Buying Guides
Line Array or Point Source: Which Cabinet Fits Your Venue?
If you need sound for a venue, the first question is not which brand. It is which kind of speaker: a line array or a point source box. They work in different ways, and each one fits a different room.
Line array: even sound over a long distance
A line array is a row of speaker boxes hung or stacked in a vertical line. Each box covers a slice of the room, and together they throw the sound far — evenly, from the front row to the back row.
Line arrays are right when:
- The room is big or long — a concert hall, a theatre, a church with a deep hall, or an outdoor stage.
- The audience is large and spread out.
- You need the people at the back to hear as clearly as the people at the front.
- You can fly the boxes from a truss or a frame, or stack them on top of subwoofers.
Line arrays usually work with subwoofers underneath for the low end. They take more planning — the angle of each box matters — but for a big room, nothing else covers the space the same way.
Point source: simple, direct, and clear
A point source speaker is one box, one sound source. You put it on a stand, on the floor, or on a wall, point it at the audience, and it plays.
Point source boxes are right when:
- The room is small or medium — a bar, a restaurant, a meeting room, a small church, or a rehearsal space.
- The audience sits close to the speakers.
- You want a simple setup with no rigging and no complicated angles.
- You move the speakers often, from one small event to another.
A good point source box sounds clear and full at short distance. For a small room, it is often the better choice — and the cheaper one.
What about subwoofers?
Both kinds of systems usually need a subwoofer for the low end — the bass in music, the depth in a movie, the punch in a live drum. A single 18-inch subwoofer is enough for many small and medium rooms. For a big stage, you may need two or more.
What to tell us
If you are not sure which one fits, tell us about the place:
- How big is the room, and how many people does it hold?
- Is it indoors or outdoors?
- Will the speakers be flown, wall-mounted, or standing on the floor?
- What kind of sound — live music, speech, background music, or all of it?
Send us the room size and a photo if you have one, and we will help you choose — line array or point source, with the right subwoofers to match. And if you have a drawing, we can build the cabinet to your drawing, finished or semi-finished.
— Belinda, Brave Audio
