The What: Lowell Manufacturing Company has released an upgraded design to its popular LT/SM Series of (1x2 or 2x2) lay-in tile ceiling speakers.
The What Else: Each of the new LT/SM assemblies features two 8-inch, 15W dual-cone drivers—one to fire down for music/paging, one to fire up for sound masking—and factory-wired 70V transformers. Taps are selected by externally accessible rotary control knobs, while removable plates make wiring easier.
Two models include an optional volume control adjustment knob for the sound masking driver. This 50-ohm potentiometer shaft-adjust volume control allows fine-tuning of the masking noise level. The LT/SM assemblies feature a partitioned back box to provide 700 cubic inches of volume for each driver, and 1x2 or 2x2 fine-perforation grille for maximum acoustic transparency and sound transmission. The 1x2 assemblies include an integral T-bar to eliminate the need for a separate ceiling grid bar to hold the adjacent cut tile. All models feature tie-off points or restraint tabs for code compliance.
The Bottom Line: LT-style speaker systems are also available without the sound masking option, in a variety of driver-transformer-back box configurations. Speaker models can be compared side-by-side by visiting Lowell’s new website.
