Up until now, their VHD2.0 Large Format Point Source System had been the company's flagship, with the capability of covering crowds in excess of 10,000 people with just one or two enclosures per side. The challenge for KV2 in building even larger point source systems for audiences of 50,000 people plus, was to reproduce the low mid energy that certain line arrays provide though the summing of multiple drivers, while maintaining the key benefits of point source technology, being minimal destructive interference in the higher frequency range and accurate impulse response.
George Krampera and his team of highly skilled engineers have overcome those challenges with the development of KV2 Audio's new VHD5.0 Constant Power Point Source Array. Utilising highly advanced point source speaker design, extremely efficient power management amplifier technology and totally unique hybrid signal processing, they have created what many believe, is the first major advancement in large concert sound reinforcement since the development of the Line Array.
Dave Croxton, director of sales for KV2 Audio, comments, "There is no doubt that the development of the line array was an improvement over the composite box type systems of the eighties.
"Having all components in a single axis array solved certain issues in respect to the combing problems in the horizontal plane but did not overcome the destructive interference occurring vertically and the loss of HF through air disturbance caused by wind and audience heat. Manufacturers have attempted to correct these problems in numerous ways both through acoustic design and DSP, however the end result has been further reductions in resolution due to the limitations of digital sampling rates and the simple principles of physics which cannot be ignored.
"The focus seems to have turned to output rather than clarity," says Croxton. "At KV2 we believe that definition equals distance and the higher quality the reproduction of the source, the better the intelligibility over distance. The theory that line arrays have less losses over distance than point source are somewhat irrelevant if the sound is not intelligible at the back of the venue.
"To achieve high definition we have focused on developing unique hybrid processing which takes the best technologies in both analog and digital, advancing speaker design to a whole new level. For instance, the time alignment of our components, a crucial aspect of achieving optimum sound quality with any speaker design, is done at 20MHz using a proprietary PDM digital process that our engineers at KV2 have developed."
He continues, "On top of this we have focused on creating efficiencies never before achieved in amplifier technology to deliver not just high headroom transient peaks, but sustainable high voltage output over time resulting in far better control and definition of bass frequencies. The design of VHD5.0 Constant Power Point Source Array is such that the radiated power of each bandwidth, handled by the various components of the system, is consistent and balanced in relevance to the overall frequency response. This ensures the sound remains the same in every seat in the house."
(Jim Evans)
