For many years, sports venues have used two audio systems: one for the announcer, music and the half-time show, and another, compliant with the EN 54 standard, for evacuations. This meant duplicating loudspeakers and equipment. With L-Acoustics, this duplication is no longer necessary.
L-Acoustics has obtained EN 54 certification for a growing portfolio of loudspeakers, amplified controllers and network products: EN 54-24 for loudspeakers forming part of a voice alarm system and EN 54-16 for voice alarm control and indicating equipment. The enclosures and electronics used by the industry for concert-grade sound reinforcement systems now also have the certification required to deliver life safety announcements.
A simplified approach for consultants and integrators
With a growing portfolio of EN 54-certified loudspeakers, amplified controllers and network management solutions, L-Acoustics enables system designers and integrators to combine sound reinforcement with compliant voice alarm capability within a single ecosystem. The result is a unified solution that delivers audio performance for everyday operation while meeting the reliability and monitoring requirements of voice alarm systems.
Whether the project is a sports venue, a corporate campus or an educational facility, consultants can now specify a single integrated audio ecosystem that delivers both engaging listening experiences and critical emergency communications. One design model, one commissioning process and one set of spare parts.
Certified Kara IIi, Ai Series and Xi Series loudspeakers
The certified range covers every type of space to which the EN 54 standard applies, from a single corridor to a full stadium. Kara IIi meets the needs of the largest spaces, where a variable-curvature line source is required to reach the farthest seats in a stadium, cover the length of a concourse or reach the back of a large hall.
Ai Series constant-curvature enclosures, available in Wide and Focus variants, cover medium-sized spaces such as auditoriums, lecture theatres, atriums, sports halls, multipurpose rooms and waiting areas. Xi Series coaxial models are designed for the smaller spaces found in every building, including meeting rooms, hospitality areas and back-of-house spaces, where intelligibility is just as important as it is in the main room.
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LA Series amplified controllers and network management
EN 54-16 certification covers the LA7.16i, LA1.16i, LA4X and LA2Xi amplified controllers, as well as the LC16D network audio converter and the LS10 Milan-AVB switch when integrated into the PAVA FacilitiesTM VACIE rack. Amplification, processing, monitoring and fault reporting therefore remain within the same platform that manages the entertainment system.
Where the two requirements meet
Sports facilities are where performance and regulatory compliance converge most visibly. A stadium sound system must maintain intelligibility across tens of thousands of seats, within reverberant concrete structures and against constant crowd noise. It must do so whether the message is a team announcement, a sponsor activation or an instruction to leave the building.
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Historically, a compromise had to be made in one of two areas: using a voice alarm system for entertainment even though it was never designed to deliver that type of audio, or supporting a high-performance sound system with a parallel installation that ensured regulatory compliance. The same applies to convention centres, theatres, university campuses and corporate headquarters, where demanding audio content and statutory evacuation requirements coexist.
Our customers were already asking us to cover both functions because they could hear the difference between the two systems installed in their buildings. EN 54 certification means they no longer have to choose. The system that fills a stadium with sound on a Saturday afternoon is the same system that will speak clearly to that audience if it ever needs to be evacuated, says Germain Simon, Director of Product Management, Loudspeakers at L-Acoustics.
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Image descriptions
- LA_EN54_Certification_1 – Allianz Stadium Sydney requires a sound system capable of meeting the full range of game-day requirements.
- LA_EN54_Certification_2 – Arrays of A15i at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, United States.
- LA_EN54_Certification_3 – Shell Energy Stadium is the home ground of four football teams: Houston Dynamo FC, Houston Dash, TSU Tigers and Houston Gamblers.
- LA_EN54_Certification_4 – Fifty-four L-Acoustics X8i loudspeakers cover the tiered seating and steps while also acting as front-fill between the main arrays at Cheltenham Racecourse.
- LA_EN54_Certification_5 – Close-up of one of the main L-Acoustics A15i Wide/Focus hangs during the football match between Norway and Slovakia at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, Norway.
- LA_EN54_Certification_6– Georgia State University’s new Convocation Center offers visitors superior sound thanks to an L-Acoustics A Series PA system specified by Idibri and installed by TSAV in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
- LA_EN54_Certification_7 – ESI Production Services implemented the ambitious audio system at TGL presented by SoFi in Palm Beach Gardens.
- LA_EN54_Certification_8 – Eight main arrays, each comprising four A15i, cover the courtside seats, while smaller A15i hangs provide coverage for the end-court and court-floor areas at Wayne State University Arena.
