JL Audio’s Chief Engineer and CEO, Lucio Proni, set the bar at the highest level, with a clear mission to create our finest-ever automotive component speakers. Under his direction, engineering resources were assigned to develop each C7 speaker as a clean-sheet design, optimized for car audio applications.
C7 design solutions were created and refined using JL Audio's powerful mechanical and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) modeling systems, including our proprietary Dynamic Motor Analysis (DMA) software. These studies led to innovative motor and suspension solutions, which were key to meeting the C7 design goals for smooth, off-axis response, dynamic stability and low distortion.
No detail, material or design element went unexamined in each of the C7 speakers: from the exotic, corundum ceramic-coated diaphragm of the C7 tweeter, to the intricately machined motor plates of the C7 midrange, which significantly improve linearity. Even seemingly small details were engineered with a great deal of thought-like the way the C7-350cm’s specially engineered lead wires attach to the rear suspension to prevent noise, without damaging the spider material’s integrity. The C7-650cw woofer’s dust cap went through ten prototype generations before arriving at the solution that resulted in the smoothest high frequency response and the best mechanical integrity. These details, and hundreds of others like them, simply had to be perfect for the design team to approve them for the C7 drivers.
We expect that C7 system designers will seek to avoid technical compromises, so we have designed C7 for use with active crossovers. A high-quality DSP, such as the JL Audio TwK™ 88/ D8, or a VXi amplifier with built-in DSP is recommended, with individual amplifier channels for each C7 are the recommended architecture for peak performance. With this approach, the system designer can use delay, crossover parameters and precise equalization to adjust for speaker placement, cabin acoustics and target response.
This leads to a spectacular musical presentation, easily exceeding the performance boundaries of typical, high-end, car audio speaker systems. When you listen to C7, you will hear a level of resolution, precision and imaging that suspends disbelief, opening a window to an intensely pure audio experience.
JL Audio’s engineering department is at the forefront of research into fundamental loudspeaker behavior. We have developed proprietary analysis systems and invested heavily in state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing. This has borne numerous products widely considered as reference standards and has also resulted in many U.S. and International Patents issued for technologies that refine and extend the audio performance envelope.
Every C7 woofer and midrange driver is built to exacting quality standards in our Miramar, Florida factory, with globally sourced components. Each model is a completely original design from surround to back-plate (even the bolts and screws used in assembly have been purpose-designed and manufactured to our specifications).
A bit obsessive, perhaps, but so is the quest for the ultimate in audio reproduction...a goal that we pursue with passion, through research and without compromise.
Sold individually, C7-650cw and C7-350cm speakers include a cast-alloy grille tray, one fine mesh steel grille insert and one spiral steel grille insert.