Innovative Christie Line Array Surround Speakers Expand Christie Vive Audio Immersive Sound Solution

NEW YORK - Sept. 13, 2013 - PRLog -- Christie®, the world’s dominant brand in the digital cinema projection market, takes cinema audio to the next level of realism with the introduction of the Christie LA3C line array ceiling surround and Christie LA3S line array surround speakers. Another industry first for Christie, the new surround speakers expand the company’s innovative Christie Vive Audio™ cinema sound solution that was announced on July 17.  Featuring the pioneering combination of ribbon driver technology and a unique parabolic line array design in a single compact cabinet, the additional speakers deliver exceptionally even coverage throughout the auditorium.  As part of the Christie Vive Audio system, they help unleash the potential of the leading immersive audio technologies such as Dolby® Atmos™ and Auro 3D audio formats.

“Immersive audio is the next frontier in digital cinema, allowing the placement of sound anywhere in the theater – even on the ceiling – to perfectly complement the visual elements of the movie in a powerful and dynamic, lifelike way that is unrivaled for its realism,” noted Craig Sholder, vice president, Entertainment Solutions, Christie. “Christie Vive Audio has set the new standard in immersive cinema sound by combining all the benefits of ribbon driver technology in a line array configuration with Class D amplification and putting it all into a cinema environment, while also meeting the performance demands of the DCI specification. With this announcement, we’re expanding our product line with surround speakers that produce unprecedented uniformity of sound throughout the entire audience listening area, without compromising on quality.”

The Christie LA3C line array ceiling surround speaker and Christie LA3S line array surround speakers are premium solutions that also meet Christie’s goal of providing exhibitors with the highest quality cinema system at an attainable price point.  Recognized for their exceptional timbre-matching, enhanced voice intelligibility and low distortion, the speakers’ unique parabolic, line array design increases the optimal listening area up to four times that of the standard point source systems. The extremely low mass of the ribbon drivers allows them to respond very quickly to audio signals and eliminates the effects of high frequency breakup and power compression, resulting in the reproduction of the source material with exceptional clarity and accuracy.

“The Christie LA3C and Christie LA3S surround speakers feature dramatically higher RMS to peak max SPL ratio than traditional, compression driver systems. This means that powerful, sudden bursts of sounds, such as explosions, pop through quickly and flawlessly, without the lag that can detract from the purity of the experience,” said Jim Hall, senior product manager, Entertainment  Solutions, Christie.

“There is nothing like them in the cinema environment today for immersive auditoriums,” said Patrick Artiaga, director, Business Development, Entertainment Solutions, Christie. “The speakers’ unique parabolic line array design ensures a wide, even dispersion of the sound throughout the entire auditorium, so ‘every seat is a good seat.’ As part of the Christie Vive Audio system, they can be easily integrated into any existing or new theater auditorium for a premium immersive listening experience that makes exhibitors stand out from their competition.”

The complete Christie Vive Audio solution includes ceiling surrounds, wall surrounds, screen channel speakers, subwoofers, and Class D amplifiers. The system is ideal for traditional and premium large-format auditoriums, as well as postproduction studios and screening rooms.

For more information on Christie’s new audio initiative, visit www.viveaudio.com.

About Christie®
Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. is a global visual technologies company and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio Inc., Japan, (JP:6925). Consistently setting the standards by being the first to market some of the world’s most advanced projectors, complete system displays and cinema audio solutions, Christie is recognized as one of the most innovative visual technology companies in the world. From retail displays to Hollywood, mission critical command centers to classrooms and training simulators, Christie display solutions and projectors capture the attention of audiences around the world with dynamic and stunning images, accompanied by awe-inspiring sound. Visit www.christiedigital.com.