Xf
X-Array™ Two-Way,
MB/HF System
• Unprecedented acoustic output in
small, lightweight package
• Ring-Mode Decoupling (RMD™)
provides accurate transient detail
• Neodymium ND5 HF and
MB drivers
• Unique rear-hinge rigging
• Enclosure shell and rigging
identical to all of the full-size
Description
The X-Array
™
product line represents impor-
tant advancements in concert-sound-rein-
forcement technology. The design goals
called for the highest-acoustic output capa-
bility with the highest fidelity in lightweight,
compact enclosures that were easy to array.
The development began with a clean sheet
of paper and took an integrated approach.
The individual loudspeaker drivers, horns,
enclosures, rigging hardware and system
configurations were designed from the
ground up specifically for this high-perfor-
mance application.
The Xf is an active far field, two-way,
MB/HF loudspeaker system with a
40° H x 20° V coverage pattern utilizing the
full-size X-Array
™
enclosure shell. The
high-frequency and mid-bass sections are
horn loaded with two drivers in each fre-
quency band, and the high-frequency
horn/driver combination is mounted coaxi-
ally inside the mid-bass horn. The horns
and drivers were designed as part of the
Xf development and represent a step for-
ward in state-of-the-art loudspeaker de-
sign in terms of high acoustic output with
low distortion and low power compression.
Electro-Voice engineers developed a new
technology dubbed Ring-Mode
Decoupling (RMD
™
) to substantially im-
prove clarity and intelligibility by reduc-
ing both linear and nonlinear resonance
modes that color the sound.
The high-frequency driver in the Xf is the
ND5 which is a 35.6-mm (1.4-in.) exit high-
frequency compression driver that features
a powerful neodymium motor structure that
was optimized for maximum efficiency and
reduced power compression. A new
76.2-mm (3.0-in.) diameter titanium dia-
phragm assembly provides increased instan-
taneous peak output capability and reduced
dome breakup. The ND5’s are mounted on a
unique tandem pair of 40° H x 20° V con-
stant-directivity horns. This combination re-
sults in substantially improved vocal clarity
and presence with a smooth response
throughout the vocal range up to 20,000 Hz.
The horns and drivers are nested inside the
mid-bass phase plug assemblies to minimize
interference in the mid-bass band.
The mid-bass driver in the Xf is the ND12A,
which is a 30.5-mm (12-in.) mid-bass driver
that features a powerful new neodymium
motor structure that was optimized for maxi-
mum horn-loaded efficiency and reduced
power compression. A new Kevlar
®
-rein-
forced cone assembly provides a smooth re-
sponse with reduced cone break up. The
ND12A’s are mounted on a dual-throat mid-
bass horn that has a coverage pattern that
transitions smoothly into the 40° H x 20° V
high-frequency pattern. The mid-bass phase
plug provides optimal loading for the
ND12A driver, delivering smooth response
and extended efficiency up to 2,000 Hz. This
combination results in improved vocal in-
telligibility and clarity with a smooth re-
sponse from the lower-to-mid vocal range.
Ring-Mode Decoupling, (RMD
™
), is a tech-
nique utilized and named by Electro-Voice
to describe a process used to improve sound
quality in loudspeaker systems. RMD
™
offers a solution to a very fundamental
problem. It has long been recognized that
two different loudspeaker systems can
sound different even though they both may
be equalized to have the same frequency
response. This difference is due to a vari-
ety of resonances, or ring modes, that color
the sound. Although this ringing may be
very low in level compared to the program
material, it is still audible. The source of
these resonances may be mechanical or
acoustical in nature, or a combination of
both. In addition, they may be linear or
nonlinear, resulting in their character
changing with level. Furthermore, these
ring modes may be aggravated when mul-
tiple loudspeaker enclosures are assembled
into arrays. The result is a coloration that
decreases intelligibility and clarity, with the
nature of that coloration varying with level.
Often, the listener perceives that colora-
X-Array™ systems
• Far-field, 40° x 20° coverage
pattern
