CEDIA Expo 2012: Pro Audio Technology pushes the limit

Pro Audio Technology will unveil a new reference speaker at CEDIA Expo 2012. The incoming SCR-3215sm, designed to stand behind acoustically transparent screens, looms 2.m tall and tips the scales at 159kg. The monster enclosure is the culmination of more than 25 years in high-performance loudspeaker design, according to Pro founder Paul Hales.

Everything about the box is oversized. It sports dual 15-inch, 1400W woofers and has the ability to play at live concert sound pressure levels for extended periods of time without any possibility of driver failure. It can also deliver reference cinema sound levels from more than 12 metres away.

Paul Hales, founder of Pro Audio Technology, says the 3215 actually began life as an experiment: "I designed my first loudspeaker when I was 16 and have never stopped looking for ways to improve speaker technology. The 3215 started as a lab experiment to see how far we could push the limits of audio performance, and now it's a reality with orders already in place! Our dealers can't wait to let customers hear them in person."

At the heart of the SCR-3215sm's mid/high frequency assembly is an ultra high-output (114dB / 1 watt) compression driver, capable of "the most effortless, coherent, and dynamically correct rendering of vocals and instrumentation possible." Dispersion and acoustic power transfer are controlled via a constant directivity horn with over 800 square inches of effective radiating surface ("more than 40 times the radiating area of a typical cone midrange"), while the high frequency system provides the equivalent of more than 500 one-inch dome tweeters per speaker.  As in commercial cinema systems, the SCR-3215sm mid/high frequency assembly employs tri-amplification to maximise the performance of each driver in the system. 

The SCR-3215sm is designed to be paired with companion PMA amplifiers able to deliver an output in excess of 130 dB. This makes the SCR-3215 ideal for large to very large room applications, and "those who desire a visceral concert experience in their home."

The SCR-3215sm will sell for £35,000 each when they launch in the UK later this year (plus VAT). A partnering PMA-9944 amp is priced at £12,000 + VAT.

For availability visit the Genesis Technologies website.

CEDIA EXPO 212 runs between September 5 -8, in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention Center. More details here.

Also read:
CEDIA EXPO 2012: AVocation unveils 8x8 HDMI matrix