Audio Video News

Many home theater fans use in-wall speakers for rear/side channels. Some even use them for the front channels as well. It's a space saving strategy, but one fraught with acoustic problems, the most prominent being the unpredictable nature of the "bay" into which the in-wall speaker is installed. Is it big or small, empty or stuffed with insulation? These factors make a huge difference in the performance of typical open-back in-walls.

Lake Havasu City, AZ-based James Loudspeaker has taken the guesswork out of in-wall applications with its X Series Model 8. The two-way speaker's sealed shallow-depth metal enclosure insures consistent, predictable performance regardless of the structure into which it's mounted. A further refinement is the company's Adjustable Frequency Distribution Circuit (AFDC), which lets users fine-tune the Model 8's sonic balance to compensate for room acoustics and variations in distance to listeners in the room. A small dial to the right of the tweeter, accessible by removing the grille after final installation, provides a wide range of adjustment. AFDC is a proprietary feature in all James full-range loudspeakers.

Created by designer Jeffery Coombs, the Model 8 boasts a 90dB sensitivity rating, among the highest for this type of speaker, and a frequency response of 40Hz to 20Khz. Recommended amplifier power is 50 watts. The Model 8 comes complete with all the necessary brackets and hardware for retrofitting or for installation in new construction. The grilles are supplied in either black or white; the white ones readily accept most standard types of interior paints, so that the final installation is as visually---and sonically---seamless.

James Loudspeaker can be reached by telephone at 520-854-3740.