Nightclub speakers - what makes them sound like they do?

[doctorjuggles]

Something that's stuck with me over the years is how great speakers sound in certain nightclubs.
By nightclubs, I'm specifically referring to underground clubs which usually play bass-heavy electronic music - house, techno etc.
I remember being particularly impressed by the clarity of the mids and highs no matter where in the room one might be standing - the clarity is maintained at ridiculous SPLs, so I am going to guess that low distortion is a key factor.
Some research has also lead me to understand that horn-loaded tweeters are a factor as they have excellent off-axis performance (or, more accurately, the axis itself is very wide because the horn shape spreads it so evenly.)

I'm aware that pure SPL is a key factor in club speakers sounding so good when done well, but I'd like to know what one can do in their own home to narrow the gap to allow similarly even response in more modest home setups without relying on an entire wall being covered in speakers. Are there any passive speakers that have characteristics that might be described?

(For context, I'm interested in this for discussion purposes, but I also have a small studio setup which I use for DJing, so I also don't use DSP and/or active speakers because it introduces too much delay into the chain, making DJing a nightmare)

 

[DSJR]

This why I have a pair of middling-level JBLs on my bucket list, those with wideband waveguide, or maybe a modern 'smaller' Klipsch under a grand the pair. Certain models from these two makers seem on the face of it, to keep a good bit of the 'funk' in suitable music but hopefully without it being overpowering in a domestic setting. My current sentimental boxes, derived from earlier BBC thinking, put the soundfield in our next door neighbour's vicinity and I daren't turn it upo for fear of upsetting her and anyway, neither the speakers nor my neighbour and lastly my own depleted ears, like it sadly.

I just feel that a speaker such as the JBL 308 ( or a passive version), or the Klipsch RP600M II, this latter apparently rather more refined than the screaming floor standing 'copper coned' model I heard twenty odd years back, just might help me enjoy my music at lower volumes without breaking the bank.

 

[Leeken]

Having been a raver for 36 years,I’ve been exposed to plenty of different systems in wildly different places,but I can honestly say a little brick built underground 19 th century warehouse near me with a funktion one system is the best system I’ve ever heard,in what is probably the worst acoustic space I’ve been in.

 

[Mart68]

Club bass from Klipsch ain't never going to happen.

My understanding of club systems is low distortion, horn loaded top end, thousands of watts and mid bass boosted with EQ

Agree they can sound very good especially with modern RnB.

 

[DVDdoug]

I think it's mostly loudness. Plus, music just sounds better in a bigger space (IMO). And to me, loud sound in a small space is not as enjoyable... Maybe it makes me claustrophobic?

You might want to check the loudness with an SPL meter... Your home setup may not go as loud, or it may not go as loud without distortion.

Horns are highly efficient (louder with a given wattage) and large ported woofers/subwoofers are highly efficient. Most "pro" subwoofers for live or club use are tuned to go down to around 40Hz. That's a compromise that allows for more efficiency than if you try do go down to 20Hz. 40Hz is close to the lowest note on a standard bass guitar and it's low-enough for bass you can feel in your body.

so I also don't use DSP and/or active speakers because it introduces too much delay into the chain, making DJing a nightmare)

Active speakers or DSP, per se, doesn't cause latency/delay. Many active speakers are analog which CANNOT introduce delay. DSP (or any audio) through a C"OMPUTER will add latency. Regular computers are always multitasking even if you are only running one application and for that reason they use buffers (which are also delays) to keep the audio flowing smoothy in-and-out even though it's interrupted for multitasking. A stand-alone audio processor or the miniDSP won't introduce latency.

 

[DSJR]

Club bass from Klipsch ain't never going to happen.

My understanding of club systems is low distortion, horn loaded top end, thousands of watts and mid bass boosted with EQ

Agree they can sound very good especially with modern RnB.

No small box at home will give you that 'push' in the chest that a proper big system does, but the two I mentioned above, may just give you a clean and largely unfettered clarity further up and enough mid-bass to be convincing - maybe?

 

[tineared]

Big speakers with lots of power and a bunch of people to absorb reflections...

 

[Pareto Pragmatic]

Lots of bags of goo working as room treatment helps a lot.




People, I'm talking about people. Bodies on the dance floor and such.

 

[Mart68]

No small box at home will give you that 'push' in the chest that a proper big system does, but the two I mentioned above, may just give you a clean and largely unfettered clarity further up and enough mid-bass to be convincing - maybe?

The JBL 308 yes but I'd avoid those Klipsch. Not in the same league.

 

[Spkrdctr]

The main thing is having speakers with horns and subwoofers with a lot of bass. It is not magic at all. If you work at it you can easily get the club sound at home. Back in the day when I had a finely tuned amazing system in my house I could put any solo singer standing right in the room singing live. It also did anything I asked of it Terminator theme at ridiculous levels. It did take awhile but I got there. Luckily my hearing survived. If I was younger I would do it all over gain as it was freaking awesome. Good luck on your jouney and above all have fun with it. I am jealous! Oh and get some serious power in your amp........

 

[Matt_Holland]

Something that's stuck with me over the years is how great speakers sound in certain nightclubs.
By nightclubs, I'm specifically referring to underground clubs which usually play bass-heavy electronic music - house, techno etc.
I remember being particularly impressed by the clarity of the mids and highs no matter where in the room one might be standing - the clarity is maintained at ridiculous SPLs, so I am going to guess that low distortion is a key factor.
Some research has also lead me to understand that horn-loaded tweeters are a factor as they have excellent off-axis performance (or, more accurately, the axis itself is very wide because the horn shape spreads it so evenly.)

I'm aware that pure SPL is a key factor in club speakers sounding so good when done well, but I'd like to know what one can do in their own home to narrow the gap to allow similarly even response in more modest home setups without relying on an entire wall being covered in speakers. Are there any passive speakers that have characteristics that might be described?

(For context, I'm interested in this for discussion purposes, but I also have a small studio setup which I use for DJing, so I also don't use DSP and/or active speakers because it introduces too much delay into the chain, making DJing a nightmare)

High SPL
Low compression
Low distortion
Smiley face EQ
Careful tuning around 3KHz to avoid sounding too agressive.
Big cones for physical bass.

 

[EERecordist]

I agree with the comments on horns. They are efficient, often above 95dB at 1W 1meter. The Funktion-One horn or small domes can produce 114 dB at 1 Watt. Today in clubs you see the highs with horns, Funktion-One, Danley, Void, etc. Line arrays are becoming more popular which give more radiating surface even without HF horns.

Lows are usually horn loaded.

On the low end, subsonic synthesizers have been popular in clubs since they were introduced by DBX in 1976 in the disco era. Later producers started using them in music production.

Stadium and outdoor line arrays unit speakers can produce up to about 150dB per cabinet. Usually at 1 meter you don't need 150dB in a closed room, so the speakers in a nightclub will be operating at lower excursion. Just about every club will EQ the room. And as others have said, there is a sea of sound absorbing bodies and sometimes a high ceiling.

 

[Mr. Swordfish]

Large enclosures and large drivers for the low end, compression drivers (horns) for the highs, multi-way amplification (tri- or quad-amped) all of which is processor based.

Plus sound coming from many many different sources - recall what Floyd Toole has to say about mono vs 2-channel vs. multiple channels - more sources make it harder to distinguish frequency response anomalies, hence the way to evaluate a speaker is one at a time i.e. mono.

 

[kemmler3D]

The best club system I can recall hearing was at 1015 Folsom in SF, if you look at the photos you'll see horns a-plenty, in agreement with other comments so far: https://1015.com/nye-with-gryffin-dec-31-2021-4/ - even to the extent of using synergy horns for DJ monitors.

I was impressed because they have multiple rooms going at once, but apparently because of placement of horns in corners the sound doesn't travel between rooms much.

So I think my answer to the OP question is:

• Wide directivity horns (possibly CD) horns that enable even coverage of the room and also high SPL / dynamics for mids / treble.
• Careful tuning of the system to the room
• Room treatment most likely

Aside from getting big, high-SPL horn speakers, for club sound you will also want to put a lot of work into the room, much more than home listeners typically do.

Also, you'll want to be at least 100m from your closest neighbor.

 

[DVDdoug]

In the 1970's I lusted for a pair of Altec A7's. I don't think they "measure" that well and my memory from decades ago probably isn't that good but they were the best thing I'd heard at the time and they were super efficient going "easily loud" with a few watts. You can get a glimpse of a pair in Saturday Night Fever (along with a Shure column speaker on the floor it's side in front of the DJ).

Lows are usually horn loaded.

But not for low-bass. Even 100Hz has a wavelength of 10-feet which requires impractically HUGE horns.... And that speaker is not big enough for a subwoofer.... There was no deep-bass reproduction when that speaker was made. Here is a more-modern subwoofer horn under construction.

On the low end, subsonic synthesizers have been popular in clubs since they were introduced by DBX in 1976

I have a DBX 120A (no longer made). It's old but this model isn't from 1976. The Internet says it was introduced in the early 2000's And I have a pair of 15-inch subs in large ported boxes. Well... Large for my living room but NOT HUGE like in the link above...

 

[Chr1]

Using club speakers in my living room. Got several pairs of Tannoy V12s as I love big coaxials.
Getting plenty of volume using a wee Topping Mini 300 here presently, but have bigger Crown Macro-Techs if more Watts needed...
There's no replacement for displacement when it comes to "slam", I reckon!

Edit : I also love the fact that big passive club type speakers are actually super "eco" when used at home. Their high sensitivity means they need minimal Watts, even to go loud.
I can easily get my windows rattling with the wee Topping!

 

[Open Mind Audio]

Using club speakers in my living room. Got several pairs of Tannoy V12s as I love big coaxials.
Getting plenty of volume using a wee Topping Mini 300 here presently, but have bigger Crown Macro-Techs if more Watts needed...
There's no replacement for displacement when it comes to "slam", I reckon!
View attachment 510057

I am intrigued by the number of speakers - please explain!

 

[Chr1]

I love them and have managed to pick up several pairs at good prices...some are for spare parts as the tweeter is now "unobtanium".

(Plus, I am a hoarder. obviously.)

 

[Oddball]

What's there in the club that is not to like, including loud music . Even those that stopped clubbing might remember how (good) that all felt.

 

[pablolie]

Nightclubs are LOUD. No one can hear finesse in sound at 96dB+ levels, people. Nightclub sound is deafening. I always have earplugs handy. Protect your hearing while you still have it.