HK Audio is preparing to roll out the largest product launch in the firm’s 35+ year history at this year’s Prolight + Sound in Germany. In the last year, HK Audio has taken on a number of new audio specialists, and this new team has been instrumental in the development of the new pro audio range, which will be on display at HK Audio’s main Prolight + Sound booth, located at Hall 3.1 E91.

First up is the COSMO integrative line array system family, which is comprised of three different system models and was developed under the premise of offering an extremely flexible and easily configurable solution in the professional PA sector. COSMO combines state-of-the-art audio qualities with ingeniously simple handling and unbeatable economic efficiency and cost-effectiveness.  Next up is CONTOUR X, a new point source PA flagship series designed to offer extreme sound pressure levels from compact solid birch multiplex enclosures. CONTOUR X features modern high-performance woofers, 24 dB crossovers and newly developed horns with extra wide mouths, which significantly reduce unwanted distortion and increase the maximum usable SPL by several decibels. The new C SUB subwoofer series – made up of the C SUB 118 and the C SUB 218 cabinets – fits seamlessly with all COSMO and CONTOUR X speakers. Their high efficiency and extremely high load capacity ensure unusually large dynamic headroom down to the lowest frequency ranges. HK Audio first released details of the new EN 54-24:2008-certified VORTIS 2 series at the Integrated Systems Europe trade show in Amsterdam in February 2018. Now, for Prolight + Sound, the entire range of loudspeakers designed for demanding installation projects will be on display.

Dipl. Ing. Lothar Stamer, HK Audio’s CEO, said: “With COSMO, CONTOUR X and VORTIS 2, we’re beginning a new chapter in the history of HK Audio, and we’re delighted to be able to unveil these multi-faceted audio solutions for the first time at Prolight + Sound.”
 
COSMO C 8 top unit – first component of a newly conceived, highly integrative line array system set to debut
HK Audio’s new COSMO line array system combines supreme audio quality with ingeniously simple handling, utmost utility and remarkable economy to provide an extremely flexible, easily configurable PA for professionals.
COSMO raises the performance bar for line arrays, setting a whole new standard for productivity and efficiency. Integrative and versatile by design, it delivers measurably higher effective SPL in the HF range than comparable systems. With horizontal directivities of 100°, 80° and 60°, this upcoming family of ultra flexible speakers will provide the bandwidth needed to cover the most diverse live scenarios. 
 
The COSMO C 8 top unit is set to debut at Prolight + Sound 2018. The C 8’s 80° horizontal directivity makes it the central building block for a set of mix-and-match systems designed to provide blanket coverage for the entire audience area. With the benefit of HK Audio’s proprietary Multicell Transformer technology, these speakers deliver state-of-the-art audio performance, even at high sound pressure levels. Matched 6.5”, 8” and 10” speakers will feature prominently in forthcoming COSMO modules to back up the Multicell Transformer’s HF performance with powerful, assertive low-mid range response.
COSMO components are not only tuned to harmonize acoustically; they are also engineered for a perfect physical and mechanical fit. Haulage and storage are exercises in convenience and utility with these space-saving enclosures. Every top unit shares the same 60 cm x 45 cm footprint so individual components are easily connected without having to fuss with hardware adapters. These units fit right on top of one another, so there is no heavy lifting, twisting and turning to be done to set up a system. The array’s curvature can be adjusted in advance on the dolly, so rigging and flying a COSMO line array is as easy as it gets.
Economic efficiency in action:
  • Far fewer components cover all FOH system requirements for most users
  • More mileage and gigging time out of each component
  • Simplified storage and logistics
  • Easier handling, faster to set up and tear down
  • Much smaller footprint in the warehouse
  • A lot less training – once is enough, rather than three times for three systems
  • Better long-term investment – one system builds on the next and may be extended in small steps
  • Far lower cost of ownership, far higher return on investment
The bottom line: COSMO’s unprecedented multi-system concept is more economical. In other words, COSMO makes a lot more business sense.
CONTOUR X – launching the new point source flagship at Prolight + Sound 2018
Our acoustical engineers had but one mission in mind for our flagship line of point source speakers – to get the most out of these remarkably compact housings. They succeeded. The latest in high-performance woofers from industry-leading makers deliver impressive bass response.
 The 24 dB crossovers and the newly developed horns with unusually large apertures reduce the overlap between the bass and HF channels to conjure richly detailed, articulate mids. This high-fidelity audio performance has another invaluable practical advantage: the minimized distortion increases the effective maximum sound pressure level by several dB.
The new CONTOUR X series’ hard-wearing housings are built to withstand the rigors of the road and deliver years and years of reliable service on the touring circuit. The solid birch multiplex enclosures are certainly tough enough. Painstakingly crafted at the HK Audio joinery in St. Wendel, Germany, they come with an extremely rugged PU finish and a steel front grille treated with an anticorrosive coating. And with ingress protection that is compliant with IP44 regulations, CONTOUR X speakers are very good at keeping dirt and moisture at bay.
Everything about these speakers is engineered for the realities of life on the road. With rotatable horns, four NL4 Speakon ports with Pin Assignment switches, two different monitor angles, many rigging and mounting options, and much more, this highly practical feature set is extensive enough to satisfy the demands of diverse applications. The ready-to-go tuning is another no-muss, no-fuss timesaving feature: CONTOUR X speakers deliver professional quality right out of the box, even without a controller.
CONTOUR X was designed from the bottom up to be an integrative part of the new HK AUDIO rental portfolio. That means the power amp racks, software and C-Sub series subwoofers are all a perfect match and seamless fit for both CONTOUR X and the COSMO line arrays. This saves you money, training time and storage space.
Speech reinforcement, on-stage monitoring, club FOH, front-fills—CONTOUR X can do most of everything and all of it well. Practically every event benefits from having CONTOUR X on hand.
Overview:
  • Effective maximum sound pressure level while ultra-precise coverage of frequency spectrum andminimal distortion.
  • Solid birch multiplex construction for the demands on the road and long-lasting touring
  • Including a vast, praxis-oriented equipment
  • Many rigging and mounting options
  • Highly-integrative system and part of the new HK Audio rental portfolio