TOA Electronics I6 AW ICT User Manual

i6 AW ICT & i6T AW ICT

USER MANUAL

CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Unpacking

3. Connectors/Cabling

4. Polarity Checking

5. Amplification & Power Handling

6. Power Selection

7. Equalisation

8. Dimensions

9. Hardware

10. Performance Data

11. Technical Specifications

12. Troubleshooting Guide

13. i6 Recommended Service Parts & Accessories

14. Warranty

15. Declaration of Conformity

1. Introduction

Designed for a wide variety of sound reinforcement applications the Tannoy
i6 AW ICT (All Weather) is an ultra compact loudspeaker system capable of
delivering high sound pressure levels with extremely low distortion, resulting in
outstanding clarity, definition and detail. A truly universal solution, the i6 AW ICT
offers outstanding durability and resistance to scuffs and knocks. Able to deliver
consistent performance under a wide range of adverse conditions the i6 AW ICT is
suited to applications indoors or out, whether it be a theme bar or theme park.
Available in black or white the i6 AW ICT will effectively blend into most backgrounds.
Utilisation of the point source ICT Drive unit allows the i6 AW ICT to be mounted on a
wall or ceiling in either horizontal or vertical orientations without affecting its
performance. A range of hardware options ensures simple and effective installation.
Also available with built in line transformer (i6T AW ICT).

This versatile design has addressed the two most common component failures
experienced in background music and sound reinforcement system installations,
namely the tweeter and the crossover. Due to the revolutionary design of the ICT™
drive unit, neither of these failures can occur, assuring you years of trouble free use.
ICT™ or Inductive Coupling Technology utilises a wireless electromagnetic tweeter
that does not require a crossover and cannot be burned out from heavy or abusive
use. The 1” aluminium high frequency dome has a deep drawn skirt, which sits on the
inside of the low frequency voice coil in the same magnetic gap. The skirt is like a
single shorted turn, which is induced with high frequency information generated by
the low frequency voice coil, which is fed a full bandwidth signal. The ICT™ dome is
at the heart of our 6.5” transducer which utilises a moulded plastic cone and nitryl
rubber surround to further enhance it’s durability and long term reliability.

For applications requiring extended low frequency enhancement, a range of Tannoy
sub-bass systems are available and can be used in conjunction with the i6 AW ICT.

2. Unpacking

Every Tannoy i6 AW ICT product is carefully inspected before packing. After
unpacking your loudspeakers, please inspect for any exterior physical damage, and
save the carton and any relevant packaging materials in case the loudspeaker again
requires packing and shipping. In the event that damage has been sustained in
transit notify your dealer immediately.

3. Connectors/Cabling

The i6AW ICT is fitted with two 4mm binding posts and a 4-pole Neutrik Speakon' for
connection to the amplifier. These are paralleled within the enclosure.
The two binding post terminals are capable of accepting cables with a conductor of
up to 6mm.

Red is Positive
Black is Negative

Speakon has the following advantages over EP and XLR type connectors: All
terminations are solderless; this makes life easier at the time of installation or when
field servicing is required. Contacts will accept 6 sq. mm wire with an outside
diameter of upto 15mm and a current rating of 30 Amps. The pins of the 2 Speakon
sockets identified input/output on the rear of the input panel are paralleled within the
enclosure. Tannoy have adopted the conventional wiring standard for the i6AW ICT
product:

Pin 1+ is Positive
Pin 1- is Negative

For a worldwide list of Neutrik distributors see http://www.neutrik.com/

Connectors should be wired with a minimum of 2.5 sq. mm (12 gauge) cable. This will
be perfectly satisfactory under normal conditions. In the case of very long cable runs
the wire size should exceed this, refer to the following table for guidance:-

CABLE RUN
(m)

C.S.A. OF EACH
CONDUCTOR (mm)

CABLE
RESISTANCE Ω

% POWER LOSS
INTO 8Ω LOAD

% POWER LOSS
INTO 4Ω LOAD

10

2.5

4.0

6.0

0.14

0.09

0.06

1.7

1.1

0.73

3.5

2.2

1.5
25

2.5

4.0

6.0

0.35

0.22

0.14

4.3

2.7

1.8

8.6

5.4

3.6
50

2.5

4.0

6.0

0.69

0.43

0.29

8.6

5.4

3.6

17.0

11.0

7.2
100

2.5

4.0

6.0

1.38

0.86

0.58

17.0

11.0

7.2

35.0

22.0

14.0

4. Polarity Checking

It is most important to check the polarity of the wiring. A simple method of doing this
without a pulse based polarity checker for LF units is as follows: Connect two wires to
the +ve and -ve terminals of a PP3 battery. Apply the wire which is connected to the
+ve terminal of the battery to the speaker cable leg which you believe to be
connected to the red speaker terminal and likewise the -ve leg of the battery to the
black speaker terminal

If you have wired it correctly the LF drive unit will move forward, indicating the wiring
is correct. All that remains now is to connect the +ve speaker lead to the +ve
terminal on the amplifier and the -ve lead to the -ve terminal on the amplifier. If
however the LF driver moves backwards, the input connections need to be inverted.

If problems are encountered, inspect the cable wiring in the first instance. It should
also be noted that different amplifier manufacturers utilise different pin configurations
and polarity conventions, if you are using amplifiers from more than one
manufacturer, check the polarity at the amplifiers as well as the loudspeakers.

5. Amplification & Power Handling

As with all professional loudspeaker systems, the power handling is a function of
voice coil thermal capacity. Care should be taken to avoid running the amplifier into
clip (clipping is the end result of overdriving any amplifier). Damage to the
loudspeaker will be sustained if the amplifier is driven into clip for any extended
period of time. Headroom of at least 3dB should be allowed. When evaluating an
amplifier, it is important to take into account its behaviour under low impedance load
conditions. A loudspeaker system is highly reactive and with transient signals it can
require more current than the nominal impedance would indicate.

Generally a higher power amplifier running free of distortion will do less damage to
the loudspeaker than a lower power amplifier continually clipping. It is also worth
remembering that a high powered amplifier running at less than 90% of output power
generally sounds a lot better than a lower power amplifier running at 100%. An
amplifier with insufficient drive capability will not allow the full performance of the
loudspeaker to be realised.

It is important when using different manufacturers amplifiers in a single installation
that the have very closely matched gains, the variation should be less than +/- 0.5dB.
This precaution is important to the overall system balance when only a single
compressor/limiter or active crossover is being used with multiple cabinets; it is
therefore recommended that the same amplifiers be used throughout.

6. Power Selection (i6T AW ICT)

Determine the maximum power in watts needed at each speaker location. The i6 AW

ICT transformer can be tapped at 60w, 30w, 15w, with an extra 7.5W tapping for

70.7V line systems via the rotary switch located on the metal plate at rear of the