SQT-210

Customer Reviews (1)

At their price they have practically no competition on the marketReview by www.portalnaglosnieniowy.eu

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Source : https://portalnaglosnieniowy.eu/testy/1849/synq-sqt-210-aktywne-wysokowydajne-zestawy-glosnikowe-o-propagacji-70-x40

SYNQ SQT-210 – Active high-performance loudspeakers with 70°x40° propagation
October 18, 2024

SYNQ is a recognizable, respected brand, especially in the DJ and club sound system environment. The latest proposal in the category of powerful active speaker sets definitely goes beyond club and DJ sound systems - the potential of the SQT-210 model means that it can also become an interesting proposition for sound companies, event companies, cultural centers and wedding bands. What speaks for this?
Radek Barczak
Clubs are a great testing ground - they set high testing requirements. Usually, loudspeaker sets suspended from the ceiling are exposed to work in elevated temperatures and increased humidity. Let's not kid ourselves - the "source" of the signal in the form of DJs is also a very "demanding" test of the potential of loudspeaker sets. Based on this assumption, SYNQ cooperates with leading European manufacturers of transducers such as Beyma and Faitial Pro, and all designs are tested many times in difficult conditions before entering the market. The manufacturer is aware that reliability of operation and resistance to damage ensure comfort of work and build trust in the brand.

The SYNQ SQT-210 speaker set seems to be optimally designed for use in difficult conditions, and the conscious design of individual components makes this design unmatched in its price class. Why?

Firstly - speaker propagation. By designing a tube with a narrowed propagation of 70° x 40°, especially in indoor sound reinforcement conditions, we avoid the risk of reflections from walls that interfere with the amount of direct signal in the listening space. And thanks to this, comb filtering is minimized, the audience receives more direct signal from the speaker sets and trace amounts from reflections, and thanks to this, the intelligibility of transients and speech is improved. Below is the proof in the form of measurements taken from a distance of 10 meters in the concert hall of the Culture Center in Środa Wielkopolska with the speakers placed near the walls, next to the "local" sound reinforcement.

What's more - the manufacturer equipped the tested loudspeakers with DSP with FIR filters. The loudspeaker set was tuned so that practically from 200 Hz to the very top of the band the phase response is within +/-25° while maintaining the frequency response within the tolerance of +/-3 dB from 60 Hz to 20 kHz! With a drop of -6 dB the frequency response range reaches 40 Hz... From two 10" transducers! This is a really great result. The linear phase response translates into excellent speech intelligibility even when using a range of 30-40 meters :-)

During tests during one of the concert productions, a friendly sound engineer stood next to me at 25 meters and started shaking his head in disbelief… Because indeed - the headroom and readability of the SQT-210 were impressive. Playing a delicate sound material of a trio of harp, cello and vocals, the headroom level allowed effective playing of 30 meters of the audience. Impressive, isn't it?

The SQT-210 design is quite unusual compared to the competition - we have two 10" transducers arranged in a V configuration with appropriately designed phase correctors, and between them a driver with a 70° x 40° propagation tube. An interesting feature is the relatively low back propagation of low tones, which is especially useful in implementations with a large number of condenser microphones. The woofers installed inside are OEM designs with a large diaphragm throw, while the driver is a proven and efficient B&C design with a 3-inch coil and a 1.4" outlet.
SYNQ SQT-210 is equipped with a Pascal Audio 2 x 810W switching power amplifier module. A big advantage is the universal power supply operating in the range from 100V to 240V 50Hz/60Hz. Power consumption is at 520W. This relatively small construction in a plywood housing, weighing 28kg, offers a Max SPL of 136dB (!). Importantly, the construction of the housing and the rigidity of its construction thanks to the use of durable Baltic birch plywood used in professional rider constructions means that there are no unfavorable and unpleasant sound resonances, even at maximum volume levels.

The housing is covered with a durable, scratch-resistant polyurethane varnish and is equipped with two handles - at the bottom and top of the housing. There are no side handles, which can be a problem when installed on a high tripod or pole. In practice, it is advisable to install this speaker on a tripod in pairs. The power supply is implemented on a classic powerCON socket. There is also a "pass it on" power socket.

The SYNQ SQT-210 owes its considerable versatility to its built-in mixer and digital processing section (DSP). The inputs are implemented on XLR/1/4" combo sockets, and channel 1 has two additional RCA sockets. Input 2 (INPUT 2) set at the top can work with microphone or line signals, while input 1 (INPUT 1) accepts only line-level signals. Two RCA sockets allow you to accept a stereo signal from a player or phone, which is monophonized in the mixer section.

The user has global EQ settings at their disposal - FOH Live, FOH 1SUB, FOH 2SUB and SPEECH optimized for speech reproduction. Note the characteristic measurement that the FOH 2SUB setting differs from FOH 1SUB by a volume level raised by 6 dB (!). In practice, if we want to use the maximum efficiency of these speaker sets, we should ALWAYS use the 2SUB setting :-) Because the others are attenuated by 6 dB :-P Who would have guessed, right? But in fact it is logical that the full-band FOH LIVE, due to processing from 40 Hz (!) - i.e. the lower band with the greatest energy, will allow for a lower maximum SPL than with the band cut off at 100 Hz...

There is also a 4-band equalizer. It allows for effective pre-tuning of speaker sets. It really works :-) The two extreme shelving filters are tuneable - the lower one from 100 Hz to 500 Hz, the upper one from 1000 Hz to 10 kHz. Gain is available from -6 dB to +6 dB. In addition, there are two fully parametric filters, tuneable from 50 Hz to 15 kHz, with quality factor adjustment from Q = 0.3 to Q = 4, also with Gain adjustment from -6 dB to +6 dB.
The panel also offers a balanced XLR line signal output.

The manufacturer has prepared the SQT-210 to work in various conditions. Firstly, both at the bottom of the housing and at the top we have a sleeve for a speaker pole or stand. Secondly, a “U” type handle has been developed for the SQT-210, which can be used both to install the speaker on a stand, as well as to suspend it, for example, on a grid using hooks or aliskaphs. A big advantage is the large angle at which the speaker can be set - 30°, which allows you to properly cover the amphitheater audience by playing from a stand upwards, or play from a balcony downwards. I had such a situation twice and there was not a wide choice of solutions for such a sound reinforcement scenario ... Thanks to this design of the “U” handle, the SYNQ SQT-210 is a very universal solution that will work in practically every sound reinforcement situation.

During the tests, we played a lot of concerts and events on the SQT-210. Among the most important advantages, apart from the linear phase response and the even, well-controlled frequency response, I would include the large headroom in the FOH 2SUB setting, which allows for the realization of dynamic concerts at a high level. The power amplifiers have a power reserve and even when playing near the limiter engagement level, we do not lose dynamics in an audible way. Of course, no reasonable person will play "on red". At this point, a small suggestion that the diode informing about output overload could also be located on the front of the housing, to optionally turn it on and use it during performances.

The use of two 10" drivers in a V configuration means that back propagation is noticeably reduced compared to classic sets with one 12" or 15" woofer. And this is a big plus when it comes to amplifying concerts with classical instruments and in rooms, for example. An additional advantage of using 10s is the precision in processing the midband, for example, which is so important for the power of the vocals in the mix. Despite the large diaphragm stroke, the drivers, when limiting the band from the bottom in cooperation with sub-bass, will translate into high detail of the midband.

An equally important advantage in my opinion is the 70° x 40° driver propagation, which will work great in closed rooms, concert halls, clubs or wedding halls - even placing the sets near the walls, with their slight direction into the hall, will make the listeners receive a large direct signal with minimized reflections and thus with a significant reduction in comb filtering. It is true that, especially in the case of outdoor playing, the use of front-fill or in-fill amplification is essential, but personally I see much more advantages of such a solution.

It should also be noted that the relatively narrow propagation effectively translates into an increase in the effective range of the SQT-210. With these sets, you can try to play a powerful concert at 25 meters, and achieving intelligibility of the words of the MC or the lyrics of the vocalist at 40 meters is absolutely no problem. Another thing is that the driver's power reserve allows even deep tuning for playing mechanical music or realizing DJ performances.

During three medium-sized concerts and a 3-day event with DJs, the tested speakers played as front-of-house PA accompanied by SA-B15 sub-bass. For testing, we received two SQT-210 tops and two SA-B15 basses - looking at the potential of the tops, which generate Max SPL at the level of 136 dB, we would need at least two SA-B15 basses, which generate "on paper" only 130 dB. In real work, these small structures showed considerable enthusiasm and allowed long-term work at levels close to maximum, however, in order to maintain the popular system tuning curve, we would need to use at least three such sub-bass units per side... During the tests, we supported ourselves twice with two Audiophony MYOS18a sub-bass units in an end-fired configuration, and once with four centrally positioned sub-bass units from another brand of monoblock.

What could be improved in the SQT-210 design in my opinion? One thing to note is that the sets do not have an IP index that allows them to be used in the rain. The grill is equipped with a fabric mesh that prevents direct access of moisture or rain to the membranes. The problem with maintaining tightness may be the plastic sleeve for the tripod placed at the top of the housing in the recess for the handle, as well as the lack of protection against rain attack of the electronics and power supply at the back.

Generally, the tested speaker sets are designed for indoor use or in spaces protected from direct contact with moisture. Here's a pebble to the manufacturer - electronics on the back with a rain cover? You can also find fault with the precision of the U-bracket - especially the angle element, which in my opinion needs improvement.

These remarks do not change the fact that the SYNQ SQT-210 speaker sets impressed me a lot. They have huge potential, and with uncomplicated tonal tuning - these sets offer an even frequency response in the full range of work - they offer great sound. The strong point is the dynamics of the sound, detailed processing of the midband, reduction of back propagation and a large effective range. The 70° x 40° propagation makes the SQT-210 speaker sets perfectly prepared for indoor use, but the aforementioned large range also predisposes these boxes to work outdoors. In my opinion, at their price, the SYNQ SQT-210 have practically no competition on the market - they offer quality similar to designs almost twice as expensive. The level of workmanship and the use of top-class components also inspire confidence. SYNQ designers did a great job - the SQT-210 tops are an excellent proposition. If you are looking for a multi-purpose, high-performance, linear-phase active speaker system, the SQT-210 is not to be missed. I recommend it!

Testing was provided by: TEATR Specialist Company (Posted on 10/23/2024)