Community Loudspeakers is an under-sung hero of the live sound world compared to other brands. Even though Community’s Bruce Howze and staff have lent many innovative features to install and portable speakers, too, many people forget about the advances they have brought us over the years. It’s nice to root for an industry “underdog” when they bring forth a new series of speakers.
The Gear
The SONUS series of loudspeakers from Community — which picks up where the XLTE series left off — is a “pro-sumer” offering that offers the strengths of Community’s driver technology from its wildly popular UC-1 high frequency driver to its “Cool-Coil” low frequency drivers with unique airflow director structures within the voicecoil former. Also, the rest of the speaker enclosure received upgrades ranging from its rugged polyester finish over 11-ply birch cabinetry, DYNA-TECH speaker protection circuitry and M10 rigging hardware, to its jack panel with bi-amp/full-range selection capability and both NL4 and phone jacks for inputs.
I received a pair of SONUS-1296 two-way speakers for this review, and was immediately impressed by the looks. Not only was each speaker only 36 pounds in weight, but the textured polyester finish with rear ergo-grip handle distinguished itself from a lot of similar offerings. Even the satin-black wrap-around steel grille showed its design quality with screws ensuring that the cabinet will stay intact through a long road life.
The SONUS-1296 also is distinct in that it is the only cabinet in the series with beveled back panels for stage monitor usage. The 1296 model features a full-range power input rating of 200 watts RMS, 500 watts program and 990 watts peak into its 8-ohm nominal impedance. In bi-amp mode, the low frequency 12” driver retains the passive power ratings, while the UC-1 high-frequency driver prefers program power or power amplifier capabilities in the 100 to 150 watts at a 4-ohm rating per driver. This 4-ohm HF driver impedance is something to watch out for when stringing a pair together in bi-amp mode, as most HF power amps are not normally set up for 2-ohm loading.
Other key specifications are the SONUS 1296’s frequency response of 100 Hz to 20 kHz and 90 by 60 degree high frequency dispersion. Given the power handling ratings and 1296’s 102 dB SPL sensitivity (half-space), the calculated maximum SPL ranges from 122 continuous to 129 peak. In my testing, I found the frequency response specification conservative on the low end, with a 100 Hz to 16 kHz span in the 0 to -3 dB based on my SMAART RTA testing with pink noise.
The Gigs
I found the SONUS-1296 a pleasurable speaker to listen to, and the frequency response checking showed a flat mid-band response with just the proper dip in the 2 kHz to 4 kHz band where human hearing is the most sensitive at moderate SPLs. According to Community, this same range can be boosted or dipped with the Music/Voice switch for vocal presence. Using the 1296 as a monitor wedge, I found one niggle in that Neutrik speakon connectors could be a problem depending on which series you used. The original NL4FC series with blue chuck work fine, but the more beefy and longer NL4FX and NLT4FX connectors are a touch too long and could break the plastic jack plate if stressed. (According to Community, the company does supply feet that can be fastened to the slope edge of the cabinet when using it as a monitor, which helps solve the connector problem).
But from a gigging perspective, the Community SONUS-1296 speakers were beautiful and rugged for wedges and speakers-on-a-stick applications. While I am not a fan of 90-degree horizontal dispersion horns, smaller rooms could certainly benefit with this wider coverage. The nice black textured finish and reasonably lightweight enclosure made the 1296 a top pick by me over competitive plastic speakers in the marketplace.
What: Community SONUS-1296
Pros: Rugged finish, light weight, smooth sound.
Cons: Possible Speakon connector interference in wedge usage.
How much: $599 MSRP
Web site: www.communitypro.com
