While in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers are an attractive alternative for some home theater enthusiasts, many still use a freestanding subwoofer in their systems, wanting the performance of a traditional sub while seeking to avoid potential property damage from all of that low-frequency vibration. BG Radia Corporation has tendered the BGX-4850 as a possible solution and THX Ltd. has applied their seal of approval, marking the first time an in-wall subwoofer has achieved THX Ultra2 certification.

The BGX-4850 is also the debut product for THX Balanced Bass-line technology, which helps deliver vibration-free bass from a very compact speaker design. With Balanced Bass-line, the speaker drivers are totally self-contained within their own enclosures, all but eliminating the potential sound coloration from wall vibration.

With more than 2,000 watts of power, the BGX-4850 anchored a remarkable demo from the movie Pearl Harbor at the BG Radia booth. While the bass output was palpable, I put my hand right on the metal frame and indeed felt virtually no vibration during the scene.

The BGX-4850 contains four separate in-wall bass modules driven by the BGA-2104 rack-mountable power amplifier/DSP equalizer controller. Each bass module contains twelve micro-precision woofers, each sealed in an airtight enclosure, arranged in six balanced pairs. The entire assembly fits within a 2x4-inch stud-wall, with just a 26-and-a-half-inch grill visible.

The BGX-4850 in-wall subwoofer is available to order now at a list price of $6,995, including grill. It will begin shipping from BG Radia beginning in October.

More information:

• www.bgcorp.com
• www.thx.com