My only questions is why are “reference” in/on wall speakers so dang cheap? Is there something there that true audiophiles are missing? Because to be a “reference” speaker means to be a reference for other things, to have a neutral and mastering quality. For $529 a speaker, sign me up!
- audioREVIEW
ONTARIO, CANADA – June 16, 2009 – Ultra-slim flat-panel television displays finally have met their sonic and aesthetic match, as Paradigm® Electronics announces its first-ever partly-in-wall/partly-out-of-the-wall speaker designs. The new Reference Hybrid Millenia™ 10 and 20 integrate reference-quality build materials into a form factor that protrudes less than an inch and a half from the wall!
Conventional on-wall speakers jut out four to five inches, dwarfing the depth of most wall-mounted flat-panel displays. Although great sound is paramount, floor space and visual appeal (or discretion) are important secondary factors in the purchase of speakers. Paradigm’s new models are slim enough to visually complement ever-slimming flat panels for years to come, even with the grills on. By partially recessing a Millenia Hybrid into the wall, the speaker gains a deeper, more stable enclosure with inherent performance advantages over traditional on-wall mounting techniques.
Each Paradigm hybrid speaker is engineered to incorporate the predictable effects of a wall on the speaker’s frequency response. The speaker’s pre-attached glass-reinforced injection-molded polymer (GRIPâ„¢) bracket is optimized to exploit maximum wall area for a complete absence of vibration, even when performing at maximum output.
Like all Paradigm Reference Millenia speakers, the Hybrids’ high-frequency drivers exhibit timbral clarity and transparency comparable to the very best electrostatic or ribbon designs. Midrange drivers deliver an accurate, lifelike and critically revealing performance with extraordinary detail. Bass response, free of cone standing waves and micro distortions and reinforced by the wall, offers exceptional articulation. Add Millenia 10 Hybrids or Millenia ADPs as surround/rear speakers and then complete your Millenia home theater system with room-pounding bass from a Paradigm Reference subwoofer.
Hybrid Millenia 20s and 10s, designed for two-channel or multi-channel configurations, can be mounted horizontally or vertically. Their simple three-step installation process is made even easier by the mounting templates that securely cradle each speaker. Once the template is in, the speaker is wired and adjusted to cover the cutout. Tighten four screws to hold the speaker in place, and installation is complete.
SPECIFICATIONS
General
- Reference Hybrid Millenia 10
- 3-driver, 2-way acoustic suspension, hybrid in-wall
- Max input power: 90 watts
- Cutout Dimensions (hxw): 14 11/16 x 5 1/8
- Weight: 9.1 lbs. per speaker
- MSRP: $379
- Hybrid Reference Hybrid Millenia 20
- 5-driver, 2 ½ way acoustic suspension hybrid in-wall
- Max input power: 110 watts
- Cutout Dimensions (hxw): 23 ½ x 5 1/8
- Weight: 13 lbs. per speaker
- MSRP: $529
High-Frequency Drive Units
- S-PALâ„¢ Satin Anodized Pure-Aluminum Domes
- Rigid High-pressure Die-cast Aluminum Chassis
- Critical Coupling of Phase-Alignment Bridge and Elevated Dome
- Computer-Optimized Magnets and Advanced Motor Structures
Midrange/Bass Drive Units
- MLPâ„¢ Mica-Loaded Polymer Midrange and Bass/Midrange Cones
- HTD™ Heat Transfer and Dissipation System – Proprietary Design
- Solid Aluminum Phase Plugs
- Overdesigned Nitrile-Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Surrounds and Nomexâ„¢ Spiders
- Precision-Engineered Mineral –Filled Polypropylene Bass Cones
- Advanced Magnet Assemblies with Symmetrical Focused Field Geometry
source: engadgethd
What’s missing? Very simple, the cabinet. These speakers are in-walls, which are usually cheaper than box speakers to begin with. Less weight, less material, no need to tune the cabinet volume, port diameter, etc. to the driver characteristics.
$529 per speaker isn’t cheap by any stretch, and the term “reference” can be used to imply anything, not that it’s neutral or “mastering” quality. Many of the studio monitors used for mastering are anything but neutral. From the JBL 43XX series to the Yamaha NS-10, studio monitors are very often used for emulating what a typical consumer audio setup sounds like, and optimizing the sound for those rigs (i.e., big speakers with 12″ woofers during the 1970s, and mini systems, sub/sat systems, and car audio rigs beginning around the 1990s).