EDITOR’S COMMENT
AMAZING AUDIO A very warm welcome to our spring supplement, concentrating on the wonderful world of speakers. We are looking at speakers of all kinds and providing makers, distributors and other stakeholders the opportunity to tell EI readers all about their latest and greatest creations - as well as look at some of the key issues facing the industry. From EI’s point of view, the sector has never been stronger. How long ago was it that the main (and in many cases only) outlet for a speaker was a demo comparison between several square boxes in the local Hi-Fi store?
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Nothing wrong with that method of market access of course, it sold and still sells a lot of products, but when we look out over the vast number of types of speaker, use case scenarios and places that speakers end up, it’s not just a different world, it’s a different universe. The end user has choice like never before and the installer/dealer likewise can match any type of need with a speaker. A few further observations are the improvements made in hidden speaker tech in recent years, audio compromise is not really even a question here anymore. EI has witnessed demos recently where the user has switched from on-show to hidden, because the audio quality on the hidden option was way better than they had expected. Also, don’t forget the great outdoors, spring is here, and
exterior audio systems are still showing big potential for growth. Here also, choice has increased from simple patio-based solutions to any size of area and step-up systems in terms of quality too. Also the aesthetics and bespoke options for speakers have greatly improved in the last five years or so. Many speakers now are works of art in their own right and deserve their place in any well-designed home, loud and proud and on show. Finally, lets never forget that although its perfectly possible for us to geek out on the tech our new friends have included, its what comes out of them that is really important to the end user; music, life, movies nights, fun! We hope you enjoy this EI Supplement, keep any eye out for the next one!
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