Beam-steerable technology has paved the way for many innovations in the audio world. The ability to direct sound exactly where you want it has given designers the complete freedom to tailor your audio to precisely cover any venue, no matter how acoustically challenging. Previously, this technology has only been associated with active loudspeakers, but Renkus-Heinz has created a series of passive arrays that harness the company’s expertise in beam-steerable technology.
Utilizing the same complex algorithms from Renkus-Heinz’s flagship Iconyx columns, the UBX Series’ new Passive UniBeam Technology delivers pristine sound and consistent coverage with minimal distortion or side lobe artifacts. By implementing steered array technology into a compact passive column, the UBX Series offers a new way to meet the unique needs of diverse projects with the power, performance and intelligibility that have made Renkus-Heinz an industry leader for decades — all without compromising on precise coverage or sleek design.
Active vs passive – what’s the difference?
Active loudspeakers are self-powered, which means that they have built-in amplifiers, whereas passive loudspeakers require an external amplifier. Each have their own benefits and work best on specific projects. Active loudspeakers ensure the amplifier and processing is precisely matched to the loudspeaker. In the world of beam steering, many amplifiers are within the cabinet and use advanced signal processing to shape the beams to provide perfect coverage.
Passively steered column array loudspeakers do not offer the ability to adjust the vertical beam, but they have been pre-tuned to the most popular coverage pattern. These column speakers are cost-effective and straightforward to wire. They require a single amplifier channel and can operate on a 70V/100V line or in low-impedance mode. Renkus-Heinz’s passive UBX Series gives integrators reliability and powerful, high-quality sound with consistent front-to-back coverage – the benefits of beam steering at a passive cost.
An innovation in beam steering technology
The UBX Series is based on Renkus-Heinz’s new Passive UniBeam Technology. All models in the UBX Series are pre-steered: The hardware addresses each transducer with specially designed all-pass filter networks, gain shading and frequency filtering to generate a fixed, asymmetrical vertical lobe with constant directivity and downward bias. Put simply, Renkus-Heinz’s Passive UniBeam Technology optimizes the array for precise, consistent coverage and speech intelligibility, delivering crisp, clear sound to everyone in the audience area.
“UBX Series is the culmination of 20 years of beam-steering engineering and experience,” said Brandon Heinz, product manager at Renkus-Heinz. “Our Passive UniBeam Technology is a perfect fit for reverberant or open spaces needing high speech intelligibility and directivity.”
The UBX Series delivers precise, intelligible audio through tight vertical dispersion and constant directivity, even in high-traffic spaces or areas with high ceilings or challenging acoustics. Where traditional loudspeakers deliver muffled or distorted audio due to the shape and size of a venue, the UBX Series ensures everyone in the building can clearly hear announcements, presentations, and background music. By applying renowned steered array technology to a compact passive column, the UBX Series offers new ways to meet the unique needs of many projects with the power, performance and intelligibility that have made Renkus-Heinz an industry leader for decades.
Why choose UBX Series loudspeakers?
Renkus-Heinz’s UBX Series is flexible, high-quality innovation in loudspeaker engineering. With pre-steered performance and passive ease-of-use, it’s ideal for a wide range of installations. Bringing beam-steered solutions into the passive domain, the UBX Series has given integrators more opportunities when choosing systems to meet the unique needs of many projects.
From houses of worship to airports to lecture halls across the globe, the UBX Series from Renkus-Heinz delivers great experiences every time.
