AVANTE Imperio System Road-tested By Californian Audio Pro
Released last year, AVANTE Audio’s Imperio Series is a unique ‘mini’ line array system designed to provide audio professionals with a versatile modular solution that can be deployed in a variety of different configurations. An early adopter of Imperio, Tony Mirador of AKROZ Professional, has already put his large inventory of the cabinets through their paces at a variety of concerts and events over the past six months and is extremely happy with his decision to choose Imperio.
Based in San Diego, CA, AKROZ Professional is a well-established and highly-respected audio and lighting production company founded in 1982. Specializing in live sound and event production for concerts and festivals, the company takes on a wide variety of projects each year for audiences ranging from a few hundred up to 15,000+. Already having a large inventory of equipment, including large scale line array systems and small point source setups, Tony was looking for something to sit between the two to cover medium-sized events.
“I first saw the Imperio system previewed at InfoComm 2018,” explained Tony, “and the size of the boxes as well as the way they rig together caught my attention. I told Chuck [Green, AVANTE Audio’s Sales Manager] that I was interested, so late last year he arranged for me to try out a few samples and I really liked them. In fact, I liked them so much that I ordered 16 from the first shipment, which arrived with me in early April of this year. I then took them straight out to use for a concert in a 1000-seater auditorium, and that worked out extremely well.”
Designed to offer the ultimate combination of audio clarity, portability and flexibility, the Imperio features two 4.75” Neodymium woofers each with a 1-inch voice coil. These are paired with an array of six 1.75” IDVAT (Inverted Dome Vertical Array Technology) HF drivers to deliver a wide frequency response of 150Hz – 20KHz and an impressive maximum output SPL of 117dB (single box measured on Axis @ 1m). The unit’s internal Class D 2-way amplifier is rated at 240W (RMS) and features 24-bit DSP with several easily selectable configuration settings.
“Having now had the chance to use the Imperio boxes on upwards of 15 events over the summer,” said Tony, “I have been very impressed. They are compact, light and the sound quality is really good. They offer better fidelity than other products I had considered and don’t need much equalisation. The high-frequency reproduction isn’t harsh, the clarity is excellent, and the output is really impressive, especially considering the size of the cabinets. They also offer a lot of flexibility, you can do really big shows using lots of boxes, but those same speakers can be used for much smaller shows in lower quantities.”
With a narrow dispersion angle of 90-degrees x 15-degrees, the cabinet is designed to be deployed in a vertical array configuration. It is fitted with in-built rigging hardware that allows up to eight units to be linked together with selectable splay angles of 0, 4, 8 or 12-degrees between cabinets. Dedicated flying kits are then also available to hang or ground-stack the cabinets, with or without subs, while a bracket is also available to allow a couple of the cabinets to pole-mounted from a sub for smaller setups. This means that the same cabinets can be arranged in a small ground-stacked set up for a conference one day, and then combined with additional units for a large flown J-hang at a concert the next.
“As well as indoor events of all sizes, we’ve also used the Imperio boxes outdoors where they’ve performed equally well,” enthused Tony. “As an example, we used them for the main stage at the Linda Vista Multi-Cultural Fair & Parade, which featured a wide variety of performers from different cultural backgrounds. These ranged from dances performed to backing tracks right through to full live bands, and the Imperio system did a great job. The boxes have also proven to be very reliable, we’ve had absolutely no problems with any of our units, and we’ve really put them to the test. Even when we used them during the day in the summer, subjected to the 100-degree Californian heat with direct sunlight shining on them, we didn’t have a single problem, which is very impressive for an active box with doesn’t use a fan for cooling.”
In addition to the Imperio mini array modules, AVANTE Audio also offers a matching sub option, the Imperio Sub 210. Housed in a solid plywood cabinet with a sleek black finish, the Imperio Sub 210’s speaker cones are protected by a thick 1.2mm steel grille. It features an integrated 700W RMS Class D amplifier driving a dual 10” woofer configuration, each with a 2.5” voice coil. Its 6th Order Bandpass design allows for a punchy maximum SPL of 124dB, making it the ideal sub pairing for the Avante Imperio.
Both the Imperio and Imperio SUB210 are available in a choice of black or white finish to suit a wide variety of temporary and permanent installation applications. Summing up his thoughts on the Imperio system, Tony said, “I think more audio professionals need to see and hear the Imperio speakers in action. I think they could really excel in the hotel AV market; they can hang from the ceiling with minimal load requirement and their small, low-profile form factor would mean that they would pretty much disappear in that hotel environment. They’re also perfect for production companies like ours, as they can be used to cover a wide variety of venues and styles of event. I am very pleased that I discovered the AVANTE Audio Imperio boxes, and would certainly recommend them to other audio pros.”
The AVANTE Audio Imperio system will be on display at the NAMM Show, which takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California, January 16 thru 19, 2020. AVANTE Audio will be found on Booth #11339, where the company’s knowledgeable representatives will be on hand to give demos and answer technical questions.
