Xilica and Sennheiser have strengthened their partnership with the launch of two pre-validated, plug-and-play ‘room kits’ for medium and large collaboration spaces.
The Xilica x Sennheiser Room Kits, designed with IT standards in mind, bring premium PoE-powered Xilica and Sennheiser audio-conferencing solutions together in one compact in-ceiling system, with all components connected over CatX network cables. This speeds up deployment for enterprise and education customers modernising their meeting and learning spaces, as no copper cable or proprietary audio connections are required.
Both purpose-built bundles include a Xilica PoE-powered DSP and a Sennheiser beamforming microphone array (TeamConnect Ceiling 2) to reduce noise and eliminate echo in challenging acoustical environments. The kits also add Xilica’s new CatX-connected in-ceiling speaker systems to optimise in-room audio and streamline architecture.
The Medium Room Kit features a Xilica Solaro QR1-UC DSP, Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphone, one PoE+-enabled Xilica Sonia Amp and two Sonia C5 in-ceiling speakers. The Large Room Kit includes the same technology, plus four Sonia C5 in-ceiling speakers and a Xilica XTouch 80 touchscreen for simple in-room control.
The kits are different from traditional audio-conferencing solutions in that their centricity is based on CatX cable and existing installed network infrastructure. It is also one of the most easily installed options, with no mains power requirement, full in-ceiling installation, and distributed ceiling speakers that address the requirements of collaboration room audio across a larger space without termination or proprietary wiring. The pre-validated solution reduces the costs of building an audio-conferencing solution from individual components, while also providing installers with a practical system that is quick to deploy.
Xilica HearClear acoustic echo cancellation and Sennheiser’s TruVoicelift functionality work together to lift voice intelligibility, reduce audio artifacts and eliminate room and acoustic distractions that limit clear communication. Xilica Solaro QR1-UC DSPs include a 2×2 USB audio interface that offers volume and mute status sync for Microsoft Teams and Zoom, adding value for hybrid applications, allowing remote workers and students to alter the volume from their computer keyboards.
The room kits are adaptable to a wide range of spaces, including auditoriums, board rooms, conference rooms, lecture halls, training spaces and classrooms. Larger enterprises and universities can configure them with Solaro QR1’s advanced DSP functionality prior to deployment. This allows customers to easily standardise kit components to serve the specific needs of each space.
“Extending our partnership with Sennheiser into room bundles is an ideal way to speed up design and deployment of cutting-edge collaboration spaces,” said Shaun Robinson, Xilica’s vice-president for product management. “The Xilica x Sennheiser Room Kits are true ceiling-installed systems that require no in-room equipment racks or mains power, and work over existing network infrastructure. Their scalable, consistent design enables easy deployment in hundreds of rooms across a campus with the same level of quality but without time-consuming programming and installation.”
“The inclusion of Xilica’s Teams- and Zoom-friendly DSP means these kits have the processing power and intelligence to handle some of the more acoustically challenging spaces,” said Ira M Weinstein, managing partner at analyst firm Recon Research.
