I have a few thoughts
Back in my PA days (1989 to 1998) I noted the generally horrible sound quality of many PA systems. Basically, this was caused by either the cheapest speaker/amp combos available, really bad EQ applied to them, massive clipping, really bad set up or a combination of all of the above.
Some of the best sound I heard was from a pair of Klipsch LaScalas as a DJ kit or a pair of Cerwin Vega V18B three-way monsters (18" woofer, 12" mid and giant horn) with proper amplification, limiters and EQ. This was full range tech from 25 years ago but when done properly, it sounded very good--the LaScala sound was the one to beat. I eventually went with giant 157 pound 4 foot tall boxes with bi-amped configuration for control, adjustable limiters and 3-way operation to get the midrange correct. The final touch was to play Mariah Carey unplugged to listen if the mids and balance was correct.
I've heard the Bose some years ago, compared them at Guitar Center against QSC, JBL etc...they have mids to be sure but did not have enough SPL before distortion set it and the balance was off. Putting the QSC K10 with 18" subs against the Bose sticks with 8" powered woofer boxes was unfair, but they cost about the same system against system.
I did build a pair of line arrays for my garage using twelve 5" woofers, twenty-one 3" mids and forty-eight 10mm tweeters in a 6 foot tall cabinet. They work very well to limit the floor/ceiling splash, have very wide dispersion and with proper EQ--they work very well. They do require subs as they started to roll off at round 85Hz.
If you like the idea of full range type line arrays, Carvin has a great vertical line array using Faital Pro 3" neodymium full range drivers. The "sticks" are around 30 inches tall so you'll need at least two of them per stack to get it to work correctly. Eighteen 3" Faital Pros per side will work for small to medium sized gigs.
If you want to DIY your own, use Faital Pro 3FE22 neo drivers--a good option is to use the 16 ohm version and wire each box 3 series/3 parallel for a 16 ohm load. Two sticks stacked would be 8 ohm and 3 sticks around 5.5 to 6 ohms for larger outdoor gigs. They must be crossed over no lower than 160Hz so be aware you need sub support.
Before you jump all over it, the drivers run $32 each so if you build six of the "sticks" that is 27 drivers per side or 54 total drivers which run over $1,728 or if you want to start with four sticks, the 36 drivers will cost $1,152.
If I was going to go that route, I would use the Faital Pro drivers as they are specifically designed to be used for that, have waterproof cones and if you purchase the Carver lines using them--nice CNC machined birch cabinets--not plastic Bose boxes.
I have heard the Faital Pro 3FE22 drivers, a buddy of mine wanted bipole/monopole surrounds of a certain size so I designed a speaker that would do that with four of the Faital 3" full range and they sound incredible. Full range tech really has moved up over grandpa's bose!
I'm not saying don't build line arrays, I built a pair of them for my garage and they work well with proper EQ and sub support. What I am saying is make very, very, very sure that is what you want! Granted, using full ranges with EQ is much easier than using 12 woofers, 21 mids and 48 tweeter per box but it is still tedious. All that stuff has to be sealed not to mention the fun with wiring.
If you want the arrays for their small size, four to six 30" tall by 5"W x 7"D sticks fit in the back seat of any car--then go for it. If you want something that limits vertical dispersion sharply--they are your design. However, if you want to use that design specifically for midrange--then get a PA speaker that has great midrange! They do exist but you have to look for them and worse...pay for them.
Another option for PA is to use cinema speakers, the kind used in movie theaters. Go to a THX theater and you'll never have any issues hearing the speech and vocals. They are designed using the same PA drivers but have EQ and proper setup and calibration on their side.
In summation, I did build a pair of 3-way line arrays with sub support--they do work and have a huge sound, very strong midrange and are cool looking. They do have issues with the highs, beaming etc. which I did calm down somewhat with tweeter lines and EQ. Using the Vifa 3.5" full range and PEQ would be much easier for home use and either the Faital Pro 3" or 4" full range for actual PA use with a MINIMUM line height of 5 feet or taller is the best bet. The 4" would get you to 100Hz but you trade bass response for treble response which can be an issue--maybe. 3" full ranges tend to be the sweet spot to almost get you there so if worried about response over 10KHz is an issue, it might be wise to use the 3 inch version.
If you wonder if full range line arrays are for you--you could purchase eight of the Vifa 3.5" full ranges and make two boxes with four of them stacked wired 2S/2P for near field computer desk monitors. Stack them vertically for 8 high and wire them for mono to get an idea how the dispersion works--play with PEQ on the computer and screw around with the design. If you like it, then get the Faital Pros for PA use.
The reason for the Faital Pros is they are very, very efficient speakers. The neo 3" driver is rated at 91dB 1w/1m which is 6 or 7 dB higher than the Vifas. Also not the Faitals use metal frames and the Vifas use plastic---probably not a good idea to use plastic frame drivers for hard PA use. You PAY for the neo, the metal frames, waterproof cones and very high efficiency from the Faitals but--such is the cost of using professional drivers in PA speakers--the good stuff costs $$$$.
Good luck!
. Any thoughts?
