Audio Video News

Atlantic Technology's T 70 speaker system was such a hit that the company decided to bring out an improved version. The T 90, as the new model is known, features dedicated center, left and right front, and surround speakers, and a 150-Watt powered subwoofer. The system is said to offers "exceptional sound quality," despite the speakers' small size.

The convergence of music and film systems was a driving factor in the system's development. "We decided to develop a step up model with higher performance while maintaining a most affordable price tag," said AT president Peter Tribeman. "The T 90 is an exceptional speaker system that works as well with audiophile recordings as it does with movies. We're witnessing a growing trend to multichannel music recordings, particularly on DVD. These lose their impact on stereo systems and yet many home theater systems are less than musically faithful. That's why we spent an inordinate amount of time voicing these speakers on music."

All the drivers in the T 90 system are 2-way acoustic-suspension designs in ultra-compact enclosures whose size and MDF construction make them acoustically inert, according to a July announcement. "The very small T 90 LR front speakers deliver unusually natural sound with incredible imaging due to their rigid enclosure and miniscule baffle," it states. Proprietary technologies include the use of "laminated titanium coated molded graphite cones with increased stiffness and enhanced heat dissipation to allow high output, flat frequency response, impressive detail, and increased power-handling."

For consistent tonal balance, the center channel speaker uses the same tweeter and mid/woofers as the others in the system, but it comes equipped with an adjustable tilting base to aim the speaker for maximum performance. T 90 tweeters are said to create a "diffuse, non-localizable soundfield that quickly draws you into the action," while the mid/woofers have a more directional pattern. Sloping front baffles on all the speakers allow for easy "tuning" of the system to make it more or less directional, as users desire.

The T 90 LR and SR have threaded rear inserts permitting easy wall mounting with the included keyhole hangers or optional, adjustable flex mounts. Powder-coated metal stands are also available for the LR and SR. The T 90 PBM acoustic suspension subwoofer features a 12-inch long-throw driver with a massive magnetically shielded motor structure and a 2-inch, four-layer high-temperature voice coil. The sub's power plant is a 150-watt, discrete-component Class G amplifier precisely matched to this driver. The subwoofer has a signal-sensing auto turn-on circuit, an absolute-phase (polarity) switch, controls for level (front mounted) and crossover frequency, and high- and low-level inputs and throughputs "for easy connection to virtually any home theater electronics." The T 90 system is available now at Atlantic Technology dealers, with a suggested list price of $1699.