Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

New Products

Velodyne Designing Green Subwoofers Since 1995

566700.jpg

In 1995, long before reducing the carbon footprint entered the public consciousness, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of powered subwoofers for home theater and consumer audio, developed a patented Class D digital switching amplifier. This new design gave birth to an amplifier that used energy more efficiently, generated less heat, required no large transformer and improved reliability.

David Hall, founder and CEO of Velodyne, designed and developed the Energy Recovery System (ERS) Class D amplifier that was first used in the company’s F-1800 subwoofer and patented in 1999. Class D amplifiers typically run at 90% – 95% efficiency compared to Class AB amplifiers that operate at below 78% efficiency. In addition to the Class D design, Velodyne’s ERS amplifiers recover some of the energy wasted by the speaker’s voice coil and reuse it, thus driving efficiency even higher, up to 97%.

Many past and present Velodyne subwoofers utilize the Class D design including Digital Drive, Optimum, DEQ-R, SubContractor, MicroVee, MiniVee, and the flagship Digital Drive 1812 Signature Edition. The Impact Series is also moving from a Class AB platform to Class D.

Extending the company’s green initiatives to other areas within design and manufacturing, Velodyne is moving to a higher grade MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard) in the production of subwoofer cabinets that complies with the new CARB (California Air Resources Board) standard, which is the toughest production standard in the world and assures that Velodyne subwoofers will exhibit low formaldehyde emissions. For product packaging, Velodyne is currently conducting drop testing on a single carton solution for shipping its subs, which will result in an earth-friendly solution in the reduction of the amount of materials needed.

“We have a long history of commitment to the environment and energy efficiency and it’s an important consideration in everything we do,” said Bruce Hall, president of Velodyne. “Our Class D amplifiers are just one part of a multi-faceted approach to improve the performance of our subwoofers and protect the environment as well.”

Velodyne products are fully RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant. RoHS is a European directive aimed to control the use of certain hazardous substances in the production of new electrical and electronic equipment. In effect since 2006, the directive restricts the use of mercury, lead, hexavalent chromium, cadmium and a range of flame retardants.

Velodyne is also working towards an ENERGY STAR rating on its subwoofers and implementing a 1 watt standby mode to comply with European standards. ENERGY STAR is a joint program started in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The EU’s Ecodesign of Energy-using Products (EuP) Directive mandates standby power consumption limits and is designed to improve green performance and ban the worst performing products from the EU market.

Reducing its carbon footprint remains a priority at Velodyne and extends well beyond the design and manufacturing process. To help decrease emissions and energy usage, Velodyne worked with the California Public Utilities Commission’s AirCare Plus program to reduce energy consumption in their HVAC units, installed sensor lights in all offices and restrooms, and skylights were built in the manufacturing area. A watchdog program was instituted to make sure all lights and computers are turned off at the end of each day. Cardboard, paper, old computer monitors and printers, and metals like copper are recycled. Recycle bins for paper are located in each work area and bins for aluminum, glass and plastic are located in the company cafeteria. As desktop computers become obsolete, they are typically replaced with laptop versions which use less energy.

About Velodyne
Velodyne Acoustics, Inc., founded in 1983, is universally recognized as the leading manufacturer of high-performance, low distortion, powered subwoofers at all price levels. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, the company’s technically innovative audio products are available through a select group of authorized dealers, custom installers, and distributors worldwide.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Latest Products

Cyrus Audio 80 PRE and 80 PWR

Digital Music Systems

Cyrus ditches half-width tradition with the bold new 80 Series, teased at High End Munich 2025—just don’t expect specs. In true industry fashion, it’s...

Hisense HT SATURN Promo Image Hisense HT SATURN Promo Image

New Products

Hisense gets serious about spatial audio with HT SATURN home theater speaker system tuned by Devialet for only $1,299.

Raidho Acoustics TD8 (left) and TD10 (right) - not to exact scale Raidho Acoustics TD8 (left) and TD10 (right) - not to exact scale

New Products

Raidho's TD-8 and TD-10 subwoofers deliver cutting-edge bass tech and luxury craftsmanship for those that don't want big black boxes.

MoFi Electronics Fender American Vintage Turntable Corner Tonearm Detail MoFi Electronics Fender American Vintage Turntable Corner Tonearm Detail

New Products

MoFi and Fender drop an alder-bodied stunner with Strat DNA and serious playback chops. Built in the USA for vinyl junkies with a taste...

Fyne Audio F502S Loudspeaker in walnut Fyne Audio F502S Loudspeaker in walnut

Floorstanding Speakers

Fyne Audio’s F500S Loudspeaker Series brings point-source precision, real wood cabinets, and Scottish engineering for under $3,000.

Raidho Acoustics TD3.10 Loudspeakers Front Pair Raidho Acoustics TD3.10 Loudspeakers Front Pair

Floorstanding Speakers

Raidho TD3.10: Danish engineering at its most audacious, packing industry-leading 10" diamond-coated woofers and featherweight planar ribbon tweeters into a €120K+ package. For those...

Gift Ideas?

Mother's Day Gift Guide 2025 for Audio Video TV Lifestyle Projectors and Gadgets

Gift Guides

Upgrade Mom's home audio and video experiences this Mother's Day with 10 gift ideas she'll absolutely love -- and you might too.

You May Also Like

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers