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Frequently Asked Questions
General / Business
Q: What does Orbitsound offer that other stereo speaker systems don’t?
A: Orbitsound combines innovative high quality audio products with its revolutionary spatial stereo technology, to deliver something other conventional speaker systems can’t – true stereo sound with depth and clarity from a single speaker, regardless of the position of the listener.
Q: What’s the current product line up?
A: Products available include the T3, an ultra lightweight speaker that lets you enjoy true high quality stereo from your iPod or iPhone, perfect for sharing music with friends and also an ideal travel speaker for business or leisure use; and the new second generation version of the popular T12 soundbar, a super-stylish standalone soundbar that incorporates an iPod/iPhone dock and is the perfect accompaniment for today’s large screen flat panel TVs where the quality of the sound has not always kept up with the picture. Orbitsound is also launching the brand new T4 Radiopod, a compact wifi/DAB/DAB+/FM radio with built in iPod dock. All products feature our groundbreaking Orbitsound single point spatial stereo technology and are designed first and foremost with great audio quality and ease of use for the consumer in mind.
Q: Why should people buy these products?
A: What we’re offering is a completely new way of listening to top quality stereo audio that’s great value and looks good too. John Lewis sold out of the T12 soundbar in November and December 2009, so the figures speak for themselves. Furthermore, Orbitsound’s spatial stereo technology has been critically acclaimed amongst the media and wider industry since it was first unveiled at CES 2008 in Las Vegas, and we believe this will only spark consumer appetite for our products.
Technology
Q: What’s different about the technology in Orbitsound?
A: The incorporation of our pioneering technology makes our products unlike any other on the market, and marks a huge leap forward compared to conventional sound reproduction. This is because it lets people experience the same real stereo sound wherever you are in the room and without the clutter of additional speakers, wires and complex configurations. Unlike the limited fixed sweet spot of conventional two speaker and home cinema systems, Orbitsound products deliver true spatial stereo sound from a single speaker enclosure wherever you are in the room.
Q: How does it compare to other conventional stereo systems?
A: With our technology you hear true stereo throughout the room so literally everywhere is the sweet spot. This is not the case with traditional two speaker stereo systems where, even if set up correctly with the left and right speakers at the right distance apart, there’s a single limited sweet spot where the stereo may sound right, but there is wave interference and one channel sounds louder than the other. Our spatial stereo technology eliminates this problem, the positioning of the speaker is unimportant and the listener hears the same high quality stereo sound wherever they are in the room.
Q. Although the sound from DVDs and television is consistently stunning, from time to time some of my MP3 songs or downloaded music sound a bit strange played using Orbitsound products, why is that?
A: Some MP3 tracks are recorded at low bandwidth giving slightly lower quality and some MP3 methods do not record stereo information accurately, relying on normal stereo systems’ lack of ability to reproduce proper stereo. Orbitsound products offer unusually accurate high quality reproduction of what has been recorded, but on occasion you may hear imperfections due to poorly recorded tracks or low bandwith MP3 files.
Products
T12v2
Q: What is the T12?
A: The Orbitsound T12 is not only a world class category leading iPod dock, but it also offers a sensational sounding competitively priced alternative to home cinema and surround systems. It gives the same real stereo sound wherever you are in the room, providing an infinite sweet spot rather than the limited fixed sweet spot of conventional two speaker systems. It comes with a subwoofer for room filling bass and remote control and with its black wood finish, it looks great too. Plus it’s ideal for use with flat screen TVs, iPhones and iPods, personal media players, CD/DVD players and games consoles.
Q: How much will it cost?
A: Orbitsound T12v2 will cost £299.99 and will be available from John Lewis department stores nationwide, as well as from www.orbitsound.com
Q. Can I use the T12 as an iPod dock and with my TV for home cinema at the same time?
A. Yes, and you can do so very easily. You can switch between TV and iPod dock (and any other sources you care to connect such as CD player or laptop or internet radio) using the remote control. If you lose your remote, you just press the volume button on the rear of the soundbar to switch between sources.
Q. Will the remote control operate my iPod when it's docked?
A. Yes. The T12 remote control will operate all audio functions on the iPod. And unlike many iPod docks the T12 will charge all docked iPods/iPhones.
Q. Does it matter where I put the T12 soundbar?
A. The positioning of the T12 soundbar is unimportant. As long as it’s on a hard flat surface and there is a little bit of clear surface space on either side of the soundbar then the unit will work perfectly. Because the T12 soundbar is omni-directional and creates a uniform soundfield, it doesn’t need to be placed directly in front of the listener. The important thing is to make sure that the sides of the soundbar are not obstructed.
Q Does it matter where I put the subwoofer and can I use the T12 without it?
A. As long as it’s not placed too far away from the T12 soundbar then the positioning of the subwoofer is unimportant and it doesn’t need to be in view. The T12 soundbar still sounds excellent without the subwoofer, but you do inevitably lose some of the power of the bass.
Q. How does the T12 compare with multichannel surround systems?
A: What makes the Orbitsound T12 so different is the technology it is built around. This delivers true spatial stereo sound, regardless of the positioning of the T12 or the listener. Other soundbars rely on digital effects to mimic the depth and width of true stereo sound and have limited sweet spot, but with T12 the sweet spot is infinite with true stereo provided throughout the room. Plus there’s no clutter because it doesn’t come with loads of wires like other stereo systems.
T4 Radiopod
Q: What is the T4 Radiopod?
A: The T4 Radiopod features much more than the average digital radio or iPod dock, delivering powerful, realistic stereo sound quality from thousands of digital radio stations straight to your home.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: The T4 Radiopod costs £179.99 and is available now.
Q: Why should I buy this product?
A: The T4 Radiopod offers a whole new class of stereo sound digital radio and Wi-Fi access to thousands of stations around the world. Everything from music – be it rock, pop, metal or classical – to talk and sports radio, can be heard in exceptional depth and clarity by the whole family. While many of us have got used to finding and listening to podcasts, we often hear them through the inferior speakers of our desktop and laptop computers. However, with the T4 Radiopod digital stations and podcasts get the great sound quality they deserve. It’s lightweight, fully portable and, with its superior design, looks great in the home too.
Q: Why does the T4 Radiopod have such great sound quality?
A: The powerful sound quality of the T4 comes courtesy of Orbitsound’s own spatial stereo technology. Thanks to a mixture of unique patents and the application of heavyweight scientific principles to the positioning of speakers within the unit, the T4 produces incredible, true stereo sound throughout the whole room, wherever you’re standing.
T3
Q: What is the T3?
A: The T3 portable speaker is a great value unique product and no other portable speaker comes close. The ultra lightweight speaker lets you enjoy high quality stereo from your iPod or iPhone wherever you go. It’s small enough to be worn around the neck to experience a unique stereo aura around your head, or you can lay it flat on a table or desktop to enjoy music or film tracks from your laptop or desktop PC. It’s great for gamers because the whole experience with games consoles like PSP and Nintendo DS is transformed when the sound is played through the T3. And, when plugged into a desktop or laptop computer, it produces far superior sound than the tinny inbuilt speakers usually found.
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Orbitsound T3 costs £49.99.
Q. It looks like there's only one speaker, how does it produce stereo?
A. The Orbitsound T3 is deceptively simple in appearance but features some very sophisticated technology which delivers true stereo sound with depth and clarity from a single speaker, regardless of the position of the listener.
Q. Do I need to wear the T3 around my neck?
A. No, although the experience wearing the T3 around the neck is unparalleled with any other product and is totally different from the unnatural listening experience with headphones, the T3 produces an excellent high quality stereo signal when placed on a flat surface such as a table, desk or kitchen work surface.
Q. When would I use a T3?
A. T3 is great for anyone who wants to enjoy high quality stereo on the go, particularly those who want to share music or don’t want the hassle of headphones. We know from customer feedback that this versatile piece of kit comes in handy in all sorts of situations, whether you’re travelling abroad; exercising outdoors; playing music for business presentations on a laptop; or driving in vehicles where there is no car stereo or no adaptor to connect iPod to the car stereo system. Orbitsound T3 is great for gamers too because when T3 is plugged into a PSP or Nintendo DS the audio quality is completely transformed.
Q. Is it really stereo I am hearing from the T3?
A. Yes, you are hearing true stereo reproduction with the T3. We recommend you go and test it out yourself.
Q: How many hours of listening can I get before I need to recharge it?
A: The T3 is powered by a lithium battery providing ten hours plus playing time on a single charge. You can recharge the battery via the mains or USB.
Q. The T3 is very compact, will it really improve movie soundtracks on my laptop when travelling?
A: Yes, don’t be fooled by its size. The T3 may be compact but it produces a much louder and clearer soundtrack that’ll get from most laptop speakers. Thanks to the technology within the T3, stereo effects on movies are reproduced with greater width than is possible from other travel speaker systems.
About Orbitsound
Orbitsound’s unique spatial stereo technology was first designed and realised in 2005 by Ted Fletcher, a former musician and renowned audio electronics designer with more than five decades in the music business. Former investment bankers Harvinder Hungin and John Cameron supported the development of the technology from early 2006, becoming Executive Directors of Orbitsound shortly after the company was established later the following year. At CES 2008 Orbitsound’s products were highlighted on BBC and CNN news, and won a prestigious place in Disney’s Best of CES show. And at this year’s CES Unveiled, Orbitsound was showcased by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) as one of the top two innovative UK technology companies with potential for international success. The latest range launches globally in 2010.
