This month, we’re welcoming back Mike Jordan, Vice President of Audio and Video, to SnapAV. In a SnapRap exclusive, he sets out four reasons why he thinks Episode is still the best in the business.
First of all, I’m thrilled to be back at Snap and at home with Episode. One thing about stepping away from the business and coming back in with fresh eyes has helped me realize how great our audio offering truly is. In my mind, we don’t get enough credit for how great our products are
When you step back and look at our lineup of products, including architectural speakers, Signature speakers, subwoofers, soundbars, and outdoor solutions like Terrain or Landscape, it’s a pretty compelling catalog. But you might not understand how much work goes into developing all of these products.
Here’s four reasons why I believe you don’t know today’s Episode.
- Speakers aren’t a bolt-on business.
Hey, I still get this one from time to time. I used to field this question on a regular basis when we first brought Episode to market, because nobody knew who we were back then.
But it’s not 2013 anymore. Right now, we have an entire team dedicated to designing great speakers, and they spend all day thinking about the best way to innovate. Obviously, the way we design each speaker is critical to engineering the type of sound we want it to provide.
And everything the Episode team does is for our dealers in the professional install channel. As we’re bringing new products to market, we always ask one question: how can we help your business be more successful?
For example, on our newest model of speakers, we created scrim cloth pull tabs, so you don’t have to scrape at the edge of the cloth to pull it out before you start painting. The pull tab makes it easy to remove the scrim cloth and put it back in – a very dealer-focused use case that we got from your feedback!
We’re also dealer-first because we don’t let you get shopped by DIY products or the Internet. Episode is committed to providing you the solutions you need for any job.
- We design all our own products, using three key scientific principles for great sound.
Episode leverages three scientifically-proven key tenets to create the best possible acoustic reproductions. We utilize the psychoacoustic research of the Canadian National Research Council (NRC). In their intensive 40-year study, the NRC team determined that the vast majority of listeners – from audiophiles to amateurs – have consistent preferences when they talk about what makes up“great loudspeakers.”
These are the three basic principles for great sound:
- Wide dispersion
- Flat frequency response
- Low distortion
Episode takes these key findings one step further by differentiating our material choices and construction process from other competitors’ designs. We have identified four additional components that also make up great audio.
Uniform Sound Energy
We want to deliver the widest possible audio dispersion with a flat frequency response, and ensure that off-axis listening is equal to listening in front of the speaker. This means music sounds clear whether you’re down the hall or in the room.
Linearity
Linear audio means sound energy levels stay consistent all the way through output gain level. No matter how high or low the volume, Episode speakers accurately reproduce tracks with no added distortions.
Resonance-Free
We focus on eliminating the unintentional transference of energy into parts of the speaker beyond the woofer, guaranteeing clean playback.
Dynamic Transient Response
Our team chose light, stiff materials for our speaker woofers and tweeters to deliver the most accurate sound reproduction possible.
- We have the toughest quality standards in the market.
Every speaker we make must be within +/- 1.5dB of our specified SPL curve for it to pass. If it doesn’t test within 1.5dB of our specifications, that product doesn’t ship.
Basically, no product goes to market without assent from multiple department heads [representinghardware testing, software testing, and voice of customer.] In some cases, ten to twelve teams weigh in on a product as it moves through development stages.
By the way – that margin of error we mentioned before? Our competitors only specify +/- 3dB.
- We are constantly innovating.
Architectural subs are another great way we’re helping dealers grow their audio business. Since integrating a sub into your install can be difficult, especially from a retrofit standpoint, we’re trying to make that as easy as possible.
This year at CEDIA, we’re launching a new subwoofer line that allows you to seamlessly move between retrofit to new construction applications. Plus, these new models have expandable drivers, so you can go from a single to dual-driver and put more bass where you need it!
Like I said before, these are just a few of the reasons why today’s Episode outshines the competition. And after taking an newly-objective look at our catalog, our stringent product development process, and our dealer-focused designs, I’m even more thrilled to show off what my team and I have planned for 2018 and beyond.
