Technology

Kalkmann Audio loudspeakers are specifically designed to produce natural and undistorted sound. Our patented technology provides optimized speech understandability and a clear sound image that spreads evenly in the room and carries over long distances.
We apply our technology to:

create superior loudspeakers for the home audio market
enable hearing impaired consumers to hear and understand audio
provide effective solutions for narrowcasting applications
help installers create excellent and understandable audio quality in public areas, meeting
rooms, auditoriums, cafeterias, small concert or movie venues, etc.

In 2003 we started to develop a new technology for driving more than one speaker unit in a cabinet without using the passive filters generally applied in conventional loudspeaker design. Our aim was to find a way to avoid the distortion and phase problems inherent to the traditional blueprint.
In 2004 we invented a solution and filed a patent request.
In 2006 we discovered by coincidence that a person with -72dB hearing loss on both ears was able to hear speech and music with a set of early prototype speakers.
After further research and confirming this effect with many hearing impaired test persons, we established Kalkmann Audio B.V. in 2007 with the purpose to commercialise our invention. Till today the company is owned by the founders and several private and public shareholders.

Research, development, manufacturing and marketing are based on our technology and we
continuously improve our products in terms of understandable, clear and unobtrusive sound to better meet the needs of our customers.



»	Excellent understandability even over amazing distances (STI-levels of up to 0.70)

»	No quality loss at increasing distance to speaker

»	Very low sound pressure drop over distance (e.g. only 6dB at 20m with P3-model)

»	Quality of sound allows conversation to continue at normal voice levels

»	Volume levels can be kept modest while sound image will remain complete and clear

»	Strongly improved ability to understand speech and hear details in music for hearing impaired persons

»	Hearing impaired and persons without hearing problems can enjoy audio together at the same volume level

»	Less impact of acoustic properties of the environment compared to conventional speakers

»	Very low transmission through walls reduces disturbances outside the listening area

»	Performing patient research in collaboration with a group of Audiology Centers and the Haga Hospital in The Hague to study and better understand the effects of our technology to the human ear from a medical point of view.

»	Measurement programme with the internationally renowned acoustic engineering company Peutz. We expect to find answers to unsolved problems such as improved speech understandability and noise propagation in buildings with the help of our technology.

»	Agreed on a joint research project with the Advanced R&D department of Siemens' Audiological Engineering Group.

Consumers

»	Retail chains and independent dealers for hearing aids

»	A/V-retail via distributors and buying groups

B2B

»	Via professional A/V installers (including, amongst others installations to connect operating theatres to college rooms at VU Amsterdam, video conferencing speakers for Shell, narrowcasting application for Albert Heijn supermarkets, factory communications for Schering Plough and Dassault)