Column 8
8-driver column loudspeaker for commercial installations
Features
- 8 × 2.2″ full-range drivers in a passive column array
- 150° horizontal × 7° 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 8 is the workhorse of the Optimal Audio Column Series. Eight 2.2″ drivers in a slim, discreet cabinet, designed to deliver clear speech and clean music in the rooms where sound has to work hardest — cafés and bars, smaller houses of worship, classrooms, retail units, hotel public areas.
The wide horizontal dispersion means one pair of Column 8s covers a typical hospitality or retail space comfortably. The narrow vertical pattern keeps energy off the ceiling and away from the reverberant surfaces that make commercial rooms difficult in the first place. Speech stays intelligible. Music stays musical. The room stops fighting the system.
And at 5kg per cabinet, Column 8 installs as simply as it sounds. One person, one bracket, one box with everything inside.
Nothing extra to order. Nothing forgotten for the install.
Every Column 8 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 8 for houses of worship
Speech intelligibility in reverberant, hard-surfaced architecture is the classic column loudspeaker application — and Column 8 is built for it. The narrow vertical dispersion keeps sound on the congregation rather than the architecture, and the Speech preset provides a factory-tuned voicing for clear, natural-sounding announcements, readings and services.
Column 8 for hospitatlity
Column 8 delivers music and speech across cafés, bars and restaurants without dominating the space — paintable to match the interior, IP54 for covered terraces.
Column 8 for hotels and conferences
Column 8 suits hotel lobbies, lounges, restaurants and covered terraces — discreet integration, IP54 weatherisation, and zoned control through the Optimal Audio ecosystem.
Column 8 for education
Column 8 covers classrooms, training rooms and smaller lecture spaces with the speech intelligibility teaching demands and zoned control via WebApp for daily operation..
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
Full-range system performance when the application needs extra low-end.
Column 8 is designed to work at its best as part of the Optimal Audio ecosystem. Paired with SmartAmp and Zone, Column 8 arrives with factory-tuned Speech and Music DSP presets accessible through WebApp. Integrators start from a known-good voicing and fine-tune from there, rather than building an EQ curve from scratch in a room they’ve never worked in before.
End-user control is as straightforward as it needs to be. Bar staff, teachers, faith leaders and venue managers aren’t audio engineers — they shouldn’t need to be. WebApp gives them a browser-based interface. ZonePad gives them a physical wall controller. Everything is designed to be obvious to the people who use it day-to-day, and robust enough that they won’t need to call the integrator back.
For additional low-frequency reinforcement where the application calls for it, Column 8 pairs with Sub 6 or Sub 10. For installations that want a full-range Optimal Audio solution end-to-end, Column 8 slots alongside the rest of the loudspeaker portfolio.
And for an integrator who just needs a well-made commercial column loudspeaker at a sensible price — with everything included in the box and an IP54 rating as standard — Column 8 is ready to install out of the carton.
Specifications
| TYPE |
Full range, passive column array, 8× 2.2” loudspeaker with transformer |
| FREQUENCY RESPONSE | 80Hz – 20kHz (–10dB) |
| DRIVERS | 8× 2.2” (56mm) full range |
| IP RATING | IP54 when used with accessory terminal cover |
| RATED POWER | 120W (AES) |
| NOMINAL IMPEDANCE | 8Ω |
| SENSITIVITY (1W/1m) | 88dB |
| MAXIMUM SPL @ 1m | 108dB (cont) 114dB (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 × 7°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)610 × (D)155mm |
| WEIGHT | 5kg , 11lbs |
| RECOMMENDED SUB | Sub 6, Sub 10 |
| RECOMMENDED AMP | Zone, SmartAmp |
Column 8 FAQs
What is the Column 8 and what is it used for?
Column 8 is an eight-driver passive column loudspeaker from Optimal Audio, designed for commercial fixed installations where clear speech and consistent music coverage are both required. It’s suited to cafés, bars and restaurants, smaller houses of worship, retail units, classrooms, and hotel public spaces.
What makes a column loudspeaker different from a point-source loudspeaker?
A column loudspeaker uses multiple drivers arranged vertically to produce a wide horizontal dispersion and a narrow vertical pattern. This directs sound at the listening area and away from ceilings and reverberant surfaces, which is why columns are typically the preferred choice for acoustically challenging spaces like houses of worship and transport hubs.
What’s included in the box with Column 8?
Every Column 8 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 8 weatherproof?
Column 8 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 8 need an amplifier?
Yes. Column 8 is a passive loudspeaker and requires external amplification. Optimal Audio’s SmartAmp and Zone are designed to work natively with Column 8, including dedicated Speech and Music presets. Column 8 can also be driven by third-party amplification if the installation requires it.
What are the Speech and Music presets?
Column 8 comes with two factory-tuned DSP presets accessible through the Optimal Audio WebApp. The Speech preset provides an intelligibility-optimised voicing for announcements, readings and speech-led applications. The Music preset delivers a fuller, more musical voicing for background and foreground music. Both save installation time by providing a known-good starting point rather than requiring EQ to be built from scratch.
Can Column 8 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 8 has eight drivers and is designed for smaller to mid-sized commercial spaces — cafés, bars, smaller houses of worship, classrooms, retail units. Column 16 has sixteen drivers in a longer cabinet, offering higher sensitivity, greater output and narrower vertical dispersion for larger and more acoustically demanding spaces — larger houses of worship, conference halls, atriums and transport concourses.
Is Column 8 suitable for houses of worship?
Yes. Column 8 is particularly well-suited to smaller and mid-sized houses of worship where speech intelligibility in reverberant architecture is the primary requirement. The narrow vertical dispersion pattern directs sound at the congregation while minimising reflections off high or vaulted ceilings and hard surfaces. For larger worship spaces, Column 16 is typically the better choice.
How is Column 8 mounted?
Column 8 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.
