After two years of development, Lithe Audio has unveiled the Pro Series Wi-Fi Ceiling Speaker, the first WiSA-certified Dolby Atmos in-ceiling speaker.
Aimed at the CI and Atmos installation markets, the Pro Series is a high-spec wireless installation speaker solution that delivers high-quality audio and a rich feature set including WiSA integration for Dolby Atmos systems, PoE power delivery for convenience of installation and control, full wireless connectivity – AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, Airable – and voice control via Google and Amazon Alexa.
Lithe Audio’s director and co-founder, Amit Ravat, said: “We have been building this product for two years basing our approach on what has been successful with our other speakers and listening hard to the wants and needs of the custom installation community, which included bringing the wireless operability of WiSA technology into the fold.”
Said to be the company’s most high performing and feature rich creation yet, the Pro Series includes the latest chip sets for PoE++ and the growing category of WiSA compatibility bringing more convenience when delivering Dolby Atmos home cinema systems.
As a completely wireless system, there is no need to run speaker cables, meaning that a full Dolby Atmos system can be achieved quickly and conveniently when combined with Dolby Atmos decoding transmitters thanks to WiSA technology. In turn, this allows more customers to have the full immersive audio experience throughout their homes.
The WiSA platform transmits 24bits at 48kHz/96kHz, twice the quality of a CD, offering near zero latency (less than 1/10th the latency of a Bluetooth device) eliminating any potential lip-syncing issues. All speakers in a WiSA system are certified to be synchronised within 1/1,000,000 of a second, even when using all eight channels. The system also automatically recognises audio configurations from 2.0 to 7.1 and 5.1.2 for easy set up.
President of WiSA, Tom Ostrom, said: “We are thrilled about the launch of Lithe Audio’s Pro Series Wi-Fi ceiling speaker, as it ushers in a new standard of innovation for the custom install market given its integrated WiSA technology. As the home entertainment centre becomes more advanced with each new product launch, we’re proud to stand behind Association members who prioritise quality and innovation.”
The requirement for high-quality audio in homes has become a top priority in recent years, and the Pro Series is ideally positioned to partner modern delivery and playback systems, as well as more traditional or legacy systems.
Its Wi-Fi connectivity operates over both 5GHz and 2.4GHz increasing convenience, compatibility and reliability. When powered directly from network cabling infrastructure via PoE++, the Pro Series uses the latest standard (IEEE 802.2bt) to deliver up to 60W of power to each speakers via a PoE injector.
There are also drivers available to make the Pro Series speaker compatible with home automation platforms such as Control4, Fibaro and Loxone.
The speaker also included Ethernet in and out connections, optical input as well as the ability to deliver audio in high-resolution 192kHz/24bits to match the increase in quality being rolled out over today’s streaming platforms.
Ready for future added features, the speakers can be updated with the latest firmware and software additions over the network via the Lithe Audio app delivered directly to the large on-board memory of each speaker.
The full specifications of the speaker include power at 60W RMS (2x30W), impedance of 8 Ohms, additional passive speaker output, a 6.5” woven cone woofer, a 0.75” titanium cone tweeter, a frequency response of 55Hz – 20kHz, DC24V / 2.5A power supply, and dimensions of 230 x 110mm (W x D).
“The Pro Series will make it much easier for installers to meet the challenges they face day to day enabling a wider number of projects – either new build, renovation or retrofit – to receive the high-quality audio, ease of control and installation speed they deserve,” added Ravat. “With integrated amplification – each speaker has a 60W RMS class D amplifier – and the option to power the speaker via the PoE module, connecting to an existing lighting circuit or conventional plug point, we believe this is the most agile high-performance in-ceiling speaker available.”
Available from this month, the Wi-Fi Pro Series pair of ceiling speakers are priced at £599.99, the Wi-Fi Pro Series pair of ceiling speakers with PoE++ are priced at £769.99, and the option of the WiSA Bolt-on is an extra £99.99.