DFW IsoFlare Adoption

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is building a new terminal. To meet their strict passenger experience and safety standards, they have chosen to install AtlasIED’s Atlas+Fyne FC in-ceiling loudspeakers. Leveraging the IsoFlare point source driver technology, these loudspeakers deliver premium sound quality, a rarity in airport terminals, where cost often takes precedence over performance due to the large number of loudspeakers required for coverage. However, DFW determined that in certain areas of the new terminal, these FC loudspeakers were necessary for complete coverage, performance, and enhanced intelligibility. The point source technology delivers outstanding off-axis clarity across all frequency ranges, and the high-grade components provide transparent signal transfer for more accurate sound reproduction and increased durability.

The design process for expansive construction projects such as the new airport terminal at DFW often begin many years prior to groundbreaking. The placement and installation of the loudspeakers usually happen at the end of the project to protect the loudspeakers from damage. By the time they are ready for installation, many other trades have installed hardware, conduit, and cabling in the ceilings and walls, creating conflict when loudspeakers cannot be placed in the location originally intended. The problem with this conflict cannot be minimized or excused, as the audio consultant or designer had laid out where speakers should be placed to ensure optimal coverage and intelligibility, adhering to life-safety requirements in the acoustically challenging space. Moving the loudspeakers to accommodate a “busy” ceiling modifies the coverage pattern and can result in reduced intelligibility.

DFW has developed its own intelligibility requirements as part of its design criteria that meet and often exceed those of the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), who ensures code compliance in commercial spaces. To maintain those standards, DFW is turning to AtlasIED’s FC 6" pre-install in-ceiling loudspeakers (FC-6TPI). The pre-install version allows the construction team at DFW to install the loudspeaker back can first, securing the locations originally intended for coverage. The back can essentially hold the placement as the rest of the trades and contractors lay their hardware and cabling. When construction is done, the pre-install driver can then be installed in the back can, precisely where needed, to conform to intelligibility requirements. The FC-6TPI is designed for applications requiring a combination of premium sonic quality for music and speech reinforcement with exceptional reliability, in an architect/designer/installer-friendly solution.

In addition to early placement, the Atlas+Fyne pre-install in-ceiling loudspeakers are also shallower than the traditional blind mount versions, allowing them to be installed in ceilings with reduced plenum space. This versatility is key in specialized environments with unique architectural or construction designs while also simplifying installation for integrators.

Having tested the FC loudspeakers in terminal environments, the DFW design code and construction group know that they will perform “above and beyond” the requirements. They accept the higher cost of the premium pre-install product because they “are in the life safety business and aren’t compromising safety to save money.”