Ball speakers: tips and inspiration for use
Underestimated sound balls: this is how ball speakers ensure a perfect PA project
Ball speakers lead a niche existence. This is mainly because only a few planners and installers have got these useful balls on their radar. Here, you can find out how to use ball speakers and why they should be part of a lot more PA projects.
This is why PA ball speakers are so effective as ceiling pendant lights
Basically, the term 'ball speaker' is just not specific enough. After all, there are also hi-fi speakers which come in a spherical housing. However, this article is all about ball speakers designed as pendant lights, such as our EDL-430. In our opinion, ball speakers are most effective in the world of PA if they are designed as pendent lights. Ball speakers can be used for large-scale PA applications in the commercial sector and are flexible in terms of ceiling height. Ball speakers are mainly applied in high rooms without suspended ceilings. The advantage of pendant ceiling speakers is that they can be installed at exactly the right height, depending on the length of the pendant.
You can find an example of the use of ball speakers here.
This is why PA ball speakers are so effective as ceiling pendant lights
Basically, the term 'ball speaker' is just not specific enough. After all, there are also hi-fi speakers which come in a spherical housing. However, this article is all about ball speakers designed as pendant lights, such as our EDL-430. In our opinion, ball speakers are most effective in the world of PA if they are designed as pendent lights. Ball speakers can be used for large-scale PA applications in the commercial sector and are flexible in terms of ceiling height. Ball speakers are mainly applied in high rooms without suspended ceilings. The advantage of pendant ceiling speakers is that they can be installed at exactly the right height, depending on the length of the pendant.
You can find an example of the use of ball speakers here.
Ball speaker design: cone or expanded sound layer?
There are two types of ball speakers:
- The sound opening is directed downwards. This ensures a more precise PA application for individual areas. The exit angle of the sound is 100° to 120°. When you consider the height of the ball speaker, just imagine the radiation cone of the speaker at the corresponding height with the respective angle. This results in the base area of the cone, i.e. area covered by the sound. With increasing height of the speaker, this area becomes larger. If you have the floor plan of the building, you can simply make a drawing and thus calculate how many speakers are required. As a general rule, more speakers with a lower power output provide a more pleasant sound than fewer speakers.
- Ball speakers with mechanically built-in reflectors are suitable for very large-scale PA applications. You can imagine this as a sprinkler system for sound. In this case, the radiation angle is 360°. Hence, the ball speaker scatters in all directions and creates an expanded sound layer.
The spherical housing of the ball speakers ensures a well-rounded sound
Ball speakers do not feature any edges or right angles. Thus, they do not have any cabinet walls positioned opposite each other, either. This minimises interference caused by the sound within the cabinet. Unlike many other speaker cabinets which do have other advantages, the ball speaker thus ensures a sound which appears to be wider and often even more organic. Similar to open-baffle speakers, many enthusiasts say that ball speakers also create an acoustic stage because they feature a wider radiation due to the missing corners at the side of the cone.
A single 360° pendant ball speaker can already provide a pleasant reproduction of speech and music in a large salesroom.
Another advantage: in proportion to the cone, ball speakers tend to provide less space in the housing than square speakers. This means less vibration of the housing. Thus, the cone can carry out its intended work without interference and is not distorted by a vibrating housing. Good ball speakers certainly qualify for a sophisticated reproduction of background music in large retail shops as well as for PA installations.
Applications for ball speakers: acoustically demanding large areas and ceilings which cannot be suspended
Modern ball speakers which have been perfectly set by our Development Engineer Acoustics can even cope with most difficult acoustic conditions. Hence, they usually provide high-quality speech reproductions in large rooms with very high ceilings or in outdoor areas:
- Warehouses
- Wholesale trade
- DIY stores
- Airports
- Car dealerships
- Stadium stands
- Outdoor areas of bars and restaurants
The eye also listens
Last but not least, the design of the ball speaker should not be underestimated, either. Long gone are the times when speakers were supposed to be invisible for many trades. Ball speakers provide the room with a modern minimalistic design element: it shows visible and audible technology on the one hand, on the other hand it provides the room with a design highlight.
Source header graphic: © zhu difeng/Adobe Stock; MONACOR
Do you have any further questions about ball speakers? Then please contact our technical project management.
