Snapdragon Stadium

San Diego State University recently completed its brand new $310 million, 35,000-seat college football venue, Snapdragon Stadium, and crystal-clear sound was of the utmost importance throughout the project. To achieve a new level of stadium design, complete with the latest technology, audio and video design firm WJHW called on Clair Global Integration to install a wide range of future-proofed products. Most notably, Snapdragon Stadium now features over 100 AC6 ADAPTive Column Loudspeakers from Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW).

“EAW supported the design team during the various phases of the project including early demonstrations, proof of concept and modelling for the AC6 loudspeakers, and exporting data for consultants’ integration into the full system design,” said Mark Graham, Associate Principal, WJHW. “The brand also remained involved throughout the construction process with onsite pretesting, as well as being an integral member of the commissioning and testing team during tuning and calibration of the installed system.”

In selecting the PA system, Graham and the WJHW team found EAW’s AC6’s ADAPTive features to be flexible and customisable while delivering pristine sound to every seat. “The ADAPTive technology of the AC6 loudspeakers allowed us to select mounting locations that better integrated into the stadiums’ architectural and structural elements while maintaining the output levels and coverage patterns needed at the spectator seating,” added Graham. “From every seat in the stadium, EAW has allowed us to create a truly wonderful listening experience. We are thrilled with how it turned out.”

In addition to the AC6 ADAPTive system, various other EAW speakers including the MK8196, CIS300, CIS400, LS832i, JF80z, MKD864, MK2366i, QX300, and QX500 were installed. According to Graham, “EAW’s product line encompasses the breadth of products needed for Snapdragon Stadium, from ceiling speakers and small, medium and large format loudspeakers in a weather-rated enclosure, as well as passive small format column speakers, and of course, the new AC6 high-output ADAPTive column loudspeaker. Additionally, apart from the ceiling speakers, all of these loudspeakers are offered in custom colours, allowing us to match adjacent architectural finishes for a truly integrated aesthetic.”

In addition to WJHW, the crew at EAW worked very closely with Clair Global Integration while building and installing the PA system. “We would like to commend everyone at EAW for very clear communication and transparency,” said Ted Leamy, General Manager, Clair Global Integrations. “During times of supply chain uncertainty, these facts were key to delivering the stadium on time and on budget. In addition, I would also like to applaud EAW for its customer support and service. It has a clear process in place for dealing with customer inquiries and was always readily available to help us with any questions we had along the way.”

EAW’s AC6 is an ADAPTive column loudspeaker fit for portable and installed applications whenever high-performance music amplification is required. Each AC6 is comprised of six, six-inch woofers and 30 one-inch dome tweeters mounted to a CSA waveguide. ADAPTive technology allows vertical coverage to be perfectly customised to any venue across the entire 20KHz to 65Hz operating range, resulting in even coverage throughout the space. A modular design approach provides redundancy and full serviceability from the front of the unit, making AC6 the easiest-to-service column loudspeaker available.

In addition to San Diego Aztec football, Snapdragon Stadium will also serve as home to the National Women’s Soccer League’s Wave and the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby.