Electro-Voice Speaker User Manual
XdsXds
Xds
XdsXds
X-Array™ DoubleX-Array™ Double
X-Array™ Double
X-Array™ DoubleX-Array™ Double
Subwoofer SystemSubwoofer System
Subwoofer System
Subwoofer SystemSubwoofer System
••
Unprecedented acoustic outputUnprecedented acoustic output
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Unprecedented acoustic output
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Unprecedented acoustic outputUnprecedented acoustic output
in a small, lightweight packagein a small, lightweight package
in a small, lightweight package
in a small, lightweight packagein a small, lightweight package
••
Ring Mode Decoupling (RMD)™Ring Mode Decoupling (RMD)™
•
Ring Mode Decoupling (RMD)™
••
Ring Mode Decoupling (RMD)™Ring Mode Decoupling (RMD)™
provides accurate transientprovides accurate transient
provides accurate transient
provides accurate transientprovides accurate transient
detaildetail
detail
detaildetail
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EVX-180B woofersEVX-180B woofers
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EVX-180B woofers
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EVX-180B woofersEVX-180B woofers
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Enclosure shell matches twoEnclosure shell matches two
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Enclosure shell matches two
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Enclosure shell matches twoEnclosure shell matches two
full-full-
size X-Array™ systemssize X-Array™ systems
full-
size X-Array™ systems
full-full-
size X-Array™ systemssize X-Array™ systems
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Optimized for maximumOptimized for maximum
•
Optimized for maximum
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Optimized for maximumOptimized for maximum
subwoofer -frequency acousticsubwoofer -frequency acoustic
subwoofer -frequency acoustic
subwoofer -frequency acousticsubwoofer -frequency acoustic
outputoutput
output
outputoutput
Description
The X-Array
portant advancements in concert-sound-reinforcement technology. The design goals
called for the highest acoustic output capability 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-performance application.
The Xds is a manifolded, vented-box subwoofer system utilizing two 457-mm (18-in.)
woofers in the double-wide X-Array
sure shell. The enclosure has been optimized
for maximum subwoofer-frequency output.
The two woofers face each other in a manifold chamber at the center of the enclosure.
This manifolding technique (U.S. Patent
Number 4,733,749) increases the acoustic
loading, resulting in increased low-frequency efficiency (at slightly above box tuning) and reduced distortion compared to
conventional direct-radiating designs. The
woofers were designed as part of the Xds
development and represent a step forward
in state-of-the-art loudspeaker design in
™
product line represents im-
™
enclo-
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 improve clarity and
intelligibility by reducing both linear and
nonlinear resonance modes that color the
sound.
The low-frequency driver in the Xds is the
EVX-180B. An improved version of the industry-standard EVX-180A high-excursion
467-mm (18-in.) woofer that has distinguished itself as an industry standard for
high-power, low-frequency reproduction.
During the X-Array
mal conduction of the motor was improved
and the suspension was redesigned, giving
the EVX-180B even lower power compression and a longer mechanical lifetime. In the
Xds, the woofers are manifolded in a vented
enclosure optimized for maximized subwoofer output from 30-160 Hz with minimized distortion.
Ring Mode Decoupling, (RMD
nique utilized and named by Electro-Voice
to describe a process used to improve sound
quality in loudspeaker systems. RMD
fers 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 equal-
™
development, the ther-
™
), is a tech-
™
of-
ized 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 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
multiple 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
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
mechanical resonances with mechanical solutions, and acoustical resonances with
acoustical solutions. In the Xds development,
™
RMD
was applied at every level – to the
individual low-frequency drivers, the lowfrequency enclosure chambers and the interaction between multiple enclosures. The design process included, for example, the driver
™
) addresses
Xds Double Subwoofer System
cone, suspension geometry and materials,
enclosure geometry and materials, absorptive materials, etc. The result is a dramatic
improvement in clarity and with a much more
neutral sound (a lack of coloration) with the
loudspeaker system maintaining its sonic
integrity from the very-lowest sound pressure levels to the very-highest sound pressure levels. This means that the front-ofhouse 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 configurations
and from venue to venue.
The Xds utilizes a double-wide X-Array
enclosure shell. The height of the Xds is iden-
Xds Double Subwoofer System
tical to the standard, full-size X-Array
closures (like the Xf, Xn and Xb); however
the footprint matches that of two standard
X-Array™ enclosures sitting side by side
with their sides parallel. Thus, two standard
X-Array
™
enclosures (like the Xf, Xn, Xcn
or Xb) may be stacked on top of the Xds.
The Xds does not have rigging hardware for
flying.
The durable Xds enclosure is constructed of
18-mm, 13-ply birch plywood and has a
wear-resistant black, textured paint finish.
The system is trapezoidal, forming a 36°
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 to 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 sec-
tion for a complete listing of the available
accessories
Applications
The X-Array
™
loudspeaker systems were designed for optimal performance in both concert-sound and permanent-installation applications where studio-monitor sound quality
is required at concert-sound levels. The X-
™
Array
loudspeaker systems work well individually, in small arrays and in large arrays. The high acoustic output from these
™
en-
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-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 32-200 Hz, the Xds
is recommended for subwoofer and low-frequency applications where extremely high
levels of bass are required. Specifically, the
Xds has been optimized to provide subwoofer reinforcement for all of the X-Ar-
™
ray
™
loudspeaker systems. Typically, the Xds
would be crossed over to provide subwoofer
reinforcement from 80 Hz and below in parallel with the full-range systems (made up
of Xf, Xn, Xcn, Xb and Xcb systems that
cover 40 Hz and above). However, the Xds
may be crossed over at 125 Hz and used as a
combination subwoofer/low-frequency system in place of or in addition to the standard
low-frequency systems (like the Xb and
Xcb). The Xds may be used individually or
in multiples to construct subwoofer/low-frequency arrays, or may be used with the fullrange X-Array
™
systems to construct fullrange, large-scale arrays. The double-wide
Xds enclosure footprint matches that of two
standard X-Array
™
enclosures sitting side by
side with their sides parallel, allowing two
standard, full-size systems to be stacked on
top of the Xds. The Xds does not have flying hardware and is intended for stacking
only. The Xds would be well suited for frontof-house, front-fill, and side-fill applications.
The Xds is intended to be used with other
X-Array
™
systems for a full-range response
as an active system that requires an active
electronic crossover. Both the Electro-Voice
Dx38 and Klark Teknik DN8000 digital
crossovers are recommended for signal
control. (See the Crossover, Equalization
and Signal Delay Controller section.) The
Electro-Voice P3000 amplifier is recommended for powering the Xds. (See the
Amplifier Recommendations section.)
Power-Handling Capabilities
The Xds systems are rated as per the “ANSI/
EIA RS-426-A Loudspeaker Power- Rating,
Full-Range Test,” which uses a shapedrandom-noise signal to simulate typical
music to test the mechanical and thermal
capabilities of the loudspeakers. A digital
crossover was used to provide the appropriate filtering and equalization. The test
parameters are as follows:
Subwoofer Section (Pins 1 and 2 paral-
leled):
P
: 1,200 watts
E(MAX)
Test Voltage: 58.7-volts rms
117.4-volts peak
(1.15RE): 2.88 ohms
R
SR
Amplifier Recommendations
Power amplifiers with the following ratings
are recommended for use with the Xds loudspeaker systems:
SUB: 800 watts per channel
into 8 ohms
93-volts rms short term
132-volts peak
Xds loudspeakers may be paralleled with
other Xds systems as long as the amplifiers
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 ElectroVoice P3000 amplifiers are ideal for powering the X-Array
™
systems.
Crossover, Equalization and Signal
Delay Controller
The Xds is intended to be used with other
X-Array
™
loudspeaker systems (like the Xf,
Xn, Xcn, Xb or Xcb) to construct full-range
arrays as an active system requiring an active crossover, equalization and signal delay controller. For basic applications, the
Electro-Voice Dx38 2-in/4-out controller is
recommended. For more sophisticated applications, the Klark Teknik DN8000 2-in/
5-out controller is recommended. LinkwitzRiley crossover filters with a minimum slope
of 24 dB per octave at 80-125 Hz are recommended, and infrasonic filter protection
at 34 Hz or higher with a minimum slope of
12-dB/octave is recommended. Both the
Dx38 and the DN8000 offer appropriate filtering, equalization and signal delay capabilities to provide optimum performance of
2
Xds Double Subwoofer System
the X-Array™ loudspeaker systems. Digital parameter settings for both controllers
are available upon request.
Electrical Connection and System
Wiring
Two paralleled Neutrik 8-pin Speakon
®
connectors are used for electrical connection to
the Xds loudspeakers with the following pin
assignments:
SUB1: Pins 1 Paralleled
SUB2: Pins 2 Paralleled
The Xds 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 Xds systems. Although Pins 3 and 4 are not used by
the Xds systems, they are paralleled on the
input panel. This allows an X-Array
™
MB/
HF box (like the Xf or Xcn– which use Pins
3 and 4, but not Pins 1 and 2) to be paralleled with an Xds, allowing all eight conductors to be used with a single cable run to
the amplifiers. Note that, when two Xds 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).
Field Replacement
Normal service for the Xds requires only a
#2 Phillips screwdriver and a 3/16-inch hexkey wrench. The drivers may be accessed as
follows:
SUB: First remove the grille, then remove
the screws securing the hatch on the front of
the enclosure. Remove the screws securing
the 18-inch woofer and lift the woofer out
of the enclosure. In the event of failure, the
entire woofer must be replaced or reconed.
The following service parts are available
from the service department in Buchanan,
Michigan USA:
LF #818-2883 EVX-180B complete driver
The complete drivers are available only for
repair replacement and are not available for
general sale.
Architects’ and Engineers’
Specifications
The loudspeaker system shall be a twodriver, manifolded, vented-box low-frequency system with a frequency response
from 32-200 Hz. The loudspeaker system
also shall have two 457-mm (18-in.) lowfrequency woofers and each shall have an
8-ohm, 101-mm (4-in.) diameter voice coil
and a 600-watt power rating. The enclosure shall be constructed of 18-mm thick,
13-ply birch plywood, and shall be trapezoidal, forming an 36° wedge and be 914 mm
(36.00 in.) high, 1166 mm (45.92 in.) wide at
the front, 736 mm (28.98 in.) wide at the back
and 759 mm (29.88 in.) deep, and shall weigh
121 kg (267 lb).
The loudspeaker system shall be the
Electro-Voice Xds.
Electronic Accessories:
Klark Teknik DN8000 Digital Controller: The DN8000 digital electronic loud-
speaker controller has a two-in/five-out architecture, with each output having programmable high-pass and low-pass filters,
four-band equalization, signal delay, compressor-limiter-and noise-gate functions.
Program parameters for optimal performance of the X-Array™ systems are
available. Klark Teknik, Klark Industrial
Park, Walter Nash Road, Kidderminster,
Worcestershire DY11 7HJ England, 44-156274-1515
Electro-Voice Dx38 Digital Controller:
The Dx38 digital electronic loudspeaker
controller has a two-in/four-out architecture,
with each output having programmable highpass and low-pass filters, four-band equalization, signal delay compressor and limiter functions. Program parameters for optimal performance of the X-Array™ systems are available. Electro-Voice, 600 Cecil
St., Buchanan, MI 49107 USA, 616/695-6831
Electro-Voice P3000 Power Amplifiers:
The stereo P3000 power amplifiers are rated
at 800 watts into 8 ohms, or 93-volts rms
short term. The amplifiers are 3-U high and
weigh 28 kg (62 lb) each. EVI Audio, 600
Cecil St., Buchanan, MI 49107 USA,
616/695-6831
X-Array™ Amplifier Racks: These 16-U
racks will hold four Electro-Voice P3000
power amplifiers, one Klark Teknik DN8000
digital controller, 1-U light module, and a 2U multipin patch panel. The aluminumframe/wood-panel racks are vibration-isolation mounted on heavy-duty wheel boards
and come prewired for AC power, audio and
control signal sends and Neutrik
®
Speakon
speaker connectors. db Sound, L.P., 1219
Rand Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016 USA,
847/299-0357
X-Array™ Speaker Cables: Eight conductor cable with four #11 AWG conductors and
four #13 AWG connectors. The larger conductors are used in the LF bands for increased damping factor. Lengths made to
order. Standard terminations are Neutrik
Speakon
TM
NL8FC connectors wired to
X-Array™ standards; however, custom
terminations are available. Entertainment
Technology Cable, 1247 Rand Road,
Des Plaines, IL 60016 USA, 800/529-6312
Miscellaneous Accessories:
X-Array™ Loudspeaker Covers: Heavy-
duty covers are available for the X-Array™
speakers. These covers wrap around the
enclosures, while sitting on a dolly, and
Velcro together at the back for fast installation and removal. db Sound, L.P., 1219
Rand Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016 USA,
847/299-0357
X-Array™ Dolly Boards: Double-wide
dolly built to hold four X-Array™ loudspeakers, two wide by two high. The doublethick 18-mm birch-plywood construction
includes cutouts and keys for loudspeaker
enclosure shape and alignment feet. The
dolly boards are painted black and utilize
four extra-heavy-duty 4-inch x 2-inch casters. Custom-designed dolly boards are also
available to meet specific requirements.
R&R Cases and Cabinets, 1217 Rand Road,
Des Plaines, IL 60016 USA, 847/299-8100
Racks and Road Cases: A variety of general purpose, custom racks and hard-shell
road cases are available for touring or permanent-installation applications. R&R Cases
and Cabinets, 1217 Rand Road, Des Plaines,
IL 60016 USA, 847/299-8100
Xds Double Subwoofer System
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