News

Polk Audio Begins Shipment of World's First Active IP-Addressable Loudspeakers (28/6/2006)

CEDIA UK Expo 2006

Products feature built-in digital amplifiers, DSP, room correction and provision for IP system integration.

Invision UK announced that the long awaited active TCP/IP (Internet Protocol) addressable flush-mount loudspeaker systems from Polk Audio will begin shipping to dealers in July. Invision UK will showcase these speakers on stand number K3 during the CEDIA Expo (June 20-22nd, ExCeL, London).

The line will initially consist of two models, the rectangular LC265i-IP and the round LC80i-IP. The products are flush-mount speakers based on Polk's existing LCi Series in-wall/ceiling models. Digital amplifiers, electronic crossovers, DSP circuitry and provision for TCP/IP control circuit boards are built into the speakers to deliver a wealth of demonstrable convenience and performance benefits.

The Polk IP loudspeakers have been developed in close cooperation with NetStreams to make use of NetStreams' StreamNet(tm) audio over IP distribution technology. With the addition of a StreamNet(tm) TCP/IP interface card, supplied separately by NetStreams, the Polk IP loudspeakers become an addressable node on a NetStreams DigiLinx(tm) IP network. The NetStreams TCP/IP StreamNet(tm) board is an open platform device that welcomes integration with any IP network or system.

In addition, through the included analogue inputs the Polk IP loudspeakers can be used without an interface or network card as a stand-alone, digitally amplified, software configurable loudspeaker system offering the very highest level of performance available from a flush-mount system.

The speakers' integrated digital amplifiers, crossovers and powerful built-in Room/Performance optimization DSP provide enormous performance benefits regardless of whether they are used with legacy analogue inputs or as part of a cutting edge IP media distribution system.

The built-in digital amplifiers and crossovers bi-amplify (or tri-amplify in the case of the three-way LC265i-IP) the loudspeakers for more accurate, lower distortion audio performance while integrated Digital Signal Processing (DSP) electronics provide sophisticated sound tailoring to optimize the performance of the speaker for the room and speaker locations.

"We can do things with an amplified speaker that you just can't do with a passive speaker and external amplifier" said Polk Audio's Al Baron. "With local amplification the losses associated with long runs of speaker cable are a limitation of the past. Plus our DSP allows the integrator to make frequency and time delay adjustments to compensate for speaker positioning, room acoustics and personal listening preferences using Polk's GUI interface. The performance is unprecedented for built-in loudspeakers and arguably superior to all but the most sophisticated and expensive free-standing loudspeakers."

Integrators will be able to gain access to the DSP using a laptop PC connected via a mini USB port on the front baffle of the speaker or through the network when used in an IP network. Polk will supply Integrators with a PC-based software interface that makes the speaker position and room acoustics optimization virtually foolproof.

While the Polk LCi-IP Series speakers provide the greatest functionality when used within a NetStreams DigiLinX(tm) system, they can also accept inputs from any analogue distributed audio system and still deliver significant performance benefits.

Polk Audio's LCi-IP Series models feature technologies such as advanced ring radiator tweeters and Aerated Polypropylene cones. These are the same technologies used in Polk's critically acclaimed LSi Series loudspeakers to deliver the performance of stand-alone models. The rectangular model features Polk's patented Power Port technology and available Performance Enclosures for consistent, high performance bass response.

www.polkaudio.com
www.invisionUK.com