Flat Panel Speaker -- Poll

[Kevin Haskins]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[Bent]

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]

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.