Also back in the early 1060s I worked for Executone Corporation of America. We installed vertical array systems in theaters and churches. the columns were arched and placed in each of the corners of the room at ceiling height, which was a dangerous job back then. No OSHA just climb up a 30-foot, wooden extension ladder and hang those speakers using concrete anchors made of lead. In the center of the ceiling we would place a monster 20-inch speaker aimed directly at the floor for those low frequency sounds. All the sound columns consisted of a half dozen 6-inch Jensen PM speakers.

The big difference today is that the speakers contained within the sound columns are tiny, often 1.5 to 2-inch speakers with diaphragms made of highly responsive, space age synthetics - not paper cones. They have a much wider frequency range and far less distortion than the paper cones of yesteryear. While there is some similarity in the sound columns insofar as overall distribution of sound, that's where it seems to end.

Graham Crosby designed speakers in the UK for many years, so maybe he can chime in here and provide more insight into this subject.

All the best,

Gary

LOL! Yeah, our first amp was a Vortexion we bought from the Army Surplus Shop for 15 quid. Not much more than a chassis covered by a vented tin shell and two D-handles. (They call that sort of thing 'retro' now, and charge a bundle ). Must've been all of 40 watts.

No-one is copying Bose. Vertical linear speaker arrays is not a patent owned by Bose. Many sounds systems use it. Go to any concert now and you will see it. Nowadays concert music sounds great wherever you are relative to the sound system like a Bose PAS system.