StJohn Group to Market Ultra-Compact, Sphere Featuring Innovative Technology
CEDIA Expo, Denver Co, September 6, 2007 — Cabasse, a legendary, world-class specialist in the design and manufacture of innovative, premium loudspeakers, announced the Alcyone, an exciting new compact loudspeaker to the North American Market. In the tradition of other spherical models from the famed French loudspeaker maker, Alcyone is a satellite speaker designed for use in either high quality music or home theater systems.
Cabasse offers the Alcyone in a complete 5.1 system consisting of a matching Santorin 17 active subwoofer with 6.5″ driver, 200 watt built-in amplifier and five satellites plus a full set of cables for easy setup. MSRP for the complete 5.1 system will be $1,059. Alcyone will be shipping in the U.S. starting this October in choice of Black or White finishes and optional matching stands ($350 pr MSRP).
Weighing in at a mere pound and a half and measuring only 4″ in diameter, the robust Alcyone boasts remarkable peak power handling of 350 watts. Yet with an impressive sensitivity rating of 91dB and friendly 8 ohm impedance, the new Cabasse sphere can be easily driven by modestly powered amplifiers.
The spherical design of the Alcyone offers the ideal enclosure — highly rigid and free from internal standing waves. Fitted with the same, smart magnetic mounting device as the award-winning Cabasse iO2, the Alcyone satellite is very easy to position either on a shelf, on wall or on its optional stand. The wide-bandwidth 4″ drive unit of the Alcyone satellite has been especially designed by Cabasse engineers to provide high efficiency and smooth, balanced response when utilized in its compact spherical enclosure.
Daughter of eOle (Aeolus), like in the Greek mythology, Alcyone has inherited all the typical qualities from a Cabasse system: high efficiency, power handling, transparency, pinpoint imaging and stability of the soundstage. Alcyone is also a star, precisely a combination of stars where the main one is surrounded by little satellites. Alcyone, 1400 times more luminous than the sun, is the brightest of the 500 stars of the Pleiades cluster.
John Caldwell, a principal and co-founder of StJohn Group, commented on the launch of the Alcyone, “From dealers to the press, we have enjoyed an excellent response to similar models from Cabasse and this speaker will be no different. The Alcyone gives us Cabasse technology at a highly affordable price point along with a very flexible size for numerous applications.”
Since it was founded almost 60 years ago, Cabasse has always been at the cutting edge of experimental acoustic research in order to support its technological innovations. Taking a true scientific approach, Cabasse constantly challenges what has always been taken for granted. Knowledge of acoustics and sound wave transmission, and the way they experience and interpret them, is fundamental to Cabasse in the development of their high quality sound reproduction systems.
Key Cabasse Alcyone Features:
• Flexible – magnetic mounting device allows for easy placement on a shelf, wall mounting or secure use on its optional stand. Alcyone is also magnetically shielded.
• Innovative – spherical enclosure provides rigid, compact form factor while preventing internal standing waves
• High Performance – spherical enclosure offers a perfect 60 degree arc of dispersion with zero phase error for rock-solid imaging.
• Innovative – proprietary materials used in custom designed drive units for optimum performance
• Stylish – Available in Black or White with (optional) matching stands
StJohn Group will be exhibiting at CEDIA Expo September 6-9 at the Colorado Convention Center in Booth # 270. Along with the Cabasse line, the company will also be showing exciting new products from their other award-winning brands: Artcoustic, Screen Research and iSky Panel Systems. Kevin Leja, John Caldwell and StJohn Group personnel will be on hand throughout the show introducing the new products, conducting demos and answering questions.
About Cabasse
Founded by Georges Cabasse in 1950, the company has been a pioneer in the search for true musical reproduction. In all likelihood, the quest really began in 1740 when the first signed Cabasse violin was made. Five generations of musical instrument craftsmen followed, pursuing the tradition and supplying Europe with violins, violas and cellos, most of which are still being played in orchestras today.
Cabasse’s continuing obsession is to faithfully and perfectly reproduce music and soundtracks, without any alteration, coloration or distortion in the sound. This boundless passion has led the company to relentlessly innovate, design, and engineer better and better loudspeakers, so that all ears can enjoy the essence and thrill of sonic purity.
About StJohn Group
StJohn Group, Inc. is not a typical American distributor. Only representing lines offering exclusive North American distribution opportunity allows the company to closely work with its partners on a holistic approach to brand development. Unlike most U.S. distributors, StJohn Group handles all facets of sales and marketing, including literature and collateral creative and production, advertising creative and buys, public relations, web sites, business development and long range market planning.
Based in Bellingham, WA with a satellite office in Ventura, CA, StJohn Group has seventeen regional representative firms and an active roster of more than 600 specialty A/V dealers.
StJohn Group specializes in products and services for the custom integration (CI) market — both residential and commercial — and represents Artcoustic and Cabasse Loudspeakers, iSky Panels and Screen Research in North America and the Caribbean.
