• Unprecedented acoustic output in
small, lightweight package
• Ring-Mode Decoupling (RMD™)
provides accurate transient detail
• Near-field 60° x 40° rotatable
coverage pattern
• Neodymium ND5 HF and ND12A
MB drivers and EVX-180B woofer
• Unique rear-hinge rigging
• Enclosure shell and rigging
identical to all of the full-size
Xn
X-Array™ Three-Way,
LF/MB/HF System
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 Xn is an active near-field, three-way,
semi-full-range LF/MB/HF loudspeaker
system with a rotatable 60° x 40° coverage
pattern. The high-frequency and mid-bass
sections are horn loaded with one driver in
each frequency band, and the HF horn/
driver combination is mounted coaxially in-
side the mid-bass horn. The low-frequency
section has one driver in a slot-loaded en-
closure. The woofer, horns and drivers were
designed as part of the Xn development
and represent a step forward in state-of-
the-art loudspeaker design in terms of high
acoustic output with low distortion and
low power compression. Electro-Voice en-
gineers developed a new technology
dubbed Ring-Mode Decoupling (RMD
™
)
to substantially improve clarity and intelli-
gibility by reducing both linear and non-
linear resonance modes that color the
sound.
The high-frequency driver in the Xn is the
ND5, which is a 3.56-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 is mounted on a
60° x 40° rotatable constant-directivity horn.
This combination results in substantially
improved vocal clarity and presence with a
smooth response throughout the vocal range
up to 20,000 Hz. The horn and driver are
nested inside the mid-bass phase plug assem-
bly to minimize interference in the mid-bass
band.
The mid-bass driver in the Xn 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
response with reduced cone break up. The
ND12A is mounted on a mid-bass horn that
has a coverage pattern that transitions
smoothly into the rotatable 60° x 40° high-
frequency pattern. The mid-bass phase plug
provides optimal loading for the ND12A
driver, delivering smooth response and ex-
tended efficiency up to 2,000 Hz. This com-
bination results in improved vocal intelligi-
bility and clarity with a smooth response
from the lower-to-mid vocal range.
The low-frequency driver in the Xn is the
EVX-180B, which is a high-excursion
457-mm (18-in.) woofer that has distin-
guished itself as an industry standard for
high-power, low-frequency reproduction.
The single slot-loaded, low-frequency
woofer in the Xn is less efficient than the
horn-loaded mid-bass- and high-frequency
sections and, as such, can provide low-to-
moderate levels of low-frequency repro-
duction. For high levels of low-frequency
reproduction, addditional woofer systems
must be added (Xb, Xcb and/or Xds). Dur-
ing the X-Array
™
development, the ther-
mal conduction of the motor was improved
and the suspension was redesigned giv-
ing the EVX-180B even lower power com-
pression and longer mechanical lifetime.
In the Xn, the woofer is slot loaded in a
sealed enclosure optimized for maximized
output from 48-160 Hz with minimized dis-
tortion. Ring-Mode Decoupling, (RMD
™
)
is a technique utilized and named by
Electro-Voice to describe a process used
X-Array™ systems
