Velodyne

Address
345 Digital Drive, Morgan Hill, CA, USA, 95037

Telephone
408-465-2800

Velodyne

 

Velodyne Acoustics is the industry leader in loudspeaker styling, performance, and value. Since the company’s inception in 1983, Velodyne has been acclaimed by industry experts, audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts for its innovative designs, close tolerance manufacturing and exceptional performance.

Velodyne applies a “Total System Design” philosophy that is inherent in every Velodyne product. This unique holistic approach to loudspeaker design is a result of the marriage of “Silicon Valley” technological innovation with close-tolerance manufacturing techniques to develop and produce the finest sound reproducing systems in the world.

 

Company Profile

 

In 1983, David Hall, the founder and chief engineer of Velodyne Acoustics, Inc., introduced a technological breakthrough in subwoofer design that was to completely redefine the reproduction of low frequency sound. This product was called a ULD-18 and it incorporated a patented, accelerometer based High Gain Servo system to control the woofer cone movement. In an era long before the dawn of “Home Theater”, this large, 120 lb. speaker system, went lower, played louder, was more musical and had distortion levels that were 20 to 30 times less than the competitive products of the day. For this achievement, Velodyne received the first of dozens of international awards and acknowledgments, the 1984 Special Engineering Award.

The rest of the renowned ULD Series subwoofers soon followed, then the acclaimed F, HGS, SPL, DLS, and DD series. All the while, reviewers, music lovers and theater buffs alike heralded Velodyne like no other subwoofers in the world. Along with continually refining existing technologies, Velodyne has pushed the limits of subwoofer engineering with other ground breaking technologies like the Dual Tandem Voice Coil, the Energy Recovery Amplifier and the Digital Drive Room Bass Equalization System.

As the industry has shifted its emphasis to Custom Installation, Velodyne has been a leading innovator in developing subwoofers that fit every application and solve a wide variety of problems. Starting with introducing remote controlled subwoofers, Velodyne has engineered sophisticated and easy to use digital room bass EQ systems; easy to build in in-wall, in-cabinet, in-floor and in-room subwoofers; and one button to perfect bass automatic equalizations for music, theater and games. Today, Velodyne has a subwoofer for every application.

The fact is that Velodyne holds more patents for subwoofer design than all other manufacturers combined. Today Velodyne’s twenty-nine subwoofer models, including the world’s most accurate subs, the Digital Drive® (DD) Series, set the standard by which other subwoofers are judged. According to Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, When Velodyne announces a new subwoofer, the earth trembles — literally.

velodyne-sub

Concepts and Benefits

All Velodyne products are designed using Velodynes exclusive Total System Design philosophy in which each component is specifically selected to optimize and harmonize with all the other elements in order to achieve maximum performance. Combining Silicon Valley space age engineering, close tolerance manufacturing, computer testing and extensive listening evaluations, Velodyne speakers and subwoofers represent the fusion of the science and art of speaker design.

Velodyne subwoofers contain the industrys most flexible and complete feature packages, allowing perfect integration with virtually any system. The integrated high quality crossover networks in all Velodyne subwoofers can actually double a receivers or amplifiers usable power and even lower the main speakers distortion levels when using the Subwoofer Direct feature with the LFE output Velodyne engineers meticulously engineer crossover parameters to guarantee a perfect blend with any system regardless of speaker size. What is most striking about the sound is the seamless blend from a smooth, well-articulated bottom endup.  Audio Video Interiors.

In 2003, Velodyne introduced digitally tuned subwoofers. The application of DSP technology to subwoofers allowed accuracy in tuning and long term reliability never before found in a subwoofer. Engineering the digital EQs, crossovers, and filters means a level of precision that assures the highest possible performance out of our subwoofers.

To ensure maximum output and minimum distortion, unique Anti-clipping circuits in Velodyne subwoofers automatically monitor the amplifier, allowing the subwoofer to utilize its full power capacity without distorting. Exclusive Dynamic-compression and over-excursion circuits are also integrated into Velodyne subwoofers to protect from overload and provide extraordinary reliability and durability. Today, with extensive testing and quality control, Velodyne subwoofers are the most reliable in the world.

Some Company Innovations:

  • Established in 1983
  • 1984, Patented the first servo-controlled subwoofer lowering distortion to below 1%, 1984 Special Engineering Award, from CEA
  • 1984, Patented the Sealed Accelerometer
  • 1995, Patent on the Energy Recovery Class D amp design
  • 1995, Introduced the Subwoofer Direct feature
  • 1995, Developed the Dual Tandem Voice Co
  • 1996, Introduced the HGS-10; the first under 12 cube single driver subwoofer
  • 1996, Introduced the worlds first remote controlled subwoofer
  • 1999, Engineered Current Sensing Servo, awarded the Design and Engineering Showcase Award at WCES
  • 1999, Engineered the Dynamic Driver Control System
  • 2003, Introduced the Digital Accelerometer
  • 2003, Developed the Digital High Gain Servo system, lowering distortion to less than ½%
  • 2003, Introduced the Patent Pending Digital Drive Room Equalization System Best of 2003 for Subwoofer Technology from Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
  • 2005, Introduced one button room digital bass EQ
  • 2006, Introduced the SC-IW flush in-wall subwoofer with its Patent Pending T-shaped driver

What the Experts have said:

“For once, an add-on subwoofer actually delivers true subwoofer bass with high quality and high quantity at the same time….” Stereophile, October 1989.

“…if you want it all, the Velodyne is the subwoofer of choice.” Audio, November 1992.

“If you want the absolute-deepest, most feel it-in-your-tushy BASS under a grand, look no farther than the Velodyne….” Home Theater Technology, February 1995.

“Velodyne is surely the highest-profile manufacturer of subwoofers, Stereophile Guide to Home Theater, Fall 1995.

 they deliver ultra-deep bass and high output with low distortion. Tom Nousaine, Stereo Review, June 1998.

being able to fine-tune your subs volume setting from your chair where the bass will sound much different from the way it sounds over by the subis super useful.Home Theater, October 1999.

the best sounding sub I have ever heard. The music was so clean and the bass so . . . perfect. Brian Weatherhead, Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity, © Copyright 2001.

Dynamic Driver Control System achieves some of the servo’s results with one-sixth the distortion of competing non-servo subs. Kevin Hunt, Home Theater.

Velodyne’s new Digital Drive series is a huge advance in subwoofer technology. corrects the biggest problem we have in low frequencies for our home theaters, those dips and peaks. John Johnson, Jr., Ph.D., Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, 2003.

Having heard so many audio products through the years, I hesitate to proclaim any one the best in its category but the DD-15 is.

For subwoofers, Digital Drive is the wave of the future.

Velodynes Digital Drive Subwoofer improves bass reproduction as much as the jet engine improved air travel. Robb Report Home Entertainment, A New Low, May/June 2004.

In every conceivable way, the Velodyne is a masterpiece of sonic engineering stupidly powerful yet pure of heart and both supremely versatile and amazingly musical. Adam Rayner, Home Cinema Choice, March 2005.

Set up the supplied mini-mike, hit the appropriate button on the remote, and the SPL-800R automatically adjusts for your room acoustics.

In contrast to the Sunfire, the Velodyne produced a higher maximum SPL overall within the 10% distortion limit, hitting 108 dB at 62 Hz vs. the Sunfires 102 dB. TINY KILLER SUBS, Daniel Kumin, Home Cinema Choice, June 2005.

VELODYNE MEANS SUBWOOFERS–Audio Magazine