# XTZ Sound Tackles Immersive Sound With Its New Cinema Series S2 Atmosphere Speaker



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

XTZ Sound recently announced a new addition to their Cinema Series of loudspeakers and subwoofers: the Atmosphere S2. In August of last year we previewed XTZ’s Cinema Series, revealing a drop-dead gorgeous collection of gear composed of the M6 bookshelf, S5 surround, and the 1X12 and 3X12 subwoofers. Today, we’re previewing the S2, a unique height channel that rounds-out XTZ’s Cinema Series lineup.










The primary function of the Atmosphere S2 is to handle height-channel audio found in Immersive Sound. Dolby Atmos (along with DTS-X and Auro 3D) has captured the attention of enthusiasts, and speaker manufacturers are quickly responding with specialized product solutions in the form of add-on modules for existing speakers and in-ceiling speakers. The S2 is a blend of both, offering owners a module and ceiling option wrapped-up in one unit. 

When placed on top of a Cinema M6 bookshelf speaker, the S2 is angled to reflect sound off the ceiling of a room to create the illusion of sound coming from above. The bottom of the cabinet also contains two keyhole brackets that enable the speaker to be physically mounted on a wall or ceiling; the ceiling mounting option is recommended for the best audio experience. XTZ smartly notched a speaker wire channel into the bottom of the speaker’s cabinet, allowing for speaker wire to reach the S2’s terminals unhindered when flush against a flat surface. The company is also including rubber spacers for use when placing the speaker on a shelf or the top-side of a different make/model of speaker.










The S2 is a sealed cabinet design constructed from HDF and shares the same non-reflective matte black finish as other members of the Cinema Series. It also has the same rounded cabinet edges that give the Cinema Series a luxurious finish appeal. The S2’s cabinet is angled downward on the front, with a tilt (or slant) to one side, which allows the speaker to properly angle sound upward when placed on top of speakers that are toed-in. The overall size of the speaker is relatively small (5.9-inches H x 9.1 W x 8.7 D) and relatively light-weight (5.5-pounds).










The speaker’s driver topology is a coaxial dome/woofer design where the 5.25-inch coated paper woofer acts as a wave guide for a 16mm soft-dome tweeter. The S2 has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms, and a decently power hungry sensitivity of 86 dB. XTZ reports that the speaker’s frequency response (150 Hz -25 kHz) roughly extends down to 120 Hz when measured in-room. 

XTZ Sound hasn’t released official pricing yet, but the S2 will likely cost in the neighborhood of $500 per pair. The company says it will be available for purchase during Q2 of 2015. For more information about XTZ and its Cinema Series, visit them on the web at www.xtzsound.com. Also, Home Theater Shack is currently arranging full reviews of several different XTZ speakers including: the 100.33s, M6s, S5s, and a SUB 3X12. Keep your eyes peeled for those reviews in the coming months!



_Image Credits: XTZ Sound_


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