Troldtekt® speakersIntegrated sound
PRODUCT INFORMATIONTROLDTEKT SPEAKERS
2 > TROLDTEKT SPEAKERS
Troldtekt speakers are integrated and concealed in the Troldtekt ceiling. No visible cabinet speakers or wires, rather architectural purity and clear lines. Troldtekt speakers are based on modern technology ensuring top-quality sound reproduction. At the same time, the Troldtekt panels provide optimum acous-tics in the room, distributing the sound clearly and comprehensibly without any disturbing reverberation.
This is an elegant and discreet sound experience for office environments, cafés and theatres, railway stations and airports – and, of course, for your living room.
Read more about Troldtekt speakers on the following pages and take inspiration from the two case studies – the office building Harbour House designed by Kim Utzon and the Gammel Rye parish com-munity centre designed by CUBO.
Enjoy!
Troldtekt®
speakers– integrated sound
Troldtekt speakers .............................................................2
Technology background ................................................3 Good sound coverage
Dimensions .......................................................................... 4-5 Speakers
Subwoofers
Case studies .........................................................................6-7 Harbour House
Gammel Rye parish community centre
Service ............................................................................................8
About us .......................................................................................8
Published by: Troldtekt A/S 2013
Photos: Thomas Mølvig and Martin Tørsleff
Design: www.ineo.dk
Text: www.publico.dk, www.pressential.co.uk
TROLDTEKT SPEAKERS > 3
Technology background
GOOD SOUND COVERAGE
Troldtekt speakers are integrated in Troldtekt acoustic panels, so you will not notice the speakers in the ceil-ing – but you will hear them.
A Troldtekt speaker is a Troldtekt acoustic panel with
a specially developed NXT panel integrated and con-
cealed in the actual Troldtekt panel. An NXT panel
is a complete flat speaker unit which transforms
electrical impulses into vibrations which are in turn
transformed into sound waves. The sound waves
pass through the Troldtekt panel and are distributed
throughout the room.
It is important for good sound experience that the
sound reaches every corner of the room. In traditional
speaker systems, the sound is emitted from a few
points, often resulting in the experience that the sound
pressure is high and close to the speakers but then
quickly subsides to become weak in the most remote
corners. In other words, the sound is unevenly distri-
buted throughout the room. For example, this situation
is familiar in airport terminals and railway stations,
where you need to be close to the speakers to be able
to understand any messages.
In a Troldtekt acoustic ceiling with integrated speakers,
the speaker panels are evenly distributed over the en-
tire ceiling surface, which ensures sound signals of
uniform volume throughout the room. Traditional cabi-
net speakers often offer directional characteristics of
approximately 75 degrees whereas the speaker panels
in a Troldtekt acoustic ceiling have directional charac-
teristics exceeding 170 degrees. This ensures that the
sound signal from the acoustic panels is evenly distrib-
uted across the entire ceiling surface and always within
hearing range. This also means that the sound pressure
may be generally lower than in traditional systems
where it may be necessary to turn the volume up espe-
cially loud to make sure that the signals reach every
corner.
170˚ 170˚
75˚ 75˚ 170˚ 170˚
75˚ 75˚
To ensure optimum sound reproduction in the bass spectrum, we have developed a special subwoofer. The low subwoofer height of only 13 cm (+ 5 cm for connection cables) enables placing of the subwoofer above the ceiling panel or e.g. under a sofa.
Troldtekt speakers can be connected to regular amplifier equipment with radio, CD, iPod or mixer/microphone systems.
On the back of the NXT panel is a flat cassette which protects it against dust, impacts, gnawing mice and other threats.
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4 > TROLDTEKT SPEAKERS
DimensionsTo achieve an optimum sound experience in a room, it is important for speaker units and subwoofers, if any, to be dimensioned correctly in relation to the room in question.
DIMENSIONING – SPEAKERS
Several factors affect the sound experience in a room
and must be taken into consideration when calculating
the quantity and distribution of speaker panels in the
ceiling, to ensure as uniform a sound pressure as possi-
ble. Troldtekt will be happy to provide advice on dimen-
sioning of speaker units and to carry out measure-
ments for project planners.
Some of the factors affecting dimensioning are:
Speech intelligibility and sound pressure distribution
Room geometry, particularly the ceiling height
Room reverberation time
Background noise
Speech intelligibility and sound pressure
distribution
A high level of speech intelligibility requires a good
sound system and good room acoustics with a low
reverberation time.
A Troldtekt acoustic ceiling ensures optimum sound
absorption with a low reverberation time in the room.
Furthermore, the NXT technology ensures that speech
emitted from the speaker panels is perceived clearly
and distinctly.
Geometry
At ceiling heights from 2.5 - 8 m, it would be sufficient
to have one speaker panel approximately every 30 sq
m to ensure optimum speech intelligibility and good
sound pressure distribution. At ceiling heights below
2.5 m, it may be necessary to increase the number of
speaker panels to ensure good sound pressure distri-
bution, while at ceiling heights above 8 m, it may be
necessary to increase the number of speaker panels. In
situations with smaller requirements for sound pres-
sure distribution or speech intelligibility, the number of
speaker panels can be reduced.
Reverberation time
The longer the reverberation time in the room, the
fewer speaker panels are required to ensure a suffi-
cient sound pressure. However, a longer reverberation
time will reduce the speech intelligibility so you should
therefore strive to reduce the reverberation time below
0.6-0.9 seconds, depending on the nature of the job.
The Troldtekt ceiling has high sound absorption and
efficiently reduces the reverberation time in the room.
Background noise
For PA systems in particular, it is important that the
sound system signal is clearly differentiated from the
background noise. One way of obtaining this is to
ensure a sufficiently high sound pressure to drown out
background noise. Alternatively, you can ensure that
the sound is evenly distributed throughout the room
so that disturbing background noise does not act as a
barrier between the sound source and the listener.
Speakers as decorationTroldtekt speakers can also be combined with Troldtekt decoration and are then delivered as framed wall panels.
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TROLDTEKT SPEAKERS > 5
DIMENSIONING – SUBWOOFERS
Subwoofers ensure optimum reproduction of the low
bass frequencies below 200 Hz. For systems designed
to play music, it is important for achieving good sound
that the quantity of subwoofers is correct. Normally,
one subwoofer should be provided every 60-120 sq m.
As directional determination of the low bass frequen-
cies is difficult, the requirements for even distribution
of the speaker panels does not apply to subwoofers.
For PA systems, which do not require the same bass
volume as music systems, the number of subwoofers
can be reduced – or possibly be eliminated
entirely.
In our library at www.troldtekt.com, you can find installation
instructions for Troldtekt speakers, and also installation
instructions for the various types of Troldtekt ceilings.
At ceiling heights from 2.5-8 m, it would be sufficient with one speaker panel approximately every 30 sq m to ensure optimum speech intelligibility and good sound pressure distribution.
Sound pressure is the generally used method for measuring the power of sound volume. The range perceivable by the human ear – from weak to power ful sound pressure – is enor-mous, which is why the decibel scale (dB) is typically used. 0 dB is the weakest sound perceivable by the ear, while the most powerful sounds register around 120-130 dB.
Sound pressure and dB
The reverberation time is an expres-sion indicating how fast sound dies away in a room, e.g. clapping your hands. Specifically, it is the time (in seconds) that passes from the end of the sound impulse until the sound level has dropped by 60 dB.
Reverberation time
Speech intelligibility indicates how well speech is perceived in a room – either directly in the room with a speaker and a number of listeners, or via a sound system with a micro-phone, amplifier and speakers. In its classic form, speech intelligibili-ty is measured by counting how many words are correctly perceived from a text read by an articulate speaker. If the listeners perceive 60% of the words correctly on average, the speech intelligibility is 60% or 0.6.
Speech intelligibility
6 > TROLDTEKT SPEAKERS
The U-shaped Harbour House
opens its arms towards the
water. The 8,600 sq m struc-
ture is one of the long list of
buildings designed by architect
MAA Kim Utzon. Many of these
are located on Copenhagen’s waterfront but Utzon’s
touch is also strongly evident in Helsingborg, Sweden
and Aalborg, Denmark. Harbour House is the joint
headquarters of three shipping companies and the
house activities are therefore highly port-related.
With so many offices and such intense meeting activity,
the acoustic environment plays a significant role in the
building, which is why Troldtekt has been used to
dampen sound in most rooms.
A series of new features
To ensure good sound and distribution allowing every-
one to hear the speaker, the conference rooms are
fitted with concealed Troldtekt speakers.
„We used several new features in Harbour House,
For one thing, we used integrated, concealed speakers
in the Troldtekt ceilings, which fit in nicely with the
Harbour HouseOpen arms at the port
One of the major construction challenges today is to make good acoustics, architecture and aesthetics come together in synergy. Troldtekt acoustic panels with inte grated, concealed speakers ensure good acoustics and good sound reproduction while presenting the ceiling as a clean, unbroken surface. In our inspirational section at www.troldtekt.com, you can find a number of exciting case studies and pictures – here are a few examples:
building’s overall expression. The sound is just there
and there is no visible equipment to disrupt the simple
look of the ceilings”, says Kim Utzon.
The architect’s own offices are also on the water-
front, at Nordre Toldbod, where he has created an
inspiring base for his staff of 14.
Troldtekt in the signature
Kim Utzon’s buildings are characterised by a clear choice
of simple materials that harmonise perfectly with the
overall architectural design. The supporting structures
are often visible concrete elements – columns, beams
and T-panels – combining to create a flexible and
extendable building system that has proved suitable
in many situations. Kim Utzon has also chosen to use
cement-bonded wood wool in many of his buildings,
making Troldtekt an important element in his architec-
tural signature.
Harbour House is the fifth element in the series
that Kim Utzon has dubbed ‘Nolli’. This structure forms
an urban whole inspired by Giambattista Nolli, who
charted Rome around 1750.
Prime location and architecture characterises Harbour House, headquarters for three shipping companies. The building forms part of the ‘Nolli’ series, designed by Kim Utzon.
Client: Harbour House A/S
Architect: Kim Utzon Architects
Engineer: Wessberg A/S
TROLDTEKT SPEAKERS > 7
Saint Soren’s parish com-
munity centre is located
next to Gammel Rye church
– a beautiful and elevated
location in the Central Jut-
land Lake District. Whereas
the church itself dates back
to the 15th century and the
brick tower was erected in 1912, the parish community
centre is newly built. The house was designed by the
architectural firm Årstiderne Arkitekter A/S with great
reverence for the history of this location but also with
a present-day twist to show that we are now in the
21st century.
Multi-purpose room
The most important room in the parish community
centre is the confirmation candidate schoolroom which
fits well in the entire structure with its large corner
window facing the church. The room is used for teach-
ing, lectures, choir singing and other activities.
„Naturally, this places considerable demands on the
acoustics in the high-ceilinged room. We therefore
chose Troldtekt, because in our experience this is the
Gammel Rye parish community centreMulti-purpose room with sound in every corner
The new parish community centre in Gammel Rye, Denmark, is rooted in history and the Troldtekt ceilings fit in well with the building’s rustic character. Acoustic ceilings with integrated, concealed speakers ensure good acoustics and good sound reproduction in the confirmation candidate schoolroom, which also serves many other purposes.
best acoustic panel and the sound properties of
Troldtekt are well suited for a multi-purpose room
such as this”, says architect MAA Anders Kærsgaard
from the Årstiderne Arkitekter architectural firm.
Rustic expression with concealed sound
To provide the best possible sound experience in the
large room, four speakers are integrated in the ceiling
panels. This conceals the speakers and the sound pass-
es through the Troldtekt panels on its way into the
room. This allows the sound to be distributed to every
corner of the room without the speakers being visually
dominant.
The lobby and administration office also have
Troldtekt ceilings and a solution with integrated lighting
in the panels has been selected for this area.
„Troldtekt is a rustic material and is therefore a
perfect match for the white-washed walls, the laminat-
ed wood beams and the wide floorboards. The church
council was not easily persuaded because cement-
bonded wood wool has a history of use for ceilings
in livestock buildings. However, now that the building
is finished, the logic is clear to them and they are very
satisfied with the project”, adds Anders Kærsgaard.
Client: Gammel Rye church council
Architect: Årstiderne Arkitekter A/S
Engineer: Søren Jensen A/S
www.troldtekt.com provides a clear overview of the
many Troldtekt acoustic solutions. Using our product
generator, you can also download accompanying
AutoCad drawings, a description of the product range
and detailed installation instructions for the chosen
solution. The website also contains lots of inspiration,
among other things a number of reference pictures,
case studies and articles about trends.
Service
About us
International distributors
Technical advice
We are happy to provide technical advice for construction
professionals. We provide advice on Troldtekt acoustic
solutions and associated products, including the dimen-
sioning of Troldtekt speakers and we also carry out light
and sound calculations for project planners.
Troldtekt A/S has produced Troldtekt acoustic ceiling
and wall panels since 1935 at Troldhede in central
Denmark. During this time, the product has undergone
continuous development and refinement.
Details of our international distributors are available on
www.troldtekt.com. They either stock our Troldtekt
products or can obtain them for you. Please contact
The result is a range of products which are tested
to meet today’s ever increasing demands for good
acoustics in a wide variety of buildings.
Troldtekt A/S
Sletvej 2A
8310 Tranbjerg J
Denmark
Tel: + 45 8747 8100
Fax: + 45 8747 8111
Email: [email protected]
www.troldtekt.com
our distributors for general information, brochures
or data sheets. You are, of course, also welcome to
contact Export sales at our Head Office in Denmark.
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