K-array’s Vyper, Lyzard, Rumble and Truffle loudspeakers were installed throughout BAR DANRO in Tokyo’s Ebisu district, chosen for their compact form factors and ability to disappear into the venue’s luxury vintage interior.
Tucked away in Ebisu, one of Tokyo’s most refined neighbourhoods, BAR DANRO combines the feel of a hidden speakeasy with the polish of an upscale hotel lounge. At the heart of the space sits a stone fireplace, around which guests settle into sofa seating, and in a venue this precisely curated, every element, including the audio, had to earn its place.
The brief set by interior design firm cafe.co called for high-resolution sound without compromising the interior. Speakers needed to disappear, either wall-mounted or entirely hidden, to preserve the venue’s luxury vintage aesthetic, pointing the design team towards K-array.
cafe.co first encountered K-array at a trade show, drawn to the brand’s slim form factors and sonic performance. When specifying the audio system for BAR DANRO, the designers approached Tokyo-based integrator SURD Co., Ltd, whose team has more than 15 years of experience with K-array. By the time SURD was engaged, cafe.co’s interior design was already complete, focusing the team’s work on introducing the audio system without leaving a visual trace.
The system is distributed across several zones, each with its own acoustic character. In the main bar area surrounding the fireplace, SURD specified Vyper KV25 II ultra-slim line array loudspeakers alongside Rumble KU26 subwoofers, intended to create a pronounced music presence at individual tables that would subtly mask cross-table conversation without being intrusive. Close to the entrance, a Vyper KV25 II is installed at a height of 160cm, meaning guests encounter K-array sound from the moment they enter.
In the two VIP areas, where speaker invisibility was the priority, SURD used Lyzard KZ1 I miniature line array speakers and Truffle KTR24 compact subwoofers, both of which feature minimal profiles that largely disappear into the interior. Guests in these rooms have independent volume control and can mute the sound entirely. GC5 and GC3 ceiling speakers were used in the remaining spaces, including the restrooms, kitchen and corridors.
The system is powered by five amplifiers distributing audio across all zones, with bar staff managing sound in the main area while VIP guests control their own spaces independently. SURD applied a measurement-microphone calibration methodology, similar to that used in concert halls, to ensure even coverage across the venue’s reflective surfaces and variable occupancy.
Keita Kawakami, sales executive at SURD, said: “K-array was the right solution from the outset. The products gave us the freedom to be creative with placement because their form factors are so discreet, and the acoustic results exceeded what we had initially anticipated.”
Alessandro Saudelli, sales manager at K-array, added: “The combination of our Vyper and Lyzard line array speakers with the Rumble and Truffle subwoofers, complemented by our GC ceiling speakers, enabled SURD to create a fully distributed audio environment that is invisible to the eye but impossible to ignore with the ear.
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