[Editor's Note (July 10, 2015): This is a revised version of an article originally published in April 2015. It contains updated specifications and further clarification on the DSP settings used during the product evaluation.]
Give a man a mixer and he'll mix for a day, but give him Community I-Series speakers and he'll mix for a lifetime. Maybe that's not exactly the phrase, but in a world of seductive audio consoles, know that the best audio improvement might be in the form of a loudspeaker upgrade.
Community claims its passive speakers can reproduce sound with a smooth response, high intelligibility, and low distortion. In the realm of modern church sanctuaries, all of those qualities are demanded of the audio system. One minute, it's the sermon. The next minute, it's contemporary worship music. The next minute, it's a dramatic theater presentation. Much is demanded and much is expected.
Product examination
There are plenty of I Series configuration options. The Point Source 600 two-way are capable of handling 600 watts of continuous power using large-format ferrite drivers. The Point Source 800s are capable of 800 watts continuous using neodymium drivers and come in two-way, three-way and subwoofer models. Subs are capable of up to 1600W continuous power handling.
Loudspeakers come in 12- and 15-inch models. Within each model, such as the Point Source 800 1122 (IP8-1122), several beam width options are available. On the full-range loudspeaker models, the horns can be rotated 90-degrees by removing the grille and rotating the horn.
Subwoofers come in 12-, 15-, and 18-inch models in both single and dual subs. The IS8-218 is a dual subwoofer with two 18-inch cones, a frequency range of 31 Hz to 150 Hz, and can run a constant 137 dB and peak 143 dB.
For testing, Community sent us the IP8-1122, a Point Source 800 12-inch, two-way loudspeaker available in six beam widths with the IP8-1122/96 having a nominal beam width of 90-degrees by 60-degrees, a low-frequency 12-inch (305mm) neodymium driver with three-inch (76mm) voice coil, and a high-frequency 1.4-inch (36mm) neodymium compression driver with 2.6-inch (66mm) voice coil and ketone polymer diaphragm. It has a continuous max output of 123 dB (129 dB Peak).
Opening the boxes, I had no idea [of] the speaker color, and for good reason. Speakers are available in textured low gloss black or white paint on top of 15mm Baltic Birch plywood. In addition to the standard colors, they can be ordered in custom colors to blend in or, just the opposite, stand out. A set of bright orange speakers hanging in the youth room—why not?
In a world of seductive audio consoles, the best audio improvement might be in the form of a loudspeaker upgrade.
Chris Huff
Audio Engineer, Writer & Reviewer.
The grille is powder-coated to match and includes a transparent woven fabric liner. The fabric can be replaced if you want to paint the speakers yourself—a process Community details in the manual.
The front grille is absent of a brand badge commonly seen on loudspeakers. This is not to be overlooked. A great amount of effort goes into designing church sanctuaries, and while speakers aren't easily hidden, speaker designers should consider their aesthetic impact … and Community has done exactly that.
Not only is the brand badge missing, but they use optional mounting hardware in a variety of configurations so the ugly large eyebolts can be avoided.
Flipping around to the back, the rear input panels allow for several methods of passing a signal. The two-ways can be wired in passive (input or thru) or biamp configurations. The three-ways can be wired in biamp or triamp modes. The dual subwoofers can be wired in single amp or dual amp modes.
Surprisingly, instead of using a Speak-on connection, they opted for using terminal wiring connections. It wasn't until I'd thought about it from a design perspective that it made sense. The terminal connections enable a less-intrusive cable connection. Instead of the large cable and connector sticking out of the back, the wires could be run right along the back of the speaker.
The quick-start guide makes it clear the company's touted optimal sound reproduction needs to be assisted by a digital signal processor (DSP), and that comes as no surprise. For testing, Community also shipped its dSpec Networked Loudspeaker Processor with a generic tuning. Would the claim of “exceptional musical quality and vocal clarity” prove true?
Audible impressions
The IP8-1122/96's were tested with two different DSP settings and in passive and bi-amp mode with a variety of audio tracks. They have a frequency range of 44 Hz to 22.4 kHz and that would be evaluated. The first test was with the DSP using the factory's preconfigured setting called “Power Response Correction FIR preset in passive operation.” An array of tracks were played to find out how well they'd handle anything a youth venue, kids venue, or church sanctuary could throw at them.
These two-way speakers were impressive. Not only could they reproduce a powerful kick drum but they could also beautifully reproduce the high frequencies expected from sizzling cymbals. They sounded even better with a different DSP setting that matched the speakers to our room.
Music from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack was also used to see how they'd sound with tracks ranging from loud passages to a peaceful flute melody. Pristine is the word for it. Frequency quality was consistent throughout the beam width.
Using an existing sub, the low-end reproduction was compared. As expected, the sub helped the power in the low end. The 1122's do have a good sounding low end but to be honest, subs were created for a reason.
The speakers were next tested without the DSP for the reason that potential purchasers must know what they are buying and what it can or cannot do. For most of us in the tech world, we realize the importance of a DSP. But not all churches have people with that level of experience. So they're left to make their own decisions—and that could mean mistakenly skipping the DSP.
Without the use of the DSP, the Community speakers did not sound good. They sounded thin and harsh. This is not much of a surprise. Consider the DSP as the air in a tire. No matter how well built the tire, it can't perform as expected without the right amount of air pressure. Speaking of which, a DSP requires tuning for the room and for the needs of the room. If you're new to the world of DSPs, don't assume you can use the default settings. That's like saying you can put air in any tire at 30 PSI and expect it to meet the exact needs. Off-roading or high-speed racing, it makes a difference.
Overall, the three of us involved in the listening test came to the same conclusion: these speakers punched up the mid-range for clear vocals and recreated wonderful sounding lows when running with the Community dSpec processor. In addition, they had one other distinct quality best described by our technical director, Erik Tittle, as “crisp.” Work long enough in audio you'll be exposed to a range of loudspeakers. Many times, what separates the good from the bad is the clarity and crispness of the sound.
I like the sound quality of the I-Series 1122s, the aesthetic design, the mounting system, and the configuration options across the 600 and 800 series. Add in the speaker's mid-range clarity, and they would be a welcome addition to most any venue.
Special thanks to Erik Tittle, technical director, and Paul Cockram, musician, of Greenwood Christian Church for assisting with this article.
