The Armstrong i-ceilings range of Sound Panels utilises the revolutionary new loudspeaker technology 'NXT™'. Unlike conventional 'cone' speakers which operate with a piston-like action, NXT technology introduces resonant vibrations to the entire surface of a lightweight flat panel via an electronic transducer system.
  Uncorrelated sound vibration pattern of an NXT Panel Uniform sound vibration pattern of a conventional cone speaker  
     
 
In effect, the panel within the ceiling tile is vibrating in much the same way as a piano or acoustic guitar. Like these musical instruments, new technology i-ceilings panels generate highly diffuse and disperse sound energy (similar in nature to the light emitted from a fluorescent lamp).

Sound, therefore, is radiated in all directions to ensure highly intelligible voice and music reproduction and even sound density over the area being covered. This is very different to the results of a conventional piston-like cone speaker, which can cause highly directional and often unintelligible speech in large open spaces.