THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 29, 1996 TAG: 9604270051
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: TECH TRACK
GADGETS AND GIZMOS FOR THE NEXT CENTURY
SOURCE: BY JAMES SCHULTZ, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
GO TUBULAR.
So advises inventor David Wiener, who talks not about surfing but about a new creation he has dubbed a ``SoundTube.''
He claims the device - a flexible cylinder with end-mounted speakers and ``acoustic lenses'' - radiates crystal-clear sound a full 360 degrees.
``This isn't a speaker built into the world's largest dryer hose,'' Wiener said from SoundTube Entertainment, Inc. headquarters in Park City, Utah. Rather, he says, SoundTubes have more in common with trumpets, flutes, clarinets or pipe organs. All act as resonance chambers that channel and clarify sound.
As Wiener explains it, two key innovations distinguish the device. One is a cylindrical tube made from spiral-wound plastic that dissipates any low-frequency sound-wave distortions, such as those generated by bass notes.
The other is a downward-pointing plastic cone, or acoustic lens. Parabolic curves that wind around the cone's exterior reflect and spread sound evenly throughout whatever space the tube occupies.
Listeners thus don't have to hunt, contends Wiener, for the so-called ``sweet spot,'' that area where treble, mid-range and bass notes are perfectly balanced. The tubes balance sound well enough to propagate room-size sweet spots, he says.
SoundTubes can be easily attached to existing stereo systems, and hung from ceilings, mounted on walls, or be placed upright, as are conventional speakers. Decorative sleeves that fit over the tubes are also available, and can be customized with photographic or other fit-to-suit designs.
The base price is about $1,100 for a pair of SoundTubes and floor mounts. Buyers will pay roughly $500 more for top-of-the-line models. Accessories such as hardware for wall or ceiling attachment or decorative covers cost extra.
To date, SoundTubes have been sold directly by Wiener's Utah company, or through a handful of commercial sound contractors and specialty stores that cater to well-heeled audiophiles. That will soon change, says SoundTube co-founder and marketing vice president Brian Van Hecke, as the company ramps up production for sales in all 50 states.
By the end of summer, Hecke says, SoundTubes should be available throughout Virginia, including Hampton Roads.
Meantime, for product or sales information, call 1-800-647-8823 (TUBE). Visit Tech Track on Pilot Online's Fun page at http://www.pilotonline.com/ MEMO: ``Tech Track'' appears Mondays in the Daily Break. Readers with ideas
for future columns are invited to contact staff science and technology
writer James Schultz at (804) 229-3380, or via e-mail at
schultz(AT)infi.net
ILLUSTRATION: SOUNDTUBE SPEAKER SYSTEMS
by CNB