InfoComm Announcements Signal a New Phase for Professional Audio Drivers
Professional audio drivers are highly engineered loudspeaker components and integrated systems that convert electrical signals into precise sound, and InfoComm 2026 announcements show how new driver and enclosure designs are reshaping performance, size, and affordability expectations across touring, install, and OEM applications. This year’s professional audio focus centers on lighter systems that deliver higher output, take up less truck and rack space, and integrate more intelligence for easier deployment and monitoring. Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) is expanding its EAW Newport Series with active line arrays and subwoofers that aim to reset price-to-performance benchmarks for mobile and fixed rigs. At the same time, Powersoft is introducing new OEM technologies that push transducer efficiency and control from inside the driver itself. Together, these InfoComm 2026 announcements highlight how manufacturers are tackling demands for compact, efficient, professional audio drivers that do more with less hardware.
EAW Newport Series Targets Price-to-Performance Breakthroughs
EAW’s latest Newport Series additions focus on packing high output into lightweight, integrated enclosures that remove the need for external amplifier racks. The NT208L dual 8-inch active line array delivers a stated 141 dB Max SPL with low-frequency extension down to 50 Hz, driven by a 2000W Class-D amplifier. Its field-adjustable horn with Adjustable Horizontal Directivity lets users switch between four coverage profiles without tools, supporting varied venues and stage plots. On the low-end side, the NT116S subwoofer can be flown with the NT206L line array or used as a standalone low-frequency source, and its Cardioid Mode aims to keep bass energy in the audience while reducing spill onto the stage. According to Geoff McKinnon, senior director of engineering at EAW, “Newport cabinets use a new EAW horn and patented waveguide technology, while also being engineered to be the lightest in their class.”
Integrated Amplification, Software Tools, and Leaner Logistics
Beyond raw output, the EAW Newport Series addresses the daily practical limits of touring and live production. Each enclosure integrates high-efficiency Class-D amplification, removing separate amp racks and shrinking system footprint for both storage and transport. EAW notes that cutting external rack gear reduces warehouse space needs and allows more PA to fit into smaller trucks, which in turn lowers labor demands and simplifies load-in. The series also ties into professional 3D SPL modeling and room optimization software, giving system designers detailed prediction tools. Complementing the hardware, EAW’s new browser-based Online Array Assistant runs on computers or smartphones and provides angles, pick-points, and switch settings so rigging can be correct on the first hang. With more subwoofer options in development, including the NT119S and NT219S, Newport is positioned as a scalable platform for operators who want straightforward, high-performance systems without complex infrastructure.
Powersoft MM-Force: Shallow, Efficient Low-Frequency Power
While EAW focuses on finished systems, Powersoft is targeting OEM loudspeaker builders with MM-Force, a low-profile moving magnetic low-frequency driver. Designed to fit shallow install formats, MM-Force maintains a depth of under 80 mm while using 8-inch and 10-inch variants with a dual coil configuration and a square carbon fiber reinforced polymer piston. Powersoft says the driver’s moving parts are arranged to dynamically offset each other so the transducer operates with minimal vibration, which supports cleaner performance in compact cabinets. By combining moving magnet topology with a high motor strength design, MM-Force aims to raise power efficiency and output density for professional audio drivers in space-limited subs and bass modules. Its rugged construction is rated for harsh environments, giving OEM partners a low-frequency foundation suited to both demanding touring systems and fixed installations where depth and weight are constrained.
Spixel and AnyMATE Point Toward Smarter Full-Range Drivers
Powersoft’s Spixel extends the company’s high motor strength philosophy into an ultra-compact full-range driver format. In a 2.5-inch form factor, Spixel reaches a low-frequency limit of 100 Hz, allowing system designers to pair it directly with subwoofers using a single low crossover point instead of multi-way splits. This can simplify processing and improve coherence in compact line arrays, columns, or point-source cabinets. Spixel also integrates Powersoft’s AnyMATE technology, which enables onboard speaker identification, real-time monitoring, and visual diagnostics through an LED indicator and translucent dustcap. According to Luca Giorgi, sales and business development director at Powersoft, MM-Force and Spixel show how the company’s offer “extends well beyond the amplifier rack” to give OEM partners the missing pieces of a complete high-performance system. Together, these Powersoft OEM technologies underscore a shift toward smarter, more self-aware transducers that plug into integrated ecosystems of amplification and software.
