Paradigm Electronics recently introduced two high-power in-wall/in-ceiling speakers, the latest additions to its high-end custom SA Series: the SA-35, a 3-driver, 2-1/2-way design, and the SA-10R, a 2-driver, 2-way design. As part of the company’s flagship Paradigm® Reference line these speakers deliver outstanding audiophile sound that equals the performance of the best freestanding enclosured speakers.
"While a speaker in a wall or ceiling may be aesthetically pleasing, acoustically a wall is less than ideal." said Bill VanderMarel, director of sales and marketing for Paradigm speakers in the U.S. "The biggest challenge to achieving great sound from an in-wall or in-ceiling speaker is combating the flexibility of the wall or ceiling. First, the speaker itself must be designed to perform, then the flexibility of the wall or ceiling must be addressed."
Well-designed high-end speakers have solid enclosures; by comparison, walls and ceilings are flexible resulting in bass that sounds bloated with poor definition and lack of midrange clarity, neutrality, and imaging. To combat wall and ceiling flexibility, Paradigm® Reference Series speakers have Ultra-Rigid™ chassis and mounting brackets that increase the rigidity of the wall by "sandwiching" and strengthening the area around the mounting hole. The SA-35, the largest speaker in the series, features a unique one-piece, Ultra-Rigid™ die-cast aluminum heatsink chassis and die-cast aluminum mounting bracket. The SA-10R features a GRIP™ (glass-reinforced injection-molded polymer) chassis and mounting bracket. The most rigid chassis and mounting brackets on the market.
Both speakers feature a 1" PAL™ (pure aluminum) dome high-frequency driver,
high-temperature voice coil with ventilated aluminum former, ferro-fluid cooling/damping and oversized magnet. The 8" bass/midrange driver has an MLP™ mica-loaded polymer cone. In the SA-35 an additional 8" bass driver features a mineral-filled polypropylene cone. All drivers feature high-temperature, multilayer 1-1/2" voice coils, Apical™ formers, high hysteresis progressively damped synthetic butyl suspension, and oversized magnets.
Whether you are a qualified installer or a do-it-yourselfer, Paradigm® Reference in-wall/in-ceiling speakers are flexible in application and designed for quick and easy "drop-in" installation into existing walls and ceilings. Paradigm PB Preinstallation brackets are available for new home construction. Speaker grilles can be painted to match any décor.
The SA-35 retails for $1,320/pr; the SA-10R retails for $500/pair.
SA-35 on-axis frequency response is measured at ±2 dB from 46 Hz 22 kHz. Sensitivity is rated at 95 dB. The SA-35 is 7.6 cm in diameter and requires a minimum internal mounting volume of 40 L. SA-10R on-axis frequency response is measured at ±2 dB from 60 Hz 22 kHz. Sensitivity is rated at 91 dB. The SA-10R is 19.6 cm in diameter and requires a minimum internal mounting volume of 12 L. Both speakers are compatible with 8 ohms.
For more information on Paradigm, please visit www.paradigm.com.
Innovative design, advanced materials, in-house manufacturing, and state-of-the-art engineering have made Paradigm® an international leader in speaker design. With more than 250 industry awards for audio excellence and numerous rave reviews from around the world, Paradigm® is committed to being at the leading edge of speaker technology and consistently achieving the ultimate in sound for music and home theater.
