The Adelaide Oval has recently finished reconstruction worth AUD$575 million to increase its seating capacity from 34,000 to 53,583. As part of the upgrade to the sporting venue a new sound reinforcement system featuring EAW QX series loudspeakers was also installed.
Integration was handled by The P.A. People while the system was designed by Texas based Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon and Williams (WJHW).
Brett Steele, manager installed systems for The P.A. People, talked about the system installed: “All in all we installed 27 separate clusters of EAW QX 500 Series loudspeakers to cover the majority of the stand seating areas. The objective was to provide comprehensive coverage while keeping the PA as unobtrusive as possible.â€
The western grandstand is covered by 11 clusters, each made up of three QX564i loudspeakers. Ten clusters, consisting of two QX564i and one QX544i loudspeakers, covered the eastern grandstand seating area. The southern stands had a much higher roof to work with, which required only four clusters to cover the seating area. Two clusters were single QX566i cabinets, while the other two were made up of one QX566i and one QX544i loudspeakers.
Regarding the QX series loudspeakers Steele said: “The QX Series is a nice compact box that has extremely high output and visually looks terrific. Each model utilizes the same enclosure but has a choice of coverage patterns. The aesthetic is quite attractive while the coverage is tailored to what is required.â€
The P.A. People also created custom metal brackets that were used to fly the clusters from the lip of the overhangs with the assistance of a 150ft boom.