Meyer Sound has announced the release of the self-powered UPJunior™ ultracompact VariO™ loudspeaker, the latest addition to the company's UltraSeries product group. The UPJunior brings the sonic signature, flexible mounting and rigging options, and extraordinary power-to-size ratio of the award-winning UPJ-1P to a very small package. The UPJunior is suitable for an extremely broad range of applications, including A/V presentations and small- to medium-sized main sound reinforcement systems, as well as in fill, delay, effects, under-balcony coverage, stage monitoring, and distributed systems.
The unit combines the advantages of self-powered systems with the placement and arraying flexibility afforded by a rotatable 80º by 50º VariO horn. The horn's constant-Q design provides uniform response throughout the coverage area.
Though 19” (483 mm) in its longest dimension and lightweight at 28lbs (12.7 kg), the loudspeaker delivers a robust peak power output of 126dB SPL at 1m, making it suitable for use either as a single, primary loudspeaker or within multicabinet horizontal and vertical arrays.
"The UPJunior was developed based on the success and popularity of UPJ-1P," says CEO, John Meyer. "By putting the same powerful technology into a smaller package, we’re giving our customers another tool that can be used in many different applications where its smaller profile will keep it from obstructing sightlines and allow it to fit into very tight spaces."
The UPJunior’s drivers are designed and manufactured by Meyer Sound at its Berkeley, CA headquarters to meet stringent performance specifications and rigorous quality controls. The low-mid frequency section features an 8” neodymium magnet cone driver, while the high-frequency section utilizes an efficient 0.75-inch exit, 2-inch diaphragm compression driver.
As a self-powered Meyer Sound loudspeaker, the UPJunior offers integral amplification, complex crossover, driver protection, and frequency and phase correction circuitry onboard. As with all Meyer Sound systems, the unit exhibits flat frequency and phase response across its wide operating range of 65Hz to 20kHz.
The UPJunior's cabinet incorporates aluminum end plates that provide unprecedented mounting, flying, and arraying flexibility. Strategically placed metric M8 threaded points allow simple mounting using either eyebolts or third-party pole assemblies.
QuickFly® rigging options including the MAAM-UPJunior array adapter (also used when laying the cabinet horizontally for use as a stage monitor), MUB-UPJunior U-bracket, and the MYA-UPJunior mounting yoke assembly. Other options include weather protection and custom color finishes for applications requiring specific cosmetics.
The UPJ-1P, in whose slightly larger footsteps the UPJunior follows, was given a 2004 Eddy Award by Live Design Magazine (formerly Entertainment Design). UPJunior will begin shipping in April.