…and Lab.Gruppen System
In designing a distributed audio system for Monterey, CA event venue, Perry House, balancing the needs of the venue’s guests against the expectations of their neighbours was key to the choice of Tannoy and Lab.gruppen products. “They wanted reliability and high quality, but they needed it to sound very clear, even at low volumes, especially outside,” explains Kurt Yeager, owner/president of Monterey’s StreamLife Home Technologies.
Purchased and renovated by Jim and Cheryl Cox’ of Events by Classic in 2010, Perry House offers up a unique venue for couples looking to tie the knot in true California style. “If you’re looking for a big sit down venue in a ballroom, you gotta go to a hotel. Here, you get something a little more interactive, fluid and fun.”
Essential to the classic Victorian home’s signature atmosphere is its location; one block from historic downtown Monterey, but in the heart of what is still very much a residential neighbourhood. In order to operate in the area, however, Events by Classic must conform to rigid regulations concerning volume. “We can’t go over 65 dB at the property line,” says Cox.
To meet their client’s aesthetic and acoustic needs, StreamLife’s Stuart Newhouse designed a multi-zone system incorporating 6 Tannoy CVS 4 in the venue’s lounge and dressing room, 6 Tannoy CMS 501 and 2 CMS 801 Subs in Perry House’s Great Room, 10 Tannoy SR 601T Rock Speakers in the garden and 5 Tannoy CVS 6 in a freestanding Carriage House. “We couldn’t have anything interrupting the look of the rooms,” Yeager says. “Tannoy’s in-ceilings are very unimposing and the Rock Speakers were a natural choice for the exterior.”
“In the main event space, the Great Room, they really needed to keep the sound localized,” Newhouse adds. “The CMS 501s and 801s provide impact, but allowed us to be directional, instead of having speakers on sticks pointing out the back door at the neighbours.”
With the exception of the CMS Subs (which are driven by Tannoy’s iwSA 500 Sub Amplifier), the loudspeakers in the great room, carriage house, and most exterior areas are part of a 70-Volt system powered by one Lab.gruppen C 16:4. “With the sheer number of speakers I had, and size of the coverage area, I couldn’t have done otherwise without spending much more money on amplifiers. The Lab will give them years of reliable service, and the sound quality is top notch – I’ve not heard anything, in that kind of amplifier, that sounds that good.”
“We also needed something that would run cool,” Yeager adds, “because the room the amp is in isn’t environmentally controlled and temperature is an issue.”
“We’re primarily a residential integrator,” he continues, “and this was a hybrid residential/commercial application. We chose Tannoy because it’s become our ‘go to’ for architectural speakers and, increasingly, in in-room applications. They had the perfect products for the mixture of 70 Volt and 8-Ohm systems, with the sound quality, durability and price point we were looking for.”
The system’s performance has been excellent, says Cox. “We don’t have to blast the music for people to hear and enjoy it all over the property, but it’s not obtrusive for the neighbourhood. I couldn’t be more happy with the job StreamLife did, and the fact we have so many speakers running off the Lab.gruppen amp is unbelievable to me.”
Read More: http://www.tannoy.com/news.aspx?id=265