THE OEM INTEGRATOR
AUDISON PRIMA SPEAKERS
THE OEM INTEGRATOR
Audison Prima was designed to meet the interest of the car model enthusiasts who like to appreciate all the nuances of the musical message with components that are perfectly integrated in the car OEM system, preserving the most precious Prima on Audison requirement of OEM integration: space
resulting in a totally new concentric tweeter.
With the Prima speaker range, different solutions have been introduced to simplify, to the maximum extent, OEM Integration and achieve a result capable of satisfying the Audison quality criteria.
The electro-acoustic designers focused their attention on those drivers dedicated in reproducing the whole audio range the coaxial, as these are those most critical in reconstructing the sound stage and so in recreating the “live” effect in a Car Audio system. By using advanced technologies such as Finite Element Method (FEM)
modelling, as well as a prolonged “Voicing” phase, consisting of in-car listening sessions, it has been decided to adopt a concentric tweeter within the woofer, providing one single point of emission.
This typology of speaker ensures that the musical signal is reproduced with high linearity of acoustic phase; therefore the listener perceives it as being disarmingly natural.
In order to control dispersion of the high frequency range, the concentric tweeter
features an acoustic lens specifically designed to ensure an extremely linear frequency response when installed in the door, thus entirely off-axis. The combination of such build choices offer the possibility to achieve performance and sound quality comparable to a two-way system for those vehicles prohibiting this type of speaker installation.
On top of this, a believable acoustic sound stage is projected towards the listener.
The concentric tweeter also provides the ability to mount the speakers in extreme locations. As an example, in installations where the tweeter of a typical coaxial driver protrudes and may come in contact with the OEM door panel/grille, the Prima line makes the installation simple and reliable.
It was during the aforementioned “Voicing” phase that the Audison designers decided to employ a 32 mm pure copper voice coil for the coax woofers; an unusual choice
from a technical and cost standpoint for this market range where most competitive product employs a 25 mm coil.
The reasons behind that choice can be found in the will to respect the two main goals of this project: high power handling and maximum efficiency. In fact, combined with an amplifier, the 32mm coil ensures musical reproduction void of compression, especially during musical peaks where the motor assembly has to withstand mechanical and thermal stress.
The efficiency has been maximised by eliminating low pass crossover
components for the woofer: even just a simple filter inductor in series with
the woofer, due to the resistance of its winding, introduces a loss which in
turn lowers efficiency and sound pressure level.
By not employing any type of filter, our designers had to optimize the cone
profile in each model using the Klippel R&D Scan Vibrometer to obtain a
calibrated “mechanical” low-pass cut-off frequency, therefore achieving a
frequency response close to that of a filtered woofer!
The result of this exhausting work of research gave life to a series of speakers
capable of handling noticeable power combined with high efficiency and a
balanced timbre.
The 40 mm horn loading dome tweeter contributing to maximize efficiency to increase it up to 96 dB SPL. The acoustics lens is specifically designed and applied to the tweeter to increase dispersion in high frequency range.
APX 690 coax
The APX 690 coax, specifically designed for a rear deck mount, boasts a 40 mm tweeter with horn loading, ensuring efficiency close to 96 dB!
Besides, an acoustic lens is applied to the tweeter, improving the horizontal dispersion to maximize its performance in the less than ideal rear deck mount.
To compensate for the natural loss of energy occurring beyond 10 kHz, the APX 690 also features a PEI (polyethylene injected) supertweeter, which boosts the response of the very high frequency ranges.
For all of the models, deep attention has been put in the installation ergonomics with the target of easing OEM Integration as much as possible. In order to achieve this goal, the Audison designers developed a low profile basket with a very acoustically transparent design featuring straight spokes coated
with abrasion-resistant and scratch-proof material.
The fast-on terminals differ as the OEM standards require, in order to prevent any polarity inversion in the connection, with their 4,8 mm positive pole and 2,8 mm
negative poles. They also feature a protective cover, avoiding short circuits with the metal car parts and resistance to high temperatures.
AP 6.5, AP 5 and AP 8 also feature dual connection terminals: this solution provides the ability to connect the OEM source wire to the one set of terminals on the woofer in the door, with the second set providing the signal to the tweeter crossover, again easing installation.
For the vehicles equipped with an 8 in. woofer as standard OEM component, the
Audison Technical Department developed the AP 8 which, also thanks to the wide
emission surface, provides higher energy in the low frequency range, ensuring
excellent performance when the use of a subwoofer is prohibited due to space
limitations.
The woofer and coaxial surrounds feature shallow TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane)
and exclusive “Triple Wave” profile, directly inherited from accredited Audison Voce
series, ensuring maximum excursion and high reliability.
The AP 1 tweeter’s 26 mm diameter emission diaphragm, combined with its wide roll surround, maximize efficiency and reduce resonance frequency.
AP 1 tweeter
The AP 1 tweeter is a very sophisticated component from a design standpoint. The 26 mm diaphragm, combined with a wide external suspension, actively contribute to the overall emission, providing the ability to increase sound pressure while lowering the resonance frequency, all with extremely low moving mass. The powerful motor is characterized by a large Neodymium magnet.
Further to an in-depth analysis of the most common Integration situations of aftermarket tweeters in OEM systems, the AP 1 features a special acoustic lens with the purpose of strengthening the frequency range between 10kHz and 13kHz, to compensate for the loss of level caused by fitment behind OEM grilles. The AP1 is supplied with a dedicated crossover and also includes all the “tricks” especially designed for OEM Integration: miniature sized case, damping tape to place between the case and the mounting surface to prevent vibrations, and connection cables to significantly ease the installation.
The AP 1 crossover features a two-position level selector providing the ability to adapt its response to its two main applications: +2dB if installed behind the OEM grille, 0dB for an A-pillar installation without additional grilles between the tweeter and the listener.
APK 163 system
The three-way APK 163 system deserves special attention; the Audison designers developed a separate crossover dedicated to each speaker, simplifying OEM speaker replacement operation, negating the routing of additional cables through the door, which could void the car warranty.
AP 4 is the system midbass: it inherits the triple wave suspension from the larger diameter components, and is capable of providing excellent response on bass frequencies down to the 80Hz range. During listening sessions of this component, it has been decided to employ a 25 mm coil, as it ensures more balance in the mid-high range and most of all, provides the ability to extend the frequency response up to 7,5 kHz with a remarkable 93dB efficiency. With Prima speaker, the Audison R&D team
had a difficult target: combine the strict requirements of OEM Integration with the Audison audio quality.
AP 6.5 Ω2 WOOFER AND APK 165 Ω2 SYSTEM
AP 6.5 Ω2 woofer and APK 165 Ω2 system have been developed with 2Ω nominal impedance with the purpose of exploiting all the power made available by the AP8.9 bit amplifier capable of 65W into a 2Ω load. To maximize the woofer efficiency achieving 95 dB, a 25 mm diameter 10 mm winding height coil, so a more lightweight coil, has been employed, at the same time also providing a linear excursion 2.8 mm higher than the one of AP 6.5 (4Ω), therefore ensuring high SPL values with minimum distortion even at high listening levels.
To extend the woofer’s frequency range down to low frequencies up to 50 Hz a 75 Hz resonance frequency has been chosen, achieving excellent low frequency output even without the use of a subwoofer.
APK 165 Ω2 system features 2 crossovers dedicated to woofer and tweeter and
separated, to ease the installation. APCX WF Ω2 crossover shapes AP 6.5 Ω2’s frequency response to match it optimally with AP 1 tweeter; it also employs a Low ESR inductor, essential to maximize the power transfer to the 2Ω coil. APCX TW Ω2 tweeter crossover, instead, is provided with the Hi-Contour function, to enhance the high frequencies, designed to achieve the correct timbre balance with rich low frequencies guaranteed by the woofer.
The range of Prima components expands with
the introduction of the new wide range AP 2
an innovative solution to perfectly reproduce the entire range of mid and high frequencies with a single cone speaker
AP 2 WIDE RANGE COMPONENT
The range of Prima components expands with the introduction of the new wide range AP 2, an innovative solution to perfectly reproduce the entire range of mid and high frequencies with a single cone speaker.
AP 2 is perfect for cars of the GM, Ford and Toyota group with 50 mm (2 in.) OEM placements in the dashboard or A-pillar, where it is combined with an elliptical woofer in the car door.
The compact size and excellent electroacoustic parameters make it ideal also to be used as a midrange in 3-way systems, as a surround speaker or as a central channel, housed in OEM placements, where the space requirements would not allow the use of a speaker with a larger diameter.
The advantage of emitting the entire spectrum of frequencies by itself, responsible for creating the virtual stage with absolute phase coherence, ensures a wide acoustic scene concentrated in the upper side of the dashboard. The very low distortion and the lack of crossover point in the mid-high range also provides a natural and pleasant listening experience.
Through careful research and simulation, the R&D team was able to maximize electroacoustic performance for a typical OEM application.
The resonance frequency of 145 Hz, a very low value for a 50 mm (2 in.) loudspeaker, was obtained thanks to the use of a 25 mm (1 in.) voice coil, ensuring a controlled extension at low frequencies for an
optimal crossover point with the woofer.
The aluminium cone, in combination with the copper shorting ring that flattens the impedance, allows for the response to be extended up to 20 kHz. The special magnetic group made with double symmetrical Neodymium magnet also contributes to achieve this exceptional extension at high frequencies while maintaining very compact dimensions.
This electroacoustic configuration has led to obtain a particularly wide frequency response, which extends from 150 Hz up to 20 kHz, giving the AP 2 the well-deserved name of wide range.
APK 570 AND APK 690 2 WAY SYSTEMS
The new APK 570 and APK 690 systems are ideal for car models with doors equipped to house elliptical speakers. Respectively featuring 5×7 in. and 6×9 in. woofers, both systems use the Prima AP 1 tweeter with dedicated crossovers APCX TW 570 and APCX TW 690.
The crossovers are ultra-compact to facilitate their installation, and include an attenuation of the tweeter output level for outstanding fine-tuning.
The R&D team optimized the electro-acoustic parameters of the new woofers for installation in the car door, respecting all the characteristics of the Prima speakers, such as the compact size of the basket to facilitate installation.
The mechanical cut-off of the woofer cone-dust cap system ensures they can be used without a filter, maximizing efficiency to be easily driven by any type of amplifier.
The large voice coil ensures high power handling and impeccable control even in the most aggressive dynamic transients.
The double Faston connectors with direct link to the tweeter speed up the speakers connection, always ensuring a perfect contact.
The AP 690 woofer is also available as single component.
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