Press Archives

Next Level Acoustics Creates Soundbar for Samsung’s Frame TV

November 20, 2019/in Press/by Robert Goldman

Next Level Acoustics is now shipping a new soundbar line called “Fusion Frame” designed to match Samsung’s popular Frame TT from market share leader Samsung. Featuring Samsung’s 4K UHD QLED technology, Frame TV is now in its third year, with four new models in sizes from 43, 49, 55, and 65 inches diagonal and customizable bezel colors.

“Insights into unmet needs for sound quality and aesthetics in the soundbar market led us to a new creative solution – the Fusion Frame soundbar designed expressly as a perfect match for the highly-successful Frame TV from market share leader Samsun®,” said Rob Goldman, founder and COO of Next Level Acoustics.

Frame TV was created in 2017 when Samsung and Fuseproject, a design agency led by award-winning Swiss designer Yves Béhar, partnered to create a better way to integrate TV in the home. They noted the consumer’s biggest objection is that when a TV is turned off it’s an obtrusive “black hole.” Thus, custom installers are frequently asked to hide TVs with expensive cabinets or otherwise make the TV disappear.

Frame TV, however, appears as indistinguishable from a painting hanging on a wall. This illusion is created with a TV cabinet that’s only 1.75-inches deep resembling a picture frame mounted flush to the wall with no gap. When turned off there’s no “black hole” since the TV automatically displays expertly curated high-resolution art as static or changing images. It’s a TV when on and art when turned off.

Like all modern TV’s a minimal cabinet design limits TV sound quality, so many consumers opt for a sound bar. However, ordinary soundbars ruin the carefully created illusion and aesthetics of Frame TV.

So Next Level Acoustics created Fusion Frame, an innovative line of soundbars with the same high-fidelity as their other soundbars in a design that with its picture frame bezel, 1.75-inch depth and no-gap mounting, perfectly matches Frame TV. Fusion Frame delivers audio with a wide frequency range, full dynamics, voice intelligibility, and detail of a high-quality speaker system suitable for movies and music. When Frame TV is off and displaying art, owners can sync their favorite music to the Fusion Frame soundbar so the art is accompanied by beautiful music for a true lifestyle enhancement to any room.

To create Fusion Frames’ shallow depth, Next Level Acoustics engineered a proprietary enclosure with a radical internal air-load management system and a proprietary woofer capable of deep natural bass from a shallow cabinet.

“A typical cone woofer can’t perform as needed with the shallow cabinet, so we engineered and built our own 4.5-inch aluminum dome drivers,” said John Sollecito who in addition serving as Next Level Acoustics head of engineering and manufacturing is also president of JS Speaker Technologies, known for the JSE Infinite Slope loudspeaker. “The drivers have stiff, non-resonant cast baskets mated to powerful rare-earth Neodymium magnets. A high flux two-layer voice coil drives the ultra-stiff aluminum dome suspended by a butyl rubber surround for very high acceleration and excursion. The result is clear, dynamic bass and smooth detailed mid-range, much more than one would imagine possible from such a thin soundbar.”

Fusion Frame’s high-frequencies are handled by a 1-inch soft dome tweeter from audiophile Danish driver manufacturer Vifa along with a proprietary crossover that uses high-grade precision components. A custom ultra-rigid high-density sealed enclosure comprised of CNC-machined MDF and lined with an anti-resonant coating makes a vibration-free cabinet.

The back of the enclosure has installer-friendly features such as recessed terminal cups with gold-plated heavy-duty binding-post/banana-jacks and recessed cable management channels for a no-gap mount. Wall mounting is incredibly simple by removing the magnetically attached grille accessing the cabinet installation holes to directly attach the bar with the included screws into wall studs or mounting to a wall with the included anchors.

Fusion Frame soundbars can be easily driven by amplifiers from 30 watts or up to 150 watts. To match the four sizes of Samsung Frame TVs, there are six Fusion Frame models available. Four are stereo soundbars and two LCR models are available for the larger 55- and 65-inch sizes. All use the same drivers with the same great sound regardless of size.

The Fusion Frame soundbars feature a black Plex finish to match the standard Samsung Frame TV bezel with a black acoustically transparent fabric grille that’s magnetically attached. An optional white lacquer maple veneer finish is available to match white Frame TV’s. If installers and clients decide to go with one of the two remaining Samsung frame color options, the Fusion Frame can be custom painted to match. All Next Level Acoustics Fusion Frame soundbars are backed with a full 5-year warranty.

A generic version of the soundbar for non-Frame TV applications of any size, called Fusion Flat series is also available.

For extended bass performance, Next Level Acoustics makes an in-wall subwoofer to match the Fusion Frame soundbars, model CI-IW10S. It is a compact sub with a long-throw 10-inch cast frame driver that’s designed to fit in 2×4 construction and extend bass response down to 34 Hz driven with as little as 40 watts of power.

Samsung Frame Meets It’s Soundbar Match

November 20, 2019/in Press/by Robert Goldman

Article Source

By Elliot Nash| 21 Nov 2019

The Samsung Frame TV high-resolution art display has met its match in the Next Level Acoustics high-performance soundbar that fits the elegant aesthetics of the popular home entertainment device.

The New England-based designer of custom speakers and enclosures has unveiled its Fusion Frame soundbar built to complement the super-shallow Frame TV in its four different variations for an opening cost of US$1400.

Next Level Acoustics is currently exploring distribution in Australia for the Fusion Frame Soundbar, with opportunities now currently open to carry the device.

To match the four sizes of Samsung Frame TVs, there are six Fusion Frame models available, with four being stereo soundbars and two LCR models for the larger 55-inch and 65-inch models.

At a depth of only 1.75 inches, the super-slim soundbar is built to provide exceptional sound quality and room-filling dynamics, with the look and feel of the Samsung Frame TV.

Available in either black or white, the Fusion Frame Soundbar may even find its way into other Hi-Fi setups beyond The Frame.

Though for those after something a little more generic, you could always go for the Fusion Flat, a slightly thicker model but one less geared towards the Samsung Frame aesthetic.

With Next Level Acoustics proprietary 4.5-inch aluminium convex cone driver, coupled with the rare earth neodymium motor system, the Fusion Frame promotes high acceleration and excursion to achieve ultra-low audio distortion during use.

Supporting the soundbar is an optional in-wall subwoofer the CI-IW10S, a compact unit with a long-throw 10-inch cast frame driver that’s designed to fit in 2×4 construction.

Providing extended bass response all the way down to 34 Hz, while using only 40 watts of power.

Next Level Acoustics Ships Soundbar for Samsung’s Frame TV

November 20, 2019/in Press/by Robert Goldman

Article Source

Next Level Acoustics is now shipping its new Fusion Frame soundbar line. Fusion Frame features a design that, with its picture-frame bezel, 1.75-inch depth, and no-gap mounting, matches Samsung’s Frame TV (which was one of Residential Systems Best of Show at CEDIA Expo 2019 winners). When Frame TV is off and displaying art, owners can sync their favorite music to the Fusion Frame soundbar so the art is accompanied by music for a true lifestyle enhancement to any room.

To create Fusion Frames’ shallow depth, Next Level Acoustics engineered a proprietary enclosure with an internal air-load management system and a proprietary woofer capable of deep natural bass from a shallow cabinet.

“A typical cone woofer can’t perform as needed with the shallow cabinet, so we engineered and built our own 4.5-inch aluminum dome drivers,” says John Sollecito, who, in addition to serving as Next Level Acoustics head of engineering and manufacturing, is also president of JS Speaker Technologies. “The drivers have stiff, non-resonant cast baskets mated to powerful rare-earth Neodymium magnets. A high flux 2-layer voice coil drives the ultra-stiff aluminum dome suspended by a butyl rubber surround for very high acceleration and excursion. The result is clear, dynamic bass and smooth detailed mid-range, much more than one would imagine possible from such a thin soundbar.”

Fusion Frame’s high-frequencies are handled by a 1-inch soft dome tweeter from audiophile Danish driver manufacturer Vifa along with a proprietary crossover that uses high-grade precision components. A custom ultra-rigid high-density sealed enclosure comprised of CNC-machined MDF and lined with an anti-resonant coating makes a vibration-free cabinet.

The back of the enclosure has installer-friendly features such as recessed terminal cups with gold-plated heavy-duty binding-post/banana-jacks and recessed cable management channels for a no-gap mount. Wall mounting is made easy by removing the magnetically attached grille and accessing the cabinet installation holes to directly attach the bar with the included screws into wall studs or mounting to a wall with the included anchors.

Fusion Frame soundbars can be driven by amplifiers from 30 watts or up to 150 watts. To match the four sizes of Samsung Frame TVs, there are six Fusion Frame models available. Four are stereo soundbars and two LCR models are available for the larger 55- and 65-inch sizes. All use the same drivers regardless of size.

The Fusion Frame soundbars feature a black Plex finish to match the standard Samsung Frame TV bezel with a black acoustically transparent fabric grille that’s magnetically attached. An optional white lacquer maple veneer finish is available to match white Frame TVs. If installers and clients decide to go with one of the two remaining Samsung frame color options, the Fusion Frame can be custom painted to match. All Next Level Acoustics Fusion Frame soundbars are backed with a full 5-year warranty.

A generic version of the soundbar for non-Frame TV applications of any size, called Fusion Flat series, is also available.

Next Level Acoustics also makes an in-wall subwoofer to match the Fusion Frame soundbars, model CI-IW10S, which is a compact sub with a long-throw 10-inch cast frame driver that’s designed to fit in 2×4 construction and extend bass response down to 34 Hz driven with as little as 40 watts of power.

Next Level is currently seeking dealers and reps specializing in the CEDIA channel for territories around the U.S. and Canada. Call 617.237.2875 or e-mail at [email protected]

For more information, visit to www.nextlevelacoustics.com.

New Soundbar Built to Match Samsung’s Frame TV

November 20, 2019/in Press/by Robert Goldman

Article Source

Next Level Acoustics, the New England-based maker of custom-install speakers and enclosures, has introduced a high-performance soundbar that matches the elegant aesthetics of Samsung’s popular Frame TV, which displays high-resolution art when it’s not in use.The Fusion Frame soundbar is custom-built as a perfect complement to the super-shallow Frame TV in all four of its (diagonal) screen sizes: 43, 49, 55, and 65 inches. All models are configured for stereo at prices ranging from $1,400 to $1,900 with the option of an LCR configuration for the 55- and 65-inch models ($1,850 and $2,150).

To create a soundbar capable of producing “deep natural bass” from a cabinet only 1.75 inches thick, Next Level Acoustics had to develop a proprietary enclosure with a “radical” internal air-load management system and custom woofers.

image: https://www.soundandvision.com/images/112019_next_level_fusion_frame_drivers.jpg

“A typical cone woofer can’t perform as needed with the shallow cabinet so we engineered and built our own 4.5-inch aluminum-dome drivers,” explained John Sollecito head of engineering and manufacturing and designer of the JSE Infinite Slope audiophile speaker. “The drivers have stiff, non-resonant cast baskets mated to powerful rare-earth neodymium magnets. A high flux two-layer voice coil drives the ultra-stiff aluminum dome suspended by a butyl rubber surround for very high acceleration and excursion.

“The result is clear, dynamic bass and smooth detailed midrange, much more than one would imagine possible from such a thin soundbar.”

Highs are handled by a proprietary high-precision crossover that feeds 1-inch soft-dome tweeter built by the speaker experts at Denmark’s Vifa.

Fusion Frame cabinets are made of precision-cut MDF, lined with an anti-resonant coating, and boast heavy-duty gold-plated binding posts/banana jacks that occupy a recessed channel on the back panel to ensure flush mounting to the wall. The enclosure is supported by screws, accessible from the front panel, that attach directly to studs or supplied wall anchors.

Recommended power is 30 to 150 watts and all Fusion Frame soundbars have a removable magnetic grille and sport a black Plex finish that matches the Frame TV’s bezel. An optional white lacquer maple veneer finish is also available along with a custom paint option.

Next Level Acoustics supports its Fusion Frame soundbars with a full 5-year warranty.

For those who want bass that extends beyond the soundbars’ 70-80-Hz limit, the company offers the CI-IW10S in-wall subwoofer. Built to fit standard 2×4 construction and rated down to 34 Hz, the sub has a 10-inch driver and can be powered with as little as 40 watts, according to the company.

Next Level also makes a generic Fusion Flat version of the soundbar that can be used with any TV.

For more information, visit nextlevelacoustics.com

Read more at https://www.soundandvision.com/content/new-soundbar-built-match-samsung-s-frame-tv#dcD1Ov48OOTGZoR9.99

NEXT LEVEL AUDIO INTRODUCES SOUNDBARS FOR `FRAME TVS’

November 20, 2019/in Press/by Robert Goldman

Article Source

Greg Tarr, November 20, 2019

Owners of Samsung’s design-centric The Frame TVs may be interested to learn that custom home theater audio equipment maker Next Level Acoustics has introduced a line of high-performance soundbars tailored to look and perform at a level that complements the popular television series.

The soundbar line, which is called “Fusion Frame”, was designed taking “insights into unmet needs for sound quality and aesthetics in the soundbar market,” said Rob Goldman, Next Level Acoustics founder and COO.

The soundbars are tailored to The Frame TV design, which was developed three years ago in collaboration with Swiss design house Fuseproject, led by renowned designer Yves Béhar.

The design was presented as a solution to a common consumer objection to big-screen TVs appearing as obtrusive “black holes” when turned off, Next Level Acoustics said. To counter this, Samsung made The Frame TVs look like framed artworks that can display artistic paintings and photographs on screen when not being used to watch videos and help the TVs blend in with the room decore.

The narrow Frame TV cabinets measure just 1.75 inches deep and are offer customizable color options for bezels on TVs measuring 43-, 49-, 55- and 65-inches. 2019 The Frame TVs include Samsung’s QLED technology.

Next Level Audio is offering six Fusion Frame soundbar models: four stereo models (matching 43-, 49-, 55- and 65-inch screen sizes) and two left-center-right (LCR) channel models (55- and 65-inches). An optional in-wall subwoofer is also available.

Suggested retail pricing for the stereo soundbar models range from $1,400 to $1,900, the suggested retail pricing for the 55- and 65-inch LCR models are $1,850 and $2,150.

Next Level Acoustics said it set out to design a complementary soundbar that would bring enhanced high-quality sound to these thin-design televisions that are equipped with less-than-optimal speakers, since the had to be made to fit inside the narrow cabinets.

Next Level Acoustics said its Fusion Frame line was made to deliver the “same high-fidelity as their other soundbars” in a design that fits within The Frame TV picture requirements of 1.75-inch deep and no wall gap.

The Fusion Frame sound qualities include: “a wide frequency range, full dynamics, voice intelligibility, and detail of a high-quality speaker system suitable for movies and music,” the company said.

When Frame TV is off and displaying art, owners can sync their favorite music to the Fusion Frame soundbar so the art is accompanied by complementary music.

Next Level Acoustics said it engineered a proprietary enclosure “with a radical internal air-load management system and proprietary woofer capable of deep naturel bass from a shallow cabinent.”

“A typical cone woofer can’t perform as needed with the shallow cabinet so we engineered and built our own 4.5-inch aluminum dome drivers” stated John Sollecito, the company’s head of engineering. “The drivers have stiff, non-resonant cast baskets mated to powerful rare-earth Neodymium magnets. A high flux 2-layer voice coil drives the ultra-stiff aluminum dome suspended by a butyl rubber surround for very high acceleration and excursion. The result is clear, dynamic bass and smooth detailed mid-range, much more than one would imagine possible from such a thin soundbar.”

The Fusion Frame soundbars include 1-inch soft dome tweeters from audiophile Danish driver manufacturer Vifa along with a proprietary crossover made with high-grade precision components. A custom ultra-rigid high-density sealed enclosure comprised of CNC-machined MDF and lined with an anti-resonant coating makes a vibration-free cabinet.

The back of the enclosure features installer-friendly recessed terminal cups with gold-plated heavy-duty binding-post/banana-jacks and recessed cable management channels supporting no-gap mounting. Also included are magnetically attached grilles that provide easy access to the cabinet installation holes to directly attach the bar with the included screws into wall studs or mounting to a wall with the included anchors, the company said.

Amplifiers used to drive the four sizes of Fusion Frame Sounbars range from 30 watts or up to 150 watts. Next Level Acoustics offers six Fusion Frame models including: four stereo soundbars and two LCR models, are available for the larger 55- and 65-inch sizes. All use the same drivers with the same great sound regardless of size.

The Fusion Frame soundbars feature a black Plex finish to match the standard Samsung Frame TV bezel with a black acoustically transparent fabric grille that’s magnetically attached. An optional white lacquer maple veneer finish is available to match white Frame TV’s.

Custom painted options are also available.

The Fusion Frame models will be offered through Next Level Acoustics’ network of custom installers and speciality AV retailers. The company backs the soundbars with a 5-year warranty.

Next Level Acoustics said it is also offering generic versions of the soundbars, called Fusion Flat soundbars, for non-Frame TV applications.

For extended bass performance, Next Level Acoustics is also offering an in-wall subwoofer to match the Fusion Frame soundbars, model CI-IW10S,
carrying a $1,315 suggested retail price. This is a compact sub with a long-throw 10-inch cast frame driver that’s designed to fit in 2×4 construction and extend bass response down to 34 Hz driven with as little as 40 watts of power, the company said.

Specifications for the Fusion Frame soundbars are as follows:

Sensitivity: 87 dB for 43- through 55-inch models and 88.5 dB for 65-inch models. Impedance: 4 ohms all models. Frequency Response: 43-inch Stereo: 80 Hz–20 kHz; 55-inch LCR: 80 Hz–20 kHz; 49-inch Stereo: 75 Hz – 20 kHz; 65-inch Stereo: 70 Hz–20 kHz; 55-inch Stereo: 72 Hz–20 kHz; 65-inch LCR: 77 Hz – 20 kHz.

By Greg Tarr

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Next Level Acoustics ships matching soundbars for Samsung Frame TV

November 20, 2019/in Press/by Robert Goldman

Article Source

Next Level Acoustics is shipping a new soundbar line, known as “Fusion Frame”, which is designed as a match for the Frame TV, created in 2017 between Samsung and design agency Fuseproject. The idea of this collaboration was to build a more aesthetically pleasing way to integrate a TV into the home. Next Level Acoustics says that a typical consumer’s biggest objection is that when a TV is turned off it’s an obtrusive “black hole,” meaning many custom installers are frequently asked to hide TVs with expensive cabinets or with other solutions.

The idea of Frame TV is that it should resemble a painting hanging on a wall, and is made with a 1.75-inch deep cabinet resembling a frame mounted flush to the wall with no gap. When the TV is turned off there’s no black hole since the TV will automatically display high-resolution art as static or changing images, according to NLA. The The 4K QLED TVs are currently available in 43-, 49-, 55- and 65-inch models with customizable bezels.

Fusion Frame is a line of soundbars which include a 1.75-inch depth and no-gap mounting, and therefore matching a Frame TV. NLA says Fusion Frame delivers “superb audio performance” suitable for movies and music. In “off” mode, owners can also sync music to accompanying art images.

“A typical cone woofer can’t perform as needed with the shallow cabinet so we engineered and built our own 4.5-inch aluminum dome drivers. The drivers have stiff, non-resonant cast baskets mated to powerful rare-earth Neodymium magnets. A high flux 2-layer voice coil drives the ultra-stiff aluminum dome suspended by a butyl rubber surround for very high acceleration and excursion. The result is clear, dynamic bass and smooth detailed mid-range, much more than one would imagine possible from such a thin soundbar”, said John Sollecito, Next Level Acoustics head of Engineering and Manufacturing.

Next Level Acoustics also makes an in-wall subwoofer to match the soundbars, the model CI-IW10S, a compact sub with a 10-inch cast frame driver designed to fit 2×4 construction and extend bass response down to 34 Hz.

No pricing appears to be available yet, but you can see full specifications and find out more from Next Level Acoustics here.

New Soundbar Built to Match Samsung’s Frame TV – by Audio Video System Integrators

November 20, 2019/in Press/by Robert Goldman

Article Source

Next Level Acoustics, the New England-based maker of custom-install speakers and enclosures, has introduced a high-performance soundbar that matches the elegant aesthetics of Samsung’s popular Frame TV, which displays high-resolution art when it’s not in use.

The Fusion Frame soundbar is custom-built as a perfect complement to the super-shallow Frame TV in all four of its (diagonal) screen sizes: 43, 49, 55, and 65 inches. All models are configured for stereo at prices ranging from $1,400 to $1,900 with the option of an LCR configuration for the 55- and 65-inch models ($1,850 and $2,150).