Audio Video News

Pro Audio Technology, the Lake Forest, CA-based speaker specialist that blurs the line between pro and consumer audio, has introduced a trio of horn-based high output/high sensitivity home theater speakers company founder Paul Hales says are “by far the finest loudspeakers we have ever produced.”

The new S Series S-12sm and SR Series SR-12ai and SR-212ai speakers are made using professional-grade components and promise to recreate the dynamics and power of a commercial cinema experience in a compact form that suits home theater. Although more cosmetically appealing than their predecessors — SCRS-12sm, SCRS-12ai, and SCRS-212ai — the speakers are actually designed for placement behind an acoustically transparent screen.

Prices start at $3,500 each.

All models employ a 1.7-inch high-frequency compression driver loaded in an elliptical horn designed to deliver wide coverage and “near-perfect dispersion of high-frequency energy and true-to-life dynamic range.” Pro Audio describes the sound as “clean, pure and coherent, with no trace of harshness” found in other horn designs.

In both the S-12sm and SR-12ai, the horn is mated with a 12-inch woofer with a 4-inch voice coil rated to handle 1,400 watts but the SR-12ai boasts a slim enclosure only 7 inches deep (versus 12 inches for the S-12sm). The SR-212ai ups the ante, packing its shallow enclosure with two 12- woofers for added punch.

All models are designed to be used with Pro’s DSP Loudspeaker Controllers, which employ proprietary digital signal processing for “high-resolution frequency response contouring, dynamics processing, and critical time alignment.” For the first time, the company is publishing extensive engineering data — including polar data computed using EASE software and 360-degree on- and off-axis response measurements — that allow system builders to accurately model the acoustic performance of a system during the design process.

“The S and SR Series are a rebirth of some of Pro’s most popular speaker models, with substantial improvements to both the acoustics and cosmetics,” said Paul Hales, company president and product designer. “Despite their modest size, the new models provide class-leading accuracy, resolution of fine detail and dynamic expression.”

For more information, visit proaudiotechnology.com.