Flat, Thin Cable Leaves No "Footprint"

Speaker wiring is one of the most problematic aspects of any home theater installation. Many of the best grades of speaker cables are big and bulky, making them impossible to hide. It's a problem custom installers and system designers have to work around every day, and it's one that adds enormously to the cost of any system installation. The advent of multichannel audio has only made the problem worse.

In late March, DeCorp Americas Inc., introduced a product that may be the solution for everybody. The company's new, extremely flexible "FlatWire Ready" speaker wire is claimed to be the world's thinnest, enabling "invisible" installations under carpeting, or in surface-mount applications with minimal invasive procedures needed to make it disappear. FlatWire Ready wire is said to be "paper thin," while offering all the sonic advantages of heavy gauge cabling. DeCorp Americas also makes flat interconnects.

Although other manufacturers make flat speaker cable, most that are on the market are either relatively thick or so stiff they can't be easily maneuvered into position. The Hendersonville, TN - based company's new cable will "dramatically improve the aesthetic appearance and lessen the cost of audio system installation," states a March 20 announcement.

"Historically, traditional exposed speaker wire has created clutter and the in-wall installation process wreaks havoc on walls and ceilings, especially when trying to install a surround sound system," explained Robb Sexton, president and CEO of DeCorp Americas. "DeCorp products offer an elegant and technologically superior solution to this common problem. Not only can you virtually hide our wire with paint and wallpaper, but installation also occurs without drilling or invasive installation. As a result, it's considerably less expensive on an installed per-foot basis than the alternative of cutting paths into walls or ceilings and drilling through wall studs."

DeCorp's intriguing products include "DeWire," a patented, copper-conductor flat speaker wire with ultra-thin, ultra low-oxygen conductors insulated on each side by polyester film, available in the performance FLT series and the DePWR (Precision Wave Response) series. The high-performance FLT series features a 14 AWG (.006" thinness, 2.27" width) wire at $1.49 per foot and an 18 AWG (.004", 2.27") wire at $.99 per foot. The audiophile-grade DePWR series includes a 12 AWG (.012", 1.797") wire at $4.99 per foot and a 16 AWG (.008", 1.797") wire at $3.49 per foot. The company also makes the "DeConnect" a gold-plated connector, compatible with most amplifiers and loudspeakers. Its patent-pending design provides "one of the highest contact-surface connections between wire and speakers and audio components on the market today," DeCorp claims.

DeCorp Americas products are available online. The company plans to announce additional products spanning such areas as voice/data, cable television, low-voltage DC and AC electrical connectivity markets in the coming year, the announcement stated.

X