Audio Video News

Snell Acoustics' new SR30mp Multi-Pattern Surround speaker has been approved by THX and is now officially part of Snell's THX Ultra 2 Certified line of products, according to an April 29 announcement.

The SR30mp "on-wall" loudspeaker features three 1" (25mm) black-anodized aluminum-dome tweeters with neodymium magnetic structure, dual 3-1/2" (135mm) extended midranges drivers with copolymer cones and a single 6-1/2" (165mm) omni-directional, dual voice coil unit with butyl rubber. The nominal impedance of the SR30mp is 4 ohms.

The SR30mp is said to offer optimal performance as a surround effects speaker regardless of the decoding format. The speaker can easily be configured to play extra channels without adding extra speakers, providing ideal compatibility with 7.1-channel surround processors, said Snell president and chief engineer David Smith. Used in conjunction with Snell's other THX Ultra 2 certified products, the SR30mp "gives the custom installer numerous options for high end home theater installations."

The SR30mp provides a diffuse soundfield considerably wider than conventional dipolar surround speakers that were approved by THX under the previous Ultra certification program, Smith explained. The SR30mp also offers a non-THX direct mode, for a focused direct-radiating surround, that can be easily activated by a flip of the switch. The cabinet's construction is made from a highly dense fiberboard with a sealed bass enclosure above a unique matrix array that projects sound in three distinct patterns. The SR30mp, which boasts a 60hz-20kHz frequency response, comes with its own mounting brackets.

With the addition of the SR30mp, Snell has 5 speaker products with THX Ultra 2 Certification. The company's Ultra 2 speakers are priced as follows: XA1900THX: $ 1,500 /each (standard or tall cabinet); AMC 900THX: $1,000 /each; SR30THX: $1,800 /pair; and ICS SUB 24: $2,600 /each.