L-Acoustics L1 debuts on Joker Xue’s large-scale EVOLUTION world tour

Background and context

Table of Contents

Mandopop artist Joker Xue is currently touring China with EVOLUTION, his fourth and most technically ambitious concert production to date. The tour has sold out multi-night stadium runs in cities including Guangzhou and Changsha, drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees in each market.

The show is built around a four-sided, in-the-round stage that Chinese media have described as one of the largest concert stages constructed in the country. Measuring 93 metres wide, 53 metres deep and 36 metres high, the structure occupies around 5,000 square metres, with a 5,600-square-metre LED ring encircling the audience.

This environment, with no traditional front-of-stage orientation and audiences on all sides, created complex requirements for audio coverage, weight management and low-frequency control at stadium scale.

Key announcement

The EVOLUTION tour marks the first global touring deployment of L1, the new flagship loudspeaker in the L Series from French manufacturer L-Acoustics. The system was supplied and operated by Shanghai-based production company MRT, which is an L-Acoustics certified L1 pilot partner in Asia.

MRT began using the pre-release L1 system on the tour several months before L-Acoustics officially introduced the product in May 2026. According to the manufacturer, only four pilot partners worldwide had access to L1 ahead of its commercial launch.

L1 uses the company’s Progressive Ultra-Dense Line Source (PULS) design, intended to provide stadium-level output and pattern control with fewer cabinets and reduced rigging complexity. On EVOLUTION, each main hang of four L1 and one L1D was specified to deliver performance comparable to a larger, traditional line array while cutting rigging actions and overall flown weight.

The final design for the tour features:

Four hangs of four L1 and one L1D for main coverage
Four hangs of eight CS1 cardioid subwoofers for low-frequency reinforcement
Side-fill support from 12 L2 and four L2D
Additional low end from 80 KS28 subwoofers
82 Kara II speakers for fills and ancillary coverage
36 LA7.16 and 52 LA12X amplified controllers for system drive

Industry impact

The in-the-round configuration required even sound distribution to tens of thousands of listeners with no dominant listening axis. MRT used L-Acoustics’ Soundvision modelling software to design the system, with particular focus on managing coverage overlap and low-frequency behaviour in open stadiums.

Soundvision’s updated Autofilter algorithm was used to shape low-frequency beams in three dimensions from each L1 array. This was aimed at reducing tonal variation between near and far seating areas and limiting low-frequency spill that can reduce clarity in reflective, outdoor environments.

The integrated cardioid characteristics of L1 and CS1 were also used to direct bass energy away from the stage area, helping to keep sound levels around the performer and on-stage microphones lower and more controlled.

Front of house engineer Zhang Junjun and audio director Zhang Xiaonian reported that the system delivered consistent tonal balance throughout the venue, with particular emphasis on high-frequency definition and a reduction in low-end build-up around the performance area.

Why this matters

For the live events sector, the EVOLUTION tour provides an early example of how next-generation large-format loudspeakers may change the logistics and design of major stadium shows. By aiming to match the output of larger arrays with fewer elements, systems such as L-Acoustics’ L1 can reduce flown weight, simplify rigging and free up space for increasingly complex staging and video structures.

For Asian production companies, MRT’s role as an L1 pilot partner places the region at the forefront of adopting new large-scale touring technology, rather than solely importing established European and North American practices.

The tour is scheduled to continue with 12 dates at Beijing’s National Stadium and further international shows to be announced. By the end of the run, Joker Xue is expected to have performed to more than 2.5 million people, providing L-Acoustics with extensive real-world data and visibility for its new flagship system. Technical specifications for L1 and related components are available on the manufacturer’s official website at l-acoustics.com.