Polk Audio Introduces New IP Ready In-Wall And In-Ceiling Speakers

September 5, 2007

Today Polk Audio announced the introduction of two new IP Ready speakers, the SC80 IPR and SC85 IPR. Polk Audio pioneered IP addressable-ready speakers with the LCi-IP models, introduced in 2004, that broke new ground in control flexibility and audio performance. These models bring many of the same benefits to more practical price points. The 8″ 2-way round SC80 IPR and 8″ 2-way rectangular SC85 IPR are “IP Ready” in that both models include standard speaker wire inputs for legacy systems and a euro-style connector input for use with StreamNet Connected Multi-room products and systems from NetStreams and other manufacturers. A rocker switch allows the installer to choose the appropriate input. The IP mode bypasses the passive crossover allowing the speakers to be connected to a 4-channel StreamNet compatible digital amplifier. Each speaker is bi-amplified with separate pre-filtered signals going to the tweeter and woofer, providing significant performance improvements. Proprietary Digital Signal Processing (DSP) in the local digital amplifier flattens the frequency response and improves the bass performance of the Polk IPR speakers. Elimination of the passive crossover network adds a host of benefits including flatter phase and frequency response, lower overall distortion, improved imaging and greater reliability. “When used as an IP speaker with a local StreamNet digital amplifier the IPR speakers sound better than conventional amplifier/speaker systems selling for 2 or 3 times as much,” explains Polk Audio co-founder Matthew Polk. "We can do things with an amplified speaker that you just can’t do with a passive speaker and remote external amplifier. With the StreamNet system and our IP ready speakers you now can have loss-less, noise and distortion-free 96/24 digital audio transmitted anywhere in the house all the way up to the inputs of the individual drivers in the speaker system. The performance is light years beyond conventional speakers driven by external general purpose amplifiers.” Availability will be November 2007 with MSRPs of $175 each for the SC80-IPR and $215 each for the SC85-IPR. Polk Audio was the first company to introduce high performance IP-ready speakers in 2004 with the highly acclaimed LC265i-IP and LC80i-IP. The new IP Ready speakers extend this technology in more moderate price ranges for better value and higher performance from StreamNet IP-Based Multi-Room and home theater systems.

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