Xilica and Sennheiser have strengthened their partnership through the launch of two new pre-validated, plug-and-play “room kits” for medium and large collaboration spaces. The room kits, designed with IT standards in mind, bring premium PoE-powered Xilica and Sennheiser audio conferencing solutions together in one compact in-ceiling system, with all components connected over CatX network cable. This speeds deployment for enterprise and education customers modernizing their meeting and learning spaces, as no copper cable or proprietary audio connections are required.
Xilica x Sennheiser Room Kits are purpose-built to solve the specific challenges of medium and large collaboration spaces. Both bundles include a Xilica PoE-powered DSP and a Sennheiser beamforming microphone array (TeamConnect Ceiling 2) to reduce noise and eliminate echo in challenging acoustical environments. The kits also add Xilica’s innovative new CatX-connected in-ceiling speaker systems to optimize in-room audio and streamline architecture.
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The Medium Room Kit includes a Xilica Solaro QR1-UC DSP, Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphone, one PoE+-enabled Xilica Sonia Amp and two Sonia C5 in-ceiling speakers. The Large Room Kit includes all of the same technologies but with four Sonia C5 in-ceiling speakers and a Xilica XTouch 80 touchscreen for simple in-room control.
Xilica x Sennheiser Room Kits stand apart from traditional audio-conferencing solutions in several ways, including its centricity around CatX cable and existing installed network infrastructure. It is also one of the most easily installed options, with no mains power requirement, full in-ceiling installation, and distributed ceiling speakers that address the requirements of collaboration room audio across a larger space without termination or proprietary wiring. The pre-validated solution reduces the costs of building an audio-conferencing solution from individual components, while also providing installers with a practical system that is quick to deploy.
“Extending our partnership with Sennheiser into room bundles is an ideal way to speed up design and deployment of cutting-edge collaboration spaces,” said Shaun Robinson, vice president product management, Xilica. “The Xilica x Sennheiser Room Kits are true ceiling-installed systems that require no in-room equipment racks or mains power and work over existing network infrastructure. Their scalable, consistent design enables easy deployment in hundreds of rooms across a campus with the same level of quality but without time-consuming programming and installation.”
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Utilizing the most advanced algorithmic processing from both vendors, Xilica HearClear acoustic echo cancellation and Sennheiser’s TruVoicelift functionality work together to further lift voice intelligibility, reduce audio artifacts, and eliminate room and acoustic distractions that limit clear communication. Xilica Solaro QR1-UC DSPs include a 2x2 USB audio interface that offers volume and mute status sync for Microsoft Teams, and Zoom, adding value for hybrid applications, allowing remote workers and students to raise, reduce or mute from their computer keyboards.
"These Xilica and Sennheiser bundles make it quick and easy to audio-enable meeting rooms in one building or throughout an entire enterprise,” explained Ira M. Weinstein, managing partner at analyst firm Recon Research. “And the inclusion of Xilica’s Teams and Zoom-friendly DSP means these kits have the processing power and intelligence to handle some of the more acoustically challenging spaces.”
The Medium Room Kit and Large Room Kit are adaptable to a wide variety of spaces, including auditoriums, board rooms, conference rooms, lecture halls, and training spaces as well as standard classrooms. Larger enterprises and universities have the added benefit of configuring kits with Solaro QR1’s advanced DSP functionality prior to deployment. This allows customers to easily standardize kit components to serve the specific needs of each space.
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“Sennheiser has worked closely with Xilica to bundle these pre-validated products for today’s enterprise and education needs,” said Charlie Jones, global alliance and partnerships manager for Sennheiser. “No matter the size or shape of room, combining the flexibility of these two product ranges with commonly-available Category cable, easy setup, and assured compatibility allows everyone’s voice to be heard in record time—from the front of the conference room to the back of the lecture theater.”
