Flat Panel Speaker -- Poll

**Kevin Haskins** · **10-06-09, 02:45 PM**

Ok... from looking at our last poll we can generalize and say that people are looking for either a flat panel speaker, or something for a projector based system. I think that would indicate two different product categories. Lets start with the flat panel idea.

What are the most important features that you would like to see in a high-quality flat panel speaker project? I'll have a poll you can take, but if you want to add something in a post please feel free. There are limitations to what I can include in the poll.

Once again, participation enters you in the contest for a free Shiva-X.

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio

**sub_junkie** · **10-06-09, 03:10 PM**

I'm going to say price. Anything from Kevin is going to rock anyways. Cosmetics are important, but if it's a DIY package, than it doesn't matter to me. Performance is important also. I would want crystal clear mids and highs, but those come at a price, which I bet Kevin will put the tail on the donkey for a cheap and well performing speaker...

**tonyvdb** · **10-06-09, 03:49 PM**

Thats a tough one between cosmetics and performance. I think a speaker needs to look great but that comes secondary to performance as the ultimate goal of a speaker design is to sound right.

**fbov** · **10-06-09, 05:25 PM**

Are we talking flat panel like an LCD TV or flat panel as in planar bi/dipole which is very sensitive to placement and doesn't always sound as good as it can? The former would be a large market if you could pull off comparable performance to high-end standd-alone speakers.

Just my $0.02...
Frank

**aoessand** · **10-06-09, 05:51 PM**

hard to choose just one, but i picked performance because thats #1 to me followed closely with the look. would like to see something that has great performance and comes in piano black would be my choice

**Ryan Anderson** · **10-06-09, 06:25 PM**

performance. i dont buy stuff to look good, or I'd buy arts and crafts. it is an added bonus though. extra/better features in a way still implies performance.

**Kevin Haskins** · **10-06-09, 06:32 PM**

Quote:

fbov wrote:

Are we talking flat panel like an LCD TV or flat panel as in planar bi/dipole which is very sensitive to placement and doesn't always sound as good as it can? The former would be a large market if you could pull off comparable performance to high-end standd-alone speakers.

Just my $0.02...
Frank

We are talking about an LCD/Plasma flat panel TV, and a speaker designed to mount R/L/C (right, left, center). I'd probably make it such that we could do a matching surround too and maybe an Anarchy slim-sub.

I think, most of this market would be for those who have a TV mounted, and want speakers that match closely the form-factor/look while having much better acoustical performance than either stock speakers, or those cheapo power strips that masquerade as high-end solutions.

I think once these TVs are mounted, you have 4'-6' of depth to deal with, and maybe 4" maximum baffle width. That would be the physical constraints I'd start with but I'll have a poll later about size/mounting and other physical factors to narrow down what people are thinking.

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio

**chowder** · **10-06-09, 07:48 PM**

Sound quality would be the most important to me. Then price. Then looks.

**Bent** · **10-06-09, 09:54 PM**

I'd think if you can keep the baffle width in at 5" or so, you'd be golden.
If your intention is to use "round" drivers, then it's almost a given to keep the depth in at just under 5" (otherwise you'd lose the "flat panel" aesthetic. If porting them is a necessity then consider bottom (or even preferably, top) porting to help keep the fronts clean.

**SteveCallas** · **10-06-09, 10:31 PM**

Kevin, you may want to make sure that when people voted for speakers to go with their flat pannel in the previous poll they meant flat speakers to mount to the left, right, and top or bottom of the dsiaply against a wall.

That's certainly NOT what I meant when I voted for speakers to go with my flat pannel. I'm a floorstander for life, make them as big and deep as you need to to achieve your goals.

**peerman** · **10-07-09, 10:54 AM**

Easy question, difficult answer as every option is important and all are related.
I voted performance. But price is an important factor since my budget is limited and I should be able to afford it, and Cosmetics is important since I am and want to stay married. Size may be an issue related to this as well.
Build Quality is assumed to always be good.
I can't really think of what Features I would like, other than that I would like my 5.1 setup also to be able to perform well with regular 2.0 (plain old stereo) input.

**mlkmgr** · **10-07-09, 11:19 AM**

i don't care for flat panel speakers personally, so i simply stated price. they would have to have a substantial price to performance ratio that made considering them worth it.

i also don't like being limited to one location for a tv/lcd/plasma when mounted to a wall. if you attempt to move your viewing area around, most would be stuck with the set in the same location. kind of limiting if you ask me.

**Ricci** · **10-07-09, 12:14 PM**

Quote:

SteveCallas wrote:

Kevin, you may want to make sure that when people voted for speakers to go with their flat pannel in the previous poll they meant flat speakers to mount to the left, right, and top or bottom of the dsiaply against a wall.

That's certainly NOT what I meant when I voted for speakers to go with my flat pannel. I'm a floorstander for life, make them as big and deep as you need to to achieve your goals.

I voted performance. I didn't vote for flat panel in the last poll but I think Steve is on the right track here. If I had voted that way, small, flat speakers for mounting on a wall would not have been what I was thinking either. You may want to check.

**Kevin Haskins** · **10-07-09, 01:04 PM**

Quote:

SteveCallas wrote:

Kevin, you may want to make sure that when people voted for speakers to go with their flat pannel in the previous poll they meant flat speakers to mount to the left, right, and top or bottom of the dsiaply against a wall.

That's certainly NOT what I meant when I voted for speakers to go with my flat pannel. I'm a floorstander for life, make them as big and deep as you need to to achieve your goals.

Good point Steve. I made an assumption that flat panel TV consumers would want flat panel speakers to compliment the TV. I was thinking something that essentially matches the format & looks of a flat panel TV.

Basically, I'll probably do designs for traditional speakers using the Anarchy and another transducer we are developing for that platform for a traditional monitor, tower, center, in-wall and surround speaker. There is nothing that prevents those formats being used with a flat-panel TV, but they are not matched to the size/format and look of a flat panel design.

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio

**Kevin Haskins** · **10-07-09, 01:07 PM**

Quote:

Bent wrote:

I'd think if you can keep the baffle width in at 5" or so, you'd be golden.
If your intention is to use "round" drivers, then it's almost a given to keep the depth in at just under 5" (otherwise you'd lose the "flat panel" aesthetic. If porting them is a necessity then consider bottom (or even preferably, top) porting to help keep the fronts clean.

I'll do another poll later about size preferences. At this point in the process I'm not limiting or making design choices. I'm just doing a very informal poll of a cross-section of consumers to try and get an idea of what people want.

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio

**SteveCallas** · **10-07-09, 09:28 PM**

Quote:

Kevin Haskins wrote:

I'll do another poll later about size preferences. At this point in the process I'm not limiting or making design choices. I'm just doing a very informal poll of a cross-section of consumers to try and get an idea of what people want.

Kevin, I like these polls and discussions, and by no means whatsoever have I ever sold anything in the audio realm, so I have no first hand experience and you have plenty. Please don't view me as giving you a hard time. That said,

I think you'll find with enough polls, the answers will start to contradict each other.

**harleyhualer-sc02** · **10-07-09, 10:15 PM**

Performance is 1st for me. There are very few hi performance flat panel speakers on the market that are actually hi performance.

I agree with Bent also about the size. What since do it make if they are 4" deep but 12" wide?

**Kevin Haskins** · **10-07-09, 10:51 PM**

Quote:

SteveCallas wrote:

Kevin, I like these polls and discussions, and by no means whatsoever have I ever sold anything in the audio realm, so I have no first hand experience and you have plenty. Please don't view me as giving you a hard time. That said,

I think you'll find with enough polls, the answers will start to contradict each other.

They are far from scientific, but they do give me some feedback from other perspectives and I think it generates interest in the product I'll develop at the end of the process.

Oh.... and stop giving me a hard time.

Nothing you have said has been anything but helpful so keep up the comments.

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio

**Kevin Haskins** · **10-07-09, 10:59 PM**

Quote:

harleyhualer-sc02 wrote:

Performance is 1st for me. There are very few hi performance flat panel speakers on the market that are actually hi performance.

I agree with Bent also about the size. What since do it make if they are 4" deep but 12" wide?

Within a certain context you can get good performance. You give up bandwidth downward because of the size limitations. You obviously restrict your speaker placement if R/L are only separated by the width of your TV. Near wall devices also have some response anomalies that are the result of their mounting method. They can be minimized and you can get good results in comparison to other devices in the same context.

Those are limitations that come with the territory though. To a large extent, I can fix some of the FR irregularities with an active design (not a passive one) and I can extend the bandwidth with the creative use of an Anarchy mini-sub. There is obviously nothing that can be done about the placement of R/L speakers when that is a function of them mounting to the television.

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio

**LHD** · **10-08-09, 03:29 PM**

I also voted flat panel in the last one but didnt realize you meant wall mounted. I prefer larger speakers simply because they tend to perform better. I voted performance here.

**mjg100** · **10-08-09, 04:42 PM**

Performance all the way. I use on-wall speakers behind an AT screen. Just make sure that they are black. It would be great to have a performance speaker in a kit that did not cost an arm and a leg. Are we talking about something that uses a pair or more of your 6.5" Anarchy drivers? That would be great.

**seed7** · **10-09-09, 10:05 AM**

performance.

**Kevin Haskins** · **10-09-09, 11:08 AM**

Quote:

mjg100 wrote:

Performance all the way. I use on-wall speakers behind an AT screen. Just make sure that they are black. It would be great to have a performance speaker in a kit that did not cost an arm and a leg. Are we talking about something that uses a pair or more of your 6.5" Anarchy drivers? That would be great.

I think my assumption that people wanted a flat speaker was wrong. Arg....... this throws a wrench into the poll.

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio

**Kevin Haskins** · **10-09-09, 11:17 AM**

Quote:

mjg100 wrote:

Performance all the way. I use on-wall speakers behind an AT screen. Just make sure that they are black. It would be great to have a performance speaker in a kit that did not cost an arm and a leg. Are we talking about something that uses a pair or more of your 6.5" Anarchy drivers? That would be great.

Yes... there will be designs for the Anarchy.

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio

**looneybomber** · **10-10-09, 04:40 PM**

Kevin, to answer your question, I'd say cosmetics. If it were performance, I wouldn't get a small wall mount speaker. The whole purpose of a "flat panel" speaker is to be asthetically pleasing. The purpose of a large tower is performance that also looks good.

Heh, voting for "performance" from a small wall mount speaker is like voting for luggage capacity in a Miata.

Quote:

SteveCallas wrote:

Kevin, you may want to make sure that when people voted for speakers to go with their flat pannel in the previous poll they meant flat speakers to mount to the left, right, and top or bottom of the dsiaply against a wall.

That's certainly NOT what I meant when I voted for speakers to go with my flat pannel. I'm a floorstander for life, make them as big and deep as you need to to achieve your goals.

I agree with Steve. I think I voted TV, but I meant tower and/or large bookshelfs to go with a TV, not some dinky wall hanging speaker.

View Poll Results: What is most important in a flat-panel speaker.
Price Baby! Make them cheap because it is just a TV.	6	17.14%
Costmetics/Build Quality: Milled black anodized aluminum is nice!	1	2.86%
Pefromance: I want them to rock, all other factors are secondary.	28	80.00%
Features: I want lots of options and features for use in another system.	0	0%
Voters: 35. You may not vote on this poll

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