Triad just started shipping a hand-built, made in the USA, passive soundbar called the OnWall MiniSat 3.0. The slim-profile 3-channels-in-1 TV speaker measures less than 3-inches deep with available widths up to 82-inches.
Triad hand builds each MiniSat to order in its Portland, Oregon factory. Made of the finest MDF materials, each enclosure is fully braced, glued and cured. According to Triad’s Director of North American Sales Bruce Franklin, this approach adds time to the build process however is essential in making a structurally rigid and airtight loudspeaker, thus benefiting performance and sound consistency – qualities that Triad is known for.
To achieve the most luxurious high-gloss finishes, Triad utilizes a proprietary process called EcoGloss which consists of multiple layers of water based-paint and polishing compound done by hand. This adds another 4–5 man-hours to the build process. A gloss finish could be achieved faster by using solvent and catalyst based paints; however Triad is a green manufacturer therefore the toxic nature of these chemicals does not meet with the company’s standards.
”In such a highly-competitive environment with many mass-produced off-shore products flooding the channel, custom finishes and complete custom engineering solutions are important as dealers need every advantage to differentiate themselves from their competitors,” says Franklin. “You can’t be competitive selling ‘me too’ products or trying to be the cheapest in your market. Sticking to our made-to-order, custom approach has been instrumental in the 55% growth we’ve experienced in soundbar sales these past 3 years.”
The MiniSat is outfitted with three 4-inch proprietary fiber-blended paper cone drivers and three 1-inch cloth dome tweeters. The organic fibers in the midrange/woofers increase stiffness with lower mass and reduced spurious resonances. The result is greater accuracy and lower distortion.
Price and Availability
The OnWall MiniSat 3.0 is shipping now in sizes up to 82-inches. Pricing for painted and gloss / veneer finishes start at $1,100 and $1,500 MSRP, respectively.
