Column 16
16-driver column loudspeaker for larger commercial installations
Features
- 16 × 2.2″ full-range drivers in a passive column array
- 150° horizontal × 5° vertical dispersion
- IP54 weatherisation as standard
- Speech and Music DSP presets via Optimal Audio WebApp
- Full accessory kit included — bracket, safety strap, weatherisation kit
- Available in black or white, paintable to match the architecture
Bars/Restaurants & Cafes
Retail
Wedding Venues
Hotels
Education Facilities
Houses of Worship
Corporate Offices
Museums
Fitness Studios
Residential
Column 16 is the Optimal Audio Column Series for the harder rooms. Sixteen 2.2″ drivers in a single 1.1-metre cabinet, engineered to deliver intelligible speech and full-range music into the spaces most column loudspeakers run out of legs — larger houses of worship, conference halls, atriums, transport concourses, the bigger end of hospitality and retail.
More drivers means two things that matter in a demanding room: higher sensitivity and a tighter vertical pattern. Together, that’s a loudspeaker that throws further, stays intelligible at distance, and keeps sound energy off ceilings and hard surfaces where it would otherwise muddy the room. The kind of control that matters when the furthest row, the back of the concourse, or the balcony seat can’t be a compromise.
And like its smaller sibling, Column 16 installs with everything in the box. One cabinet, one bracket, one install day.
Nothing extra to order. Nothing forgotten for the install.
Every Column 16 ships with the full accessory kit included as standard.
Pan-and-tilt wall bracket
Wall bracket included as standard. 0°–90° tilt in 15° increments.
Metal safety strap
Secondary retention for installations tilted over 15°. IP54
IP54 weatherisation kit
For semi-exposed and outdoor-under-cover environments.
Spare grille cloth
For when the cabinet gets painted to match the room.
A complete install kit in the box, not a parts list in an email.
All venue types
Column 16 for larger houses of worship
The classic column application at scale. Column 16 delivers clear, intelligible speech into long, reverberant worship spaces, while the Speech preset provides a factory-tuned voicing optimised for the specific demands of worship audio. The narrow vertical pattern directs sound at the congregation and away from the architecture, which is usually where the problem lives.
Column 16 for transport hubs
Stations, terminals, concourses and transport interchanges need speech intelligibility in environments dominated by hard surfaces, ambient noise and long throws. Column 16’s coverage pattern and sensitivity are well-suited to this class of application, with IP54 as standard covering semi-exposed areas such as covered platforms or concourses open to the weather at the edges.
Column 16 for hotels and conferences
Column 16 covers hotel ballrooms, large public areas, event spaces and conference facilities — long throw, IP54 weatherisation for covered outdoor zones, integrated ecosystem control.
Column 16 for education
Column 16 reaches across lecture theatres, assembly halls and sports halls — narrow vertical directivity preserves intelligibility in reverberant educational architecture.
Designed to work together
Works with WebApp
System setup and day-to-day control through one browser-based interface.
Works with Zone
Multi-zone audio distribution for multi-space venues.
Works with ZonePad
Physical wall-mounted control for end users.
Works with SmartAmp
Dedicated amplification with Column-specific presets built in.
Works with Sub 10 / Sub 15
Full-range system performance when the application needs extra low-end.
Column 16 is designed to work at its best as part of the Optimal Audio ecosystem. Paired with SmartAmp and Zone, Column 16 ships with factory-tuned Speech and Music DSP presets accessible through WebApp. Integrators start from a known-good voicing appropriate to the application and fine-tune from there — rather than building an EQ curve from scratch in a room that was never going to be easy.
Day-to-day control is designed around the people who actually use the system. WebApp gives staff a browser-based interface to manage sources, zones and volume. ZonePad provides a physical wall controller for simpler in-the-moment operation. Bar managers, teachers, faith leaders and transport operators aren’t audio engineers. They shouldn’t need to be.
For additional low-frequency reinforcement where music content or programme dynamics call for it, Column 16 pairs naturally with Sub 10 or Sub 15. For integrators specifying a full-range Optimal Audio solution, Column 16 slots alongside the wider loudspeaker, amplification and control portfolio with everything speaking the same language.
And for an integrator who just needs a serious commercial column loudspeaker at a sensible price — IP54-rated, properly accessorised, ready to install out of the box — Column 16 is that loudspeaker.
Specifications
| TYPE |
Full range, passive column array, 16× 2.2” loudspeaker with transformer |
| FREQUENCY RESPONSE | 80Hz – 20kHz (–10dB) |
| DRIVERS | 16× 2.2” (56mm) full range |
| IP RATING | IP54 when used with accessory terminal cover |
| RATED POWER | 240W (AES) |
| NOMINAL IMPEDANCE | 8Ω |
| SENSITIVITY (1W/1m) | 90dB |
| MAXIMUM SPL @ 1m | 113dB (cont) 119dB (peak) |
| CROSSOVER | Full range — no crossover |
| RECOMMENDED HIGH PASS FILTER | 24dB Per Octave @ 80 Hz |
| TRANSFORMER TAPS @ 70V | 7.5, 15, 30, 60W |
| TRANSFORMER TAPS @ 100V | 15, 30, 60, 120W |
| DISPERSION (–6dB) | 150°H × 5°V |
| ENCLOSURE | ABS |
| FINISH | Black and White |
| PROTECTIVE GRILLE | Painted Steel |
| CONNECTORS | 4 pin Euroblock |
| PIN CONNECTIONS (INPUT) | Positive and negative in with link out terminals |
| FITTINGS |
8 x M5 mounting points for wall bracket and safety strap |
| DIMENSIONS | (W)100 × (H)1100 × (D)155mm |
| WEIGHT | 8kg, 17.6lbs |
| RECOMMENDED SUB | Sub 10, Sub 15 |
| RECOMMENDED AMP | Zone, SmartAmp |
Column 16 FAQs
What is the Column 16 and what is it used for?
Column 16 is a sixteen-driver passive column loudspeaker from Optimal Audio, designed for larger commercial fixed installations where intelligibility, throw and full-range music reproduction are all required. It’s suited to larger houses of worship, conference halls and auditoria, transport hubs, atriums, and larger hospitality and retail environments.
What makes a column loudspeaker different from a point-source loudspeaker?
A column loudspeaker uses multiple drivers arranged vertically to produce wide horizontal dispersion and a narrow vertical pattern. This directs sound at the listening area and keeps it away from ceilings and reverberant surfaces, which is why columns are typically preferred in acoustically challenging spaces like houses of worship, transport concourses and high-ceilinged architecture.
What’s included in the box with Column 16?
Every Column 16 ships with a pan-and-tilt wall bracket, a metal safety strap for tilted installations, an IP54 weatherisation kit for semi-exposed environments, and a spare grille cloth for repainted cabinets. No additional accessories need to be ordered separately for a standard install.
Is Column 16 weatherproof?
Column 16 is rated IP54 when used with the included weatherisation kit, suitable for semi-exposed and outdoor-under-cover environments. It is not designed for fully exposed outdoor installation in direct weather.
Does Column 16 need an amplifier?
Yes. Column 16 is a passive loudspeaker and requires external amplification. Optimal Audio’s SmartAmp and Zone are designed to work natively with Column 16, including dedicated Speech and Music presets. Column 16 can also be driven by third-party amplification if the installation requires it.
What are the Speech and Music presets?
Column 16 comes with two factory-tuned DSP presets accessible through the Optimal Audio WebApp. The Speech preset provides an intelligibility-optimised voicing appropriate for speech-led applications such as worship, conference and PA. The Music preset delivers a fuller, more musical voicing for background and foreground music applications. Both save installation time by providing a known-good starting point rather than requiring a custom EQ curve to be built from scratch.
Can Column 16 be painted to match the architecture?
Yes. The cabinet is paintable to match the surrounding architecture or interior design. A spare grille cloth is included as standard for reapplication if the original cloth is removed during painting. Optimal Audio recommends using 3M Super 77 Multipurpose Spray Adhesive for grille cloth reattachment.
What’s the difference between Column 8 and Column 16?
Column 16 has sixteen drivers in a longer cabinet — approximately 1.1 metres — and delivers higher sensitivity, greater output and a narrower vertical dispersion pattern than Column 8. This makes it the right choice for larger and more acoustically demanding spaces where throw and intelligibility at distance are critical. Column 8, with eight drivers in a 610mm cabinet, is designed for smaller to mid-sized commercial spaces where Column 16’s output would be more than the room requires.
Is Column 16 suitable for large houses of worship?
Column 16 is particularly well-suited to larger houses of worship with long internal dimensions, high ceilings and challenging reverb characteristics. The narrow vertical pattern minimises reflections from architectural surfaces while directing intelligible sound energy at the congregation across the full length of the space. For very large worship buildings, a distributed system using multiple Column 16 units may be specified.
How is Column 16 mounted?
Column 16 ships with a pan-and-tilt wall bracket as standard. The bracket supports centre-mount or bottom-mount orientation by default, and the cabinet can be rotated 180° for top-mount installations such as hanging under a beam. Tilt is adjustable from 0° to 90° in 15° increments. Given the cabinet weight (8kg) and length, secondary retention via the included safety strap is specified for any installation tilted more than 15° from vertical.
