New high-end subwoofers from Origin Acoustics disappear into walls, ceilings
The in-wall Composer series is available in a 10-inch model that can be installed in an existing home theater, and a 12-inch model that is designed for new construction. Subwoofers need lots of airspace, which is a challenge for a cabinet that must fit inside a wall. So Origin’s engineers fabricated these from extruded-aluminum enclosures instead of the more commonly used MDF (medium-density fiberboard). Origin CEO Jeremy Burkhardt said this gives Origin’s new in-wall subs 40 percent more airspace than if they’d used MDF.
To install the 10-inch Aluminum Composer Retrofit In-Wall Subwoofer ($1400) in an existing wall, you just cut a hole large enough to accommodate the area of the cabinet that will be exposed after installation, and then slide the cabinet up inside the wall. A thick rubber gasket around the enclosure isolates the speaker from the surrounding studs and drywall, so your walls won’t vibrate.
Both models feature long-throw aluminum woofers with dual voice coils, and two audio inputs so they can run in parallel with other speakers. An oversized, front-mounted heatsink on both speakers dissipates high temperatures, according to Origin, so the speaker cones can deliver a more linear response with less distortion.
Origin also introduced two new amplifiers to drive these subs. The SUBA150 ($550) is a single-channel amp that delivers 150 watts of power to the sub. The SUBA500 ($1100) is a 500-watt amp that comes preloaded with DSP settings optimized for in-wall subwoofers.
If your walls are made from masonry, Origin introduced two new in-ceiling subwoofers that are designed to be installed in your attic or between floors in a multi-level home (see picture at the top of this story). The dual 6-inch DSUB6 and dual 8-inch DSUB8 woofers have tubes that emerge from their enclosures, so bass and low-frequency effects can be piped to a grill in the ceiling. Alternatively, the subs can disappear entirely when the installer connects the tubes to 4- or 6-inch recessed lighting fixtures. Origin did not provide pricing for these models.