The distinctive form factor of Polaris presented the obvious challenge of making a low-profile loudspeaker create an acoustic image of the appropriate height for either a home theater or a music system. In addition, it had to maintain tonal linearity and transient speed in typical installations, where it would be placed against the wall below a movie screen. The large Wilson loudspeakers achieve their remarkable transparency and tonal cohesion in part through the vertical geometry of the upper-range drivers in an MTM (midrange - tweeter- midrange) array. Early tests revealed that for Polaris, optimal transparency and coherence was achieved by grouping the two midrange drivers in one module, with the tweeter module above.
Meanwhile, the Wilson engineering team quickly discovered that in other parameters, the low profile form presented some unexpected advantages over traditional speaker designs. For example, the vertical arrangement of woofers in large speaker systems will typically create deleterious comb-filter effects. Careful design eliminates the problem, but the horizontal placement of the woofers in Polaris—flanking the center stack of upper range drivers—provides an architecture that inherently avoids comb-filter interactions. Furthermore, grouping all the drivers in a more concentrated horizontal space makes Polaris act that much more like an acoustic point source. |
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Meanwhile, image height—just as in the large Wilson speakers—is a function of time alignment via Adjustable Group Delay. Just as correct time alignment of say, an Alexandria, projects an image at the seated height of the listener, rather than at the six foot height of the speaker, so optimal alignment of the driver modules allows Polaris to project a sound image above its physical height. In a home theater setting, Polaris can be optimized for either stadium or traditional seating arrangements. The front-firing port, using technology developed for Alexandria, minimizes interaction with rear boundaries and enhances the transient speed, dynamic contrast, and tonal linearity of the custom-designed woofers. Polaris can be positioned against the wall below the projection screen without degrading its performance. In an installation where a wide movie screen fills the entire front wall, three Polarises will provide left, right, and center channel coverage while sitting entirely below the plane of the projection screen. |
Introduction • Watch Dave Wilson Talk about the Genesis of Polaris • Polaris as a Center Channel • Polaris as a Low Profile Loudspeaker • Technology • Specifications |
