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Q. What is SolidDrive?
A. SolidDrive is a revolutionary audio product using technology that
transforms walls, ceilings, windows, tables and nearly any solid surface into a speaker.
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Q. How does SolidDrive technology work?
A. SolidDrive is a powerful sound transducer that
transmits acoustical energy through almost any solid surface. SolidDrive patent-pending
technology utilizes very high-powered neodymium magnets and dual, symmetrically opposed
motors to convert audio signals into powerful vibrations that are then transferred into solid
surfaces by direct contact.
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Q. With what surfaces does SolidDrive work?
A. SolidDrive performs with excellence when used
on rigid surfaces including glass, ceramic, granite, metal, drywall, wood, laminates,
composites, gypsum panels, fiberglass, and acrylics. Structures include walls, ceilings,
floors, tables and other items of furniture in residential, retail, commercial and industrial
environments.
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Q. What are the benefits of SolidDrive?
A. The benefits of SolidDrive are that it:
- Transforms rigid surfaces such as walls, ceilings, floors, windows, tables, and
other items of furniture into high quality sound sources
- Easily attaches to surfaces and install
directly behind walls and ceilings to create
a high- quality sound system with no visible
speakers, grilles or wires
- Blends seamlessly into a room's
environment, allowing you to design your
space the way you desire or leave your
existing space in its original, untouched
condition
- Immerses the listener in sound, which is
omni-directional at nearly all frequencies
- Maintains channel separation
- Delivers sound to problem areas
- Is compact, efficient and reliable
- Comes with in-wall subwoofer options
SolidDrive provides a distinct advantage for
audio systems used in home theater systems,
distributed audio and other
high-performance audio applications.
SolidDrive is perfect for home remodels or
new home builds, retail stores, restaurants
or anywhere you want sound without
speakers.
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Q. What is the sound quality of SolidDrive compared to conventional speakers?
A. SolidDrive delivers high-quality sound
equal to and surpassing that of conventional
diaphragm speakers in their price range.
Full-range sound is radiated from the entire
surface with a frequency response of 60 Hz
to 15 kHz while maintaining excellent
channel separation.
A conventional speaker radiates from a small
surface area. The resulting sound is louder
near the speaker but dissipates the further
you are from the speaker. With SolidDrive,
sound projected from a wall or ceiling is
evenly distributed over a large surface
area. This sound completely fills the room
and is equal in all areas, immersing the
listener.
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Q. How efficient is SolidDrive?
A. SolidDrive is highly efficient; and
efficiency is very important, particularly
for in-wall and in-ceiling applications, due
to potential heat build up. Highly
efficient SolidDrive addresses this
challenge with its ability to generate sound
from an entire flat surface with very little
power. In fact, SolidDrive can generate
sound from solid surfaces using only 5 to 20
watts.
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Q. How reliable is SolidDrive?
A. SolidDrive is extremely reliable, having
no moving parts rubbing together that could
cause wear or require lubrication. Parts
subject to fatigue due to vibrations are
fabricated from special nonfatiguing
materials. SolidDrive is thermally
protected, so it can also be used in
high-output applications with power levels
up to 100 watts. SolidDrive features a
7-year warranty.
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Q. How does SolidDrive function compared to conventional speakers?
A. A conventional speaker uses a speaker
cone that vibrates to generate sound. The
sound created by SolidDrive is similar to a
guitar or piano. In a guitar, the vibrating
string causes the guitar body to vibrate in
response to the string. The vibrating
guitar body then creates the sound we hear.
SolidDrive creates a vibration (like the
string) and then uses walls, ceiling,
windows or other solid surfaces (like the
guitar body) to create sound.
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Q. What applications are there for SolidDrive?
A. SolidDrive works great for home theater
systems, boardroom conference tables and
windows or any residential, retail,
commercial or industrial environment.
Applications are only limited by your
imagination. SolidDrive works with nearly
any solid surface to deliver sound with no
visible speakers, wires or grilles.
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Q. Who can use SolidDrive?
A. SolidDrive is ideal for professional
installers; and because SolidDrive uses
materials already existing in a room, it is
perfect for installed home audio, commercial
audio or home theater sound systems.
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Q. How is SolidDrive packaged?
A. SolidDrive is packaged as a single
drive. Mounting materials and mounting
instructions are included, and the type of
installation should be specified at the time
of order.
- For walls & ceilings: For in-wall
and in-ceiling installation, SolidDrive
comes with one (1) SolidDrive SD1 unit, one
(1) attached wiring harness with Eurostyle
connector, one (1) oversized mounting base
attached to the drive, and one (1)
patent-pending acoustic in-wall mounting
bracket. The bracket comes with four (4)
#8-32 x 5/16. Phillips flat head machine
screws for mounting the drive to the
bracket. Installation also requires four (4)
screws and spray adhesive (screws and
adhesive supplied by the installer). When
ordering, be sure to specify 160C, 240C or
120C.
- For wood surfaces: For installation on
wood surfaces (including various porous
surfaces such as tables and desks with
laminate and composite sur-faces), the
SolidDrive comes with one (1) SolidDrive
SD1sm unit and one (1) attached wiring
harness with Eurostyle connector with an
oversized mounting base attached to the
drive for installation with wood screws
(screws supplied by installer).
- For glass surfaces: For installation on
glass and other smooth, non-porous surfaces,
the SolidDrive SD1g comes with one (1)
SolidDrive unit, one (1) attached wiring
harness with Euro-style connector and one
(1) VHB double-sided adhesive disc. No
additional mounting materials are
needed.
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Q. What does SolidDrive look like?
A. The SolidDrive looks like a two-inch chrome cylinder.
SD1 Desktop SolidDrive Kit - For use on
horizontal surfaces including wood, glass,
metal, granite, ceramics, laminates and
composites. Special silicone rubber pad
"grips" any non-porous surface.
SD1g SolidDrive - For use vertically or
horizontally on glass or other smooth,
non-porous materials. The SD1g is attached
to a surface with double-sided adhesive
disc.
SD1 SolidDrive - For use mounted
"In-wall" and "In-ceiling" for completely
invisible audio systems. The SolidDrive SD1
mounts inside of walls or above ceilings
utilizing the patent-pending balanced
cantilever spring bracket that spans the
studs, providing strength, stability, and
vibration free operation.
SD1 SM - For use mounted to wood and other
porous surfaces. The SolidDrive SD1sm mounts
to the surface by utilizing four screws to
securely attach the SolidDrive underneath
wood desks, tables, cabinets, paneling, and
even under hardwood floors.
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Q. How is SolidDrive installed in walls and ceilings?
A. SolidDrive installs behind walls and
ceilings, making direct contact with and
adhered to the back side of the drywall with
spray adhesive. The SolidDrive is held in
place by a special acoustic mounting bracket
that attaches to wall studs and ceiling
joists with wood screws.
Installation can be done both before drywall
installation and into existing drywall.
Please note that short installation videos
are posted online, as well, at
www.soliddrive.com.
Before drywall: The mounting bracket is
installed between the wall studs and wood
screws. The SolidDrive is installed into the
mounting bracket with four machine screws,
and the electrical connections are then
made. Adhesive is sprayed on the mounting
base of the SolidDrive and on the adjacent
area on the back side of the drywall just
before it is fitted against the wall and
screwed to the wall studs. The normal mud
and tape routine will finish the walls.
Into existing drywall: An opening is cut
into the wall, and the SolidDrive mounting
bracket is installed between the wall studs
with wood screws. The SolidDrive is
installed into the mounting bracket with
four machine screws, and the electrical
connections are then made. Adhesive is
sprayed on the mounting base of the
SolidDrive and on the adjacent area on the
backside of the drywall cutout then refitted
into the opening against the wall. The
normal mud and tape routine will finish the
walls.
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Q. How is SolidDrive installed into existing ceilings?
A. If the ceiling is accessible from above,
SolidDrive can be placed directly onto the
top surface of the drywall without the
mounting bracket and affixed with spray
adhesive. If not accessible from above,
installation is done the same as if it were
in a wall.
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Q. How is SolidDrive installed on wood surfaces?
A. SolidDrive can be mounted under
conference tables or desks by screwing it
directly to the underside of the table, as
indicated in the illustration below. One
(1) SolidDrive should be used for every 5 to
6 feet of table length. The SolidDrive
should be mounted in the center, underneath
the table, with the oversized mounting base
facing the mounting area. The SolidDrive is
then connected to the amplifier.
To ensure an optimal listening experience,
the installer MUST equalize the SolidDrive
sound systems. Equalization is accomplished
by using the SolidDrive Wood Passive
Equalization Module. Equalization is
accomplished by using the Solid Drive Wood
Passive Equalization Module.
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Q. How is SolidDrive installed onto glass surfaces?
A. SolidDrive can be installed on windows
to deliver sound to glass storefronts and
glass reception areas or on glass table
tops, as indicated in the illustration
below. The double-sided adhesive disc that
comes with the drive is applied to the base
of the drive, and the other side of the disk
is pressed to the glass surface with
moderate pressure. The SolidDrive will have
maximum output with at least 20 square feet
of window surface space. The SolidDrive is
then connected to an amplifier.

To ensure an optimal listening experience,
the installer MUST equalize the SolidDrive
sound system. Equalization is accomplished
by using the SolidDrive Glass Passive
Equalization Module.
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Q. What about high output installations?
A. For installations requiring high output,
such as a large conference table, large
glass windows or other high output type
application, two (2) Solid Drives should be
used for each of the high output channels.
For example, use two SolidDrives for the
left, right and center channel of a home
theater or the left and right channels of a
high output stereo system. The two
SolidDrives should be wired in series for
each of the high output channels as
indicated in the illustration below.
For maximum output, each SolidDrive channel
should have available at least 20 square
feet of surface area.
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Q. How is the SolidDrive sound system optimized for optimal sound quality?
A. The surface material plays a key role in
the system's sound performance. To ensure
an optimal listening experience, the
installer MUST equalize the SolidDrive
system. Equalization is accomplished by
using one of the SolidDrive Passive
Equalization Modules (Drywall EQ, Wood EQ or
Glass EQ) or by using the auto equalization
feature available on some receivers. One
SolidDrive Equalization Module should be
used with each SolidDrive that is installed.
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Q. How do the SolidDrive Passive Equalization Modules work?
A. The SolidDrive Passive Equalization
Modules use special electronic circuitry
with notch filters that correct peaks in the
frequency response. The circuitry differs
depending on the surface material to which
SolidDrive is mounted - drywall, wood and
glass.
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Q. How many SolidDrives are needed for a home theater installation?
A. A DTS 7.1 home theater sound system will
require 10 SolidDrives and a subwoofer - 2
SolidDrives for each of the left, right, and
center front channels; 2 SolidDrives for
each of the left and right surrounds; and 2
SolidDrives for each of the left and right
rear channels.
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Q. How many SolidDrives are needed for a home theater installation?
A. A DTS 7.1 home theater sound system will
require 10 SolidDrives and a subwoofer - 2
SolidDrives for each of the left, right, and
center front channels; 2 SolidDrives for
each of the left and right surrounds; and 2
SolidDrives for each of the left and right
rear channels.
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Q. Can conventional speakers be combined with SolidDrive?
A. Yes, SolidDrive can be combined with
speakers to achieve the desired sound
quality. Induction Dynamics has a full line
of speakers to achieve the desired sound
quality. Induction Dynamics has a full line
of speakers available through a nationwide
dealer network. To find an Induction
Dynamics dealer, call Induction Dynamics
toll-free at 866.663.9770.
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Q. What SolidDrive subwoofer options are there?
A. SolidDrive in-wall subwoofers are
available and are the ideal companion to
SolidDrive. SolidDrive subwoofers are
designed to be installed "in-wall" to be out
of sight, provide deep accurate bass, and,
together with the SolidDrive, create the
ultimate in-wall home theater system.
The SolidDrive subwoofers are available in
two basic models: the SW7.iw, using a single
7. driver, and the SW8.iw, using dual 8"
drivers.
The 8" is an active subwoofer, whereas the
7" is available as an active or passive
subwoofer. Active means that it is
specifically designed to work in conjunction
with the A4 amplifier. Both models can be
ordered individually or with the 200-watt
SolidDrive A4 Subwoofer Amplifier.
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Q. What are the benefits of SolidDrive subwoofers?
A. The benefits of SolidDrive subwoofers are that they:
- Can be installed "in-wall" to be out of sight
- Are easily mounted vertically between standard wall studs
- Create deep, accurate bass without altering a room's design
- Have grilles that are paintable to blend seamlessly into any room's color scheme
- Combine with the SolidDrive to create the ultimate "in-wall" home theater sound system
- Feature a 7-year warranty
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Q. How are SolidDrive subwoofers packaged?
A. SolidDrive subwoofers are shipped with
the subwoofer and enclosure, applicable
grilles with grille mounting hardware, and
an optional A4 Subwoofer Amplifier.
Additional hardware is required for mounting
the subwoofer into the wall.
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Q. What are the subwoofer amplifier requirements?
A. SolidDrive subwoofers will work with any
amplifier that has a 4 ohm output. The
recommended wattage is up to 200 watts for
music.
Induction Dynamics recommends the
Solid Drive A4 Subwoofer Ampli.er that
provides 200 watts/350 watts peak, ideally
suited for the SolidDrive subwoofers. The A4
has adjustable gain control, variable low
frequency equalization and will power
multiple subwoofers.
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Q. What is the SolidDrive Desktop?
A. The SolidDrive Desktop is a portable
sound system that turns a rigid, horizontal,
flat surface including glass, granite, metal,
wood, ceramics, laminates and composites
into a high-quality sound source.
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Q. How does the SolidDrive Desktop work?
A. The SolidDrive Desktop uses the same
technology as the SolidDrive to convert an
audio signal into a powerful vibration that
can be transferred into a hard surface such
as a table, evenly delivering sound from
the entire surface.
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Q. What makes the SolidDrive Desktop unique?
A. The SolidDrive Desktop is a compact,
portable sound system that produces a big
sound. The size of the SolidDrive Desktop
makes it easy to carry with a laptop
computer, portable CD player, projector of
other sound source.
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Q. What devices are compatible with the SolidDrive Desktop?
A. The SolidDrive Desktop can be connected
to laptop computers, CD players, MP3
players, DVD players, projectors, video
conferencing systems and other AV equipment
using a 3.5mm stereo jack, the standard size
for most headphones. The special silicone
rubber pad "grips" any non-porous surface.
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Q. How is the SolidDrive Desktop packaged?
A. The SolidDrive Desktop comes as a
complete kit. The SolidDrive Desktop Kit
includes one (1) SolidDrive SD1 Desktop, one
(1) mini amplifier, a 12V DC power supply,
one (1) passive equalization module, four
(4) electrical outlet adapters, all
necessary cabling, instructions and durable,
padded carrying case.
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