Electro-Voice SX300PIX, SX300PI User Manual
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00PI
00PIX
S
S
300-Watt Two-Way
Weather-Resistant
Speaker Systems
• Ring-Mode Decoupling (RMDTM) for
increased intelligibility
• Lightweight Structural-foam enclosure
• Stand mountable and arrayable
• High efficiency (99 dB, 1 W/1 m)
• High power handling (Sx300PI: 300-watts
continuous, 1,200-watts short term)
• Powder-coated, full-face stainless-steel
grill with foam backing
• Four molded-in attachment points (metric
M8 x 1.25) for secure suspension
• 100-watt transformer option (Sx300PIX)
• Available in white
Description
The Sx300PI and Sx300PIX are continuations of the popular the Sx-series offering
the added value of weather-resistant cabinets. The Electro-V oice Sx300PI is a 300-watt,
12-inch, two-way, high-efficiency, constantdirectivity speaker system for permanent installation. Through the extensive use of
computer-aided design and modeling,
Electro-Voice engineers have developed
a state-of-the-art professional loudspeaker
system for permanent installation where
weather resistance is needed. The
Sx300PIX is the same as the Sx300PI with
the addition of an AT100 transformer.
The high-frequency section of the Sx300PI
utilizes a molded-in, 65° x 65° constant-directivity horn. This unique pattern contributes to high intelligibility. Vocals sound
natural, yet “cut through” in reverberant,
noisy rooms. In addition, the coverage pattern is unusually uniform over its range of
operation. Sound quality off axis is very
consistent, even at 45° off axis (a 90° total
coverage angle), well beyond the rated coverage angle. The horn’s unique, Varipath
throat geometry* helps direct driver output
to the corners of the room, points of coverage not described in the usual specifications
of horizontal and vertical coverage angles,
and parts of the audience that typically do
* Patent pending
TM
not receive the strongest coverage.
One of the many other unique features of the
Sx300PI is the cabinet. Constructed of highimpact polypropylene structural foam, it provides a stiff and extremely durable enclosure.
Molded into the cabinet are an integral carrying handle and a stand socket for mounting
3
on 1
/8-inch stands such as the Electro-Voice
100BK. Rubber feet attached to the bottom of
the cabinet and mating sockets molded into
the top provide a means of stacking systems.
The trapezoidal-shaped cabinet in combination with the uniform, 65° x 65° directivity
characteristics, make the Sx300PI ideal for use
alone or in arrays.
The Sx300PI’s high-frequency horn is driven
by the Electro-Voice DH2010A one-inchthroat, wide bandwidth, titanium-diaphragm
driver. The DH2010A uses a unique, convexdrive Time Path
Patent #4,525,604) for smooth and extended
high-frequency performance. The voice coil
is coupled to the diaphragm with EV’s exclusive Resonant Drive
creases and smooths the high-frequency response and reduces the amount of internal
equalization required for flat frequency response. Driver output extends to 25,000 Hz.
A self-resetting, high-frequency protection circuit, EV’s PRO
Sx300PI to prevent accidental overdrive and
improve system reliability. If the input power
TM
phasing plug structure (U.S.
TM
technology. This in-
TM
circuit, is included with the
to the high-frequency driver exceeds the nominal rating, the protection circuit is activated
and reduces the power delivered to the driver
by 6 dB. The system will remain in this mode
of operation until the input power is reduced
to a safe level.
The bass section of the Sx300PI is designed
using Thiele-Small parameters for efficient
performance to below 80 Hz. The woofer is a
DL12Sx 12-inch unit featuring beryllium copper lead wires, a low-mass, edge-wound voice
coil and high-temperature materials. The part
of the magnetic structure adjacent to the coil
is insulated using the exclusive EV PROTEF
process (U.S. Patent #4,547,632). The system combines professional-quality components, arranged in a time-coherent vertical array, with an unusually durable Thiele-Smallaligned vented enclosure. The result is clear
and articulate, high-quality sound.
Ring-Mode Decoupling (RMDTM)
The Sx300PI controls both acoustical and
mechanical ring modes to provide dramatically increased intelligibility, using techniques learned from the development of the
Electro-Voice X-array™ concert speakers.
There is much less coloration of the sound
from resonating sources, leaving only the
intended sound to be heard by the audience.
TM
Sx300PI and Sx300PIX 300-Watt Two-Way Weather-Resistant Speaker Systems
Frequency Response
The combination of a 12-inch woofer, wide
bandwidth high-frequency driver and an
equalized crossover results in the wide and
smooth overall response shown in Figure 1.
This response was measured at 10 feet, using a 4-volt input in an anechoic chamber,
and was measured using a swept sine-wave
input. No external equalization was used.
Figure 1 has been averaged and corrected
for 1 watt at 1 meter.
Port Covers
The four ports surrounding the woofer may
be "sealed" in order to add further weather
protection to the system. Optional port covers may be used in situations where increased weather resistance is needed. This
will aid in the prevention of any moisture
that may protrude through the foam-backed
grill under extreme weather conditions to
accumulate inside the enclosure. The optional port cover "kit" is supplied along with
instructions with each system. However,
once the aid of the port covers are installed,
a difference of frequency response will
change as shown in Figure 2.
Constant-Directivity Speaker System
The crossover frequency and speaker component geometries have been selected so that
the directional characteristics of the woofer
and constant-directivity horn match at the
crossover frequency to create a special system type—the constant-directivity system.
Response within the 65° rated coverage
angle is uniform, which means dependable
Sx300PI and Sx300PIX 300-Watt Two-Way Weather-Resistant Speaker Systems
audience coverage without “hot spots” or
dead zones at certain frequencies. The 65°
dispersion characteristic also helps avoid
early reflections from nearby floor or sidewall surfaces which could degrade performance. The controlled directivity of the
high- and low-frequency transducers also
eliminates response irregularities caused by
diffraction off nearby enclosure edges and,
in combination with an essentially flat onaxis frequency response, produces a total acoustic power output that is uniform with frequency.
Directivity
A unique feature of the Sx300PI is the constant-directivity dispersion provided by the
65° x 65° horn. The polar response of the
system at selected one-third-octave band-
widths is shown in Figure 2. These polar
responses were measured in an anechoic environment at 10 feet using one-third-octave
pink-noise inputs. The frequencies selected
are fully representative of the polar response
of the system. Beamwidth of the system utilizing the complete one-third-octave polar
data is shown in Figure 4. R
ity index (D
) are plotted in Figure 5.
i
and directiv-
q
Suspending Sx300PI Enclosures
WARNING: Suspending any object is potentially dangerous and should only be attempted by individuals who have a thorough knowledge of the techniques and
regulations of rigging objects overhead.
Electro-Voice strongly recommends that
the Sx300PI be suspended taking into account all current national, federal, state
and local regulations. It is the responsibility of the installer to ensure the Sx300PI is
safely installed in accordance with all such
regulations. If the Sx300PI is suspended,
Electro-Voice strongly recommends that
the system be inspected at least once a year.
If any sign of weakness or damage is detected, remedial action should be taken immediately.
When mounting the Sx300PI in a location
where a weather-resistant system is required,
a minimum of a five-degree down angle is
recommended. (See Figure 9.) This will aid
in the prevention of any moisture protruding through the foam-backed grille. A
manual entitled Suspending System 200
TM
Loudspeakers is included with every
Sx300PI system. It gives a summary of the
suspension kits available and an idea of how
each kit is used. A brief overview, which
illustrates some approaches for single and
multiple suspension, is given here for the
benefit of the system designer. Please refer
to individual suspension kit engineering data
sheets for full details and safety information.
The first approach is to suspend an indi-
vidual Sx300PI enclosure. The four metric
M8 x 1.25 inserts (see Figure 6) which are
built into the enclosure allow the system to
be suspended using eyebolts (Mb100 Accessory Kit). Typically it will be necessary
to attach two cables to the top eyebolt and
“pull up” on the rear. The Mb200 bracket
(see Figure 8) encompasses the top and bottom of the enclosure and has additional features to make suspending the Sx300PI easier
and more flexible. Electro-Voice recommends the use of the Mb200 in all but the
simplest situations. The Mb200 has supplementary holes to allow the Sx300PI to be
attached to a wall or ceiling and aimed at an
audience.
The Mb200 Installation Kit also allows the
use of OmniMount
®
Series 100 mounting
hardware by providing three-hole-pattern
groups compatible with these support systems. When OmniMount
®
Series 100
mounting hardware is specified, the Mb200
Installation Kit must first be attached to the
speaker enclosure.
The second approach is to suspend multiple
Sx300PI enclosures. The Sx300PI enclosure
is not designed to suspend multiple enclosures from itself. If an “array” is required,
then multiple Mb200’s must be used. Arrays may be constructed vertically by “daisy
chaining” two Mb200’s from each other.
The Mb300 array bracket allows the easy
and secure construction of horizontal arrays,
using Mb200’s to support the enclosure.
Power-Handling Capacity
To our knowledge, Electro-Voice was the
first U.S. manufacturer to develop and publish a power test closely related to real-life
conditions. First, we use a random-noise input signal because it contains many frequencies simultaneously, just like real voice or
instrument program. Second, our signal contains more energy at extremely high and low
frequencies than typical actual program,
adding an extra measure of reliability. Third,
the test signal includes not only the overall
“long term average” or “continuous” level—
which our ears interpret as loudness—but
also short-duration peaks which are many
times higher than the average, just like actual program. The long-term average level
stresses the speaker thermally (heat). The
instantaneous peaks test mechanical reliability (cone and diaphragm excursion). Note
that the sine-wave test signals sometimes
used have a much less demanding peak
value relative to their average level. In actual use, long-term average levels exist from
several seconds on up, but we apply the
long-term average for several hours, adding another extra measure of reliability.
Specifically, the Sx300PI is designed to
withstand the power test described in the
ANSI/EIA RS-426-A 1980. The EIA test
spectrum is applied for eight hours. To obtain the spectrum, the output of a white-noise
generator (white noise is a particular type
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Sx300PI and Sx300PIX 300-Watt Two-Way Weather-Resistant Speaker Systems
of random noise with equal energy per bandwidth in Hz) is fed to a shaping filter with
6-dB-per-octave slopes below 40 Hz and
above 318 Hz. When measured with the
usual constant-percentage bandwidth analyzer (one-third-octave), this shaping filter
produces a spectrum whose 3-dB-down
points are at 100 Hz and 1,200 Hz with a
3-dB-per-octave slope above 1,200 Hz. This
shaped signal is sent to the power amplifier
with the continuous power set at 300 watts
into the 7.1-ohm EIA equivalent impedance
(46.2 volts true rms). Amplifier clipping sets
instantaneous peaks at 6 dB above the continuous power, or 1,200-watts peak
(92.5 volts peak). This procedure provides
a rigorous test of both thermal and mechanical failure modes.
Amplifier Power Recommendations
As noted in the Power-Handling Capacity
section above, the Sx300PI has a randomnoise power capacity of 300-watts long term
(1,200-watts peak) (nontransformer) per
ANSI/EIA RS-426-A 1980. The following
guidelines will help relate this number to
an appropriate power amplifier output rating.
1. To use the Sx300PI to full capacity,
skilled experts in sound system installation and operation will obtain the best
results if the power amplifier is 2.0 to
4.0 times the long-term average noisepower rating of the speaker system. For
the Sx300PI this is 600 to 1,200 watts
(nontransformer).
The caution cannot be made strongly
enough, however, that this arrangement is only for experts or for those
who can discipline themselves against
“pushing” the system for ever-higher
sound levels and who can avoid “accidents” such as catastrophic feedback
or dropped microphones.
2. A more conservative, “normal” amplifier size, which will produce audible results nearly equal to those of the “expert” recommendation, is 1.0 to 1.4 times
the long-term average noise-power rating of the speaker. For the Sx300PI, this
is 300 to 420 watts (nontransformer).
3. To be very conservative, one can use an
amplifier rated at 0.5 to 0.7 times the
long-term average noise-power rating of
the loudspeaker. For the Sx300PI this
is 150 to 210 watts (nontransformer).
Request P.A. Bible Addition No. Two
(“Power Handling Capacity”) for more
background on these recommendations.
Sx300PI Connections
The Sx300PI is equipped with two Neutrik Speakon
®
NL4MP connectors.
In continued high-power applications,
Electro-Voice recommends the use of the
Speakon connector. The Speakon NL4MP
will mate to a NL4FC Speakon connector,
which is a 4-pin connector. Figure 7 shows
typical wiring configurations using banana
plugs. Cable connections for the Sx300PI
should be made to the 1+ and 1– terminals
only. Cable connections for the Sx300PIX
should be made as shown in Figure 9, depending on the given input voltage and the
desired output wattage. Cables utilizing the
Speakon NL4FC are available from your
local dealer or from the companies listed
below:
Pro Co Sound, Inc.
135 E. Kalamazoo Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
616/388-9675
Whirlwind Music Distributors, Inc.
P.O. Box 1075
Rochester, NY 14603
716/663-8820
Neutrik USA, Inc.
195-S3 Lehigh Ave.
Lakewood, NJ 08701
908/901-9488
It is recommended that after making the
proper connection with the Speakon connector to the input on the enclosure, a bead of
sealant should be applied around the connection to assure a watertight seal.
Weather-Resistant Mounting
When mounting the Sx300 PI in a location
where a weather-resistant system is required
a minimum of a five-degree down angle is
recommended. (See figure 9.) This will
help prevent any moisture from wicking
through the foam and mesh-backed grille
and accumulating inside the enclosure under extreme weather conditions.
Architects' and Engineers'
Specifications
The loudspeaker shall consist of a 305-mm
(12-inch) low-frequency transducer in a
trapezoidal-shaped enclosure; a high-frequency compression driver with a pure titanium diaphragm coupled to a 65° x 65°
constant-directivity horn molded into the
front baffle of the enclosure; and a passive
crossover-equalizer network with protection
for the high-frequency driver. The loudspeaker shall meet the following performance criteria: frequency response of
80 to 25,000 Hz, –3 dB; power handling of
300-watts long term and 1,200-watts short
term (nontransformer), with a shaped random-noise input per ANSI/EIA RS-426-A
1980; sensitivity of 99 dB SPL at 1 meter
with a 1-watt, 300- to 2,000-Hz pink-noise
input; 6-dB-down horizontal coverage angle
of 65° ±15° in the 2,000- to 20,000-Hz
range; 6-dB-down vertical coverage angle
of 65° ±15° in the 2,000- to 20,000-Hz
range; crossover frequency of 1,500 Hz;
nominal impedance of 8 ohms and minimum
impedance of 6 ohms. Paralleled input and
output connectors shall be present, consisting of Neutrik Speakon
®
NL4MP connectors. The enclosure shall be constructed of
polypropylene structural foam and fitted
with a full-face, foam-backed, stainlesssteel grille, an integral handle, a stand
socket for mounting on 1
3
/8-inch stands,
rubber feet and mating sockets to facilitate stacking. Dimensions shall be 586 mm
(23.1 in.) high x 429 mm (16.9 in.) wide
x 312 mm (12.3 in.) deep. Net weight shall
be 17.7 kg (39 lb)nontransformer; 21.7 kg
(48 lb)transformer. The loudspeaker systems shall be the Electro-Voice
Sx300PI,Sx300PIX,Sx300PI-W,
Sx300PIX-W.
Uniform Limited Warranty
Electro-Voice products are guaranteed
against malfunction due to defects in materials or workmanship for a specified period,
as noted in the individual product-line
statement(s) below, or in the individual
product data sheet or owner’s manual, beginning with the date of original purchase.
If such malfunction occurs during the specified period, the product will be repaired or
replaced (at our option) without charge. The
product will be returned to the customer prepaid. Exclusions and Limitations: The
Limited W arranty does not apply to: (a) exterior finish or appearance; (b) certain specific items described in the individual product-line statement(s) below, or in the indi-
Sx300PI and Sx300PIX 300-Watt Two-Way Weather-Resistant Speaker Systems
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