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In the room the users come and go
Talking of Proclaim Audio.
With the DMT-100 speaker system ($25,999), the engineers and designers at Proclaim Audio confronted the variable of room acoustics, in an attempt, it seems, to effectively eliminate the room itself, to create a speaker that sounds good in any room of any home. The result is an unusual system which, in fact, eliminates the speaker cabinet. An 11" woofer, 5" midrange unit, and .75" tweeter, each individually mounted in eyeball-like enclosures, reminiscent of Anthony Gallo's satellite series, seem to float in space, but are actually supported by an adjustable stand of fully-machined aluminum and stainless steel. In total, the thing sort of resembles a very large microscope.
A macroscope?
Proclaim Audio calls it "Driver Manipulation Technology." The user can configure and re-configure each transducer (in Prufrock fashion "And indeed there will be time to wonder: Do I dare? And do I dare?") in an attempt to optimize the system's sonic character. Apparently, extreme toe-in just isn't enough for some of us.
Gordon Sell writes:
Right out of the box (actually it's a fiberglass form-fitting cocoon) its default configuration provides amazing sound. However, for the audiophile with a good sense of tone and acoustic space it provides the opportunity to fine-tune the sound field just the way he likes it. The listener can adjust time alignment and individual driver spacing and direction, and there is a crossover network with many additional adjustments.
We will be sure to report more on this, and other wonderfully fun designs, at the Home Entertainment Show. (Coming Soon!)