One of the great things about the NAMM Show and the fact that the entire pro audio industry gets together in one place is that you get to hear many of the great products out there all at once, and that includes P.A. systems. If you head to the top floor of ACC North, you’ll find The Demo Rooms—more than a dozen large-scale rooms that are outfitted with many brands’ loudspeaker offerings.
Now, not all of the demo rooms are P.A.- oriented (odds are that Sennheiser will not debut a line array at NAMM…or will it?), and most of the brands show more of their products than just loudspeakers, but without question, the large-scale, enclosed spaces lend themselves to letting visitors hear just how detailed and fantastic a loudspeaker can be. With that in mind, here’s just some of what you can plan to see and hear in the demo rooms this year!
ACT Entertainment/PK Sound
ACT Entertainment has long been a name of note for the live entertainment industry, with brands that provide lighting fixtures and control equipment; audio, video, fiber, and power distribution; cables; connectivity; metalwork and more for a broad range of markets. Now you can add touring and installation loudspeaker systems to that list, as ACT has become the official North American distributor of PK Sound. As a result, it will premiere the T8 robotic line source system in its demo room, where an immersive and interactive projection display will showcase how PK Sound’s patented multi-axis robotic coverage control and .dynamics control software work. PK and ACT executives and engineers will be on-site to introduce the brand and its technology. (Demo Room 18814)
Adam Hall Group
Adam Hall Group has a massive presence in Europe and is growing quickly in the U.S.; underlining that fact, AHG will be using its demo room to present a number of new products and product highlights from its LD Systems, Gravity, Palmer and Adam Hall Cables brands. The primary focus will be on new LD Systems MAUI G3 MIX column PA systems, which feature an integrated digital mixer; Gravity Glow Stands for guitar and bass, which integrate LED lighting; and Palmer’s Supreme Soaker analog dynamic tube amp hub for guitarists. Adam Hall Group will also be presenting its in-house Adam Hall Cables portfolio for the first time in North America at the show. (Demo Room 17102)
Alcons Audio USA
While Alcons Audio has exhibited at the NAMM Show for years, this is the first time the loudspeaker manufacturer will have its own demo room—and with good reason. Alcons will launch two brand-new pro-ribbon loudspeaker ranges at the show, with the introduction of its W Series floor monitors and M Series reference monitors for immersive studios. The W Series is Alcons’ first dedicated monitor ever, promising low distortion and solid gain before feedback. Meanwhile, the M Series consists of three models specifically designed for near- and midfield applications in the immersive studio environment. While the company’s focus will be on those product launches, you can be certain there will be plenty of opportunities to check out returning favorites like the LR15 ultra-compact line array with LR15B bass module and the QRP40 point source column with the QB363 arrayable bass unit. (Demo Room 18812)
d&b audiotechnik
Immersive live sound has become a popular topic in recent years, and d&b is always a part of that conversation with its Soundscape technology. d&b’s demo sessions, taking place each day of the show, will bring the audience on a journey through an array of segments including houses of worship, corporate auditoriums, multi-purpose spaces, themed entertainment, sports venues, performing arts and live performance, using real-life case studies to show how the company’s Soundscape technology is enhancing the everyday listening experience for audiences around the world. (Demo Room 17106)
DAS Audio
What does DAS Audio have in store for its demo room? It’s not saying just yet, but the famed loudspeaker system manufacturer has been hinting heavily on social media that it will be something big involving a number of new products, as well as new technologies and “mind-blowing” innovations. We’ll be checking it out, and if you’re at the show, it sounds like you should, too. (Demo Room 17100)
dBTechnologies
Inside its demo room, you’ll find the dBTechnologies and dBTech USA teams diving deep into live presentations and conversations, sharing all the different ways each of their powered solutions can be used for a variety of applications. Alongside the new Opera REEVO two models and VIO X300 speakers, the company plans to hold practical demonstrations every day during the even hours from 10 AM to 5PM. (Demo Room 17108)
Eastern Acoustic Works
EAW has been a steadfast presence at NAMM Shows for decades, and this year, the venerable loudspeaker manufacturer is spotlighting its KF210 2-way 2 X 10-inch Line Array. Offering EAW’s familiar KF sound, a max SPL of 141 dB, three-point rigging and built-in weather resistance, KF210 nonetheless comes in a small, durable package, designed to support a wide range of live sound and touring applications. Also on-hand will be the LA Series, a 2-way, selfpowered loudspeaker featuring EAW sound in a portable package. The LA Series supports events that are often geared towards polemounted deployments, such as small to medium live shows, weddings, corporate events, restaurants, bars and clubs. (Demo Room 17104)
Electro-Voice
When it comes to brands that have seen it all and been used to do it all, E-V is right there at the front of the line. Electro-Voice will have tons going on in its room, demoing its entire portable speaker lineup, including a brand-new, launching-at-NAMM portable speaker intended to provide more bass in a battery-powered box. And if you need a little star power to convince you to stop by, Grammy-nominated guitarist, producer, podcaster and content creator Cory Wong will be stopping in to sign autographs on Friday, January 26, at 12:30 PM. (Demo Room 18816)
EngineEars
There are engineering discussion panels and then there’s EngineEars panels, which are packed with smart tips, actionable advice and the occasional jawdropping story. Who’s unloading their brains in the EngineEars demo room over the course of NAMM? Try Hit-Boy, Brian Malouf, Jesse Ray Ernster, Teezio, Derek “MixedByAli” Ali, and over a dozen more top music production names. There will also be an all-new 2023 Mercedes Maybach outfitted with Dolby Atmos for an impressive immersive music playback experience. (Demo Room 17930)
Meyer Sound
Acts like Ed Sheeran and Metallica have been packing stadiums on tour, using Meyer Sound’s flagship Panther large-format linear array system to ensure audiences hear every note. Panther will be on display in Meyer Sound’s demo room to showcase the power pairing of it with the new 2100‑LFC low-frequency control element, which will be demonstrated live with two Ultra-X40s. A range of compact line array systems, immersive sound experiences, and point-source solutions will also be highlighted at the Meyer Sound exhibit space, such as Lina line array loudspeakers paired with the 750-LFC low-frequency control element and Leopard compact linear array loudspeakers with the 900‑LFC low-frequency element. Visitors can also catch live demonstrations of the Spacemap Go spatial sound design and mixing tool and Nebra system configuration and monitoring platform alongside Ultra-X40 and Ultra-X20 compact loudspeakers and the USW-112P compact subwoofer. (Demo Room 17100)
RCF
Founded in 1949, RCF celebrates its 75th anniversary this year and plans to make its presence known at the NAMM Show, as it will unveil not one or two but twenty (20!) new products this year in its demo room. That’s in addition to holding demo sessions at the top of every even-numbered hour, and also participating in GTX Demos inside the adjacent Anaheim Arena. (Demo Room 17112)
QSC
The venerable pro audio company QSC is known for many technologies these days, so it’s a safe guess that a lot of them will be exhibited inside the company’s demo room. However, much of the focus will be placed on demos of the QSC L Class active line array system, which is nominated for a TEC Award this year in the category of Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers. Introduced last April, the L Class is the company’s next generation of advanced, intelligent, active loudspeakers for applications ranging from simple plug-and-play setups, to networked AV productions and fixed installations. (Demo Room 18802)
Sennheiser/Neumann
Sennheiser is always at NAMM, presenting the latest and greatest products from its various brands, including Dear Reality and Neumann, as well as its own microphone and headphone offerings aimed at a broad spectrum of end users. Serving end-users and professionals at every level, from studio engineers to broadcasters to content creators to live performers, Sennheiser has microphones, wireless systems and headphones for nearly any application you can think of. It’s inevitable that the company will have at least one new product to announce at the show. Meanwhile, next door, Neumann will be presenting many of its microphones, as well as its recent forays into new markets, such as its studio monitors, and the MT 48 audio interface, which debuted at the 2023 NAMM Show. (Demo Rooms 18806/18808)
Sound Barrier Pro Audio/Marani Pro Audio
This year, Sound Barrier will roll out a variety of new products within the demo room it’s sharing with Marani. The company is promising to have new Core Series three-way line arrays and a variety of new active and passive full-range loudspeakers and subwoofers on-hand for attendees to check out. Those venturing into the demo room will also get to experience and learn more about Marani Pro Audio and its full line of amplifiers and processors.
