A two-way in-ceiling loudspeaker supplied as a pair: a 165 mm aluminium woofer and a soft-dome tweeter you can point at the seats, intended for small and medium rooms and for the channels of a surround system.
Helos 12: drivers and installation
Helos 12 sits flush with the ceiling and covers 47 Hz to 20 kHz with two drive units. The 165 mm woofer combines a very stiff aluminium cone with a cast basket and a long-throw motor, while the 25 mm tweeter, a soft dome driven by a neodymium magnet, is carried on a swivelling stem. Tilt it towards the main seats and that is where the speaker performs best, yet its broad dispersion keeps the sound full across the remainder of the room.
The filter crosses over at 2,800 Hz, follows MartinLogan's Vojtko layout and is assembled by hand from air-core inductors and polyester capacitors. With 89 dB sensitivity and a 4 ohm load it works with amplifiers delivering 20 to 200 watts per channel, including those specified for 6 or 8 ohms. The maker recommends it for every position in a multichannel system, conventional or object-based (Dolby Atmos, DTS:X): one as a centre, two as fronts, rears or sides.
Fitting calls for a round hole 212 mm across and 112 mm of free depth above the surface. The locking clamps stay tucked inside their own housings until they are swung out, at which point they clamp the frame to the ceiling, and they fold away again by themselves if the speaker is taken down. A life-size template with punched guides for tracing the hole comes in the box. The micro-perforated grille has no visible frame, stands 4.5 mm proud, attaches magnetically and accepts paint.
Specifications
- Type: two-way in-ceiling loudspeaker
- Frequency response: 47-20,000 Hz ±3 dB
- Sensitivity: 89 dB (2.83 V at 1 m)
- Impedance: 4 ohms, suits 4, 6 or 8 ohm amplifiers
- Suggested amplifier: 20 to 200 W per channel
- Crossover point: 2,800 Hz
- Tweeter: 25 mm soft dome with neodymium magnet on a swivelling stem
- Woofer: 165 mm aluminium cone, cast basket, long-throw motor, thermally protected
- Crossover: Vojtko, air-core inductors and polyester capacitors
- Inputs: binding posts
- Cut-out: 212 mm in diameter
- Mounting depth: 112 mm
- Protrusion from the surface: 4.5 mm
- Weight: 2 kg
- Supplied: sold as a pair
