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CURRENT AFFAIRS
Listed under: Top Story
Published: Thursday, October 22, 2009
As much as it is about providing consumers with the latest, state-of-the-art technology – and through its integration the finest lifestyle the 21st century has to offer, custom installation is also about keeping said technology from intruding unduly upon a home.
The rise to prominence of architectural speakers illustrates this fact perfectly. These are products created to deliver the cutting edge audio expected from the best multi-room and home cinema audio systems whilst remaining discreetly out of sight at all times. They are key components of residential and commercial projects alike, and their prevalence is reflected by the number of manufacturers which specialise in their construction.
One such manufacturer is US firm Current Audio. Founded in 2008 by Sean McDermott, Rich Agpar and Ron Maurer, this relatively new kid on the architectural speaker block has already made quite an impression – both in terms of the innovative technologies it is pioneering and its impact on the market. With the help of distributor Habitech, it is forging a reputation on this side of the pond too, so we at SVI thought it high-time we found out what makes Current Audio tick.
are you experienced?
Despite its youth, Current Audio is not a business short of industry experience. President Sean McDermott (pictured right) is co-owner of a US-based CePro top 10 systems integration company of some 27 years experience; Executive Vice President and Design Engineer, Ron Maurer, is similarly a 28-year industry veteran, with spells at Polk Audio, KSC Industries and Sonance amongst others under his belt; whilst Chief Technology Officer Rich Agpar is co-owner of San Diego-based Advanced Electronic Solutions and brings more than 40 years technical experience to the Current Audio team.
In fact, it was Sean's experience, or rather his experiences – both good and bad – with the products and manufacturers he had dealt with that convinced him to set-up Current Audio. They also inspired the firm's “By Installers For Installers” motto, which gives the uninitiated a clue as to where Current Audio are coming from. Sean is keen to stress the culture of his company: “We are fun,” he says; “We say yes before we say no; we are the anti manufacturer; we are installers building products for installers.”
patently impressive
It’s a philosophy that seems to be paying dividends. From their California HQ, the 25-strong Current Audio team have created a growing portfolio of in-wall, in-ceiling and outdoor loudspeakers that is packed with innovation. The firm currently has seven patents pending with a further five in development, resulting in a series of features that both improve performance for the end-user and make the installer’s life considerably easier.
Installers working with Current Audio in-ceiling speakers thus benefit from the likes of a built-in installation handle – designed to allow the installer to confidently handle the speaker throughout the installation process; a redesigned, push-in grille, which is said to afford significant time savings; and heavy duty gold-plated constant tension terminal posts, developed to maintain the best possible connection with the wire.
These labour-saving inclusions are complemented by innovative design features such as FastLoc grilles – the industry’s first twist-lock grilles, designed to help a speaker blend seamlessly into the ceiling; Diffraction-less tweeters – a revolutionary tweeter design, allowing for a “previously unheard” quality of audio; and Focused Image Technology.
Focused Image Technology, or FIT for brevity’s sake, is a key, patent pending technology for Current Audio and allows for greater adjustability (the greatest degree of adjustability in the industry) of the woofer/tweeter assembly in the baffle. Together with another exclusive Current Audio technology, Positive Position Lock – which acts to lock the woofer assembly firmly in place and properly couple the driver to the surrounding mounting surface – FIT ensures that an accurate sound field image is delivered into a room’s designated seating area, rather than being aimed at the floor in front of the listening area as can be the case with more conventional models.
Innovation is meaningless without reliability, of course, and Current Audio is as concerned with good old-fashioned quality as it is new technology. Its loudspeakers are produced in exclusive factories in China and Taiwan, with the company exercising strict control over every component utilised in its products. Rigorous quality control systems are employed to maintain high standards, with 14 quality assurance tests alone carried out on speakers’ voice coils.
Most importantly, Current Audio has backed up these assertions with a lifetime warranty on all of its speakers and an extended warranty on all electronics.
a warm reception
Anyone that attended CEDIA Expo 2009 doubtless came across Current Audio on Habitech’s sizeable stand, and the event certainly proved a positive experience for the company. Sean describes the reaction of the UK trade has one of “amazing enthusiasm”, with Current Audio’s feature-rich products proving very popular with dealers.
Sean is also quick to praise Habitech for their role in Current Audio’s UK success to date. “We have been very fortunate to have been able to engage in a wonderful relationship with the team at Habitech,” he commented. “We have found that we share many of the same philosophies and that their team has earned the respect of the entire industry. Business in the UK has exceeded our expectations and yet we have only just begun.”
On that note, what does the future hold for Current Audio? In September, the firm introduced its new 8-inch Focused Image Technology speakers, as well as a line of floorstanding subwoofers touted as offering industry-leading performance in their category. October will also see the arrival of a new collection of centre channel speakers that are timbre matched to the company’s in-wall/in-ceiling options. Next year, the aforementioned FastLoc grille will be rolled out across Current Audio’s in-ceiling portfolio, whilst a patent-pending in-line surge suppressor will be shipping in the US as plans are made to certify it for the UK market.
In more general terms, Current Audio is planning to maintain the pace of innovation that has resulted in its swift expansion and continue supplying its dealer partners with fresh and exciting products. The future’s certainly looking bright for the company, and you can expect to find its wares regularly gracing the pages of SVI.
We’ll give the final word to Sean: “The team here at Current Audio would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the UK and European CEDIA Community for its warm welcome. How can we help you?”
For further information contact:
+44 (0)1252 747 570
www.habitech.co.uk
www.currentaudio.com
One such manufacturer is US firm Current Audio. Founded in 2008 by Sean McDermott, Rich Agpar and Ron Maurer, this relatively new kid on the architectural speaker block has already made quite an impression – both in terms of the innovative technologies it is pioneering and its impact on the market. With the help of distributor Habitech, it is forging a reputation on this side of the pond too, so we at SVI thought it high-time we found out what makes Current Audio tick.
are you experienced?
Despite its youth, Current Audio is not a business short of industry experience. President Sean McDermott (pictured right) is co-owner of a US-based CePro top 10 systems integration company of some 27 years experience; Executive Vice President and Design Engineer, Ron Maurer, is similarly a 28-year industry veteran, with spells at Polk Audio, KSC Industries and Sonance amongst others under his belt; whilst Chief Technology Officer Rich Agpar is co-owner of San Diego-based Advanced Electronic Solutions and brings more than 40 years technical experience to the Current Audio team.
In fact, it was Sean's experience, or rather his experiences – both good and bad – with the products and manufacturers he had dealt with that convinced him to set-up Current Audio. They also inspired the firm's “By Installers For Installers” motto, which gives the uninitiated a clue as to where Current Audio are coming from. Sean is keen to stress the culture of his company: “We are fun,” he says; “We say yes before we say no; we are the anti manufacturer; we are installers building products for installers.”
patently impressive
It’s a philosophy that seems to be paying dividends. From their California HQ, the 25-strong Current Audio team have created a growing portfolio of in-wall, in-ceiling and outdoor loudspeakers that is packed with innovation. The firm currently has seven patents pending with a further five in development, resulting in a series of features that both improve performance for the end-user and make the installer’s life considerably easier.
Installers working with Current Audio in-ceiling speakers thus benefit from the likes of a built-in installation handle – designed to allow the installer to confidently handle the speaker throughout the installation process; a redesigned, push-in grille, which is said to afford significant time savings; and heavy duty gold-plated constant tension terminal posts, developed to maintain the best possible connection with the wire.
These labour-saving inclusions are complemented by innovative design features such as FastLoc grilles – the industry’s first twist-lock grilles, designed to help a speaker blend seamlessly into the ceiling; Diffraction-less tweeters – a revolutionary tweeter design, allowing for a “previously unheard” quality of audio; and Focused Image Technology.
Focused Image Technology, or FIT for brevity’s sake, is a key, patent pending technology for Current Audio and allows for greater adjustability (the greatest degree of adjustability in the industry) of the woofer/tweeter assembly in the baffle. Together with another exclusive Current Audio technology, Positive Position Lock – which acts to lock the woofer assembly firmly in place and properly couple the driver to the surrounding mounting surface – FIT ensures that an accurate sound field image is delivered into a room’s designated seating area, rather than being aimed at the floor in front of the listening area as can be the case with more conventional models.
Innovation is meaningless without reliability, of course, and Current Audio is as concerned with good old-fashioned quality as it is new technology. Its loudspeakers are produced in exclusive factories in China and Taiwan, with the company exercising strict control over every component utilised in its products. Rigorous quality control systems are employed to maintain high standards, with 14 quality assurance tests alone carried out on speakers’ voice coils.
Most importantly, Current Audio has backed up these assertions with a lifetime warranty on all of its speakers and an extended warranty on all electronics.
a warm reception
Anyone that attended CEDIA Expo 2009 doubtless came across Current Audio on Habitech’s sizeable stand, and the event certainly proved a positive experience for the company. Sean describes the reaction of the UK trade has one of “amazing enthusiasm”, with Current Audio’s feature-rich products proving very popular with dealers.
Sean is also quick to praise Habitech for their role in Current Audio’s UK success to date. “We have been very fortunate to have been able to engage in a wonderful relationship with the team at Habitech,” he commented. “We have found that we share many of the same philosophies and that their team has earned the respect of the entire industry. Business in the UK has exceeded our expectations and yet we have only just begun.”
On that note, what does the future hold for Current Audio? In September, the firm introduced its new 8-inch Focused Image Technology speakers, as well as a line of floorstanding subwoofers touted as offering industry-leading performance in their category. October will also see the arrival of a new collection of centre channel speakers that are timbre matched to the company’s in-wall/in-ceiling options. Next year, the aforementioned FastLoc grille will be rolled out across Current Audio’s in-ceiling portfolio, whilst a patent-pending in-line surge suppressor will be shipping in the US as plans are made to certify it for the UK market.
In more general terms, Current Audio is planning to maintain the pace of innovation that has resulted in its swift expansion and continue supplying its dealer partners with fresh and exciting products. The future’s certainly looking bright for the company, and you can expect to find its wares regularly gracing the pages of SVI.
We’ll give the final word to Sean: “The team here at Current Audio would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the UK and European CEDIA Community for its warm welcome. How can we help you?”
For further information contact:
+44 (0)1252 747 570
www.habitech.co.uk
www.currentaudio.com
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