Onsia FAQs

The Onsia™ Concealed Flat Panel Speaker is genuinely unique from all other forms of electrical audio sound reproduction (most of which are based on the controlled motion of a piston-like structure). Onsia utilizes the principle of distributed mode vibrations in a lightweight rigid body.

Onsia works in much the same way as the majority of acoustic musical instruments — utilizing the principle of a vibrating sound board or vibrating structural body. The entire body of an acoustic guitar, for example, is a complex vibrating mass that radiates sound energy in all directions. The strings of the acoustic guitar through the guitar’s bridge function to excite or set off those vibrations. By themselves, the vibrations of the strings contribute little to the acoustic energy radiated from the instrument; hence an electric guitar does not make a great deal of sound without an amplifier.

In essence, Onsia speaker technology replaces the strings and bridge of an acoustic musical instrument with a compact electromagnetic coil device, called a transducer. The transducer is capable of converting electrical signals that carry the full audio frequency bandwidth, into a small linear motion. The transducer is then used to “excite” a soundboard. It is the soundboard itself, through a complex distributed mode vibrating action, which then radiates large amounts of sound energy into the surrounding environment without any perceived large excursion of a diaphragm.

Conventional speakers use a pair of magnetic fields to cause a membrane, or diaphragm, to vibrate, thus creating sound. Onsia speakers, by contrast, use electronic impulses to produce multiple vibrations across a single surface. When you tap a drum, the sound vibrates across the drumhead, starting at the point at which you tapped. If you tap it softly, the volume is lower. Tap along the edge, and you get a different tone than if you tap the center. That’s the basic idea behind Onsia technology, but it goes one step further. An electronic “exciter” on the back of each speaker sends electronic “taps” along the surface of the panel. By changing and regulating each electronic tap, the exciter creates different volumes and frequencies that vibrate through the panel. The resulting vibrations are heard as sound. Onsia technology operates on a principle of complex vibrations across an entire panel rather than the piston-like motion of a diaphragm.

No, it has been around for about 15 years. In the early 1990s, the British Defense Ministry authorized the use of lighter, stiffer materials in the cockpits of fighter jets. British fighter pilots complained about increased noise in the cockpit. When the ministry’s scientists investigated, they discovered that the new materials carried the plane’s own vibrations very efficiently —too efficiently for comfort. A London-based company called NXT™ took the findings and conducted more research. In late 1997, NXT began licensing technology for flat panel speakers. While flat speakers have been around for nearly 50 years, NXT technology is the first to use multiple, chaotic vibrations instead of a pulsating diaphragm to create sound. The result is an inexpensive, lightweight and flexible speaker that can reproduce low, mid and high-range frequencies better than conventional speakers. The first loudspeakers to utilize NXT technology became available in 2000 marketed under the Benwin™ brand.

NXT technologies can be found in audio systems, TVs, PCs and laptops, mobile phones, PA systems, cars, aircraft, and in public buildings and facilities around the world.

The In-Wall models are rated at 50w RMS/100w Peak (120Hz high pass filter @ 6dB/oct). The panels are rated at being able to accept 50w of RMS power provided the signal is high pass filtered at 120 Hz with a filter of slope 6dB per octave or steeper. A high pass filter, as described above, is engineered into each Onsia speaker. Onsia In-Frame and In-Ceiling model speakers are both rated at 25w RMS/50w Peak.

Products incorporating NXT technology have won many awards and received enthusiastic press coverage worldwide, in some cases sweeping the board against conventional loudspeaker solutions. To quote a few examples: Pioneer’s NXT-equipped 5.1 speaker system won Stuff magazine’s “hot buy” for boxed home theatre systems; KEF’s innovative KIT was the winner of a prestigious EISA award in 2004; Mission's M-Cube Home Theatre system took the prize in “What Hi-Fi?” test of surround sound systems carried out in May 2005; and Philips’ range of Ambi-light TVs incorporating NXT flat panel speakers have won almost every conceivable media and industry award since their introduction.

Reliability is absolutely paramount — no one wants to have to re-plaster a wall if something were to go wrong. NXT technology is inherently maintenance free. As the exciter is only moving fractions of a millimeter, the mechanical stresses are far less than with the drive unit of a conventional speaker. Equally, the technology has no cone surround or suspension that can fail due to material fatigue. The unit does contain a moving coil, and it is possible to overdrive this like any other speaker by applying too much power for too long. However Onsia’s protective, self-resetting polyswitches are built into each speaker, thus eliminating “blown” speakers due to overpowering or signal spikes. This virtually eliminates the risk of failure due to abuse, so your Onsia products should last a lifetime.

See installation instructions under the models section.

No, The unit does contain a moving coil, and it is possible to overdrive this like any other speaker by applying too much power for too long. However Onsia’s protective, self-resetting polyswitches are built into each speaker, thus eliminating “blown” speakers due to overpowering or signal spikes. This virtually eliminates the risk of failure due to abuse, so your Onsia products should last a lifetime. See also # 13

Yes, although they have the same sound characteristic, they do sound slightly different because they are designed for different applications

The In-Wall models are rated at 50w RMS/100w Peak (120Hz high pass filter @ 6dB/oct). The panels are rated at being able to accept 50w of RMS power provided the signal is high pass filtered at 120 Hz with a filter of slope 6dB per octave or steeper. A high pass filter, as described above, is engineered into each Onsia speaker. Onsia In-Frame and In-Ceiling model speakers are both rated at 25w RMS/50w Peak.

Yes, but Onsia In-Wall speaker panels are pre-stressed (curved) to maintain linearity upon installation. This means that the panels will have “resonance” and will not have a full-range, rich sound until after they are installed in your wall or ceiling. The speakers have been engineered to fully perform only after they are integrated into your wall or ceiling, with drywall compound and paint or wallpaper over the panel.

The In-Wall speaker has a different frequency range because it operates in the wall itself. At a lower frequency range of 120Hz, the In-Wall speaker is able to activate the wall area outside the panel and causes lower-end frequency modeling. The In-Ceiling and In-Frame speakers operate in a “free-air environment” and require a lower frequency range to carry the lower end sounds in ambient air, hence their lower range.

The standard receiver generally has 100 watts per channel. Turning up the volume on the receiver is what increases the wattage to its full potential. If the volume is too high, it will cause the protective mechanism to kick in and mute the sound.

The difference is enormous. The In-Wall speakers are designed specifically to be covered with drywall compound and integrated into your wall system. Even after installation, it takes up to 40 hours of playback for the speaker to break in. Onsia In-Wall speaker panels are pre-stressed (curved) to maintain linearity upon installation. This means that the panels will have “resonance” and will not have a full-range, rich sound until after they are installed in your wall or ceiling. The speakers have been engineered to fully perform only after they are integrated into your wall or ceiling, with drywall compound and paint or wallpaper over the panel.

For the In-Ceiling and In-Frame, there is “A 100 db (decibel) max spl” and the In-Wall has ”A 105 db max spl”. One item to note that due to the unique construction of our product, different than cone speakers, our speaker fall off is 3 dbl less at every doubling of distance when compared to conventional speakers. I.e.

	Conventional	Onsia
Dbl @ 2 meters	80 dbl	80 dbl
Dbl @ 4 meters	75 dbl	78 dbl

Currently we have done laser vibrometer testing in our own laboratory against other national brand loudspeakers to identify the frequency and decibel response. We have not done independent or third party testing as that is purely subjective to the listener. Flat panel technology has been around for many years; however, no one has incorporated it with specific materials and substrates to get the response and sound quality that we have achieved thus far.

A simple definition of impedance is "the opposition of one thing to another." For an analogy: you are in a room and you would like to leave that room, but if there were a 365-pound wrestler standing in the doorway and he didn't want you to go through the door, he would represent a significantly high impedance. He could easily impede or prevent you from going out of the room. If, one the other hand, some person much smaller and lighter than you were standing in the doorway, he would not offer much opposition to you if you truly desired to go through that doorway.

A loudspeaker's impedance is its opposition to current flow from the power amplifier. It is the current flow from the power amplifier that actually performs the work, or causes the voice coil attached to the paper cone to move back and forth in the magnetic field, which causes the loudspeaker cone to start the air molecules bumping in to each other to produce what we hear as sound. The more current that flows in the voice coil, the greater the cone's motion and the higher the sound pressure level, i.e., the louder the sound that is produced. The loudspeaker is a transducer, or a device that changes energy from one form into another.

The loudspeaker takes the electrical current produced by the amplifier and transforms it into acoustical energy, thus creating a phenomenon we recognize as sound. However, the loudspeaker is far from being 100% efficient. The electrical current that is not converted into acoustical energy is converted into another form of energy we know as heat. Since impedance is the opposition to current flow, the higher the loudspeaker's impedance, the less current flow from the power amplifier. The lower the loudspeaker's impedance, the more current will flow from the amplifier. The power amplifier produces energy in the form of both voltage and current.

The In-Ceiling & In-Frame speakers use 2 transducers that are rated at 8 ohms each. The transducers are then wired in series for a total value of 16 ohms. The In-Wall speaker uses 4 exciters which are rated at 8 ohms each, of which two exciters are wired in parallel and then the each "pair" of exciters is wired in series with one another. The 8 ohm rating is common among speakers while 16 ohms is quite rare. The reason for using 16 ohms on the In-Wall speaker is to improve compatibility with a broad range of audio receivers or amplifiers featuring 125-150 watts per channel without fear of triggering the protection circuit or damaging the speaker.

Laser Interferometer research has helped us develop and discover new materials and combinations of materials that strike the best balance between stiffness, damping and mass. Our research led to the development of a proprietary panel design. The core of the panel is made from aerated polystyrene which is then skinned with asymmetrically aligned paper and styrene laminates.

The In-Wall models are rated at 50w RMS/100w Peak (120Hz high pass filter @ 6dB/oct). The panels are rated at being able to accept 50w of RMS power provided the signal is high pass filtered at 120 Hz with a filter of slope 6dB per octave or steeper. A high pass filter, as described above, is engineered into each Onsia speaker. Onsia In-Frame and In-Ceiling model speakers are both rated at 25w RMS/50w Peak.

Onsia flat panel speakers can generate sound pressure levels comparable to conventional loudspeakers. A significant advantage of Onsia technology is its room-filling sound. Unlike conventional speaker technology, Onsia speakers produce a wider, more diffuse sound that reaches to the perimeter of the room without experience the “hot and cold spots” associated with traditional cone speakers.

Products incorporating NXT technology have won many awards and received enthusiastic press coverage worldwide, in some cases sweeping the board against conventional loudspeaker solutions. To quote a few examples: Pioneer’s NXT-equipped 5.1 speaker system won Stuff magazine’s “hot buy” for boxed home theatre systems; KEF’s innovative KIT was the winner of a prestigious EISA award in 2004; Mission's M-Cube Home Theatre system took the prize in “What Hi-Fi?” test of surround sound systems carried out in May 2005; and Philips’ range of Ambi-light TVs incorporating NXT flat panel speakers have won almost every conceivable media and industry award since their introduction.

Reliability is absolutely paramount — no one wants to have to re-plaster a wall if something were to go wrong. NXT technology is inherently maintenance free. As the exciter is only moving fractions of a millimeter, the mechanical stresses are far less than with the drive unit of a conventional speaker. Equally, the technology has no cone surround or suspension that can fail due to material fatigue. The unit does contain a moving coil, and it is possible to overdrive this like any other speaker by applying too much power for too long. However Onsia’s protective, self-resetting polyswitches are built into each speaker, thus eliminating “blown” speakers due to overpowering or signal spikes. This virtually eliminates the risk of failure due to abuse, so your Onsia products should last a lifetime.

No, The unit does contain a moving coil, and it is possible to overdrive this like any other speaker by applying too much power for too long. However Onsia’s protective, self-resetting polyswitches are built into each speaker, thus eliminating “blown” speakers due to overpowering or signal spikes. This virtually eliminates the risk of failure due to abuse, so your Onsia products should last a lifetime. See also # 13

Traditional speakers often use limit switches in tweeters.

Yes, as with conventional speakers, to reproduce all the channels of surround-encoded program content, you will need to use a subwoofer. It is not a function of the speaker technology, but rather a function of the surround sound process.

Yes, but Onsia In-Wall speaker panels are pre-stressed (curved) to maintain linearity upon installation. This means that the panels will have “resonance” and will not have a full-range, rich sound until after they are installed in your wall or ceiling. The speakers have been engineered to fully perform only after they are integrated into your wall or ceiling, with drywall compound and paint or wallpaper over the panel.

The difference is enormous. The In-Wall speakers are designed specifically to be covered with drywall compound and integrated into your wall system. Even after installation, it takes up to 40 hours of playback for the speaker to break in. Onsia In-Wall speaker panels are pre-stressed (curved) to maintain linearity upon installation. This means that the panels will have “resonance” and will not have a full-range, rich sound until after they are installed in your wall or ceiling. The speakers have been engineered to fully perform only after they are integrated into your wall or ceiling, with drywall compound and paint or wallpaper over the panel.

For the In-Ceiling and In-Frame, there is “A 100 db (decibel) max spl” and the In-Wall has ”A 105 db max spl”. One item to note that due to the unique construction of our product, different than cone speakers, our speaker fall off is 3 dbl less at every doubling of distance when compared to conventional speakers. I.e.

	Conventional	Onsia
Dbl @ 2 meters	80 dbl	80 dbl
Dbl @ 4 meters	75 dbl	78 dbl

Currently we have done laser vibrometer testing in our own laboratory against other national brand loudspeakers to identify the frequency and decibel response. We have not done independent or third party testing as that is purely subjective to the listener. Flat panel technology has been around for many years; however, no one has incorporated it with specific materials and substrates to get the response and sound quality that we have achieved thus far.

No, it has been around for about 15 years. In the early 1990s, the British Defense Ministry authorized the use of lighter, stiffer materials in the cockpits of fighter jets. British fighter pilots complained about increased noise in the cockpit. When the ministry’s scientists investigated, they discovered that the new materials carried the plane’s own vibrations very efficiently —too efficiently for comfort. A London-based company called NXT™ took the findings and conducted more research. In late 1997, NXT began licensing technology for flat panel speakers. While flat speakers have been around for nearly 50 years, NXT technology is the first to use multiple, chaotic vibrations instead of a pulsating diaphragm to create sound. The result is an inexpensive, lightweight and flexible speaker that can reproduce low, mid and high-range frequencies better than conventional speakers. The first loudspeakers to utilize NXT technology became available in 2000 marketed under the Benwin™ brand.

Laser Interferometer research has helped us develop and discover new materials and combinations of materials that strike the best balance between stiffness, damping and mass. Our research led to the development of a proprietary panel design. The core of the panel is made from aerated polystyrene which is then skinned with asymmetrically aligned paper and styrene laminates.

It is mineral-filled polypropylene that has been “puffed up” with injected air to form a honey-comb like structure. Take a look at the scanning electron microscope photo of the cross section of an Onsia panel diaphragm (pictured on right).

Products incorporating NXT technology have won many awards and received enthusiastic press coverage worldwide, in some cases sweeping the board against conventional loudspeaker solutions. To quote a few examples: Pioneer’s NXT-equipped 5.1 speaker system won Stuff magazine’s “hot buy” for boxed home theatre systems; KEF’s innovative KIT was the winner of a prestigious EISA award in 2004; Mission's M-Cube Home Theatre system took the prize in “What Hi-Fi?” test of surround sound systems carried out in May 2005; and Philips’ range of Ambi-light TVs incorporating NXT flat panel speakers have won almost every conceivable media and industry award since their introduction.

Reliability is absolutely paramount — no one wants to have to re-plaster a wall if something were to go wrong. NXT technology is inherently maintenance free. As the exciter is only moving fractions of a millimeter, the mechanical stresses are far less than with the drive unit of a conventional speaker. Equally, the technology has no cone surround or suspension that can fail due to material fatigue. The unit does contain a moving coil, and it is possible to overdrive this like any other speaker by applying too much power for too long. However Onsia’s protective, self-resetting polyswitches are built into each speaker, thus eliminating “blown” speakers due to overpowering or signal spikes. This virtually eliminates the risk of failure due to abuse, so your Onsia products should last a lifetime.

No, The unit does contain a moving coil, and it is possible to overdrive this like any other speaker by applying too much power for too long. However Onsia’s protective, self-resetting polyswitches are built into each speaker, thus eliminating “blown” speakers due to overpowering or signal spikes. This virtually eliminates the risk of failure due to abuse, so your Onsia products should last a lifetime. See also # 13

Yes, using a soft cloth and surface or glass cleaner

Properly installed, the In-Wall loudspeaker will not be negatively affected by wet or humid environments, but the In-Ceiling and In-Frame model speakers are not recommended for such use.

Conventional speakers use a pair of magnetic fields to cause a membrane, or diaphragm, to vibrate, thus creating sound. Onsia speakers, by contrast, use electronic impulses to produce multiple vibrations across a single surface. When you tap a drum, the sound vibrates across the drumhead, starting at the point at which you tapped. If you tap it softly, the volume is lower. Tap along the edge, and you get a different tone than if you tap the center. That’s the basic idea behind Onsia technology, but it goes one step further. An electronic “exciter” on the back of each speaker sends electronic “taps” along the surface of the panel. By changing and regulating each electronic tap, the exciter creates different volumes and frequencies that vibrate through the panel. The resulting vibrations are heard as sound. Onsia technology operates on a principle of complex vibrations across an entire panel rather than the piston-like motion of a diaphragm.

The In-Wall models are rated at 50w RMS/100w Peak (120Hz high pass filter @ 6dB/oct). The panels are rated at being able to accept 50w of RMS power provided the signal is high pass filtered at 120 Hz with a filter of slope 6dB per octave or steeper. A high pass filter, as described above, is engineered into each Onsia speaker. Onsia In-Frame and In-Ceiling model speakers are both rated at 25w RMS/50w Peak.

Onsia flat panel speakers can generate sound pressure levels comparable to conventional loudspeakers. A significant advantage of Onsia technology is its room-filling sound. Unlike conventional speaker technology, Onsia speakers produce a wider, more diffuse sound that reaches to the perimeter of the room without experience the “hot and cold spots” associated with traditional cone speakers.

Products incorporating NXT technology have won many awards and received enthusiastic press coverage worldwide, in some cases sweeping the board against conventional loudspeaker solutions. To quote a few examples: Pioneer’s NXT-equipped 5.1 speaker system won Stuff magazine’s “hot buy” for boxed home theatre systems; KEF’s innovative KIT was the winner of a prestigious EISA award in 2004; Mission's M-Cube Home Theatre system took the prize in “What Hi-Fi?” test of surround sound systems carried out in May 2005; and Philips’ range of Ambi-light TVs incorporating NXT flat panel speakers have won almost every conceivable media and industry award since their introduction.

Reliability is absolutely paramount — no one wants to have to re-plaster a wall if something were to go wrong. NXT technology is inherently maintenance free. As the exciter is only moving fractions of a millimeter, the mechanical stresses are far less than with the drive unit of a conventional speaker. Equally, the technology has no cone surround or suspension that can fail due to material fatigue. The unit does contain a moving coil, and it is possible to overdrive this like any other speaker by applying too much power for too long. However Onsia’s protective, self-resetting polyswitches are built into each speaker, thus eliminating “blown” speakers due to overpowering or signal spikes. This virtually eliminates the risk of failure due to abuse, so your Onsia products should last a lifetime.

Yes, as with conventional speakers, to reproduce all the channels of surround-encoded program content, you will need to use a subwoofer. It is not a function of the speaker technology, but rather a function of the surround sound process.

As with all speakers, sound isolation is required to prevent transmission through the rear of the wall into an adjacent room. Standard fiberglass insulation or other wadding can be applied in the wall cavity to minimize sound leakage.

It depends on the type of construction used. Most regions building codes call for insulated floor/ceilings between dwellings. This will minimize the problem.

Yes, although they have the same sound characteristic, they do sound slightly different because they are designed for different applications

The In-Wall models are rated at 50w RMS/100w Peak (120Hz high pass filter @ 6dB/oct). The panels are rated at being able to accept 50w of RMS power provided the signal is high pass filtered at 120 Hz with a filter of slope 6dB per octave or steeper. A high pass filter, as described above, is engineered into each Onsia speaker. Onsia In-Frame and In-Ceiling model speakers are both rated at 25w RMS/50w Peak.

Not if installed according to instructions.

Not if installed according to instructions.

Yes, but Onsia In-Wall speaker panels are pre-stressed (curved) to maintain linearity upon installation. This means that the panels will have “resonance” and will not have a full-range, rich sound until after they are installed in your wall or ceiling. The speakers have been engineered to fully perform only after they are integrated into your wall or ceiling, with drywall compound and paint or wallpaper over the panel.

It is possible. However, because of the nature of amplified microphone input, you may often cause the self-resetting poly switch to activate because of the varying vocal input.

The In-Wall speaker has a different frequency range because it operates in the wall itself. At a lower frequency range of 120Hz, the In-Wall speaker is able to activate the wall area outside the panel and causes lower-end frequency modeling. The In-Ceiling and In-Frame speakers operate in a “free-air environment” and require a lower frequency range to carry the lower end sounds in ambient air, hence their lower range.

The difference is enormous. The In-Wall speakers are designed specifically to be covered with drywall compound and integrated into your wall system. Even after installation, it takes up to 40 hours of playback for the speaker to break in. Onsia In-Wall speaker panels are pre-stressed (curved) to maintain linearity upon installation. This means that the panels will have “resonance” and will not have a full-range, rich sound until after they are installed in your wall or ceiling. The speakers have been engineered to fully perform only after they are integrated into your wall or ceiling, with drywall compound and paint or wallpaper over the panel.

For the In-Ceiling and In-Frame, there is “A 100 db (decibel) max spl” and the In-Wall has ”A 105 db max spl”. One item to note that due to the unique construction of our product, different than cone speakers, our speaker fall off is 3 dbl less at every doubling of distance when compared to conventional speakers. I.e.

	Conventional	Onsia
Dbl @ 2 meters	80 dbl	80 dbl
Dbl @ 4 meters	75 dbl	78 dbl

Currently we have done laser vibrometer testing in our own laboratory against other national brand loudspeakers to identify the frequency and decibel response. We have not done independent or third party testing as that is purely subjective to the listener. Flat panel technology has been around for many years; however, no one has incorporated it with specific materials and substrates to get the response and sound quality that we have achieved thus far.

For most background music applications, two speakers are sufficient to cover an average living space. For home theater installations, you use one speaker for each channel, e.g., five speakers with a 5.1 system, six with a 6.1 system, and seven with a 7.1 channel surround system. For installations in drop-tile ceiling systems (In-Ceiling model), fourtimes fewer panels are required to give the same coverage as conventional loudspeakers. Figure A

In practice, the clarity and evenness of coverage will be far better with this reduced number of Onsia speakers than a greater number of conventional loudspeakers.

Because of the unique technology used in the design of the loudspeaker panels, there is more flexibility in placing the panels in the primary listening area. In other words, the location of the speaker panels can be based on interior design requirements as well as acoustical considerations. You can simply place them where they look the best (In-Frame model). Or conceal them entirely (In-Wall and In-Ceiling models). The panels can also be oriented either horizontally or vertically with no impact on audio performance. However, optimal performance can be achieved by following several simple guidelines:

Home theater speaker placement
The front channel panels should be placed on either side of the television screen, six to 10 feet apart, with the center speaker located central to the listening position and close to the TV screen. Ideally, the front and center channel speakers should be installed at the same height. We recommend placing the rear panels behind the listener and above the listening position. For home theater applications, we recommend the use of a powered subwoofer to “lift” the bottom end of the frequency spectrum. Subwoofer not included.

Operation
It is important to correctly configure your receiver or processor to operate effectively with the Onsia speaker system. The correct setup is determined by the number of speaker panels and the type of receiver/processor. Always follow the directions and instructions for wiring and setup for your particular brand and model of audio and visual equipment. Subwoofer not included. For a 2.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right) and a subwoofer. Set your receiver to STEREO mode. If your receiver has a simulated surround sound capability (such as Dolby® Virtual Speaker or SRS Labs TruSurround®), you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of surround sound from just two speaker panels.

For a 4.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right), two rear surround speaker panels (left, right), and a subwoofer. Set your receiver mode to match the source material (STEREO, 5 CH. STEREO, etc. for music, SURROUND, PRO LOGIC, etc., for movies and TV). It is important to note that, since there is no center channel speaker panel in the 4.1 setup, you must set your receiver’s Center Channel mode to PHANTOM. This will route the center channel signal to the left and right front speaker panels.

For a 5.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right), two rear surround speaker panels (left, right), a center channel speaker panel, and a subwoofer. In this setup, set your receiver mode to match the source material (STEREO, 5 CH STEREO, etc., for music, SURROUND, PRO LOGIC, etc., for movies and TV). Since there is a center channel speaker panel in the 5.1 setup, you must set your receiver’s Center Channel mode to NORMAL or WIDE. Please follow the instructions for your receiver/processor to ensure that the subwoofer output is turned on and that the speakers are set to “Small” in all of the operating modes for the receiver/processor.

Choosing an appropriate mounting height
When determining the mounting height, simply follow the same principles that you normally do when hanging traditional artwork (for the In-Frame model). The height of the picture is conditional to the area. If it is to be located in a living room, dining room, or bedroom, where people are seated, then it should be hung at eye level. The eye will be drawn to the focus of interest in the picture, and sound will then be at ear level. In hallways and entranceways, consider that people will be standing, and eye level (and ear level) will change accordingly. In- Wall model Onsia speakers perform best at about 66 inches off the ground.

Onsia offers a number of benefits to the listener beyond the absolute stealth of the design. One of the key features is the ability to provide consistent sound pressure levels over a wide listening area. Conventional loudspeakers produce a very directional sound. Typically the dispersion varies greatly according to the frequency being produced, with low frequency waves dispersing well, but above 5 kHz, the sound becomes very directional. As a result, with conventional loudspeakers, you need your ears directly in line with the drive units in order to be able to hear the full frequency spectrum. In conventional systems with more than one speaker, directional midrange and high frequencies react with each other to create interference patterns of sound pressure, so when moving through a room, you notice that sounds get louder and quieter with very little consistency, even in the listening “sweet spot.”

With Onsia, these problems simply disappear. Because the sound is being produced by longitudinal waves across the entire surface of the panel with a maximum excursion of only a few microns, the resulting audio waves are entirely different in nature. Rather than coherent waves produced (like throwing a pebble into an otherwise still pond) that you get from traditional speakers, the sound waves from Onsia are much more complex, exciting the surface of the panel with hundreds of nonlinear waves. This has the effect of virtually eliminating the interference patterns that are inevitable when coherent waves interact. The phase relationship between sound waves no longer has significance and, perhaps the most important consequence, the wave amplitude does not decay logarithmically in relation to distance from the loudspeaker. Instead, a smooth linear decay occurs. The result is a large and consistent listening area, free of interference. Gone are the days when you had to place the stereo speakers equidistant in a triangle from the listener. Onsia speakers can be placed anywhere, even in L-shaped or irregular rooms, at different heights or orientations.

Yes, The In-Wall model can be installed (according to instructions) in an exterior wall or ceiling.

Yes

Yes, as with conventional speakers, to reproduce all the channels of surround-encoded program content, you will need to use a subwoofer. It is not a function of the speaker technology, but rather a function of the surround sound process.

As with all speakers, sound isolation is required to prevent transmission through the rear of the wall into an adjacent room. Standard fiberglass insulation or other wadding can be applied in the wall cavity to minimize sound leakage.

It depends on the type of construction used. Most regions building codes call for insulated floor/ceilings between dwellings. This will minimize the problem.

Yes.

Because of the unique technology used in the design of the loudspeaker panels, there is more flexibility in placing the panels in the primary listening area. In other words, the location of the speaker panels can be based on interior design requirements as well as acoustical considerations. You can simply place them where they look the best (In-Frame model). Or conceal them entirely (In-Wall and In-Ceiling models). The panels can also be oriented either horizontally or vertically with no impact on audio performance. However, optimal performance can be achieved by following several simple guidelines:

Home theater speaker placement
The front channel panels should be placed on either side of the television screen, six to 10 feet apart, with the center speaker located central to the listening position and close to the TV screen. Ideally, the front and center channel speakers should be installed at the same height. We recommend placing the rear panels behind the listener and above the listening position. For home theater applications, we recommend the use of a powered subwoofer to “lift” the bottom end of the frequency spectrum. Subwoofer not included.

Operation
It is important to correctly configure your receiver or processor to operate effectively with the Onsia speaker system. The correct setup is determined by the number of speaker panels and the type of receiver/processor. Always follow the directions and instructions for wiring and setup for your particular brand and model of audio and visual equipment. Subwoofer not included. For a 2.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right) and a subwoofer. Set your receiver to STEREO mode. If your receiver has a simulated surround sound capability (such as Dolby® Virtual Speaker or SRS Labs TruSurround®), you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of surround sound from just two speaker panels.

For a 4.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right), two rear surround speaker panels (left, right), and a subwoofer. Set your receiver mode to match the source material (STEREO, 5 CH. STEREO, etc. for music, SURROUND, PRO LOGIC, etc., for movies and TV). It is important to note that, since there is no center channel speaker panel in the 4.1 setup, you must set your receiver’s Center Channel mode to PHANTOM. This will route the center channel signal to the left and right front speaker panels.

For a 5.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right), two rear surround speaker panels (left, right), a center channel speaker panel, and a subwoofer. In this setup, set your receiver mode to match the source material (STEREO, 5 CH STEREO, etc., for music, SURROUND, PRO LOGIC, etc., for movies and TV). Since there is a center channel speaker panel in the 5.1 setup, you must set your receiver’s Center Channel mode to NORMAL or WIDE. Please follow the instructions for your receiver/processor to ensure that the subwoofer output is turned on and that the speakers are set to “Small” in all of the operating modes for the receiver/processor.

Choosing an appropriate mounting height
When determining the mounting height, simply follow the same principles that you normally do when hanging traditional artwork (for the In-Frame model). The height of the picture is conditional to the area. If it is to be located in a living room, dining room, or bedroom, where people are seated, then it should be hung at eye level. The eye will be drawn to the focus of interest in the picture, and sound will then be at ear level. In hallways and entranceways, consider that people will be standing, and eye level (and ear level) will change accordingly. In- Wall model Onsia speakers perform best at about 66 inches off the ground.

No. Separate subwoofers are recommended.

Yes, Onsia Flat-Wire can be used for most speaker applications.

Properly installed, the In-Wall loudspeaker will not be negatively affected by wet or humid environments, but the In-Ceiling and In-Frame model speakers are not recommended for such use.

Because of the unique technology used in the design of the loudspeaker panels, there is more flexibility in placing the panels in the primary listening area. In other words, the location of the speaker panels can be based on interior design requirements as well as acoustical considerations. You can simply place them where they look the best (In-Frame model). Or conceal them entirely (In-Wall and In-Ceiling models). The panels can also be oriented either horizontally or vertically with no impact on audio performance. However, optimal performance can be achieved by following several simple guidelines:

Home theater speaker placement
The front channel panels should be placed on either side of the television screen, six to 10 feet apart, with the center speaker located central to the listening position and close to the TV screen. Ideally, the front and center channel speakers should be installed at the same height. We recommend placing the rear panels behind the listener and above the listening position. For home theater applications, we recommend the use of a powered subwoofer to “lift” the bottom end of the frequency spectrum. Subwoofer not included.

Operation
It is important to correctly configure your receiver or processor to operate effectively with the Onsia speaker system. The correct setup is determined by the number of speaker panels and the type of receiver/processor. Always follow the directions and instructions for wiring and setup for your particular brand and model of audio and visual equipment. Subwoofer not included. For a 2.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right) and a subwoofer. Set your receiver to STEREO mode. If your receiver has a simulated surround sound capability (such as Dolby® Virtual Speaker or SRS Labs TruSurround®), you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of surround sound from just two speaker panels.

For a 4.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right), two rear surround speaker panels (left, right), and a subwoofer. Set your receiver mode to match the source material (STEREO, 5 CH. STEREO, etc. for music, SURROUND, PRO LOGIC, etc., for movies and TV). It is important to note that, since there is no center channel speaker panel in the 4.1 setup, you must set your receiver’s Center Channel mode to PHANTOM. This will route the center channel signal to the left and right front speaker panels.

For a 5.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right), two rear surround speaker panels (left, right), a center channel speaker panel, and a subwoofer. In this setup, set your receiver mode to match the source material (STEREO, 5 CH STEREO, etc., for music, SURROUND, PRO LOGIC, etc., for movies and TV). Since there is a center channel speaker panel in the 5.1 setup, you must set your receiver’s Center Channel mode to NORMAL or WIDE. Please follow the instructions for your receiver/processor to ensure that the subwoofer output is turned on and that the speakers are set to “Small” in all of the operating modes for the receiver/processor.

Choosing an appropriate mounting height
When determining the mounting height, simply follow the same principles that you normally do when hanging traditional artwork (for the In-Frame model). The height of the picture is conditional to the area. If it is to be located in a living room, dining room, or bedroom, where people are seated, then it should be hung at eye level. The eye will be drawn to the focus of interest in the picture, and sound will then be at ear level. In hallways and entranceways, consider that people will be standing, and eye level (and ear level) will change accordingly. In- Wall model Onsia speakers perform best at about 66 inches off the ground.

The In-Wall models are rated at 50w RMS/100w Peak (120Hz high pass filter @ 6dB/oct). The panels are rated at being able to accept 50w of RMS power provided the signal is high pass filtered at 120 Hz with a filter of slope 6dB per octave or steeper. A high pass filter, as described above, is engineered into each Onsia speaker. Onsia In-Frame and In-Ceiling model speakers are both rated at 25w RMS/50w Peak.

See installation instructions in the models section.

No. Our research and development team is working on a wireless Onsia system. But at this point, Onsia speakers require speaker wire.

Yes, The In-Wall model can be installed (according to instructions) in an exterior wall or ceiling.

No, The unit does contain a moving coil, and it is possible to overdrive this like any other speaker by applying too much power for too long. However Onsia’s protective, self-resetting polyswitches are built into each speaker, thus eliminating “blown” speakers due to overpowering or signal spikes. This virtually eliminates the risk of failure due to abuse, so your Onsia products should last a lifetime. See also # 13

See installation instructions in the models section.

Onsia’s optional FLAT-WIRE kit includes a termination box that adapts the flat wire for connection to standard speaker wire using gold plated binding posts.

All models can be used in new or existing construction.

Yes, the speakers are well-suited for left, right, center (both back and front) channels. A separate subwoofer is recommended to lift the bottom frequencies.

Yes, as with conventional speakers, to reproduce all the channels of surround-encoded program content, you will need to use a subwoofer. It is not a function of the speaker technology, but rather a function of the surround sound process.

Yes, using a soft cloth and surface or glass cleaner

No, the adhesive strengthens over time. Removing and reapplying artwork is not recommended.

Yes, we offer most common tile patterns and colors. Call 800-434-3750 for additional details.

Yes.

Because of the unique technology used in the design of the loudspeaker panels, there is more flexibility in placing the panels in the primary listening area. In other words, the location of the speaker panels can be based on interior design requirements as well as acoustical considerations. You can simply place them where they look the best (In-Frame model). Or conceal them entirely (In-Wall and In-Ceiling models). The panels can also be oriented either horizontally or vertically with no impact on audio performance. However, optimal performance can be achieved by following several simple guidelines:

Home theater speaker placement
The front channel panels should be placed on either side of the television screen, six to 10 feet apart, with the center speaker located central to the listening position and close to the TV screen. Ideally, the front and center channel speakers should be installed at the same height. We recommend placing the rear panels behind the listener and above the listening position. For home theater applications, we recommend the use of a powered subwoofer to “lift” the bottom end of the frequency spectrum. Subwoofer not included.

Operation
It is important to correctly configure your receiver or processor to operate effectively with the Onsia speaker system. The correct setup is determined by the number of speaker panels and the type of receiver/processor. Always follow the directions and instructions for wiring and setup for your particular brand and model of audio and visual equipment. Subwoofer not included. For a 2.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right) and a subwoofer. Set your receiver to STEREO mode. If your receiver has a simulated surround sound capability (such as Dolby® Virtual Speaker or SRS Labs TruSurround®), you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of surround sound from just two speaker panels.

For a 4.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right), two rear surround speaker panels (left, right), and a subwoofer. Set your receiver mode to match the source material (STEREO, 5 CH. STEREO, etc. for music, SURROUND, PRO LOGIC, etc., for movies and TV). It is important to note that, since there is no center channel speaker panel in the 4.1 setup, you must set your receiver’s Center Channel mode to PHANTOM. This will route the center channel signal to the left and right front speaker panels.

For a 5.1 system: consists of two front speaker panels (left, right), two rear surround speaker panels (left, right), a center channel speaker panel, and a subwoofer. In this setup, set your receiver mode to match the source material (STEREO, 5 CH STEREO, etc., for music, SURROUND, PRO LOGIC, etc., for movies and TV). Since there is a center channel speaker panel in the 5.1 setup, you must set your receiver’s Center Channel mode to NORMAL or WIDE. Please follow the instructions for your receiver/processor to ensure that the subwoofer output is turned on and that the speakers are set to “Small” in all of the operating modes for the receiver/processor.

Choosing an appropriate mounting height
When determining the mounting height, simply follow the same principles that you normally do when hanging traditional artwork (for the In-Frame model). The height of the picture is conditional to the area. If it is to be located in a living room, dining room, or bedroom, where people are seated, then it should be hung at eye level. The eye will be drawn to the focus of interest in the picture, and sound will then be at ear level. In hallways and entranceways, consider that people will be standing, and eye level (and ear level) will change accordingly. In- Wall model Onsia speakers perform best at about 66 inches off the ground.

Not if installed according to instructions.

Not if installed according to instructions.

No. Separate subwoofers are recommended.

Depending on the audio equipment, but it is not recommended.

No, the products are specifically engineered for their intended application

Yes, but Onsia In-Wall speaker panels are pre-stressed (curved) to maintain linearity upon installation. This means that the panels will have “resonance” and will not have a full-range, rich sound until after they are installed in your wall or ceiling. The speakers have been engineered to fully perform only after they are integrated into your wall or ceiling, with drywall compound and paint or wallpaper over the panel.

It is possible. However, because of the nature of amplified microphone input, you may often cause the self-resetting poly switch to activate because of the varying vocal input.

The standard receiver generally has 100 watts per channel. Turning up the volume on the receiver is what increases the wattage to its full potential. If the volume is too high, it will cause the protective mechanism to kick in and mute the sound.

The difference is enormous. The In-Wall speakers are designed specifically to be covered with drywall compound and integrated into your wall system. Even after installation, it takes up to 40 hours of playback for the speaker to break in. Onsia In-Wall speaker panels are pre-stressed (curved) to maintain linearity upon installation. This means that the panels will have “resonance” and will not have a full-range, rich sound until after they are installed in your wall or ceiling. The speakers have been engineered to fully perform only after they are integrated into your wall or ceiling, with drywall compound and paint or wallpaper over the panel.

For the In-Ceiling and In-Frame, there is “A 100 db (decibel) max spl” and the In-Wall has ”A 105 db max spl”. One item to note that due to the unique construction of our product, different than cone speakers, our speaker fall off is 3 dbl less at every doubling of distance when compared to conventional speakers. I.e.

	Conventional	Onsia
Dbl @ 2 meters	80 dbl	80 dbl
Dbl @ 4 meters	75 dbl	78 dbl

Currently we have done laser vibrometer testing in our own laboratory against other national brand loudspeakers to identify the frequency and decibel response. We have not done independent or third party testing as that is purely subjective to the listener. Flat panel technology has been around for many years; however, no one has incorporated it with specific materials and substrates to get the response and sound quality that we have achieved thus far.

A simple definition of impedance is "the opposition of one thing to another." For an analogy: you are in a room and you would like to leave that room, but if there were a 365-pound wrestler standing in the doorway and he didn't want you to go through the door, he would represent a significantly high impedance. He could easily impede or prevent you from going out of the room. If, one the other hand, some person much smaller and lighter than you were standing in the doorway, he would not offer much opposition to you if you truly desired to go through that doorway.

A loudspeaker's impedance is its opposition to current flow from the power amplifier. It is the current flow from the power amplifier that actually performs the work, or causes the voice coil attached to the paper cone to move back and forth in the magnetic field, which causes the loudspeaker cone to start the air molecules bumping in to each other to produce what we hear as sound. The more current that flows in the voice coil, the greater the cone's motion and the higher the sound pressure level, i.e., the louder the sound that is produced. The loudspeaker is a transducer, or a device that changes energy from one form into another.

The loudspeaker takes the electrical current produced by the amplifier and transforms it into acoustical energy, thus creating a phenomenon we recognize as sound. However, the loudspeaker is far from being 100% efficient. The electrical current that is not converted into acoustical energy is converted into another form of energy we know as heat. Since impedance is the opposition to current flow, the higher the loudspeaker's impedance, the less current flow from the power amplifier. The lower the loudspeaker's impedance, the more current will flow from the amplifier. The power amplifier produces energy in the form of both voltage and current.

The In-Ceiling & In-Frame speakers use 2 transducers that are rated at