Fohhn loudspeakers steer GVAV’s upgrade of University of Warwick’s lecture theatres

Enter Fohhn’s digitally steerable column array loudspeakers, which can be programmed (even in real-time) to control vertical dispersion to focus audio coverage to specific areas of the room. This is especially effective at mid and higher frequencies, around the typical range of speech.

Through clever DSP and tightly-packed mid and HF drivers, a single Fohhn column loudspeaker can project not just one but two independently controllable dispersion beams to provide even, coherent speech reinforcement to the lecture hall’s seating; one beam covering the lower section and the other directed to the upper seating area. With very wide (140 degree) horizontal dispersion, all it required was a single column on each side of the room, flanking the new projector screens, mounted flush to the wall and colour-coded to the wall covering, making them all but invisible.

Working with the technical design team at Audiologic in close collaboration, GVAV specified and installed a pair of Fohhn FS-200 columns in L3 and a pair of the smaller FS-150 loudspeakers in L4 and L5 rooms. These ‘Focus Slim’ systems are designed specifically for high-end conference and lecture halls and with a width of only 8.5cm and available in any RAL colour for custom matching, they were the perfect technology fit for this project.

With full range audio performance in mind, the project team turned to Fohhn’s subwoofer solutions, to accompany the mid/high range capabilities of the FS columns. For the two smaller lecture rooms, Fohhn’s LS-4 line source subwoofer was chosen, for its combination of low frequency extension capability (down to 45Hz) and discrete aesthetics, allowing for these to be mounted adjacent to and paired with each of the Focus Slim columns. In the larger L3 space, more punch was required and so Audiologic recommended a pair of XS-22 subwoofer enclosures, each featuring a 12” passive LF driver and with a frequency response down to 38Hz. More than enough for even the liveliest of program material.

While the FS series are active (powered) systems, the LS-4 and XS-22 subwoofers are passive and were powered by Fohhn MA-4.600 (4 x 600W) and MA-2.1200 (2 x 1200W) respectively. These 1U installation-dedicated amplifiers were an easy selection to make, given the flexibility with Fohhn speaker presets ready out the box, both analogue and Dante inputs and ability to be controlled and remotely operated via Fohhn Net.

Overall, the design decision to specify Fohhn in this project allowed GVAV to deliver exceptionally high quality audio coverage to each of these 3 lecture theatres, with the installation of only 2 full range loudspeakers and 2 subwoofers per space; in a format that was easy and quick to install and commission.

GVAV’s Technical Projects Director **Matt Price **was satisfied with the decision to go with Fohhn, commenting:

“We did consider other technology solutions for this part of the project but we have a long partnership with Audiologic and trust their expertise and recommendation. The Fohhn systems were easy to install and tuning the system was effortless. At such a busy time in academic cycle, it was a boon for me and my team to be able to hand-off some of the commissioning to Audiologic – that’s what makes them more of a project partner than just a distributor.”

Most importantly, the client has been more than satisfied with the results after several months of use. Saoud Ishaq, AV Service Manager at the University commented "We have found the hardware to be exceptionally reliable and sonically outstanding. It offers immersive sound with excellent coverage, voice clarity, and definition." while Chris Wood (Head of Portfolio - End User Products) gave a firm endorsement, adding: "We wholeheartedly recommend this solution to others in the sector with similar needs."