LD Systems says that their lightest and most compact sound system, the portable and powerful ANNY 8, will let you take professional sound with you anywhere. Plenty of others have made that claim, but, with their ANNY 8 model, LD systems might just be the ones to have finally gotten it right.
Offering a combination of a robust 8" woofer and 1" tweeter, powerful class D amplification, and rugged case, LD’s smallest model in the ANNY series, ANNY 8, promises an ideal balance of portability and impressive audio performance–and most companies would stop talking right there. But there’s lots more to know about this little system, like how the built-in mixer with EQ and effects give you, the performer, the tone-shaping control to sound good in any space–even outdoors. Plus, with the freedom of battery power and bluetooth streaming, you really can perform anywhere free of extension cords and awkward generators. And finally, here’s the icing on the cake for many on-the-go performers, the system comes with a wireless handheld microphone.
Yes, you heard me right. ANNY 8 comes with a wireless handheld microphone along with a built-in wireless receiver. Brilliant, right? If you are interested to know how this came about, you just need to take a quick look at the people who designed the ANNY speaker series, LD Systems.
Who is LD Systems?
The first thing to know is that LD Systems is not a newcomer. In fact, LD Systems is a brand of the Adam Hall Group, a global event technology manufacturer with an impressive track record and a product portfolio that covers almost every aspect of modern event technology, including audio, lighting, stands, stage equipment, hardware, and accessories. But while their achievements on a global scale are notable, their forward designs and attention to manufacturing detail are the result of the company’s humble beginnings.
In 1975, Adam Hall began manufacturing and selling robust flight case fittings from his garage in the UK as Adam Hall Supplies Ltd. A customer at the time was one David John Kirby, who was touring Germany with his UK band. In addition to his role as the group’s bassist, Kirby also took care of the band’s repairs, tinkered with sound and lighting, and generally kept the band’s musical gear updated. After five years of touring, the band broke up and Kirby partnered with Adam Hall in England to stay in Germany to sell fittings for flight cases and parts for speaker systems. The venture expanded quickly to develop and distribute audio and lighting products throughout Europe. Kirby went on to serve as executive director for decades, but it was his early days on tour with the band that shaped his sense of what musicians really need.
In 2002, the Adam Hall Group unveiled its first German-designed and -engineered PA systems under the name LD Systems. Their landmark CURV series of portable line arrays launched in 2015 and quickly garnered a range of prestigious innovation and design awards. Let it suffice to say, when it comes to audio gear, LD knows their stuff. You can see how their engineers might have been inspired to create a great-sounding, easy-to-use portable sound system, like the ANNY series; one that would not only include the practical features that musicians need, but also what so many performers find themselves having to add, like a wireless microphone and receiver.
A Design That Puts Performance First
For most performers on the go, the most striking physical attribute of ANNY 8 has to be its remarkable physical design. Weighing in at under 20lbs with a built in carry handle, you can arrive at the gig with a guitar bag on your shoulder, a complete sound system in one hand, and still have a free hand to shake hands with the manager of the venue or greet your fans. Having a sound system that is just one piece is a real plus, too, since there is essentially no set up to do–just plug in a guitar and microphone, make any minor adjustments to get your sound and you’re ready to go. But this smart design has even more to offer.
The tilt-back cabinet design of ANNY 8 lets you angle the system upward when placed on the ground, improving sound dispersion for your audience. For intimate venues, that means you won’t need to lug around a speaker stand. You can also use the tilt-back feature to turn ANNY 8 into a convenient stage monitor by angling it back toward you. Of course, when you need your sound to reach a larger audience, you can mount ANNY 8 on any standard speaker stand to project sound over greater distances or even connect two ANNY systems together wirelessly with the system’s TWS function.
Some small features that most performers will be thankful for every time they break out ANNY 8 are that well-placed carry handle and a convenient slot at the top of the box to park your smartphone and iPad while you perform. This simple feature is a gift that keeps your devices in sight and prevents them from getting lost or vibrating off and dropping to the floor–yes, it happens to the best of us. There’s even a convenient USB-C port, so ANNY8 can be used as a power bank for charging your personal devices. The housing is made of tough ABS plastic and metal and, for the more fashion conscious performers among you, the system is available in four colors: Stage Black, Pure White, Urban Grey and Adventure Green.
Okay, all those physical features make ANNY 8 very functional, but they wouldn’t matter much if the sound wasn’t there. LD has you covered there, too. In addition to an 8-inch bass-midrange driver with robust voice coil (specially manufactured for LD Systems), a 1-inch tweeter delivers clear highs over a preset crossover frequency of 1,800 kHz. Just as important, the company designed ANNY 8 to have a wide dispersion angle of 120° x 60° to distribute sound evenly over a large area for optimum sound coverage. Effectively reaching the audience is key to being able to say that you can make your stage anywhere.
Here’s the kicker: While ANNY 8 looks diminutive, it offers a surprising amount of power with an output rated at 80 watts RMS and up to 160 watts peak thanks to an efficient Class D power amplifier. On the job, the system can deliver a maximum sound pressure level of 117 dB and, on those occasions when you need to get that loud, another very smart feature, the integrated DynX DSP circuitry, helps to avoid distortion even at full volume.
Getting Your Sound
Every performance space is different, but you need to sound the same anywhere you perform. To help you tailor your sound to the space, ANNY 8 features an integrated five-channel mixer with two mic/line combo sockets (XLR/1/4” jacks) plus a stereo line input (3.5 mm jack) and RCA inputs for additional audio sources. A three-band EQ with five application presets helps you ‘dial in’ your sound. You don’t need to bring a sound engineer along because the back panel of ANNY 8 offers a straight-forward control layout that's easy to adjust, with clearly marked master volume, effect controls, and channel inputs so you can find your sound quickly and get to making music.
In his recent product review, Paul Riario from Guitar World gives us a great in-depth rundown of the ANNY 8 features. Check it out here. It’s a very comprehensive review that highlights all the features musicians care most about, including connecting up the integrated wireless microphone, understanding the built-in five-channel mixer, and how to make use of the system’s multiple connection options. Riario demonstrates the speaker's capabilities with an acoustic guitar and wireless set-up, showing examples of how to leverage built-in reverb and delay effects and set up bluetooth to stream from a personal device. From the demo, it’s easy to see just how versatile ANNY 8 can be for different applications, from live performances situations to rehearsal and casual use.
Power to Perform Anywhere
If you are going to boast that your system can make a stage anywhere, you need some source of power, and there’s not always a wall outlet right behind you. Battery performance is, therefore, key to any truly portable system, so knowing that the ANNY 8 can give you up to 11 hours of operation in Eco mode and 3.5 hours at maximum volume in MUSIC mode is reassuring. The system designers nailed it again by creating ANNY 8’s rechargeable power system with a removable battery. Having an optional backup battery charged and ready to go allows you to easily swap a fully charged battery for an exhausted one and keep the music going. ANNY’s lithium-ion 5Ah battery packs only weigh about a pound, so no trouble to pack along and no tools are required to swap a battery.
The Single Best Thing About the ANNY 8
After looking at its smart design and pro features, you might very well decide that the single best thing about ANNY 8 is not one thing at all. Rather, it is how many of the things that performing musicians need LD has managed to include in this smart design. This ultra-portable, all-in-one sound system could very well be the one you’ve been waiting for.
The LD ANNY 8 comes in multiple colors and configurations with wireless accessories for as little as $579.99.
