Xn Three
-W
ay
, LF/MB/HF System
Xn Three-Way LF/MB/HF System
2
to improve sound quality in loudspeaker
systems. RMD offers a solution to a very
fundamental problem. It has long been rec-
ognized 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 variety of resonances,
or ring modes, that color the sound. Although
this ringing may be very low in level com-
pared 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 char-
acter 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 de-
creases intelligibility and clarity with the
nature of that coloration varying with level.
Often, the listener perceives that coloration
as imbalance in the frequency response,
and will attempt to electronically adjust
the system to restore the spectral balance.
However this electronic equalization has the
negative effect of changing the program
material itself.
Ring-Mode Decoupling (RMD
™
) addresses
mechanical resonances with mechanical so-
lutions, and acoustical resonances with
acoustical solutions. In the Xn development,
RMD was applied at every level – to the in-
dividual HF, MB and LF drivers, the HF and
MB horns, the LF and MB enclosure cham-
bers, the interaction between the HF, MB and
LF frequency bands and the interaction
between multiple enclosures. The design
process included, for example, the driver dia-
phragm, cone, suspension and phase-plug
geometry and materials, horn geometry and
materials, enclosure geometry and materials,
absorptive materials, etc. The result is a dra-
matic improvement in clarity and with a
much more neutral sound (a lack of colora-
tion), with the loudspeaker system maintain-
ing its sonic integrity from the very-lowest
sound-pressure levels, to the very-highest
sound-pressure levels. This means that the
front-of-house engineer will not have to
retune the EQ and level settings as the SPL
is increased throughout the show. This also
means that the sound-system performance
will remain consistent in different array con-
figurations and from venue to venue.
The X-Array
™
systems utilizes a unique rig-
ging system. A hinge assembly is used to link
cabinets together at their rear corners, while
wire-rope/fitting assemblies are used at the
front to adjust the relative angle between
systems. (See the Flying the X-Array
™
Systems section for more details.)
The durable Xn enclosure is constructed of
18-mm, 13-ply birch plywood and has a
wear-resistant black, textured paint finish.
The system is trapezoidal, forming an
18° wedge, and includes a heavy-duty steel
grille with a water-resistant charcoal-gray
foam interlining. The enclosure features
vinyl bumper pads on the front corners and
feet on the bottom to resist wear.
A variety of accessories are available for the
X-Array
™
loudspeaker systems, including
rigging hardware, dollies, covers, electronic
crossovers, amplifier racks and speaker
cabling. Consult the X-Array
™
Accessories
section for a complete listing the available
accessories.
Applications
The X-Array
™
loudspeaker systems were de-
signed for optimal performance in both con-
cert-sound and permanent-installation appli-
cations where studio-monitor sound quality
is required at concert-sound levels. The
X-Array
™
loudspeaker systems work well in-
dividually, in small arrays and in large ar-
rays. The high-acoustic output from these
compact, lightweight systems provide the
highest acoustic-power-to-weight ratio, the
highest acoustic-power-to-frontal-area ratio,
and the highest acoustic-power-to-bulk-vol-
ume ratio in the industry. That means that
X-Array
™
systems will be considerably
smaller and lighter compared to competitive
systems having equivalent acoustic output.
The 60° x 40° coverage pattern of the Xn
makes it ideal for sound-reinforcement
applications with short- to medium-throw
requirements. With its response from
48-20,000 Hz, is recommended for full-
range applications where a moderate level
of bass is required. Where very-high levels
of deep bass are required, maximum perfor-
mance may be achieved with the addition of
an X-Array
™
bass box (like the Xb, Xcb or
Xds). The Xn may be used individually or
in multiples to construct arrays. In addi-
tion, the Xn may be used with the MB/HF
X-Array
™
loudspeaker systems (like the Xf
or Xcn) to construct large full-range arrays.
The Xn enclosure shell and rigging are iden-
tical to the other full-size X-Array
™
systems
for easy array integration. The rotatable
horn pattern offers tremendous flexibility
to tailor the pattern to the application. For
example, the 60°H x 40°V orientation would
be well suited for front-of-house, front-fill
and side-fill applications while the
40°H x 60°V would be well suited for down-
fill applications.
The Xn is a three-way active system that re-
quires an active electronic crossover. Both the
Electro-Voice Dx38 and Klark Teknik
DN8000 digital crossovers are recom-
mended for signal control. (See the Cross-
over, Equalization and Signal Delay Con-
troller section.) The Electro-Voice P3000
amplifier is recommended for powering the
Xn. (See the Amplifier Recommendations
section.)
Power-Handling Capabilities
The Xn systems are rated as per the
“ANSI/EIA RS-426-A Loudspeaker Power
Rating, Full Range Test,” which uses a
shaped-random-noise signal to simulate typi-
cal music to test the mechanical and thermal
capabilities of the loudspeakers. A digital
crossover was used to provide the appropri-
ate filtering and equalization. The test param-
eters are as follows:
High-Frequency Section:
P
E(MAX)
:
75 watts
Test Voltage:
30.1-volts rms
60.2-volts peak
R
SR
(1.15 R
E
):
12.1 ohms
Mid-Bass-Frequency Section:
P
E(MAX)
:
300 watts
Test Voltage:
45.5-volts rms
91.0-volts peak
R
SR
(1.15 R
E
):
6.90 ohms
Low-Frequency Section:
PE
(MAX)
:
600 watts
Test Voltage:
58.7-volts rms
117.4-volts peak
R
SR
(1.15 R
E
):
5.75 ohms
