Pioneer architectural speakers blend into your foreclosed McMansion

Just in case you needed to spend a little more on our eventual economic downfall, here are some nice internal speakers from Pioneer that promise to blend into to your Deserted Island tan color scheme. The Elite EX Series in-wall speakers come in multiple forms including in-wall and angled in-ceiling models

The Elite line starts at $1,799 each while the CST in-wall units cost about $499 a pair. The subwoofers start at $399 and go up to $1,700 for a 12-inch front firer.

Pioneer Introduces New Line of Architectural Speakers to Provide Final Piece of Home Entertainment Experience
CEDIA EXPO 2008
BOOTH #620

DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today unveils its new line of dynamic architectural loudspeakers featuring engineering advancements and an array of custom installation-friendly offerings to deliver a new class of sonic performance for home theater environments. Developed for multiple room environments and applications, the line includes 16 new speaker models with four floor-standing subwoofers, providing integrators with a wide range of solutions for their clients’ home entertainment needs. When matched with the Company’s leading KURO™ displays, Blu-ray Disc® players and A/V receivers, the new line of speakers provide the final piece to complete the ultimate home entertainment experience.

Led by renowned speaker designer, Andrew Jones and his team of engineers, these new audio offerings build upon Pioneer’s 70-year legacy in speaker manufacturing with the latest technological innovations for high fidelity sound that replicate the essence of a motion picture soundtrack or live concert disc entertainment. Crafted utilizing the newest materials along with meticulous engineering and an exclusive driver design, the new architectural speakers come in three different performance levels – Elite® EX Series, Pioneer CST and Pioneer – all of which meet the sonic reproduction standards demanded by discerning enthusiasts.

“Pioneer was founded on the passion for sound and this philosophy remains at our core and is seen through our continued development of superior audio products that have become benchmarks within the industry,” said Andrew Jones, chief speaker designer for Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “The introduction of a diverse speaker line offers a level of sound quality for integrators and end consumers that is testament to our unwavering drive to deliver on the promise of the ultimate home entertainment experience.”

Elite EX Series: Redefining the Architectural Speaker Category

Taking a cue from its world-renowned EX and Technical Audio Devices (TAD™) platforms, Pioneer’s top-of-the-line Elite EX Series is a comprehensive reference-class system set to redefine the category and further exemplify how Pioneer is advancing the science of the speaker. This comprehensive line includes two in-wall, two angled in-ceiling, and a left/center/right speaker option that join the current S-W1EX subwoofer.

Bringing home entertainment to the ultimate echelon of performance, Pioneer’s Elite EX Series models incorporate its exclusive Coherent Source Transducer (CST) driver technology which builds upon Pioneer’s endless pursuit to bring that professional-level audio experience to the home arena. Listeners gain a noticeable improvement in off-axis performance with a smooth, accurate response which turns nearly every seat into the best seat in the house. By expanding the “sweet spot,” home cinema and two-channel audiences are enveloped in uniform, robust sound from their movies and music.

These three-way reference class speakers are outfitted with an uncompromising build quality constructed from custom developed, audiophile-grade materials including a ceramic graphite tweeter, magnesium midrange, woven aramid fiber woofer and a laminated medium-density fiberboard (MDF) baffle. Utilizing among the most advanced components found in architectural speakers, these models offer integrators and end users uncompromised performance and faithful reproduction of the most demanding audio sources available today.

The breadth of revolutionary improvements found in the Elite EX Series speakers include enhanced listening customization via treble contour controls. Installation professionals are given the option to adjust overall tonal balance and high frequency output based on their client’s preferences or room environment.

Designed to be used in combination with floor-standing EX models, this line features among the most flexible installation options at this performance level.

Pioneer CST: Performance Beyond the Pivoting Tweeter

Pioneer also brings to market two lines that provide additional versatility and performance benefits for custom professionals over a wide variety of installation types and budgets.

For home theater or multi-room audio applications that demand an increasing level of performance beyond that offered by pivoting driver designs, Pioneer’s Coherent Sound Transducer (CST) line offers seamless integration features along with demonstrable sound performance benefits previously only found in our professional and EX products. Consisting of three in-wall models, including a 3-way left/center/right option, two in-ceiling speakers, and three matching subwoofer options, this series provides dynamic entertainment for those who seek high-end performance at an attractive value.

Fitted to match its other premium home theater products, Pioneer developed the CST speaker line to bring consumers closer to the ultimate home entertainment experience. These models incorporate the game-changing off-axis benefits of the CST driver technology coupled with high-grade material construction to ensure uniform sound coverage throughout a home theater as well as background listening applications. This combination of design and performance also makes for a more realistic experience of next-generation lossless audio formats with an incredibly wide frequency response that ensures the original expression of the recording is maintained.

Pioneer Architectural Loudspeakers: Engineering Prowess in its Purest Form

Ideal for home audiences who want to expand the Pioneer entertainment experience throughout the home, the new architectural line-up also encompasses an overachieving entry-level line. The three in-wall models and four in-ceiling options, including two single-point stereo models, are available in various driver sizes and incorporate proven engineering and design efforts previously only found in their top-tier speaker lines. This line is also complimented by three matching subwoofer options to meet the dynamic response requirements for home theater enjoyment.

Developed from the ground up, Andrew Jones and his team challenge industry convention with benchmark entry-level performance and build quality that redefines the capabilities of a no-frills speaker. Working in concert with its category-leading lines of audio and video products, Pioneer demonstrates a breadth of technological leadership currently unmatched by any single manufacturer in the market today.

Pioneer’s Home Entertainment and Business Solutions Group develops high definition home theater equipment for discerning entertainment junkies. Its flat panel televisions, Blu-ray Disc players, A/V receivers and speakers bring a new level of emotion to the HD experience. The company brands include Pioneer® and Elite®. When purchased from an authorized retailer, consumers receive a limited warranty of five years with Pioneer and Elite in-wall/in-ceiling speaker products and three years with Pioneer and Elite powered subwoofer products. More details can be located at www.pioneerelectronics.com.

PIONEER, the PIONEER logo and the ELITE logo are registered trademarks of the Pioneer Corporation.

BLU-RAY DISC is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation.

Specifications

Elite EX Series

S-IW691
Elite EX Series

S-IW891
Elite EX Series

S-IW691L
Elite EX Series

S-IC691A
Elite EX Series

S-IC891A
Type In-wall In-wall In-wall LCR Angled In-ceiling Angled In-ceiling
Coherent Source Transducer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tweeter 1-3/16” Ceramic Graphite 1-3/16” Ceramic Graphite 1-3/16” Ceramic Graphite 1-3/16” ceramic graphite 1-3/16” ceramic graphite
Midrange 5-1/2” Magnesium 5-1/2” Magnesium 5-1/2” Magnesium 5-1/2” magnesium 5-1/2” magnesium
Woofer 6-1/2” Woven Aramid Fiber 7-1/16” Woven Aramid Fiber Dual 6-1/2” Woven Aramid Fiber 6-1/2” Woven Aramid Fiber 7-1/16” Woven Aramid Fiber
Suggested Price $1,799 each $1,899 each $1,999 each $1,599 each $1,799 each
Availability December 2008 December 2008 December 2008 December 2008 December 2008
Pioneer CST

S-IW651-LR
Pioneer CST

S-IW851-LR
Pioneer CST

S-IW551L
Pioneer CST

S-IC651-LR
Pioneer CST

S-IC851-LR
Type In-wall In-wall In-wall LCR In-ceiling In-ceiling
Coherent Source Transducer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Tweeter 1.5-inch Aluminum 1.5-inch Aluminum 1.5-inch Aluminum 1.5-inch Aluminum 1.5-inch Aluminum
Woofer 6.5-inch Mica-filled IMPP 8-inch Mica-filled IMPP Dual 5.25-inch Mica-filled IMPP 6.5-inch Mica-filled IMPP 8-inch Mica-filled IMPP
Suggested Price $499/pair $599/pair TBD $499/pair $599/pair
Availability December 2008 December 2008 TBD December 2008 December 2008
Pioneer

S-IW631-LR
Pioneer

S-IW831-LR
Pioneer

S-IW531L
Pioneer

S-IC631-LR
Pioneer

S-IC831-LR
Pioneer

S-IC621D
Pioneer

S-IC821D
Type In-wall In-wall In-wall LCR In-ceiling In-ceiling

In-ceiling
Dual Voice Coil

In-ceiling
Dual Voice Coil
Coherent Source Transducer No No No No No No No
Tweeter 1-inch Soft Dome 1-inch Soft Dome 1-inch Soft Dome 1-inch Soft Dome 1-inch Soft Dome 2x 1-inch PEI 2x 1-inch PEI
Woofer

6.5-inch
Poly-
propylene

8-inch
Poly-
propylene

Dual 5.25-inch
Poly-
propylene

6.5-inch
Poly-
propylene

8-inch
Poly-
propylene

6.5-inch
Poly-
propylene

8-inch
Poly-
propylene
Suggested Price $375/pair $475/pair $375 each $375/pair $475/pair $199 each $225 each
Availability December 2008 December 2008 December 2008 December 2008 December 2008 December 2008 December 2008
Pioneer

S-W301
Pioneer

S-W501
Pioneer

S-W601
Pioneer

S-W1EX
Type Front firing subwoofer Front firing subwoofer Front firing subwoofer Front firing subwoofer
Size 8-inch 10-inch 12-inch 12-inch Woofer/

12-inch Passive Radiator
Power 150 watt 170 watt 180 watt 250 watt
Suggested Price $399 $599 $799 $1,700
Availability December 2008 December 2008 December 2008 Available Now