Tech Tuesday: Bose EdgeMax EM90 & EM180
For a long time, commercial speakers didn’t have much excitement to them. Sure, speaker enclosures have been designed fancier, but it’s been a while since something really different has come along. Our friends at Bose, however, have been hard at work, and have come up with a speaker that provides the audio coverage of a conventional PA speaker with the low profile of a ceiling speaker—the Bose EdgeMax.
In order to understand how the Edgemax works, we have to talk about how audio coverage works with conventional speakers. Now, normally, for full room audio coverage you need a surface mount speaker on a wall, or a large volume of ceiling mounted speakers. This is because of the waveguide—the structure around the tweeter that directs the sound waves.
A normal surface mount speaker has the space to be able to direct high frequencies in a large coverage pattern, but comes with the downside of sticking out. This can be especially challenging in environments where architecture is a primary concern—surface mount speakers aren’t exactly designed to be ugly, but they’re meant to be plain and inoffensive, and usually don’t blend in well with highly aesthetic spaces. Ceiling mounted speakers, on the other hand, can blend into their environment much better, but don’t have nearly the same width of coverage due to their limited footprint.
To fix this, Bose has come up with a new way to direct frequencies: their PhaseGuide technology. The structure, attached to the high frequency driver, provides wide high frequency coverage up to 65 feet, while staying hidden at the edges of rooms. The discreet design and location of these speakers makes them perfect for spatial audio applications. The PhaseGuide comes in a 180 pattern for installation against walls, or a 90 degree pattern for placement in corners. This also makes them great for spatial audio applications
The EdgeMax is also packed with features that make it easier to install and service. The larger coverage pattern means it takes less time to install compared with standard ceiling speakers, and the magnetic cover plate and connectors on the front of the speaker make it easy to clean or service.
All in all, the EdgeMax is one of the most exciting developments we’ve seen in commercial speakers in a long time. Being able to package the amazing sound quality Bose is known for with a minimal footprint is a game changer for bridging the AV and architecture worlds.
A big thank you to Bose for sending us these EdgeMax demos! For more information about the EdgeMax, or anything from Bose’s Pro Audio lineup, visit them at pro.bose.com.
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