Atlantic Technology has introduced the next iteration of its flagship 8600 Series loudspeakers with the release of its 8600i line of speakers.
The newly announced product line features a new design and enhanced technology that are said to help the products deliver high levels of sound quality and a sleek look to allow the products to reside in a range of home interiors. According to the Boston-based manufacturer, its new product line is the highest-caliber tower speaker it has created in its 30 years.
Atlantic Technology points out the speakers’ cabinets are internally braced, and made with non-resonant MDF. Elaborating on the 8600i product line’s industrial design, the company notes the products’ sophisticated design features rounded front and top edges to provide homeowners with a line of products that utilize contemporary design concepts.
The speakers also feature painted front and rear baffles that replace the earlier generation of products’ vinyl covering to add an elegant update while reducing unwanted resonances. The 8600i speakers’ bowed shape of the perforated metal grille is said to eliminate diffraction issues, resulting in more precise sound. For ease of removal and cleaning, the grille is magnetically attached to the cabinet, and Atlantic Technology says that behind the grille is a scrim for a seamless appearance and protection of the drivers.
The company adds the 8600i speakers’ modernized plinth has both feet and spikes to accommodate various floor surfaces. To complete the look of the 8600iLR, the speakers incorporate a beveled top plate of smoked glass.
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Inside its new line of products Atlantic Technology boasts that it has improved the motor designs of the tower speaker’s two active 8-inch woofers, which now in combination with the two passive woofers are said to deliver deeper bass, increased output, and improved linearity. Compared to its predecessor, the company continues, the 8600iLR’s wider frequency response descends to 30Hz, ±3dB.
Other internal elements that have been updated include the speakers’ crossover design with new, upgraded components with greater tolerances. Based on findings from advanced computer analysis and modeling, Atlantic Technology emphasizes the 8600iLR’s tweeter and midrange drivers are positioned higher than before, to better align with the ear height of a seated listener. The two midrange drivers and the tweeter are mounted on a brushed aluminum plate baffle, available in aluminum (white cabinet) or anthracite (black cabinet).
Moving on to the revamped and reshaped center-channel speaker, 8600iC shares most of the design elements of the 8600iLR (aside from the glass top), as well as the same midrange, tweeter, and baffle design. Thanks to the improved woofer-design, the 8600iC now uses dual 8-inch woofers rather than four as in the previous version. Atlantic Technology also notes that by using the same speaker driver array and baffle plate on the 8600iLR and 8600iC it can ensure seamless transitions and strong acoustical matching across all speakers.
The company stresses that to further customize and enhance performance, the 8600i models retain key features from the prior models, including the proprietary Low-Resonance Tweeter (LRT), for a much smoother blend of radiation coverage angles as the signal transitions from woofer to tweeter. The three-position High-Frequency Energy switch is used to adjust the tweeter’s output to better match the speaker’s response in rooms of different sizes, shapes, and acoustics, from highly reflective to highly absorptive.
The Location Selector switch increases the speaker’s upper-midrange and high-frequency outputs to compensate for placement behind perforated screens, to ensure better detail at the listening position. Last, the speakers’ Boundary Compensation control adjusts the lower midrange, minimizing sound colorations when speakers are placed near rear of side wall
The 8600iLR and 8600iC are available in a choice of high-gloss white or black fine-furniture finishes. The Atlantic Technology 8600iLR retails for $6,000 per pair, and the 8600i center-channel speaker carries a retail price of $2,000 each.
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