We reviewed the Theory Audio Design 5.2.2 Surround Sound System earlier this year and still think it’s the best product of its kind in the world. If you can swing $20,000, it is the closest you can get to a true movie theater experience in the home and the differences between it and other soundbar systems are significant.
Paul Hales builds reference quality loudspeakers for studios, movie editing suites, and some of the biggest names in movies, music, and entertainment. He explained his design philosophy in our in-depth interview and it’s clear that he understands the limitations of current home theater technology and why he needed to push the envelope to deliver the kind of performance that his products can deliver.
Theory Audio Design are unveiling a comprehensive lineup of architectural loudspeakers this year starting with the brand new iw25 in-wall loudspeaker.
The first of many architectural products to be announced by the brand this year, the iw25 provides dealers with a premium loudspeaker option for discreet surround sound and distributed audio installations.
The new Theory accessories, including the sb Table Top Stand and sb25 Universal Mount Adapter, give Theory’s sb25 multipurpose loudspeaker and soundbars the ability to be easily mounted on credenzas, tables, walls, and ceilings.
The iw25 and installation accessories join Theory’s existing product line consisting of three high output soundbars, a multi-use surface mount speaker, two subwoofer models, and, at the nucleus of every Theory system, the ALC-1809 Amplified Loudspeaker Controller.
The Theory product ecosystem is unique in that it offers many of the advantages of professional audio products –effortless dynamics, high efficiency, and rugged durability –but with the sonic delicacy, detail, and resolution of the best high-end high-fidelity loudspeakers.
Add Theory’s intelligent full-system design approach with automatically tailored DSP and you get startling performance at tremendous value. The iw25 is no exception. Its 1.4-inch advanced polymer compression driver and dual 5-inch carbon fiber woofers provide 117 db of output from a discreet in-wall speaker making completely invisible cinema-caliber surround systems possible.
In distributed systems, the iw25 can easily scale to foreground music levels for parties or gaming systems. For the largest distributed installs, the iw25 includes a switch-selectable 70V/100v transformer which can be driven direct by Theory’s forthcoming ALM 10-channel Dante/AES67 enabled loudspeaker controllers.
Outdoor Audio
The iw25 can be used outdoors with an available all-weather optional grille.
“Since launching the first seven products last year, Theory has been widely acknowledged as having created a new category of performance for soundbar and media room surround systems,” said Theory’s owner and product designer, Paul Hales.
“With the launch of the iw25, the first of several architectural products we’re introducing this year, integrators can now deliver the same standard-setting performance in distributed systems or in media rooms where the speakers need to be totally hidden.
Add the new sb Table Top Stand and sb25 Universal Mount Adapter, and now Theory’s sb25 and soundbars can be installed on any surface.
All three new products will be available worldwide in June. The iw25 high performance in-wall loudspeaker is $850 US MSRP, the sb Table Top Stand is $90 per pair US MSRP, and the sb25 Universal Mount Adapter are $40 USB
For more information: theoryaudiodesign.com/architectural-loudspeakers
