BenQ who last week released a new home projector offering is now set to enter the sound market with the industry’s first Bluetooth speaker with electrostatic speaker panels.
The Company
that has struggled in the consumer market in the past with the exception of
their monitors is set to reveal the new product in Australia shortly however no
retailers that ChannelNews has spoken to has decided to range the new speaker
which will be shown at CES 2015.
The device
which is set to sell for around $399
features two fold-out electrostatic panels that deliver midrange clarity
and detail for vocals and acoustic instruments, said Robert Wudeck, strategy
and business development associate VP for BenQ.
The panels
are complemented by two passive and two active low-bass cone drivers that
deliver “tight, precise bass.” The speaker, about the size of a hardcover book,
differentiates itself from Bluetooth speakers that concentrate on reproducing
deep bass at the expense of higher frequencies, he said, noting that many
modern songs include a lot of high-frequency energy. The aluminium-chassis
speaker will “establish a sound unique to our brand” and be “compelling to the
music lover,” he said.
Because the
fold-out electrostatic panels radiate sound from front and back, they deliver a
mix of direct and reflected sound as experienced in live performances, he
noted. “Our strategy has always been to solve a particular problem well, not
outprice the other guy,” he said. The speaker, due in black or silver, also
differentiates itself from most other Bluetooth speakers by incorporating a USB
audio input to play music from a USB-connected computer.
The speaker
also streams AptX over Bluetooth and comes with analogy input and analogy
output, which streams Bluetooth music to a more powerful home audio system. The
electrostatic panels feature front and back aluminium grilles protecting a
graphite-coated polyester film made by the BenQ Group’s contact-lens
manufacturing company.
The film is
made from a special power-efficient material unlike the film used in
traditional electrostatic home speakers, which must be plugged into a power
outlet to generate the voltages needed to move electrostatic panels, he said.
The speaker is designed for small- to medium-size rooms and delivers SPLs up to
90dB. The rechargeable lithium battery lasts for 12 hours of music playback and
normal volume levels.
It also comes with hands-free speakerphone and
uses DSP to implement crossover and equalization functions. The speaker
measures about 6 inches by 7 inches by 2.5 inches with panels closed.
