THIEL awarded critical patents for subwoofer systems

PRESS RELEASE

THIEL Audio Awarded Two Patents for SmartSub Design

January 2005: U.S. loudspeaker manufacturer, THIEL Audio, has been awarded U.S. Patents for two of its innovative SmartSub design concepts–the ability to adjust the subwoofer’s response to the characteristics of the main speakers and its ability to compensate for room boundary effects. The process has taken more than four years, but the patent coverage for both ideas is quite broad, covering the design concept and not just the circuitry.

Integration of subwoofer and main speakers for seamless, coherent sound
The integration patent covers the design concept of “adjusting the subwoofer crossover response based on the low frequency characteristics of the main speakers.” The THIEL SmartSub SC1 Integrator contains circuitry that offers the unprecedented ability to perfectly match a THIEL subwoofer with any speaker, regardless of brand, for seamless, coherent sound. The Integrator takes the guesswork out of subwoofer adjustments by automatically calculating the ideal subwoofer response from information the user enters about their main speakers. The result is perfectly balanced sonic performance equivalent to a full-range speaker with extremely high output capability and very deep bass.

SmartSubs can be adjusted to compensate for room boundary effects
The room boundary compensation patent essentially covers any apparatus that “modifies the electrical signal by a measure that is based upon a separation distance separating the speaker and a wall”. Like any speaker, a subwoofer placed near walls or in a corner will produce an uneven response, with some frequencies being overemphasized and others reduced. By utilizing this patented design concept the SmartSubs can be easily adjusted to compensate for wall interaction effects for any placement–without the use of equalizers, microphones or complicated measurements. The result is outstandingly balanced and smooth bass reproduction.

CELEBRATING OVER 28 YEARS OF HIGH PERFORMANCE
THIEL Audio Products Company is a privately-held engineering-driven organization that performs research, design, and manufacturing of loudspeakers for the highest quality home music and video sound reproduction. Our products incorporate a variety of technological advancements in driver design, acoustical construction techniques, and crossover design. All our work is directed toward one end: to provide the most realistic sound reproduction possible. THIEL manufactures sixteen loudspeaker models: the surface-mount PowerPoint, in-wall PowerPlane 1.2 in-ceiling HigherPlane, flat-panel video display speaker ViewPoint; SS1, SS2, SS3, and SS4 subwoofers; bookshelf-sized SCS3 and MCS1, PCS mini-monitor; and the floor-standing CS1.6, CS2.4, CS3.6, CS6, and CS7.2; all ranging in price from $2,190 to $16,000 per pair.