Things did change in the last few years. Harman acquired AMX, Extron decided not to exhibit in shows anymore and Kramer expanded its catalogue and booth space to the point of rivaling in booth size with the likes of Samsung (they certainly had more staff). But even more strange was the mix of products and divisions in the Harman “zone” with lighting from Martin suspended in a giant truss structure, all Harman Pro brands displayed side by side with Harman’s Luxury Audio division and, of course, AMX solutions.
Since this is mainly an installation oriented exhibition, fortunately there was no need to display the complete JBL sound reinforcement range and the focus was on the new products being introduced at the show - and there were many from JBL, including the reinforced Intellivox range, inherited from the acquisition of the Ducth company Duran Audio.
There was even a new low-cost speaker family in the AE Series, with six 2-way, full-range systems and two subwoofer models. The AC895, 8” 2-way and AC195, 10” 2-way loudspeakers utilize a 90° x 50° rotatable waveguide. There are two new 12” 2-way full-range systems, the AC266 and AC299, while two new 15” 2-way full-range systems, the AC566 and AC599, utilize two new waveguides with coverage patterns consisting of 60° x 60° and 90° x 90°. These full-range systems include 14 M10 suspension points and four additional M10 mounting points for use when a wall mount bracket is required.
Accompanying the six full-range systems are two new subwoofers: the AC115S high-output single 15” subwoofer, and the AC118S high-output single 18” subwoofer. The subwoofer models include 12 M10 suspension points. All models are available in both black and white textured coatings and are intended for indoor use. The line will include U-brackets and a wall mount bracket accessory for all full-range models.
The eight new AE Expansion Series loudspeakers are designed for use in a variety of applications. All models are equipped with multiple installation-friendly features and utilize a rugged grille design and system appearance suitable for nearly all indoor environments.
New Control HST
Marking the introduction of an all-new loudspeaker design, JBL Professional announced the debut of its Control HST wide-coverage loudspeaker featuring patent-pending HST Hemispherical Soundfield Technology. The indoor/outdoor Control HST achieves extremely wide horizontal coverage approaching 180° and uses the wall it’s mounted on to its advantage.
The JBL Control HST is ideal for a wide variety of applications including retail stores, restaurants, educational facilities, leisure venues, hotels and other music and music/paging uses. The Control HST is IP34 water-resistant rated, enabling its use as an outdoor loudspeaker.
The Control HST uses JBL’s newly developed HST Hemispherical Soundfield Technology to achieve its extremely wide coverage of nearly 180 degrees and eliminate the primary wall reflection that tends to cause inconsistent sound when loudspeakers are mounted to a wall. With most on-wall loudspeakers, the baffle of the loudspeaker is some distance from the wall. It is the nature of low- and low-mid-frequency sound waves to wrap around the loudspeaker, where they reflect back out from the wall and recombine with the original sound. Some of these are in phase with the output from the drivers and some are out of phase, causing reinforcement and cancellation and peaks and dips in the loudspeaker’s frequency response.
By employing a wall-facing woofer, two horizontally splayed tweeters, a bracket that spaces the loudspeaker at the required distance from the wall and a tapered cabinet that provides proper loading and dispersion of the sound, the Control HST substantially reduces these inconsistencies to deliver a flatter frequency response and a more even sonic character throughout the room.
The 5 1/4” woofer is constructed from CMMD Ceramic Metal Matrix Diaphragm material, which bonds a ceramic material outer surface to an aluminium core for a lightweight yet rigid and durable cone that delivers exceptional clarity and detail. In addition, the CMMD material provides moisture resistance. The loudspeaker’s dual 1” CMMD tweeters feature a neodymium magnet, a polyurethane surround and ferrofluid cooling for high output with low distortion. The Control HST is capable of handling up to 100 watts and is equipped with a 4-pin phoenix-type removable locking connector that includes loop-through terminals for parallel connection to another loudspeaker. In addition, the Control HST provides a 60 Watt 70V/100V multi-tap transformer for use in distributed audio applications.
Measuring approximately 14” wide by 10” tall and just 7¼” deep, the JBL Control HST comes with a heavy-duty, weather-resistant powder-coated U-bracket with four M6 mounting points. The loudspeaker must be installed using the bracket to ensure correct spacing from the wall and proper acoustic performance. The loudspeaker should not be mounted in a corner or on a pole. The Control HST’s durable sealed, fiberglass-reinforced ABS enclosure, painted aluminum grille and weather-resistant drivers ensure reliable operation even under harsh environmental conditions. The Control HST is available in black or white finish and can be painted.
Intellivox HP-DS370JBL also expanded its Intellivox range with the new HP-DS370 active beam shaping loudspeaker array, offering high output and unmatched directivity control for a loudspeaker in its category. The HP-DS370 measures 3.7 meters in height and has an output capability of 105 dB at 30 meters, along with a frequency response to 18kHz. The horizontal dispersion is 100 degrees and the typical throw is around 50 meters, which means a single device can cover an area of approximately 2,150 square meters.
The HP-DS370 is a modern update to the classic Intellivox DS1608, which was the world’s first commercially available beam-shaping high-power loudspeaker array. The HP-DS370 looks similar to the 1608 but that’s where the similarity ends. The unit now has all the electronics built into the loudspeaker enclosure, a highly efficient power supply and class D amplification. Combine this with the fact that the unit is also IP 55 rated and it’s no wonder that it’s already proving to be a hit with systems integrators and clients. The new electronics mean that power consumption and therefore the lifetime costs are dramatically reduced.
The HP-DS370 features 14 individual, high-efficiency, 6.5” loudspeakers arranged in accordance with JBL Intellivox’s patented algorithm, plus two coaxially mounted compression drivers for extended frequency response. It also utilizes Intellivox’s exclusive DDS beam-shaping capability, which uses complex room mapping to provide complex directivity patterns. This not only results in even SPL coverage but DDS also ensures that the frequency response is consistent throughout the space.
PD500 Series
At ISE 2015, JBL also previewed its new PD500 Series loudspeakers. An extension of the highly successful, world-class PD Series loudspeakers, which are found in the most prestigious stadiums and arenas around the world, the PD500 Series will feature five new models and will offer the high power, excellent pattern control and smooth coverage found in all PD Series loudspeakers.The PD500 Series is a new line of loudspeakers systems consisting of four horn-loaded 15” 2-way systems and one dual 15” subwoofer. The PD500 Series loudspeakers include horn coverage patterns of 40°x40°, 60°x40°, 60°x60°, and 90°x50°.
All models will be available in black, white, and JBL Professional’s WRC weather protection and WRX extreme weather protection finishes. All five PD500 Series models will be EN54-24 certified. JBL plans to make this new line available in July 2015.
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