AVI Sound International
Encyclopedia
Based in Vancouver
, BC
, Canada
, AVI was established in 1989 to manufacture high quality loudspeaker drivers. The initial AVI products, all designed by chief engineer Howard Doctor, were high performance subwoofer
s for car audio
applications. With computer modeling of driver behaviour still in its infancy, his team built many prototype
s over several months, re-testing and improving each generation. The drivers were remarkably advanced, and many features that AVI introduced to car audio have since been adopted by others, including vented cast alloy chassis, integral heat exchanger
s, HX composite cones, ribbon wire and polyimide
-glass composite voice coil
s.
, and AVI also created the first 24dB crossovers (XN-24E), and the first point source coaxial speakers
(CS-130) in automotive audio. Among other notable innovation
s was a extraordinarily thin, dual magnet, dual voice coil subwoofer (SL-500) that performed remarkably well in eceptionally small enclosures. AVI Sound International is privately held, and the products continue to be hand-built in Vancouver, Canada, and the list of IASCA
sound-quality competition winners using AVI speakers runs into the hundreds.
In 2008, AVI introduced professional speaker systems, designed for 'high output hi-fi' applications. Also new at that time were a family of line-source systems based on their proprietary 130mm wide-range driver. All alloy enclosures create good sounding, inconspicuous and rugged speakers with 1, 2, or 3 active drivers. These drivers employ unusual treated paper LF cones with damped-roll textile suspensions, and resin impregnated HF cone/dome radiators, driven by low mass voice coils in narrow gaps, using TDK
magnets.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, BC
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, AVI was established in 1989 to manufacture high quality loudspeaker drivers. The initial AVI products, all designed by chief engineer Howard Doctor, were high performance subwoofer
Subwoofer
A subwoofer is a woofer, or a complete loudspeaker, which is dedicated to the reproduction of low-pitched audio frequencies known as the "bass". The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below...
s for car audio
Car audio
Car audio/video , auto radio, mobile audio, 12-volt and other terms are used to describe the sound or video system fitted in an automobile. While 12-volt audio and video systems are also used, marketed, or manufactured for marine, aviation, and buses, this article focuses on cars as the most common...
applications. With computer modeling of driver behaviour still in its infancy, his team built many prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s over several months, re-testing and improving each generation. The drivers were remarkably advanced, and many features that AVI introduced to car audio have since been adopted by others, including vented cast alloy chassis, integral heat exchanger
Heat exchanger
A heat exchanger is a piece of equipment built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another. The media may be separated by a solid wall, so that they never mix, or they may be in direct contact...
s, HX composite cones, ribbon wire and polyimide
Polyimide
Polyimide is a polymer of imide monomers. The structure of imide is as shown. Polyimides have been in mass production since 1955...
-glass composite voice coil
Voice coil
A voice coil is the coil of wire attached to the apex of a loudspeaker cone. It provides the motive force to the cone by the reaction of a magnetic field to the current passing through it...
s.
Innovations
AVI's MX-90 was the world's first midrange to employ a neodymium (NdFeB) magnetNeodymium magnet
A neodymium magnet , the most widely-used type of rare-earth magnet, is a permanent magnet made from an alloy of neodymium, iron, and boron to form the Nd2Fe14B tetragonal crystalline structure. Developed in 1982 by General Motors and Sumitomo Special Metals, neodymium magnets are the strongest...
, and AVI also created the first 24dB crossovers (XN-24E), and the first point source coaxial speakers
Coaxial speakers
A coaxial loudspeaker is a loudspeaker system in which the individual driver units radiate sound from the same point or axis. Two general types exist: one is a compact design using two or three speaker drivers, usually in car audio, and the other is a two-way high-power design for professional...
(CS-130) in automotive audio. Among other notable innovation
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
s was a extraordinarily thin, dual magnet, dual voice coil subwoofer (SL-500) that performed remarkably well in eceptionally small enclosures. AVI Sound International is privately held, and the products continue to be hand-built in Vancouver, Canada, and the list of IASCA
IASCA
International Auto Sound Challenge Association is a worldwide association that promotes car audio championships. These have separate categories for hi-fi sound quality and for maximum dB ....
sound-quality competition winners using AVI speakers runs into the hundreds.
In 2008, AVI introduced professional speaker systems, designed for 'high output hi-fi' applications. Also new at that time were a family of line-source systems based on their proprietary 130mm wide-range driver. All alloy enclosures create good sounding, inconspicuous and rugged speakers with 1, 2, or 3 active drivers. These drivers employ unusual treated paper LF cones with damped-roll textile suspensions, and resin impregnated HF cone/dome radiators, driven by low mass voice coils in narrow gaps, using TDK
TDK
, formerly , is a Japanese company which manufactures electronic materials, electronic components, and recording and data-storage media, and markets them globally. Their motto is "Contribute to culture and industry through creativity"...
magnets.