January 31, 2013

Recognising ISE as the premier install show in Europe for launching new innovations, leading loudspeaker manufacturer Tannoy has today launched a new flagship digital beam steering loudspeaker array, the QFlex 64.

Extending the performance capabilities of the QFlex range, QFlex 64 complements the six existing models in this award-winning product line, with QFlex 48 previously being the largest column available, offering new possibilities for the product in particularly demanding applications.

Tannoy’s QFlex is a range of digitally steerable, self-powered column array loudspeakers aimed at the high performance installation market. Purpose-designed for applications with problematic acoustics (where good intelligibility is required), QFlex technology gives the system designer a unique set of tools for controlling sound in large, acoustically challenging, highly reverberant spaces – typically involving expanses of reflective surfaces such as glass, metal, concrete or stone.

QFlex is revolutionary in being able to achieve even coverage and sound pressure levels across the full listening plane. By creating an asymmetrical pattern, QFlex can produce equivalent SPL results in both the near and far field. Precise full-range beam control, effective to frequencies beyond 12 kHz, allows the system designer to steer the QFlex beam away from surfaces that cause reflections. This makes QFlex the first digitally steerable array to maintain music quality over the desired area of coverage, all in a very architecturally pleasing package.

The QFlex 64 is now the largest model in the range, with 64 individual drivers each with its own amplification channel and DSP, in a 5.5 metre high column enclosure. This new model offers greater low frequency directivity control (down to 110 Hz), increased effective range and throw, and greatly improved headroom and SPL.

Typical applications for the QFlex 64 are large public concourses, major transport hubs (such as long railway station platforms) and other long-throw situations, where great intelligibility and LF control over distances are of paramount concern.

“The ability of any steerable column to control directivity vs. frequency is proportional to its length. Our new QFlex 64 is nearly twice as long as the existing QFlex 48 model. As a result, what a QFlex 48 can do at 200 Hz, a QFlex 64 will be able to achieve down at 110 Hz,” explains Philippe Robineau, Tannoy’s Director of Engineering. “Of course, in environments with challenging acoustics, having effective beam control down to 150 Hz is important to achieve exceptional levels of intelligibility, especially in spaces with particularly high RT60.”

The QFlex 64 will also benefit from a new feature update, which will apply across the whole QFlex range, providing two on-board steering presets. This new feature will allow users to quickly reconfigure an installed QFlex column to an alternative coverage pattern with the flick of a remote switch (or via 3rd party control such as AMX or Crestron). This is perfect for multi-functional spaces such as conference spaces which may be used in different ways for any given event. This feature upgrade will be available across all QFlex models shipping from Spring.

Mark Copeland, Product Manager for Tannoy, commented: “This new flagship model has the most advanced feature set and performance capabilities of any product Tannoy has ever produced. Moreso, its development has been driven specifically by market demand, to meet the needs of specific installation requirements of some of our key customers – further highlighting Tannoy’s continuing commitment to give our customer the ‘best-in-class’ products that technology will allow.”

www.tannoy.com