What’s the hype(erphonix)?

The Phonix 45 was released in December and was quickly adopted by home cinema installers and enthusiasts alike. Recognising the need for performance-oriented compact speakers that could go just about anywhere, the added appeal came from the speakers ability to aim sound towards the listening position.

 

Hyperphonix 45 layout

 

In a 9.1.4 system, eight of the ten surround speakers are positioned at close to 45 degrees off-axis, so the ability to aim the baffle towards the listener improves the frequency response at the seat, and also provides a more uniform experience for all viewers when considering audio object positioning within the home cinema space. Trinnov has written an informative layout guide explaining these benefits which can be found right here, and you can read our blog article on the Phonix 45 here.

However in today’s blog article, we’re here to talk about the Phonix 45’s new bigger brother. Introducing the Hyperphonix 45!

 

Hyperphonix 45

 

Before we begin, the Hyperphonix 45 isn’t actually bigger in terms of the cabinet, it’s the exact same size and dimensions of the Phonix 45, with the same bracketing system. The differences are found in the baffle – with a newly developed Krix 90 x 90 waveguide and high-output 6.5″ bass driver, capable of higher output while preserving the compact form factor.

With a compact cabinet and the need for installing horizontally or vertically, the Krix waveguide found on the Megaphonix family of speakers couldn’t be utilised here. So the challenge of developing a compact, 90 x 90 waveguide was assigned to the Krix R&D team. The following months saw over 100 simulation models and 7 prototype waveguides created and tested, with much of our cinema horn know-how making its way to this clever “little” waveguide. The shaping of the interface between the tweeter and waveguide, along with matching the controlled dispersion with the mid-bass driver were paramount to the performance of the unit.

 

Krix Waveguide Dispersion
Simulations: The dispersion pattern of Krix’s first 90 x 90 waveguide was scrutinised and refined to achieve a uniform consistency.

 

In addition to the controlled dispersion advantages as seen above, the efficiency that the waveguide affords the tweeter is substantial, allowing for lower distortion and higher sound pressure levels. The R&D team needed a high-output mid-bass driver to match, so a custom-engineered 6.5″ driver with high sensitivity and power handling was designed. The high-output application of this driver makes the most of a larger 2″ voice coil and provided an overall speaker sensitivity of 92dB for 2.83V at 1 metre, with a 60Hz tuning frequency. Along with a massive 250 Watt power handling capability, the Hyperphonix 45 can produce exceptional output for its size!

 

Hyperphonix-45-Ceiling
Mounted to the ceiling, the 45 degree baffle works perfectly in top front and top rear positions.

 

In home cinema environments, this speaker will excel in medium to large size rooms in positions where you would normally use a Phonix 45, but require additional output or a more focused high frequency dispersion. That may be due to the physical distance to the main seat (front wides and heights are a good example) and/or wanting to push reference volume levels and beyond. It can also be installed with the bracket on the back of the speaker, facing the baffle perpendicular to the wall surface (eg. side surrounds).

The precise pattern control, high output capability and compact, angled cabinet really defines the Hyperphonix 45 as a unique and versatile surround speaker for serious home cinema applications.