Galaxy Audio CORE 15 2-Way CR15 Installation Speakers

By: Heath Reed

Liberty United Methodist was first established in the mid 1800s. We are currently in our third building on our lot, which sits about 300 people and is about 120 feet deep by 80 feet wide. After at least 20 years of using the same loudspeaker system in this facility, we knew a change needed to be made. The sound had become distorted and muddy, and we knew it was time to look at an upgrade.

We approached Michael Thompson, President of Thompson Sound, Inc., to help determine the best course of action for our new sound system. We told him we were looking for a system that would have the bass we needed without needing to run a large sub, was clearer than what we currently had, and would last in our facility for a few years.

Mike was wonderful to work with. He listened to our needs, and was able to recommend a Galaxy Audio Core 15 2-Way CR15 installation speakers for us. These speakers were recommended not only because they fit our budget, but also because the quality of the speakers more than met our needs in providing the audio clarity we wanted. The asymmetrical horn provide a wide sound pattern close to the speaker and a tighter pattern as you get farther from the speaker. All the seats have virtually the same quality and volume of sound throughout the room. Also, our stage was really crowded with the instruments, the old subwoofer and monitor speakers. We needed more room and with the CR15’s, we didn’t need the sub.  The CORE CR15 is a passive two-way speaker available in black or white textured wood cabinets.

The cabinet can be laid on any side for optimal listening angles. Its’ two-way system is rated at 500 watts at eight Ohms, and is comprised of a 15” woofer and a 1” high frequency compression driver. The CR15 uses a constant directivity asymmetrical rotatable horn and a passive crossover for exceptional high-end range and convergence, providing extremely flexible coverage patterns, giving width when needed and narrowing so that the amount of ambient noise is reduced. The horn pattern is 100 degree / 50 degree horizontal by 55 degree vertical, which can
be rotated in 90 degree increments, allowing the speaker to be placed in multiple positions. It features a pole-mount at the bottom of the cabinet, as well as M8 thread suspension points to allow the speaker to be hung at any angle or position from a wall or ceiling. The back panel of the CR15 features two twist-lock plugs, and two terminal barrier strips for permanent installations. The two jacks are wired and parallel to provide a convenient way to daisy chain multiple speakers to a single amp channel.

The solution for Liberty United Methodist was to hang one CR15 speaker on either side of the exposed column archway at the front of our facility, pointing towards our congregation. Basically a “split cluster” type layout. We also replaced our console with a new Soundcraft Si Impact digital board, a Galaxy Audio DS-EQ215 digital equalizer and added four stage monitors to FOH audio as well. The entire process took about two-and-a-half days. Mike balanced the initial audio system for us, and then showed me how to balance the sound. We’ve had people in the congregation comment on the difference; we are no longer experiencing high frequency feedback and squealing, which is great.

HEATH REED IS THE AUDIO TECHNICIAN AT LIBERTY UNITED METHODIST.