"Our engineers challenged conventional wisdom for both loudspeaker and amplifier design," said Akira Mochimaru, general manager, Bose Professional Systems Division. "The result is a new approach for the industry, one that lets sound designers and integrators meet the acoustic challenges of any fixed-installation sound system with more flexibility and far less compromise to audio performance."
RoomMatch modules overcome the acoustic performance limitations of conventional line array and point-source loudspeakers, says the company. Available in 15 different coverage patterns, they can be used alone or with other RoomMatch array modules to form Progressive Directivity Arrays - a new category of curvilinear array from Bose. They perform as a single loudspeaker to ensure optimal sound coverage for a particular listening area.
Bose RoomMatch waveguide technology directs sound more precisely, reducing unwanted wall and ceiling reflections that can degrade tonal balance. Multiple, readily available waveguide patterns allow for customised sound coverage for virtually any room.
Each loudspeaker features two new 10-inch woofers and six extended mid-range compression drivers. Together, they eliminate the need for the mid/high crossover, resulting in improved vocal clarity and intelligibility. To reduce distortion, the woofer uses a proprietary ultra-linear motor, a tapered port, and an individual acoustic enclosure, while the compression drivers have a proprietary Bridge Phase Plug to remove resonant modes, without the use of FIR filters or complex signal processing.
Sound designers can scale Sound Pressure Level (SPL) by creating a Bose Progressive Directivity Array to achieve a seamless, consistent response over nearly any vertical angle. This is accomplished with a Continuous-Arc Diffraction-Slot (CADS) manifold - a Bose invention and a claimed industry first - that provides interference-free acoustic summation of six compression drivers, and the ability to define precise vertical coverage between 0 and 60 degrees for each RoomMatch module.
The PowerMatch 8500 amplifier is designed to work with both RoomMatch array modules and other professional loudspeakers, and can allocate its 4000W rated power between two and eight channels. It provides "an unprecedented combination of audio performance and flexible output - all from a standard wall outlet".
A dual feedback loop architecture continuously monitors and controls the current and voltage to help prevent circuits from being overdrawn. It also combines the sound quality and reliability of the best Class-AB designs with Class-D efficiency.
Updated Modeler software includes features for designing systems with RoomMatch array modules, and new ControlSpace Designer software provides setup, control and monitor functions for the PowerMatch amplifier, while allowing it to be integrated into ControlSpace networks.
All RoomMatch and PowerMatch products, and compatible versions of Modeler and ControlSpace Designer software, will be available through authorised Bose dealers beginning September, 2011.
(Jim Evans)
