Piraña

Piraña is a new, luxury dining destination for London, situated on St. James Street in Mayfair. As a hospitality venue aiming for perfection in every aspect – menu, décor, service and entertainment – the sound system had to be of very highest standard. What customers hear – and how they hear it – plays a major part in their overall experience of a venue. Consequently, sound system design and performance is taken especially seriously.

The sound system for Piraña needed to meet a number of non-negotiable requirements. It had to provide clear, smooth and comfortable coverage for every seat – and also to have the headroom needed to maintain this quality at higher SPLs, essential for when the atmosphere of the space changes through the evening, from a relaxed dining ambience to a livelier, party atmosphere.

As Scott Chester, co-founder and operations director of Piraña’s owner, Strongarm Hospitality, describes it, “The quality of sound in Piraña had to be at the highest level to meet our expectations. It has to be warm and enjoyable, regardless of the decibel level at which it’s being played.”

Sound quality and loudspeaker performance is one side of the equation, but this kind of environment, with its painstakingly designed interior, also imposes strict aesthetic demands. As a luxury restaurant first and foremost, Piraña required all the loudspeakers to be compact and discreet, with minimal visible hardware. It was vial for the boxes to blend unobtrusively with the exquisite interior design, keeping the visual experience as seamless and comfortable as possible.

Middlesex Sound & Lighting (MSL) is a company well-versed in the audio and visual demands of this stratospheric hospitality standard. MSL’s project manager Toby Jones says, “Our goal is always to deliver the best audio experience for our clients. d&b is known for its exceptional quality, so it was an obvious choice.”

First, sound quality: the d&b audiotechnik system specified included loudspeakers from the installation-specific xS Series – the compact point source 5S loudspeakers and, for low-end reinforcement, the ultra-compact Bi8 subwoofer.

The 5S is a 2-way passive loudspeaker, consisting of a lightweight, injection moulded enclosure holding a 5” ferrite LF driver and a coaxially mounted wide dispersion dome tweeter. It employs a driver in a compact bass-reflex enclosure and offers a symmetrical (100-degree) dispersion pattern. The cabinet can be used stand-alone or supplemented by subwoofers of the xS-Series (in this case, the Bi8).

Designed especially for installation, these cabinets deliver the highest sound quality, precise directionality and consistency of tuning. For further flexibility, cabinets can be mounted in either orientation.

Next, aesthetics: Keeping in step with the low visual impact required of the installation, the Bi8 subwoofers are strategically placed under the fixed seating to remain nearly invisible. For the live performance stage, the same quality of sound is delivered by the xS-Series’ larger 8S loudspeakers and 12S subwoofers.

Amplification is via d&b’s 5D 4-channel amplifiers, while all input processing and zoning is done via a BSS Soundweb London audio processor with iPad control and several localised wall audio controllers.

Toby Jones says, “This configuration creates a consistent, immersive sound experience for guests, regardless of their seating location. The system is designed to deliver high-quality sound at low volumes while providing ample headroom for higher levels when necessary.”

He adds, “The speakers deliver clear audio plus a sleek, compact design that integrates seamlessly with the décor. Their advanced technology ensures consistent sound quality throughout the venue, enhancing the guest experience without overwhelming the ambiance.”

As Middlesex Sound & Lighting know from experience, hospitality destinations in this type of exclusive location are no-compromise projects. These venues have a business model which demands the very best of everything: the Mayfair clientele will expect nothing less. When it comes to sound, its influence on the guest experience cannot be overestimated.

We are very finely tuned to sound in our environments, and it can have powerful psychological effects. The quality of that sound and the position of its sources can make or break an experience. Whether they realise it or not, sound can be the difference between a customer who is comfortable and relaxed, who recommends and returns, and one who is uncomfortable, distracted and never comes back.

Time and time again, d&b audiotechnik’s sound systems have been chosen for their industry-leading musicality, their control and directionality, their full-system approach and their appeal to system integrators, installers and interior designers. If a space requires the same quality of sound signature to that chosen by top artists and performance venues across the world, d&b is often the choice.

Summing up the process, Jones says, “d&b offers an exceptional sound experience, perfectly suited for upscale hospitality venues like Piraña. The speakers deliver clear audio plus a sleek, compact design that integrates seamlessly with the décor. Their advanced technology ensures consistent sound quality throughout the venue, enhancing the guest experience without overwhelming the ambiance.”

And for the client, the result is a sound win. “We’re very happy with the outcome of our d&b sound system,” says Scott Chester. “We’ve had many compliments from clients . . . the system is powerful, discreet, well balanced, warm and impressive when the time is right.”