Mirage has just announced the completion of a research and development project that studied the performance problems that have plagued flush mounted loudspeakers. Five new Mirage Incognita speakers incorporating the results of the company’s research began shipping. The combination of driver technology, the UltraDamped Mounting System and the adjustable Boundary Compensation circuitry enable installers to help correct the imaging and tonality defects that have historically plagued all in-wall and in-ceiling speakers.

The (patent pending) Mounting System eliminates the sympathetic resonance of the drywall enclosure. The mounting system gives installers a very quick installation and it reinforces the speaker and the wall around it. First, the all-metal new construction bracket reinforces the drywall and installs between the studs and joists rather than on the face, so there is no drywall bulge. After the drywall is installed, the custom installer places two of the Mounting Kit’s WallBracers above and below the hole. The WallBracers expand to reinforce the drywall and prevent resonance. Next, the installer places the included acoustic and fire rated insulation in the wall cavity.

The fundamental strength of the UltraDamped Mounting System is the baffle/bezel interface. Once the wall has been insulated and reinforced, engineering tests found that the best way to eliminate further vibration was to use a very dense, heavily constructed clamping bezel around the hole. Installation is fast and secure via clamping dogs, which swing into place with a tap, since they are spring loaded. The speaker components are mounted on a dense one inch thick piece of MDF, which is screwed to the clamping bezel. The overall effect is a thoroughly damped and vibration-conquered platform.

The Mirage Incognita speakers include three in-wall speakers (the HDT-WM1, HDT-WM5 and the HDT-WM7). These speakers all incorporate the patent pending UltraDamped mounting system with WallBracers and one inch thick MDF baffles. The HDT-WM1 and HDT-WM5 incorporate PTH (Pure Titanium Hybrid) tweeters and dome midranges. The HDT-WM7 utilizes a metal dome tweeter. All Incognita HDT speakers utilize Mirage’s carbon fiber woofer cones with long throw butyl surrounds.

The Mirage Incognita line is further enhanced with two different ceiling speakers. These speakers use the three stage mounting system and incorporate the same clamping bezel and spring-loaded dogs designed to reduce drywall resonance. The HDT-CM1 is the first flush mounted ceiling speaker with OMNIPOLAR characteristics, perfect for surround sound applications. Installers can swivel the driver array at installation, creating a surround effect in unusually shaped rooms. The HDT-CM7 is the first ceiling speaker built from the ground up to perform on par with box speakers for music listening. A two way, the HDT-CM7 incorporates Mirage drivers, crossovers and Boundary Compensation technology for those listeners who demand performance but require an invisible installation.

---

Like this article? Bookmark and share with any of the sites below.