CabanOtops and Titans ... A nice outdoor combo

[Steve Regier]

We were approached by a regular client sound engineer who wanted very clear tops with a "long throw" for outdoors and subs that would keep up. He is currently using EV QRX subs and tops that he brings outside from the indoor DJ area. He says the tops are OK but the subs get lost at distance...What a surprise. He wants tops with a 12" or 15" LF driver. I suggested the Otop12. I am very impressed with this cab for it's economy and clarity in the vocal range. He had been to one or our listening parties and had heard the Otop15's and liked them and like sooooo many out there is stuck on large drivers and high power. Be kind to him he is learning about scalpels not sledgehammers. I too used to "Go big or go home". The club owner purchaed the Otops after a head to head shootout with the QRX tops. They both had the presence up close but at distance the Otops win and using 30% less power. The tops were to be placed on a ledge so I built some stands with a 1" iron pipe sticking out to mate with the adjustable hats on the bottom of the tops. The stands were made by "laminating" a iron pipe flange between two pieces of 1/2" bb and adding a stiffener plate below the flange and feet. They work as expected and look cool. I am finding out that for many clubs look cool is just as important as sound quality. In some cases more important to the owner/manager. Next the subs. We loaned out 3 T48s to use while the T60's are in build.
The results:
The Otops required an EQ lift at 150Hz, and 500Hz, and a slight decrease from 2KHZ up with a hard notch at 2.5KHz and a 48DB HP at 110 and 48DB LP at 15KHZ. Limted at 48V
The Titans required a lift at 45Hz to 65Hz. 48Db HP at 45Hz and a 24Db LP at 110Hz. A 18ms delay was added to the Titans and limiting at 53V

At those settings the tops and bottoms became one even sound. They are marvelous. Standing 30 feet from the Titans I recorded 123Db at war volume. At 200+ yards I recorded 110Db. And the sound was still very even top to bottom. I did not leave with my head ringing from siblant frequencies and the sound did not seem extremely loud until you realized that if you tried to talk or shout while standing in the dance floor area the sound from the PA would envelope your voice and any sound you try to make would go nowhere...Nice
Not at all like the EVs which faded and got nodal at distance.

Thanks for great designs, Bill

[Steve Regier]

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