built-in speakers, often opting to go with in-walls for every speaker in multi-channel systems. There are a lot of expensive in-walls on the market but the vast majority of them do not come close to the performance of similarly priced standalone speakers," continued Baron. "It takes more than just throwing expensive drivers into a frame. We took a holistic design approach and considered the effects of the walls themselves, the room and listening positions to produce flush mount speakers with highly accurate sound."

All models feature Polk's LSi Series ring radiator tweeter that has been widely praised for its high frequency extension, clarity and detail. The tweeter is housed in a cup that allows it to swivel up to 15¼ for the best possible tonal balance and imaging. The rectangular models employ drivers with aerated polypropylene cones, the same material used in the award-winning LSi Series drivers, for the kind of clear, detailed midrange response usually found only in freestanding audiophile speakers. All models are timbre matched to Polk LSi Series freestanding models for seamless integration in multi-channel systems.

A common problem with in-wall loudspeakers is inconsistent and usually poor bass response due to the inconsistency of air volume in walls. The LC65i and LC265i models feature Polk Audio's patented Power Port venting technology that when used with the available Performance Enclosure delivers startling bass response in any wall. Power Port technology vastly reduces air turbulence at the mouth of the port, thereby lowering distortion and increasing bass efficiency. The Performance Enclosures are fabricated from 1/2 inch MDF and extensively braced to prevent performance-robbing wall resonance. The Performance Enclosure also provides the added benefit of vastly reducing the amount of sound that would normally leak into adjoining rooms.

"The LCi Performance Enclosures are not your ordinary 'back-boxes,' continued Baron. They are an integral part of the speaker system and we engineered them with the same care we put into freestanding speaker enclosures. We employed top-notch materials, asymmetrical bracing, brackets, rubber gaskets and bushings to prevent vibration, buzzes and noise."

All LCi speaker models feature toggle switches that allow the installer or user to optimize the loudspeaker response when the speakers are placed in less than ideal locations.

When flush mount speakers are installed too close to adjacent room surfaces, the bass becomes "boomy" and voices sound too heavy and thick. Polk's exclusive "Wall Distance" switch lowers output only in the low-midrange/upper bass area to correct for this problem. Competitive in-wall speakers attempt to solve this phenomenon by using a simple high pass filter. That cures the "boom" problem but at the sacrifice of deep bass response. Polk uses a more complex low Q pass-band filter to attenuate only the "boom" region without lowering deep bass output. The user hears flatter, more accurate sound and deep bass even when the speakers are located in less-than-ideal locations by necessity or for decorating reasons.

Speakers used in rooms with too many hard reflecting surfaces and insufficient absorbing materials (carpets, drapes) sound "bright," harsh and unnatural. Polk's "Tweeter Attenuation" switch engages a pass-band filter to compensate for the effect of overly reflective rooms for warmer, more realistic sound.

The bass/midrange drivers in LC60i and LC80i round in-ceiling speakers are angled at a 15¼ offset for superior midrange clarity and imaging. An "Off Axis Expansion" switch shapes the response curve so that listeners can be as much as 30¼ off axis and still hear balanced sound.

All models feature Polk's Rotating Cam mounting system for easy installation and rust resistant hardware for safe placement in bathrooms, saunas, and kitchens, even under outdoor eaves.

www.polkaudio.com