In 2021, we reached the 100th anniversary of the very first loudspeaker. (No, me neither.) A man called Chester W. Rice built the first hornless loudspeaker, the basis for today’s most popular form of sound reproduction. Chester was something of a genius in his chosen field, even developing early submarine detection systems. It’s really hard to overstate the importance of his work. By 1927 the first movie with sound was released – until that point, theatres could not amplify sound to satisfy the requirements of large spaces.

And large spaces need a lot of sound. My very first concert (Thin Lizzy) featured racks and racks of huge speakers – they were everywhere. Whacking great huge cabinets producing deafening levels were a feature of that and all the following concerts I attended. And of course these experiences informed my speaker choice many years later when I bought my very first PA – I got the biggest I could reasonably move around.

I still have my 15-inch cabinets, occasionally I even get them out when the room is too large and/or has too many bodies for my line-arrays. The development of what some call (rather disparagingly, I feel) ‘stick systems’ has been rapid, whilst technology has accelerated how we use them. I’m sure Chester’s mind would be blown if he were to see LD Systems’ latest version, the Maui 44 G2. And then you’d get your phone out (yes, Chester, there is actually a speaker inside), connect via Bluetooth, pair with TrueWireless stereo technology, and watch as the man’s jaw drops!

There are two reasons I love line arrays. The first is simply that the amount of sound you get in such small packages is phenomenal. Both of my entire line-array systems take up the same space as just one of my 15-inch subs. The second is that these systems carry sound much more efficiently. With the added bass you can reach the back of a room with ease, so you can get away with lower overall volume – no more deafening the closest dancers to reach those further away.

But they do struggle with very large spaces, as you’d expect at around half the maximum output of my cabinets. So, all I really need is bigger. I first saw the Maui 44 G2 speaker at Plasa in Leeds earlier this year. Immediately taken by its size, I had to get my hands on a pair to try. These are very large column speakers which also look as though they’ve been built to survive another 100 years.
With 1500w RMS and 132dB max SPL, you have a lot of power to handle large events. A single system comes in three parts: a two-piece pole (housing between them 12 3.5” neodymium full-range speakers and four 1” HF drivers) and a 15-inch sub. LD Systems has engineered the tweeters with what they refer to as ‘waveguide’, which improves horizontal directivity and pushes high frequencies to listeners further away.

The delivery of higher frequencies is important. My brilliant box speakers don’t always need their subs, but when I want the sound to carry it’s essential because the low frequencies carry the higher ones further. In testing the Maui 44 G2, you really can tell how much further you are getting the sound. And of course, there is all that power. Lots and lots of very clean sound, very efficiently dispersed over 120 degrees horizontally and 25 degrees vertically. This is targeted sound precisely where you need it most.
So, the three parts. The top two sections fit together using a quick and easy multi-pin system. Made from light powder-coated aluminium, these are then slotted into the sub unit. Which is a beast. Constructed using birch multiplex with a polyurea coating and weighing in at 36.4kg, it simply looks and feels ultra-high quality. Wood construction is not always standard in a line array, making this is a superb combination of traditional and modern.
However, at that weight, the bespoke optional transport dolly becomes not an option but a necessity. It’s a good-looking cabinet, housing a 1.5kw class D amplifier, with useful carry handles on the sides. Cooling is achieved via fins, so essentially it’s maintenance free, as there isn’t a fan sucking in all the dust. LD Systems has kept the rear simple with a notable lack of buttons or screens. There is a tendency to include onboard mini mixers in line-array systems, but with one this size, you need more refined control, so LD Systems have done away with it. And rightly so, I’d say.

You’ll find two volume controls, one for the overall sound whilst the other controls the sub level. There are then three small buttons: Bluetooth, TrueWireless connection and cardioid. I have a small single-system line array that I use for things like wedding receptions. I often use the Bluetooth facility, though it operates at much lower volume than it would if I used a mixer. With this system, the Bluetooth is enhanced with what is referred to as aptX and AAC Codec, and DynX® DSP technology, all of which helps to ensure distortion-free sound even at high volumes. The TrueWireless connection will allow you to pair a second system.

Finally, you have inputs, throughputs and a single ‘sub out’ socket. This is where the cardioid control comes into play – beefing up the system with a second sub is something I did not have time to try (I couldn’t find a venue where I could max these out) but it should result in a sound technically described as “very loud indeed”.
By putting two subs together, you will experience an earthquake behind the speakers and the sound will get muddy. But by placing them opposite to each other and enabling cardioid mode, everything will sound much cleaner. When you connect a second sub, the system automatically works out whether it’s a master or slave unit by knowing whether the tops are in place or not. The rear panel displays the two settings that show which way round the modes are when on or off. This is a very visual reminder of what the button is for and it would be hard to have the wrong mode enabled.

It’s all very clever stuff. But, in fact, this is only half the story.

The two upper sections, which deliver all the mid and high frequencies, is where the technology really gets interesting. I’ve not seen cardioid used in anything other than a sub so far, though I’m sure in very high-end productions it will be used all the time. You will know that standing behind your own system results in a very flat and muddy sound, something that contributes to having ringing ears after a loud night.

The top parts of the Maui 44 G2 have a functioning cardioid. With mid-range tweeters built into the rear, the sound behind the unit becomes much quieter – in fact the dampening can be as much as 18dB. All of this means you can build a full cardioid system and operate at loud volumes without ruining your hearing or needing to wear monitor headphones permanently.

The two-part column is equipped with 12 3.5" neodymium full-range speakers and four 1" HF drivers with waveguide. That’s a total of 16 speakers, all set to disperse sound in a highly targeted way, enabling anyone directly in front of the system to experience pretty much the same sound as someone at the back of the room.

So, how did they fair in actual use? I managed to get a pair of these out at a wedding in a marquee with around 150 very excited revellers. It goes without saying that on a night when I needed an actual sound engineer in the audience, I didn’t have one! Had I, then they would have noticed I was getting sound to the back of the structure with efficiency. Not only that, but the sound was very precise and the mids were notably fuller than in other column systems.

I was hugely impressed and, although the Bluetooth function is fantastic for ad-hoc use, in full party mode and plugged into a mixer these speakers are really very good indeed.

This is where the versatility of the Maui 44 G2 comes into its own. You have a system which can easily be used for wedding receptions and conferences, and when you need to go big, it will cope admirably and look great in any setting.

And here comes the bit I’ve held back throughout this review, which I know that a great many of you will get very excited about.

LD Systems is about to launch the white version.