reality or fiction; in large stadiums, the number and quality of speakers doesn’t really matter, as long as there are plenty of them! Fiction, of course. Consider what your baseball outing would be like without high-quality speakers like the ElectroVoice brand of professional-grade speakers.

There you have a $5 hot dog in one hand, a $4 drink in the other, sitting in your $45 seat on the top deck of your hometown baseball team. Then, as game time approaches, a lanky gentleman steps onto the mound with his bullhorn and announces the sound of summer, PLAY BALL!

Fortunately, thanks to excellent speakers from manufacturers like ElectroVoice, that can’t happen. For example, in stadiums like the one for the Texas Rangers baseball team, high-quality speakers have been installed for the enjoyment of the home crowd.

In fact, ElectroVoice (EV) has been on the Rangers team since 1994. Having installed a speaker system all those years ago, EV has proven to have the most durable, weatherproof and consistent speaker system available. Think about it. That was a 14-year trial, and EV is still on the team.

Here is a proof; How many speakers would it take to cover a major league ballpark in 2009? The answer; Would you believe 176 speakers?

And what about equalizing and balancing the sound from so many speakers? Would you welcome that responsibility? In fact, according to the technical advisor who oversaw the design and installation process, equalization was a breeze. If the need had arisen, each speaker could have been matched individually. But because the sound dispersion of the installation speakers was well designed, there was very little need for equalization.

The original speakers had three 12-inch woofers in each cabinet and weighed over 350 pounds each. The replacement strategy had three individual speakers replace the 3-speaker cabinet, which in turn allowed for better sound dispersion and weight in the stadium. Individual speakers could be installed with a better sound coverage pattern, and this was due to advances in EV speakers over the past 14 years.

So the next time you go to an outdoor stadium for a game or concert, look up and around and check out the sound system. The average fan would take the sound system for granted. But now you know that weeks and weeks of time and effort, not to mention technical expertise, are responsible for the sounds you hear.