Xi-2181 Bass System
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 re- tune 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 Install™ systems utilizes full top/bottom L-track.
The durable Xi-2181 enclosure is con- structed of 18-mm, 13-ply birch plywood and has a wear-resistant black, textured paint fin- ish. The system is trapezoidal, forming an 18° wedge and includes a heavy-duty steel grille with a water-resistant charcoal-gray foam interlining.
Applications
The X-Array Install™ loudspeaker systems were designed for optimal performance in both concert-sound and permanent-installa- tion applications where studio-monitor sound quality is required at concert-sound levels. The X-Array Install™ loudspeaker systems work well individually, in small ar- rays and in large arrays. The high acoustic output from these compact, lightweight sys- tems provide the highest acoustic-power-to- weight ratio, the highest acoustic-power-to- frontal-area ratio, and the highest acoustic- power-to-bulk-volume ratio in the industry. That means that X-Array™systems will be considerably smaller and lighter compared to competitive systems having equivalent acoustic output. With its response from 37-
200Hz, the Xi-2181 is recommended for low-frequency applications where very-high levels of bass are required from a compact enclosure. Specifically, the Xi-2181 has been optimized to provide low-frequency rein- forcement for the Xi 2153, 2183, 2123, 1123, 1153, 1152, 1122 systems. The Xi-2181 may be used individually or in multiples to con- struct low-frequency arrays, or may be used with the mid-bass-/high-frequency or low-/ mid-bass-/high-frequency X-Array Install™ loudspeaker systems to construct large full- range arrays. The Merlin ISP100 as well as the Electro-Voice Dx34A and Klark Teknik DN8000 digital crossovers are recommended for signal control. (See the Crossover, Equal-
ization and Signal Delay Controller section.) The Electro-Voice P3000 amplifier is recom- mended for powering the Xi-2181. (See the Amplifier Recommendations section.)
Power-Handling Capabilities
The Xi-2181 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 pa- rameters are as follows:
Low-Frequency Section (Pins 1 and 2 par- alleled):
PE(MAX): | 1,200 watts |
Test Voltage: | 58.7-volts rms |
| 117.4-volts peak |
RSR (1.15RE): | 2.88 ohms |
Amplifier Recommendations
Power amplifiers with the following ratings are recommended for use with the Xi-2181 loudspeaker systems:
LF: 800 watts into 8 ohms 91-volts rms short term 130-volts peak
Xi-2181 loudspeakers may be paralleled with other Xi-2181 systems as long as the ampli- fiers can drive the lower impedances. To maintain a sufficient damping factor with long cable runs, amplifier loads of four ohms per channel are recommended. The Electro-Voice P3000 amplifiers are ideal for powering the X-Array™systems.
Crossover, Equalization and Signal Delay Controller
The Xi-2181 is intended to be used with other X-Array Install™ loudspeaker systems to construct full-range arrays as an active sys- tem requiring an active crossover, equaliza- tion and signal delay controller. For basic applications, the Merlin ISP100, or the Elec- tro-Voice Dx34A 2-in/4-out controller is rec- ommended. The Klark Teknik DN8000 2- in/5-out controller is also recommended. Linkwitz-Riley crossover filters with a mini- mum slope of 24 dB per octave at 125 Hz are recommended, and infrasonic filter pro-
tection at 32 Hz or higher with a minimum slope of 12-dB/octave is recommended in the low-frequency section. The ISP100 as well as the Dx34A and the DN8000 offer appro- priate filtering, equalization and signal de- lay capabilities to provide optimum perfor- mance of the X-Array Install™ loudspeaker systems. Digital parameter settings for all controllers are available upon request.
Electrical Connection and System Wiring
Two paralleled Neutrik 8-pin Speakon® con- nectors are used for electrical connection to the Xi-2181 loudspeakers with the follow- ing pin assignments:
LF1: | Pins 1 Paralleled |
LF2: | Pins 2 Paralleled |
The Xi-2181 wiring diagram is shown in Figure 7. Since the connectors are paralleled, it does not matter which connector is used as the input or output when paralleling Xi-2181 systems. Although Pins 3 and 4 are not used by the Xi-2181 systems, they are paralleled on the input panel. This allows an X-Array Install™ MB/HF box to be paral- leled with an Xi-2181, allowing all eight con- ductors to be used with a single cable run to the amplifiers. Note that, when two Xi-2181 systems are jumped from one to another via the input/output connections, the amplifier home-run cable will have two woofers on Pins 2 (for a 4-ohm load) and two woofers on Pins 1 (for a 4-ohm load).
Flying the X-Array Install™ Systems
A manual entitled the X-Array Install™ Fly- ing Manual is available from Electro-Voice and is included with each flying Xi loud- speaker system. A brief introductory over- view is included here. The X-Array-Install™ Flying Manual should be consulted for com- plete structural specifications and detailed information on safely suspending and using the Xi systems.
The Xi-2181 loudspeaker system includes flying hardware, a unique two-point flying system that permits a wide range of vertical angle adjustment, and offers maximum flex- ibility in array design for both touring sound and permanent installations. The quick-re- lease, aircraft-rated heavy-duty L-track type hardware design allows arrays of loudspeak- ers to be assembled (and disassembled) very
