The King’s Head pub in Bwlchgwyn, located not far from Wrexham in North Wales, is a place where patrons go to enjoy karaoke, live performance, bingo, sports, and trivia nights. New owners Eddie and Abbie Haftavani decided to keep the pub ahead of the curve, and upgrade to the sound system was required. Wrexham-based Specialists Pivotal Sound & Lighting of Wrexham were engaged to design and supply a solution for The King’s Head and ultimately recommended an Optimal Audio system to meet the pub’s varied programs.
“The existing system comprised a number of loudspeakers driven by a home cinema amplifier which was running as a single zone, including in the outside area," explained Darren Hughes, director at Pivotal Sound & Lighting. "Given the range of events that the pub hosts, a zoned system was essential. This would allow for example, a ‘loud zone’ around the bar area, a ‘quieter zone’ in the snug, or perhaps keep the outside area audio-free during karaoke or DJ sets. They also wanted the facility to input audio from their TV screens. Ultimately, it was about having better quality audio and better control.”
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Pivotal has worked on many projects supplied by distributor Audio-Technica, the company that ultimately recommended the Optimal Audio ecosystem. Hughes turned to the Zone 8 controller for the new system because of its flexibility, internal DSP, HDMI in/through (for the local TV input), and WebApp for easy operation on staff members’ phones. As Hughes explained, now that he's experienced Optimal Audio speakers, "they will definitely be my commercial install speaker of choice moving forward.”
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For complete coverage of the pub, including its outside covered area, Pivotal installed two Cuboid 3, four Cuboid 5, and three Cuboid 8, two-way, full-range loudspeakers (3, 5, and 8 inches respectively) as well as a single Sub 10 low-profile sub-bass unit. A Zone 8 eight-zone audio controller completed the picture, with the pub’s staff confident in its operation via smartphone and tablet.
“The Optimal Audio system that we’ve had installed has been fantastic," concluded Eddie Haftavani. "It was really noticeable during the Christmas period when we had lots of different events going on. We’re extremely happy; the sound quality is unbelievable, and the install does Pivotal great credit.”
