The Distributed Design Series of ceiling loudspeakers – which was on show at the AES Convention in San Francisco last week – include a number of features to make the installation process easier.
For example, Drop-Stop provides spring-loaded legs which support the back-can on the included rails and C-ring, meaning that the installer no longer needs to hold the can against the tile while tightening the clamps. If the loudspeaker back-cans are pre-installed to a conduit system for termination at a later date, the Twist-Assist locking system allows the baffle and loudspeaker assembly to be self-supporting while the installer fastens the screws to the can.
Scheduled to be made available in Q4 and suitable for use in 8 Ohm or 70V/100V line applications, the series comprises a total of seven products. The full-range, standard-depth back-can models are the 60W 4.5in D4, the 100W 5in D5, the 100W 6.5in D6, the 150W 8in D8 and the 200W 10in D10. There is also a shallow back-can model for installations where available depth is limited: the low-profile 60W 4.5in D4LP, which is only 3.6in (92mm) deep. Completing the range is the 200W 10in D10SUB.
A concentrically-located compression driver and precisely contoured Tru-Phase HF waveguide enable a consistent, wide dispersion up to 16 kHz. Further pattern improvement is achieved by precisely-mounting the low frequency driver (and its concentric HF driver) dead-centre in the baffle. Each model is available as a complete unit with everything required for standard installations. The drive unit and face plate assembly and the back-can can also be purchased separately.
Chris Foreman, Community’s COO, told IE: “Community’s Distributed Design Series is a high-performance, versatile family of ceiling loudspeaker systems that are ETL listed to comply with UL1480 and UL2043. We hope to gain market share by promoting the D-Series’ time-saving installation features and the availability of separate faces and back cans. Also, D-Series has a 3dB or greater sensitivity advantage over its competitors, so many will appreciate this energy-saving ‘green alternative’ to conventional ceiling loudspeakers.”
