Alcons Q Series User manual
product manual
evolutionary audio solutions™
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 3
1. Introduction
Dear customer,
Congratulations on your purchase of an Alcons Audio QRP20 column array system, and thank you for your condence in Alcons products.
We are very honoured to welcome you to the growing family of Alcons ambassadors!
The Alcons systems are handmade with pride in The Netherlands, combining the latest production techniques and technologies with dedication and
traditional craftsmanship.
Ever since its founding in 2002, the Alcons Audio team has been striving for the best possible sound reproduction for any type of source
material and in any size of application.To get the best performance out of your Alcons system, please read the precautions section in this
manual before installing and operating.
We wish you many happy listening hours!
With best regards from the Alcons team,
Tom H. Back
Managing Director
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 4
2. Product Description
QRP20 - point source column
• Point source column with high-Q directivity for increased projection control
• RBN401 pro-ribbon HF driver with exceptional intelligibility and “throw”
• 1:1 non-compressed linear sound reproduction, with up to 90% less distortion
• All Neodymium drivers for excellent performance-to-weight ratio
• SIS™ pre-wired for very high damping and further reduced distortion
• Shallow form factor and ACO™ colour option for unobtrusive deployment
The QRP20 is a 2-way column loudspeaker to be used as vertical sound system, for both permanent and portable applications. Its slim design packs a perfectly
natural, dynamic sound reproduction with superb intelligibility, coverage and throw.
It is specically designed for applications where ultimate delity response needs to be projected with wide horizontal and narrow vertical coverage, ideal in
acoustically challenging environments, or applications where intelligibility-over-distance is required.
Loaded with the RBN401 4” pro-ribbon driver on a “Morpher” lens, the system offers an exceptional, SPL-independent throw-efciency and projection control, due
to the pro-ribbon’s all-natural cylindrical (isophasic) wavefront. The patented (90-degrees) horizontal dispersion offers a wide and consistent audience coverage up
to the highest frequencies.
Its fast impulse response, “compression-less” principle and unusual high peak power handling (800W @ 200ms) cater for a perfect intelligibility from the lowest to
the highest SPL with a 1:15 dynamic range, while offering a maximum “gain-before-feedback”.
The RBN401 driver is mounted in a D'Appolito speaker conguration with four woofers in a sealed cabinet. The custom-design 5” woofers feature Active Coil™
technology for extremely low-distortion LF reproduction, a perfect match with the MHF pro-ribbon technology.
The frequency response roll-off enables an excellent partnering with additional subwoofers.
The system brings the unsurpassed clear, dynamic and ultra-low distortion Alcons signature sound in a very slim and unobtrusive package; The M10 mounting
points on top and bottom and the M6 universal mounting bracket pattern on the back, together with the optional ACO™ color scheme provides for an
inconspicuous, low-prole presence in any application.
The QRP20 is powered and controlled by the ALC amplied loudspeaker controller; Through the integrated VHIR™ processing, audiophile amplier stages and
Signal Integrity Sensing™ feedback circuit, the ALC offers QRP20-specic drive processing, delivering absolute maximum sound quality with increased headroom
and utmost operation reliability and exibility.
The QRP20 is available in two versions with 90-degree (QRP20/90) and 120-degree (QRP20/120) horizontal dispersion.
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 5
3. Precautions
Read this manual carefully before installing and operating your system. Retain this documentation for future reference.
1. Due to the extremely low distortion performance of the Alcons sound systems, the experienced sound pressure level is higher than it appears. Prolonged
exposure to high sound pressure levels can lead to hearing damage; Protective gear should always be available.
2. Work with qualied personnel for installing the system; Installation should only be carried out by qualied personnel who are familiar with the techniques,
procedures and safety recommendations stated in this manual.
3. Ensure health and safety during installation and operation; All persons must wear protective headgear and footwear at all times.
4. Check conformity of any conguration and respect the maximum allowed values and the safety level recommended by Alcons Audio outlined in this manual.
5. Verify that the Working Load Limit (WLL) of all mounting hardware and accessories is respected. Alcons Audio is not responsible for any equipment and
accessories provided by third party manufacturers.
6. Ensure that the surface is suitable for mounting a loudspeaker; Do not mount the loudspeaker assembly on unstable ground or surface. As a general rule,
Alcons Audio recommends the use of safety straps at all times.
7. Do not make connections with the loudspeaker to the amplier while it is switched on. Always shut off the amplier when making connections to it, and mute the
inputs when making connections to preceding equipment in the chain.
8. Do not operate the system in wet environments and protect it from excessive water or sun / UV exposure. The system has an IP43 rating and should be treated
accordingly.
9. Regularly check the loudspeaker for damage to the transducers, cabinet and mounting points, as this can severely compromise the system’s performance. Refer
10. Save the packing material. Should you ever need to ship the loudspeaker, use only the original packing.
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 6
4. Connection
The QRP20 is a passive-ltered loudspeaker and features a high quality crossover network. As such, the QRP20 requires one processing/amplier channel for
amplication. To activate the Signal Integrity Sensing™ circuit in the amplied loudspeaker controller (ALC), the use of a 4-core loudspeaker cable with NL4
Speakon® connectors is required;
The two extra wires are used for voltage sensing at the loudspeaker terminals. The output+ and sense+ wires are connected together at the loudspeaker+
terminal, and the output- and sense- wires are connected together at the loudspeaker- terminal.
The Speakon®connector is wired as follows:
Speakon®male plug viewed from the wiring side
1+ Output+
1 - Ouput –
2+ Sense +
2 - Sense -
4. Connection
If you do not want to use the SIS feature at all, the sense wires should be connected to the output wires at the amplier output in the Speakon® connector.
Warning!
Never connect the sense+ to the output- terminal or vice versa, or short circuit both sense wires! Since you are disabling the amplier’s feedback network, the
amplier can produce a large amount of DC at its output. Through its protection circuitry, the Sentinel will shut-off and will not pass any audio.
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 7
Loudspeaker connection without SIS™ Normal loudspeaker operation
Use bridge mode when you want to combine the power of amplier channel
1+2 or 3+4 into one loudspeaker load.
In bridge mode connect your loudspeaker with or without SIS to the channel 1
and channel 2 outputs (or channel 3 and 4) as shown above. Sentinel 3 only!
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 8
4. Connection
For a given loudspeaker impedance, the proportional power loss as a function of cable length and cable gauge is given in the next table:
To calculate the SPL losses from these percentages in dB’s, the following equation may be used:
dB loss = 20 * log(1 – (%loss/100))
In the next table a few percentages are converted to dBs:
The QRP20 has a 4 ohms impedance which makes parallel connection possible of multiple cabinets.
It is technically possible to connect up to 2 QRP20 cabinets on one amp channel, with a resulting impedance of 2 ohms;Typically, we recommend not going any
lower in impedance than 2.7 ohms, which means one QRP20; However, in non-high-power applications, the parallel connection down to 2 ohms impedance would
not be too much of a compromise.
8Ω4Ω
1.5 mm² 2.5 m² 4 mm² 6 mm² 1.5 mm² 2.5 m² 4 mm² 6 mm²
5 meters 1.4 % 0.8 % 0.5 % 0.4 % 2.8 % 1.7 % 1.1 % 0.7 %
10 meters 2.8 % 1.7 % 1.1 % 0.7 % 5.4 % 3.3 % 2.1 % 1.4 %
15 meters 4.1 % 2.5 % 1.6 % 1.1 % 7.8 % 4.9 % 3.1 % 2.1 %
20 meters 5.4 % 3.3 % 2.1 % 1.4 % 10.2 % 6.4 % 4.1 % 2.8 %
25 meters 6.6 % 4.1 % 2.6 % 1.7 % 12.4 % 7.8 % 5.0 % 3.4 %
30 meters 7.8 % 4.9 % 3.1 % 2.1 % 14.5 % 9.3 % 6.0 % 4.1 %
40 meters 10.2 % 6.4 % 4.1 % 2.8 % 18.5 % 12.0 % 7.8 % 5.4 %
50 meters 12.4 % 7.8 % 5.0 % 3.4 % 22.1 % 14.5 % 9.6 % 6.6 %
% loss dB loss
1 % 0.1 dB
2 % 0.2 dB
5 % 0.4 dB
10 % 0.9 dB
15 % 1.4 dB
20 % 1.9 dB
25 % 2.5 dB
30 % 3.1 dB
35 % 3.7 dB
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 9
5. Installation
The QRP20 is to be driven by the ALC controller-amplier for full system performance, delivering maximum sound quality with increased headroom and utmost
operation reliability and exibility.
The operation reliability is guaranteed by the advanced limiting algorithms in the DSP; The values of the dedicated preset are based on the QRP20 system
surviving a 1000 hours durability test in the R&D test bunker at Alcons Audio HQ.
On the ALC, the correct QRP20 preset needs to be selected. Go to the “Preset” tab; tap the button on the channel you wish to operate the QRP20 with;
A selection box will appear with the different series groups.
(See g 1)
With the encoder select the “Q-series”; then select “QRP20”;
(See g 2)
A conrm box will appear. Then select the version you will be using, 90-degree or 120-degree.
(See g 3)
. Repeat these steps for your 2nd loudspeaker
(See g 4)
Fig 1. Select loudspeaker 1 > Select Q-series
Fig 3. Select loudspeaker 1 > Conrm QRP20, be aware
of possible audio interruptions
Fig 2. Select loudspeaker 1 > Select QRP20
Fig 4. Select loudspeaker 2 >
Repeat the previous three steps for your 2nd loudspeaker
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 10
5. Installation
Now the QRP20 is dedicated to this channel; Next you can make a choice of lter settings within the preset: 80Hz high-pass, 100Hz high-pass or full-range
operation.
The Alcons VHIR™ processing ensures a at phase response down to 200Hz with minimal latency; This enables the user to select any Alcons subwoofer to
seamlessly work with the QRP20, with optimized phase response.
Optional settings in combination with a subwoofer (QB242 in example): The QRP20 preset can be set on high-pass ltering at 100Hz, depending on the
requirement (typically, the 100Hz setting is preferred in higher SPL applications).
To match the QRP20 and obtain a at system response, the QB242 preset needs to be set on the same frequency preset, 100Hz.
(See g 5)
In applications where the QRP20 is (less ideally) positioned further away from the subwoofer, the QRP20 preset may be set on full-range, with the accompanying
sub set on 80Hz.
(See g 6)
Fig 5. Range selection
Select fullrange or HP at 80Hz or 100 Hz Fig 6. Low-pass ltering
Optional setting for low-pass ltering at 80 Hz or 100 Hz
Optional settings:
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 11
5. Installation
The dedicated factory QRP20 preset ensures a at frequency response; With the equalizer and delay sections in the ALC, the performance of the QRP20 can be
adjusted to the environment and application.
(See g 7)
These settings can be stored in the on-board user-preset bank.
Fig 7. EQ
Frequency adjustment per channel Fig 8. Delay
Delay adjusting to t the environment
Warning!
Always make sure the correct system preset has been selected, before unmuting / starting-up the system, as operating with incorrect settings can severely damage
the loudspeaker and voids warranty.
EQ and Delay settings:
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 12
6. Operation
The QRP20 is equally suitable for mobile deployment as well as xed installation. Due to the wide 90 or 120 degree x narrow 15 degree HF dispersion, horizontal
placement is less critical to still obtain a good audience coverage; However, vertically a correct speaker placement and focus is critical for an optimal performance
with minimal spill on oor and ceiling, resulting in an excellent front-to-rear intelligibility.
15°
120°90°
15° vertical dispersion in reverberant room = audience enjoying clear intelligible sound
Constant horizontal directivity = consistent full frequency audience coverage
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 13
6. Operation
The QRP20’s slim cabinet shape makes for a low-prole, unobtrusive mounting. The M10 mounting points on top and bottom and the M6 universal mounting bracket
pattern on the back enable the use of swivel brackets, stand mount, shoulder eye bolt and microphone stand deployment to get the best positioning for the QRP20.
Mounting option examples:
Rear-mount w. pan/tilt
(K&M 24471 + 24356
(AP3); Omnimount 15.0W)
Wall mount w. pan
35° left/right panning.
Allows narrow wall mounting
6cm / 2.36 in. depth (WMT1)
Truss clamp
M10 w. thread length max.
20mm (0.8”) below clamp
Standmount w. pan/tilt
10° down and 60° up
(STMTADAP)
Standmount non pan/tilt
reducer ange 36mm to
3/8" mic.stand thread
(STMTM10)
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 14
7. Accessories & options
STMTADAP
Standmount w. pan/tilt
10° down and 60° up STMTM10
Standmount w. pan/tilt
10° down and 60° up
WMT1
Wallmount 35° left/right panning. 6cm / 2.36
in. cabinet-to-wall depth
Mounting options:
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 15
7. Accessories & options
Transport options:ACO™ Colour option:
FC2QRP20
Flightcase for 2 pcs. QRP20 + 2 pcs. STMTM10 reducer ange
ACO™ (
Architect Colour Option)
The QRP20 can be nished in any of the 180+
colours from the European RAL™ colour scheme
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 16
QRP20 -
Front
QRP20 -
Rear/side
QRP20 -
Rear
QRP20 -
Top / bottom
QRP20 -
Side
QRP20 product views
8. Specifications
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 17
8. Specifications
Technical specifications
Frequency response 93 Hz - 20.000 Hz (+/- 3 dB)
82 Hz - (+/- 10 dB)
Sensitivity nominal - QRP20/90 99 dB (200 Hz - 10 kHz)
Sensitivity nominal - QRP20/120 97 dB (200 Hz - 10 kHz)
Nominal impedance 4 ohms
Recommended drive Sentinel3 min.
Nominal SPL peak - QRP20/90 128 dB (Sentinel3 200 Hz - 10 kHz)
133 dB (Sentinel10 200 Hz - 10 kHz)
Nominal SPL peak - QRP20/120 126 dB (Sentinel3 200 Hz - 10 kHz)
131 dB (Sentinel10 200 Hz - 10 kHz)
Dispersion H x V 90° x 15° or 120° x 15° (@ 20 kHz)
Physical specifications
System 2-way, full-range
Filtering passive
Driver LF 4x AMB5NDAIC-16 5”, vented
Driver HF 1x RBN401 4” pro-ribbon driver
Connectors 2x Speakon NL4 input/link
Physical dimensions mm inches
Height 742 29.2
Width 150 5.9
Depth 150 5.9
Weight (approx.) 12 kg 26.5 lb
Warranty 6 years limited
QRP20 Product Manual. Rev. 1.0 18
8. Specifications
QRP20/90 QRP20/120
Dimensional drawing
Drawing not to scale
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