Best Audio Setups for Campus Cafés and Student Lounges?

[samhoney]

Many universities, like Stony Brook, are updating their dining halls and student lounges with new restaurants and entertainment spaces. For places like Roth Café, what are the best AV setups to enhance the atmosphere — from background music to public announcements?


I’m curious about speaker placement, sound levels, and brands that work well in busy, open spaces. Any recommendations or experiences with AV systems in campus environments?

 

[highfigh]

Many universities, like Stony Brook, are updating their dining halls and student lounges with new restaurants and entertainment spaces. For places like Roth Café, what are the best AV setups to enhance the atmosphere — from background music to public announcements?


I’m curious about speaker placement, sound levels, and brands that work well in busy, open spaces. Any recommendations or experiences with AV systems in campus environments?

There's no way to make decent recommendations because there's not enough information provided about the place, dimensions, wall, floor & ceiling materials, type of music, etc. This kind of system takes a lot more than a few posts to design.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

This is a home theater forum, and as such is not the best place to get advice on commercial A/V systems, which have nothing in common with home theater systems. Since universities have plenty of money, your best bet would be to consult with a local company specializing in installations of this nature.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[TLS Guy]

Many universities, like Stony Brook, are updating their dining halls and student lounges with new restaurants and entertainment spaces. For places like Roth Café, what are the best AV setups to enhance the atmosphere — from background music to public announcements?


I’m curious about speaker placement, sound levels, and brands that work well in busy, open spaces. Any recommendations or experiences with AV systems in campus environments?

You are going to have what the vendor has for sale. It will go to the lowest bidder most likely. However NONE of these systems ever produce good sound. They are industrial systems that have to meet prevailing codes, especially fire codes.

The wire runs are long so they invariably use 70 volt distributed systems that are mono and one speakers is connected to the next on the appropriate power tap. This allows for even audio distribution if done correctly.

None of these systems are high audio quality and nor are they intended to be, as that is impossible in the environment you describe.

So you select the vendor and the cheapest bidder usually gets the job.