DAVE8XS – Test Report by ISP Música Magazine

An active, portable PA system for multimedia use. Excellent value for money. LD Systems.

Among the new products on offer in the latest 2011 catalogue from LD Systems (a brand of the German distributor Adam Hall), we will be taking a look at one of the best sound systems which I have had the pleasure of testing and analysing in detail, and I will be giving you my opinions over the following pages. This is a new sound system which has been especially designed and specified with a view to using it in multimedia applications. It is called the DAVE 8 XS.

COMPONENTS

The DAVE 8 XS sound system is equipped with a powered subwoofer for sub-bass frequencies, this is also fitted with powered outputs for the other system components: a pair of satellite speakers which handle the rest of the audio spectrum. This means we are looking at a triphonic system which, in terms of multimedia applications, is commonly now referred to as a 2.1 system. To get a better idea, the active amplification system is housed in and controlled from the subwoofer enclosure which incorporates a three-channel A/B Class amplifier, with one channel for the subwoofer itself and two for the left and right satellites.

CONTROLS

All the function controls for the DAVE 8 XS are located on the right-hand side of the subwoofer enclosure. This in itself is new as with most systems which are similar to this (triphonic) the controls will be located on the back panel and not on one side, as is the case here. Although we may not notice it, when we want to adjust one of the parameters of these types of systems, the fact that the controls are located on the back panel can complicate things somewhat. Small adjustments become less of a chore when the controls are located on the side panel (right). A hat-tip to the designers for thinking of this. The panel features the following controls (from top to bottom):

Main Level: This is used to adjust the output of the whole system (subwoofer plus satellites).

Sub Phase, a switch for reversing the phase or polarity: The phase of the sub-bass signal can be switched between 0° (normal phase) and 180° (reversed phase). How it works: with the system turned on and a sound with very low frequencies, we move the switch between the two positions. This will normally be left in the position which gives better low-frequency presence, which will usually be 0°, however, if the shape of the room, the location of the subwoofer or the location of the listener affect this, we just flick the switch and we are ready to go. In any case it is easy to find out which of the two positions provides clearer sub-bass frequencies. This is one adjustment which is easy. Sub Level: As the name indicates this potentiometer is used to alter the level of the sub-bass frequencies. We use this potentiometer to adjust the level ratio between the subwoofer and the satellites to get the ideal mix.

Power Led: The green LED indicates that the system is turned on.

Signal inputs: The DAVE 8 XS is fitted with three types of input connectors for the various types of input signal. Firstly we have a pair of unbalanced RCA connectors. Below these we find a pair of combo sockets: these allow us to connect either XLR plugs or 1/4″ TRS jacks and have nowadays practically become standard, the combo sockets are used to provide balanced signals to the internal power stages.

Sat Power Out: Two Speakon connectors provide amplified signals for the Left and Right satellites, this is a professional detail which has not gone unnoticed.

Power: Backlit ON/OFF switch. Lastly I should mention the power connector which incorporates a 3.15 amp fuse, in case you ever need to replace it.

INCLUDED IN THE BOX

The box in which the DAVE 8 XS system is supplied includes the following components: The three-channel active subwoofer with a total output of 350 W distributed as follows: 150 W for the subwoofer and 2 x 100 W for the satellites. A power cable, a pair of 3/8″ adapters for mounting the satellites on microphone stands, and the instruction manual are also included.

SPECIFICATIONS

The DAVE 8 XS has a Band-Pass type subwoofer. A Band-Pass enclosure houses the subwoofer inside a resonance-tuned box to reproduce a specified frequency range based on its design. It contains an 8″ speaker. The satellite speakers are housed in hermetically-sealed enclosures which contain a specified amount of air to provide acoustic compliance for the aforementioned speakers. As well as the Speakon connectors, the rear panel also includes threaded holes for the SPSG3B wall mount bracket (optional), the bottoms of the satellite enclosures also have these holes allowing them to be mounted on a microphone stand. The satellite enclosures house two 4″ mid-range speakers and a 1″ silk dome tweeter housed in a radial dome for handling the high frequency range. The satellites have an impedance of 4 Ohms. The other specifications are summarised in the technical specifications box below.

SOUND AND CONCLUSIONS

Having connected the components of the multimedia system I tested it with a variety of styles of music, including a film soundtrack, using a laptop PC and a Yamaha mixer pre-amp. Quite simply, the system behaved excellently. While the DAVE 8 XS cannot be compared to a high-end system, I can honestly say that, at the price point offered by LD Systems, these speakers are a real bargain. Anybody who doesn’t believe me just needs to listen to them. The DAVE 8 XS is designed for home cinema applications (front and/or centre channels), multimedia presentations, live music bars (medium-sized), places of worship, backline and keyboard monitoring etc.

Technical specifications

DAVE8XS powered multimedia system

Speakers: