Audio speakers having upward firing drivers for reflected sound rendering

A speaker system for reflecting sound waves off a room ceiling to a listening position in the room, comprising:

• a cabinet;
• a direct-firing driver within the cabinet and oriented to transmit sound along a horizontal axis perpendicular to a front surface of the cabinet;
• an upward-firing driver inset in a recess within a top surface of the cabinet and configured to reflect sound off a reflection point on the ceiling, and wherein a corresponding angle for direct response from the upward-firing driver is between 60 and 80 degrees from the horizontal axis;
• a crossover circuit having a low-pass section configured to transmit low frequency signals below a threshold frequency to the direct-firing driver, and a high-pass section configured to transmit high frequency signals above the threshold frequency to the upward-firing driver;
• and
• a terminal panel affixed to the outside of a rear surface of the cabinet and having separate input connections to the direct-firing driver and the upward firing driver, wherein the terminal panel has a first set of input terminal binding connectors to connect an audio system to the direct-firing driver and labeled as such on the rear surface, and a second set of input terminal binding connectors to connect the audio system to the upward firing driver and labeled as such on the rear surface.

A method for generating an audio scene from a speaker in a room, the method comprising:

• receiving first and second audio signals;
• routing the first audio signal comprising low frequency signals below a threshold frequency to a direct-firing driver of the speaker;
• routing the second audio signal comprising high frequency signals above the threshold frequency to an upward-firing driver of the speaker;
• wherein the first and second audio signals are physically discrete signals representing direct and diffused audio content, respectively;
• and
• separating the first audio signal from the second audio signal in a crossover circuit having a low-pass section configured to route the low frequency signals to the direct-firing driver, and a high-pass section configured to transmit the high frequency signals above the threshold frequency to the upward-firing driver,
• wherein the first and second audio signals are routed through a terminal panel affixed to the outside of a rear surface of a unitary cabinet housing the direct-firing driver and upward-firing driver, and having separate input connections to the direct-firing driver and the upward firing driver, wherein the terminal panel has a first set of input terminal binding connectors to connect an audio system to the direct-firing driver and labeled as such on the rear surface, and a second set of input terminal binding connectors to connect the audio system to the upward firing driver and labeled as such on the rear surface.