US pro audio giant Meyer Sound has launched its brand new flagship linear line array system, PANTHER, which has been hailed by company president and CEO John Meyer as the company’s “most significant loudspeaker introduction in over a decade”.

With the ever-more complex and visually-focused demands of today’s live events industry in mind, Meyer Sounds PANTHER offers an acoustic output that is closer to the much larger and heavier LEO line array, yet matches the more compact measurement of the LYON loudspeaker. While built to deliver in stadium-sized shows, it weighs only 150 lb (68 kg) and offers savings on current draw from the previous generation flagship line array loudspeaker. Its dual analog/Milan AVB network input module facilitates flexible signal distribution options and each cabinet comes standard with an IP55 weather protection rating.

“This is our most significant loudspeaker introduction in more than a decade,” said John Meyer “PANTHER advances my commitment to making loudspeakers with linear response, predictable coverage, and extended headroom for dynamic, uncompressed music reproduction — transient peaks in particular. Essentially, PANTHER produces nearly the same power and headroom as LEO in the footprint of LYON. I’m proud of how our engineers achieved ambitious performance benchmarks while reducing weight and increasing energy efficiency.”

The electronics module in PANTHER is a new, lightweight design featuring a four-channel Class D amplifier coupled to an ‘innovative power supply’. The new amplifier package delivers higher peak current to the loudspeakers while presenting a stable load to the AC line. It also features new, longer-excursion 12-inch low-frequency cone drivers and new three-inch compression drivers. These incorporate advanced magnet structures using new materials for higher flux density despite substantial weight reduction. Combined with a new LF port design, PANTHER has a maximum peak output of over 150 dB SPL.