Patent Review: Definitive Technology Bipolar Speaker with Improved Clarity

An interesting patent review of a Bipolar Speaker assigned to Definitive Technology, the Maryland-based company that is now part of Sound United. The patent describes a forward-focused bipolar loudspeaker design with front-facing and rear facing driver-arrays, adjusted to generate a front-to-back acoustical output balance equal to a 2:1 ratio (about 6dB reduction) in the output of the rear firing transducers relative to the direct forward output. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, June 2015

The Wireless Speaker and Audio (WiSA) Association is continuing its strategic growth with the addition of two members. Sound United is returning to the Association’s roster with Eastech - the company behind Punktkilde and Scan-Speak brands and considerable Asia-based manufacturing facilities - also joining as a member. Both companies join WiSA as it continues to experience significant membership growth with major suppliers, manufacturers and speaker brands in the audio industry.

As the first DTS partner brands to leverage DTS Play-Fi’s wireless surround technology, Polk Audio’s Omni SB1 Plus and Definitive Technology’s W Studio Micro sound bars will now receive a firmware upgrade that adds the capability to pair with an array of Play-Fi enabled all-in-one speakers. Complementary speakers for home theater environments with discrete 5.1 surround sound include the Polk Omni S2, S2R and S6 and Definitive Technology’s W7 and W9 families.

Anticipating CEDIA 2015’ presentations, Oct. 14-17, in Dallas, DTS announced several new additions to the DTS Play-Fi whole-home wireless audio ecosystem, including new hardware partners and compatible audio component products, new and expanded music services, and an enhanced user interface. This expansion increases the Play-Fi ecosystem’s selection of audio products to 30 different offerings.

On our June 2015 edition Mike Klasco takes the Spotlight with an article on “Trends And Innovations In Headphones,” which provides an excellent introduction to our annual Directory on Earphones And Headphones. Dickason’s June 2015 Test Bench focuses on the DE550-8, a new 1” polymer diaphragm compression driver from B&C Speakers.