Following the announcements made at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, speaker component and audio driver specialist Morel made the debut of its innovative in-wall modular soundbar at the ISE 2016 show in Amsterdam and is now shipping this versatile installation solution which complements its invisible Soundwall in-wall speaker line.
As audioXpress had the opportunity to highlight previously, Morel introduced a complete line of “invisible” architectural speakers with its Soundwall Surface Series, introduced at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Recognized worldwide as a high-quality manufacturer of speaker components and drivers for mid to high-end OEM applications, as well as home and car audio markets, Morel is expanding its offering to the installation/contractor market with a complete range of carefully designed installation solutions, combined with their own optimized drivers to achieve the best possible results.
The SoundWall Surface series is Morel’s new clever architectural speaker solution leaving no visual footprint while producing an immersive musical experience. The innovative design goes beyond the achievements of other invisible speakers, presenting a higher performance quality and a new “Easy-Grip” installation system that makes the process easy and serviceable.
“The innovative Easy-Grip (patent pending) system was applied to the Surface series to tackle the most critical issue for installers — making the installation process easy and less time consuming. This installation system is based on four clip-like brackets that attach to the wall using pressure and the force of gravity. Once an appropriate hole has been made in the wall, the Surface speaker can be installed in less than 30 seconds and finished with regular plaster to achieve the desired texture,” explains Oren Mordechai, Morel’s executive vice president and head of R&D.
Another key element of the Surface series is the unique handcrafted direct-drive motor system encapsulated by a large 2.1” Hexatech aluminum voice coil that drives an advanced composite membrane allowing for the right balance of rigidity and flexibility for a wide frequency response. This technology mix also provides the system high power handling with low distortion, and a dynamic, clear and natural musical performance.
The SoundWall Surface is available in two models: the H17C fully invisible speaker in-wall speaker; and the SH17C semi-hidden narrow contoured frame that rests on the edges of the wall cutout with a very thin rim (less than 3mm).
Soundwall LCR 4 Soundbar
Now also available, Morel’s new SoundWall LCR 4 was created to compliment today’s ultra slim televisions with a sleek, high fidelity audio solution. Designed with a slim form factor and featuring an easy installation process, this new Morel soundbar is able to adapt to various screen sizes, filling the void that is currently present in the market - a combination of the increasingly popular soundbar concept with a in-wall installation solution.
Physical limitations make developing a true high fidelity soundbar solution extremely difficult with modern speaker designs. Overcoming this hurdles made Morel invest in intensive research to develop the first, modular, in-wall LCR soundbar. And Morel’s DNA can be found within SoundWall LCR 4 drivers. “Leveraging our 40 years know-how in engineering and manufacturing raw drivers, we were able to develop very shallow, well built 100mm (4”) driver modules specific for the LCR 4,” says Oren Mordechai.
This is highlighted in the IC-4MI Integra Point Source Module featuring an innovative mechanical structure that enabled Morel to create a single speaker with a near perfect time-aligned tweeter/woofer configuration to reproduce full range frequency bandwidth with unprecedented power handling, dynamics and natural sound reproduction.
“Morel also wanted to create a modular system that will provide utmost design flexibility to installers, as we realized that different rooms require different setups. The SoundWall LCR 4 was designed to stretch up to 160cm (63”), so it offers as many as four different sound solutions for stereo and home theatre
applications,” Oren Mordechai adds.
The SoundWall LCR 4 can be configured as part of a complete multichannel audio solution that can be retrofitted horizontally below any screen without the need for any modifications in the internal wall structure or use complex installation techniques. Using the most advanced transducer technology provides a high-fidelity sound reproduction in a product category that is generally solution driven and not audio driven.
The IC-4MI Integra Point Source Module combines a woofer with Morel’s Hybrid motor structure, using neodymium and ferrite magnets and a 2.1-inch EVC technology (External Voice Coil) Hexatech aluminum voice coil. This 4 ohm design provides a powerful magnetic system and ensures very low distortion along with greater cone support and exceptional linearity in a very shallow 4” module with only 85mm (3.34”) mounting depth. The time-aligned Integra tweeter, responding from 2,300Hz, uses a 28mm Acuflex hand-coated soft dome that Morel is renowned for, delivering an incredibly natural response that excels in wide dispersion performance.
With a weight of only 0.4Kg (0.97lbs), the Integra IC-4MI driver module responds from 100Hz to 20,000Hz (+/-3dB) and uses a master crossover of 180Hz 6dB highpass and 150Hz 12dB lowpass (available only in master unit). Sensitivity is 2.83V/1M 88dB and power handling is rated at 80W (RMS)
The complementary Subwoofer Module IC-4SW is a 4-inch driver module which adds a rich bass sound, using a unique crossover topology that is simple yet innovative to ensure seamless integration of the speaker modules. The bass driver features a 2.1” high temperature aluminum voice coil, and neodymium magnet motor, with a sensitivity rated at 2.83V/1M 84dB for a 80W power handling, responding from 40Hz.
For custom installation, the SoundWall LCR modular system provides utmost design flexibility, being designed to stretch up to 160cm (63”), so it offers as many as four different sound solutions for stereo and home theatre applications.
www.morelhifi.com
