Why is Dakota Audio the best choice for directional audio?

The combination of thin unobtrusive looks, low distortion, and excellent frequency response is unsurpassed in the field of directed audio. The sound does not bounce around inside a dome, it’s radiated by an array of high quality loudspeakers delivering high quality sound.

What?  No plexiglass dome over your focused speaker?

By controlling the launch time of the sound from each loudspeaker, we deliver well-controlled sound dispersion, adjustability, and coverage patterns that are physically not possible with a dome.  If you compare the dome solutions with the Dakota audio overhead solutions the 20 inch difference in depth alone should get your attention.

OK, so if there is no dome than it must be ultrasonic, right?

Lately, there has been a lot of interest in the ultrasonic acoustic beam type of directional sound. We invite direct side-by-side comparisons with any of the available technologies using real-world conditions and program material.

Dakota Audio has the advantage in sound quality, low distortion, and excellent sound control. We demonstrate our arrays with full range music, speech, and other typical program material, not sound effects (which are popular in this industry but totally unrealistic unless seagulls and breaking glass is all your program material consists of). Besides sounding better, in most cases our array achieves better sound control. The sound from our array is concentrated in the focal area and then diffuses.

We do not have the problem with a sound beam forming a virtual non-directional speaker on the first object it hits or bouncing around the listening area spreading the sound over a large area.

So, what kind of solutions can Dakota Audio focused sound arrays provide?

Our arrays can be built into kiosks and displays, typically in the otherwise wasted space between the display and the floor. They have been mounted in floors, both directly under the listener and in the floor in front of the listener (the pattern was offset at an angle).

We recently supplied several samples to a new museum where, using two small arrays mounted out of sight in the walls, the listener is totally immersed in a sound field. The effect is as if the sound is originating within the listener’s head, with the ambient sound from the rest of the area disappearing.

Because the museum is planning to install dozens of these in close proximity in a single gallery, it is important that there be minimal sound leakage from the exhibits. We satisfied all of their goals, and our design has been accepted.

Our technology allows us considerable latitude in design such as physical size, shape, and coverage patterns. For the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, we supplied a number of round units with a hole in the center for a down light.

For the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington DC, we supplied both round and oval arrays with field adjustments for both mounting height and offset angle.

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