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Technology Breakthrough Enables Dutch Audio Firm to Separate Speaker Panels from Heavy Drivers and Deliver Theater-Quality Sound in Lightweight Speakers; Elegant New Designs Aimed at Flat-Screen TVs

"We are about to turn the audio and home theater marketplace on its ear, literally," said Maarten Smits, co-founder of Final Sound and inventor of the new flat speaker technology. "Using our patented technology, we are able to completely separate the speaker from its bulky drivers and electronics, leaving a flat, lightweight, and very elegant speaker design that can be easily mounted beside even the thinnest LCD or plasma display or suspended from the ceiling."

Lightweight Speaker Panel has No Heavy Drivers

The most striking feature of the new Final speaker line is not just the elimination of the familiar wooden box that adds both cost and unwanted resonance to a conventional dynamic speaker, but also the complete separation of the audio driver and electronics from the speaker panel itself. This unique modular approach frees the speakers from the heavy bass drivers that have dominated loudspeaker design for nearly 50 years. The result is a line of speakers that are so thin and light that they can be easily mounted anywhere, creating a true surround sound environment.

"Weight has been such a major part of speaker design for so long, that most people think a speaker has to be the size of a file cabinet to produce theater-quality sound," said Smits. "That's absolutely no longer true. By redesigning the way sound is generated by the diaphragm, we've eliminated the bass driver that could weigh 100 grams or more, and replaced it with a far more efficient design weighing barely one-half gram. That's a factor of 200 times less weight, and the result is a much more open and lifelike sound."

Electrostats are superior to all other speaker technologies in the way they use a single diaphragm that is so light and quick to respond that it seems as if the audio signal is being applied directly to the air.

Sealed Audio Circuit Virtually Eliminates All Distortion

Unlike typical dynamic speakers that transfer the sound energy through a complex motor-like arrangement attached to the back of a heavy cone, the Final Sound system distributes the audio signal evenly across the entire film diaphragm. The entire speaker surface produces sound. The result is the most distortion-free sound currently possible. Using a standard dynamic coil, even the best conventional speaker must deal with significantly more distortion because of the fundamental motor design. A Final Sound electrostat delivers sound that is almost entirely distortion-free.

In addition, the flat electrostat design requires no cabinetry, but can be set into a simple aluminum frame similar to a lightweight picture frame. The completed assembly weighs just under 6 pounds for the 18-inch model and 12 pounds at the 48-inch size. This compares to a standard electrostatic speaker with a 48-inch panel weighing 100 pounds or more. The lightweight, transparent design allows the Final speakers to be easily mounted on a wall beside a plasma TV or LCD display, on the rear wall of a home theater, or suspended by wire anywhere in the room to create a custom audio experience.

Full Line Includes Models Priced from $1,500 to $20,000

The new Final speaker line includes four models: 18, 28, and 48 inches tall for home theaters up to the top-of-the-line 75-inch Model 1400 in the Reference Series. All models are finished in a silver satin anodized frame. Suggested prices begin at $1,500 per pair ($US) for the 18-inch Model 90 home theater panels and range as high as $20,000 per pair for the 75-inch Model 1400. In addition, the modular line includes a 25-inch-long center speaker, a 10-inch woofer, and a variety of mounting systems and stands.

The entire line is available for immediate delivery from authorized Final Sound dealers in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. Dealer locations and additional information is available on the Final Web site, www.finalsound.com.

About Final Sound Corporation

Final Sound Corporation has been an innovator in the development of advanced electrostatic speaker technology for the high-end audiophile market since 1991. The company was founded by two brothers, Maarten and Michiel Smits, who built their first "hybrid" speaker while graduate engineering students in the Netherlands. The hybrid speaker blends dynamic technology for the bass and electrostatic technology for the mid-range and high frequencies. During the 1990s, Final served the audiophile market exclusively. In 2002, the company completed work on important technology that enabled the separation of the speaker panel from its electronics, and the firm was reorganized as a full-line manufacturer of the world's lightest electrostatic speakers for home theaters and audiophiles.

    Media Contacts:
     Ellen Walravens, aMate Communications, ellen@amatecommunications.com,
     (781) 281-1547
     Audrey Webb, aMate Communications, audrey@amatecommunications.com,
     (408) 402-0927