Column speakers rental

What are column speakers?

Column speakers are loudspeakers built up from several small drivers arranged vertically above one another in a slim enclosure. That vertical arrangement has a special acoustic effect: the sound is steered into the room in a wide horizontal fan, while little sound goes towards the ceiling and the floor. The result is that the sound reaches the audience and bounces off hard surfaces far less. In reverberant rooms that makes a big difference to intelligibility.

Besides this acoustic advantage the shape stands out, or rather does the opposite. A column speaker is narrow and unobtrusive, often not much wider than a hand, and stands on a compact base or on top of a matching subwoofer. That makes it virtually invisible in the decor, which makes it popular at locations where appearance matters. HuurAV uses column speakers when a room calls for both good speech reproduction and a tidy look.

What do you use column speakers for?

Column speakers excel in situations where the acoustics are tricky and the aesthetics matter. Think of a wedding in a historic hall or a church, where the ceremony and the speeches have to be clearly intelligible but a large sound system would spoil the look. The slim speakers disappear into the decor and yet deliver a sound that carries all the way to the back.

They also prove their worth at a presentation or conference in a room with lots of glass, concrete or high ceilings. Where ordinary speakers reinforce the reverb, column speakers keep the sound aimed at the audience and speech stays sharp. At a corporate event in a prestigious venue such as a museum, gallery or historic building, you combine good intelligibility with a setup that does not catch the eye. For receptions and ceremonies with background music they are equally excellent.

The role of acoustics

The difference a column speaker makes depends heavily on the room. A hall with lots of hard surfaces and little damping is a classic problem case: the sound bounces everywhere and speech drowns in the reverb. That is exactly where the directional reproduction of a column speaker ensures the sound reaches the audience without first bouncing off the ceiling. In a well-damped room the advantage is smaller, but then the discreet appearance still counts.

The technology behind column speakers

The effect of a column speaker stands or falls with placement and height. Because the sound is sent out in a narrow vertical beam but a wide horizontal fan, the speaker has to be at the right height and tilted slightly towards the audience. Stand it too low and the front row hears too much and the back too little. HuurAV calculates the layout so the beam lands precisely at the ear height of the audience and the coverage is right across the full depth.

The tuning then happens to the room itself. We set the tone so speech sounds natural and music pleasant, removing sharp frequencies and resonances that quickly stand out in reverberant rooms. For larger rooms we deploy several columns that together cover the audience, tuning them to one another so no gaps or overlaps arise. You can read more about our approach to sound on the page about sound.

Combining with a subwoofer

If you want somewhat firmer music alongside speech, we place a subwoofer under the columns. The subwoofer handles the low end and often sits unobtrusively on the floor, while the slim column above delivers the mid and high frequencies. That way you keep the discreet appearance and the acoustic advantage, and still add the body that makes a reception or party pleasant. We carefully tune the crossover between sub and column.

Flexible to position

A pleasant property of column speakers is that they fit into almost any room. Because they stand on a compact base and take up little floor space, you can place them beside a stage, along an aisle or in the corners of a hall without them getting in the way. In a historic or prestigious room, where a large system would be out of place, that is a big advantage. We look at the layout of the room in advance and decide where the columns come into their own best, both acoustically and visually. If the layout changes at the last moment, a column is easily moved without the coverage suffering. That combination of good spread and an unobtrusive presence makes the column speaker suitable for locations where both technology and atmosphere matter.

Setup, testing and operation by HuurAV

With a column system it is all about precision in the layout, and that is where HuurAV makes the difference. We look at the room and the acoustics in advance, calculate how many columns are needed and where they are best placed. On location we set up well before the start, aim the columns at the right height and angle and tuck the cabling away safely. We then test the coverage through the room, from the first row to the last, and make adjustments until speech is clear everywhere.

For a simple ceremony or reception you can operate the system yourself after the test; we make sure everything is set up and briefly explain how it works. For a programme with several speakers or music moments we recommend a technician on location. That way HuurAV handles the advice, the setup, the testing and the operation, while rental without support is possible through SpeakerVerhuur.nl. HuurAV is part of Speaker Verhuur Amsterdam. Request a no-obligation quote.