Hybrid Audio Technologies I57-2V2 Installation & Reference Manual Download Page 4

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Your Imagine system
contains speaker drivers
and a tweeter passive
crossover network
that were developed
and assembled with
a significant effort
in research and
development, materials
science engineering,
an exhaustive level of
sampling and prototyping,
real-world testing, and
obsessive attention to
detail. The specifications
and parameters of your
Imagine component system
is detailed on these pages.

Midbass Attributes

Imagine I5V2, I57-2V2, I6V2 &

I69V2

Frame

Cast ABS plastic. The basket is a high-quality cast
ABS design, which plays a critical role in aligning the
voice coil in the magnetic circuit. Additionally, the
cast ABS frame allows for better clamping strength
verses typical stamped steel frames, and ensures
that the voice coil remains centered in the former.
The frame is a shared technology with the Unity
component sets, and allow for immediate upgrade
potential in the 5 1/4-inch and 6.5-inch format, due
to identical size footprint, mounting depth, bolt
circle diameter, and motor diameter as the Unity
systems.

Cone

Pressed paper with water proof treatment. It is
widely acknowledged that pressed paper cones
are the best marriage of lightness, stiffness, and
ability of the cone to damp unwanted cone and
edge modes and resonances (read: distortion). The
paper cone, known for its excellent sonic attributes,
is water proof, thanks to a polymer developed
exclusive and proprietarily by Hybrid Audio
Technologies. The treatment does not change the
look and parameters of the driver like old-fashioned
“glossy” polymers which added an appreciable
amount of moving mass and significantly colored
the sound. No, the Imagine cones look like any

“normal” paper cone, but in reality are likely the
only high-performance water proof paper cone car
audio speaker systems on the market. The treatment
protects the cone from periodic drips (such as inside
a door panel), as well as accidental splashes to the
front of the cone. On the hybrid-audio.com website,
we have hosted a video of an actual water-proof
demonstration where we pour two liters of water
over an Imagine coaxial, and then connect it to a
musical source. That video may be viewed at:

http://

hybrid-audio.com/imagine/

Phase Plug (except I57-2V2)

Cast ABS plastic. When using the midbass in
component set mode (Imagine I51-2V2, Imagine
I61-2V2, and Imagine I69-2V2), the tweeter pole
piece is replaced with an ABS extended phase plug
pole piece. The extended phase plug pole piece
is critical for focusing high-frequency information
at the center of the cone. This design ensures
the speaker’s response remains linear into the
lower- to mid-treble frequencies. When using the
5 X 7-inch midbass in component set mode, the
tweeter bridge is removed from the midbass and
the Imagine I1 tweeter kit, sold separately, can be
mounted remotely.

Surround

Inverted high-loss rubber surround. The inverted
high-loss rubber surround (in concert with the
spider, detailed below), helps to provide the

compliance and “restorative force” needed for the
Imagine drivers to play effectively into the lower
midbass, and even upper subbass frequencies
(depending on in-car cabin gain and other factors).
You’ll also know a Hybrid Audio midrange and
midbass design by its inverted surround; this
design feature allows for the use of a smaller height
grille, better clearance with OEM panels, and more
flexibility in mounting options.

Spider

Phenolic fabric and tinned tinsel leads. The spider is
the brownish/yellow corrugated (rippled) fabric that
attaches the cone and voice coil. The spider for the
Imagine designs was the subject of a considerable
amount of our research and development. The
spider is a phenolic symmetrically-rolled fabric
which provides excellent restorative force during
excursion. The spider is vented courteous of the
speaker frame; a design element not typically found
in this price range of speaker system. The spider
venting increases the thermal power handling of
the Imagine midbass driver. The tinsel leads are
connected to real epoxy PCB, not flimsy cardboard.

Voice Coil and Motor System

The voice coil used in the Imagine midbass is a
2-layer aluminized copper wire coils on a round
former. An “overhung” voice coil was selected to
improve sensitivity while still keeping distortion to a
minimum.

Continued on following page...

Imagine

Component

Systems