THE ART OF SOUND PERFECTION
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THIS IS WHAT THE BEST SOUND IN THE WORLD LOOKS LIKE
SEAS Fabrikker AS | NO-1522 Moss, Norway | Phone: +47 9400 2800 | Fax: +47 6926 9006 | www.seas.no
“I’ve been working with sound for quite a long time now. Two decades as a professional recording engineer, and almost three decades of loudspeaker development at SEAS. I play music as a hobby and have been involved in all aspects of the sound reproduction chain. Designing loudspeakers has definitely been both the most challenging, and the most rewarding work I’ve done.” Tore Tambs-Lyche.
IT STARTED WITH PASSION The quiet passion of Norwegian engineers. Passion for music, for sound itself. Passion for listening. Transformed into the basic building blocks of loudspeaker design. From the beginning in 1950. Continuing to this very day. Custom-designed drivers. Artisan-crafted and produced. Offered with pride. Passion fueled our pursuit of the best in sound quality when the hi-fi era redefined the marketplace. Discerning listeners pursued realism, accuracy, and depth. The qualities of an unforgettable sound experience…. Speaker system designers responded. So did we. Now, in the midst of a changing world, we still pursue the best. Because it has always been, and always will be, about the sound…the listening…the music. Timeless quality. Enduring value. SEAS.
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SWEPT AWAY BY THE ACCURACY AND REALISM OF THE SOUND Perceptive listeners search for it – the aliveness and emotion transmitted in real-time performance, and conveyed through a superior sound system. High-end speaker manufacturers build to it. SEAS provides it, from driver to manufacturer to listener. The challenge requires a bold approach. At the front end, the intersection of scientific disciplines – Physics, chemistry, electromagnetics, materials science, mechanical engineering, neuroscience, to name just a few. Then the interplay of Art and Science – Addressing the objective and subjective dimensions of acoustic energy, sound production, and listening experience. Followed by pragmatic execution – Constant experimentation and testing to find the right materials. Purchasing parts from vendors who will deliver quality and consistency over batches, over years…or making them in-house. Monitoring the craft of the production process every step of the way. From energy waves to breathtaking music and voice. These are the lengths we go to.
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Our Exotic drivers integrate modern technology with retro design. Blending the best of new and old, the Exotic line reinvents the “vintage” sound experience for the modern listener.
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EXPERIMENTATION AND INNOVATION, THE HEART OF R&D Our quest for the best in sound quality and listening experience keeps us at the edge. The place where Art inspires us to stretch, explore, and take chances. Where Science turns what might be possible into what can be made and reproduced. Always…we keep listening to music, live and recorded, striving to go farther than we’ve been before. We listen to our customers and tap into their visions and dreams. We challenge ourselves to stay open, take in new ideas, test current assumptions, and learn. Remembering that drivers transform sound energy into art, into strong emotions that resonate in the human brain and being. Always…we maintain strong focus on basic research, testing, and rigorous measuring. Our aim is to ensure that what we perceive in the realm of Art can be captured and replicated, through Science, in the realm of everyday experience.
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I use SEAS drivers for their outstanding sonic performance. I place unique requirements upon a driver’s behavior, pushing it to its limits. SEAS has taken those challenges, modified the design and delivered. I greatly value the consistency of their production processes and the quality with which their units are built year after year. All this taken together allows me to design remarkable loudspeakers." Siegfried Linkwitz
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I have used SEAS drivers successfully since the end of the 1970’s for my personal projects, and for over 30 years as an industry professional. Over this time span I have seen many people at SEAS come and go, and have witnessed the technology changes from paper cone units in steel baskets to high tech membranes in cast baskets with advanced magnet systems. What has stayed the same is that nice feeling to be a part of a family that loves good sound and professional service. SEAS drivers have a look that is attractive, and they differentiate themselves with unique and true sound in a world of growing mediocrity." Joachim Gerhard
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QUALITY AND TONE IN VOICE AND MUSIC COLOUR. DEPTH. BRILLIANCE. Materials enrich or undermine timbre, that essential quality of sound that adds depth, complexity, and richness. The accuracy and realism of a live performance. The emotion contained in song and sound. R&D invests a lot of time selecting and testing materials for a given application and a desired outcome. It makes the difference between what is good enough and the best in a finished driver.
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The art of the trade-off, SEAS-style. Materials and components. Their unique properties and characteristics. In a complex product, no single element exists in a vacuum. All interact, each affecting the other. The sum total truly exceeds the collection of individual parts. Our 60 years of hands-on experience, along with the most advanced measuring equipment available, ensure that our design choices yield the accuracy and realism for the best in sound.
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Knowledge and know-how, over 60 years deep. That amounts to over 100,000 hours experience in research, development, and design. Experimentation and innovation over time, along with testing and verification. All applied to individual products, product lifecycles, and product production. Scientists say that it takes 10,000 hours of consistent, focused practice to reach peak virtuoso performance. Right now, SEAS is at 10,000x10. Hours guided by passion and commitment, seeking the best in sound performance.
Time well spent, aiming for the best sound, not just the best measurement. The R&D team invests hours analyzing driver behavior. The sine sweep and advanced laser technology provide quantifiable data. The attuned human ear makes the final determination.
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Why have a room within a room…without the sound of a room? Because an anechoic chamber measures sound without interference. It is the only room that can give us extremely accurate measurements on prototype speakers. Our chamber is one of the largest in Europe, and among the first to be built. We use it with the skill and ease that comes from direct experience over time.
EUROPEAN DESIGN MADE IN MOSS, NORWAY
This copper ring, precisionmounted to the pole piece, stabilizes the magnetic field to lower distortion and improve performance.
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NOTHING IS LEFT TO CHANCE
Sound perfection requires precision and accuracy, delivered consistently from batch to batch and from year to year. Critical parts are made in-house, when they cannot be sourced to our standard. Quality frameworks define expectations for partners in our supply chain, ensuring that different components and materials possess the perfection we seek, not just the first time but over decades.
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Custom-crafting and artisanal production drive us to great lengths. Sometimes we even design and build our own equipment to produce the components we need. The result? Greater precision in manufacturing. Tighter tolerances…more accurate positioning… meticulous metering. Better than anything we can buy.
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It takes 10 years for an apprentice to become an artisan. The knowledge and know-how are more than skin deep, because it takes time to develop the senses of a skilled craftsman. Eyes that can detect slight discrepancies in fit and finish. A nose that perceives something “off” in the glue. Fingers that feel alignment of parts that is perfect and true. Artisans and craftsmen…so much more than assembly line workers. Training and practice. Evolving skill and mastery.
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The interplay of human intelligence and precision machine. Committed to the best in sound. Always.
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AT SEAS, THE FUTURE IS NOW Data transfer and information exchange are insufficient. Neuroscience tells us that human connection builds the bonds of trust needed for breakthrough collaboration. The more accurate and real the transmission, the better we connect and come to know each other. Voice is critical – tone, inflection, pace, colouration. The energy that is expressed for one idea and not another. Emotional resonance. So now our pursuit of the best in sound positions us for the future.
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IN A VIRTUAL WORLD, WE RELY ON TECHNOLOGY TO LINK US ACROSS THE GLOBE While remaining firmly planted in our core business, we embrace the change in the world around us. Our aim is to bring the best in sound to emerging applications – places where the quality of sound makes all the difference.
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White Diamond
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