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SCMP Reporter

CANON, known for its cameras, photocopiers and more recently camcorders, has jumped on the multimedia bandwagon by launching mushroom-shaped loudspeakers that disperse sound six times further than normal equipment.

  Cramming a pair of stereo speakers into a small Hong Kong flat was no longer a problem with the mushroom-shaped speakers, said Andy Szeliga, Canon Audio managing director.

  Made of hard, black plastic, Canon's dome-shaped Wide Imaging Stereo (WIS) speakers could be placed anywhere in a room, unlike conventional ''box'' speakers, Mr Szeliga said.

  ''Normal loudspeakers can only disperse sound in 180 degrees and have to go right in front of the listener,'' he said.

  ''The mushroom-shaped speakers disperse sound all over the room in a 360-degree radius, which means you can hear sound precisely anywhere in the room.''   Developed in Britain by Canon Audio, these art-meets-the-AV-world sound boxes were launched in Hong Kong in February, their first appearance outside Europe.

  One of the advantages of having round speakers is they can be put in places in which normal stereo speakers cannot fit.

  Another advantage was listeners did not have to sit in a ''hot spot'' - the area between the two speakers - to hear perfect stereo sound, Mr Szeliga said.

  ''Most other loudspeakers on the market require the listener to sit in the 'hot spot' - but round speakers reflect and disperse sound more evenly throughout the room creating a much larger area of stereo sound.

  ''A row of 10 people can sit side by side and still enjoy stereo sound.''   He said Canon's Wide Imaging Speakers were designed for people who liked to integrate their hi-fi kit with their chic, stylish home.

  ''They're bold and black and look more like futuristic mushroom-shaped lamp stands than stereo equipment,'' he said.

  ''They even work from far corners and can still be heard from behind pot plants - but they are very modern-looking and some clients are also using them as decorations.

  ''Some people may think they look strange but after hearing music played through WIS speakers, they don't sound strange.''   But the biggest advantage of the weird-looking but clear-sounding, speakers was the broadening of ''hot spots''.

  ''Conventional box speakers, however good, however numerous, only deliver true stereo to a very limited central area called a 'hot spot','' Mr Szeliga said.

  ''Anyone outside that spot receives a sound image biased towards one or other of the speakers, which is bad enough when you're listening to hi-fi.

  ''It sounds really strange if you're watching wide-screen television and your brain is seeing a central image on a screen and expecting the sound to appear from the same source.

  ''Just like conventional loudspeakers, the mushroom ones have to be connected to an amplifier and the sound is spread evenly throughout the room, so it doesn't matter where you sit.''   There are four types of WIS systems. The smallest, the S30, costs $1,500. The S30 and its big brothers, the S50, S70 and V100, are all used to provide stereo sound from the front of a television or stereo system.

  After a series of tests, Canon found the S30 and S50 operated well in high and middle frequencies but were light on low frequencies.

  ''Vocals were clear but the bass was not powerful,'' Mr Szeliga said.

  ''So Canon developed the V100 system, which gives an all-rounded bass and is plugged in at the back of the system.''   Although the mushroom-shaped stereo speakers sound revolutionary, they are based on a simple design.

  An acoustic mirror, the ''mushroom's'' stem, reflects sound out in a tightly-controlled curve, producing a much wider area in which stereo can be heard.

  The concept was developed from scientists' discoveries in optics.

  ''Rather than firing sounds in a narrow arc from one speaker to another, the sonic reflector spreads frequencies all around the room,'' Mr Szeliga said.

   ''But the true test of a loudspeaker is in the hearing, and when you're talking about installing home cinema you ought to give them a listen.

  ''In the future, wide-screen televisions will probably be found in every home and these round speakers will provide the perfect sound.''   People who have ordinary televisions can also use the mushroom speakers.

  Canon hopes to release a range of new WIS models before the end of this year.

  ''They will be similar in size to the S30 and S50 but will be able to provide a deeper sound and transmit more frequencies,'' Mr Szeliga said.

  ''The S35 will have two driving units, which will be located underneath the mushroom's dome.

  ''Driving units pick up and transmit sounds. Having two driving units is a lot better than just having one - two means the speakers will give better sound in high and low frequency note.''   While the mushroom-shaped speakers were still only new, Gladys Leung, Canon assistant product manager, said she expected sales to take off in Hong Kong.

  ''The WIS systems are still in early stages but hopefully in the future everyone with a television will want to connect up with these speakers,'' she said.

  ''They are ideal for saving on space and can be tucked away in a corner - or even nailed to the ceiling.'' 



Canon sounds out stereo market