It can now be revealed that KV2 audio has been installed to power the 80th anniversary celebrations in 2025 at Bangkok’s Rajadamnern Stadium, one of Thailand’s most revered sporting venues. Thailand’s oldest Muay Thai (Thai boxing) stadium, it has played a pivotal role in shaping the sport’s rules, cultures, traditions, and global reputation. The venue also stands out for its unique circular design, ensuring an unobstructed view from every seat.
To celebrate the anniversary, the management team conceived the idea of the world’s first “immersive Muay Thai”. To help bring this vision to life, they enlisted production specialist Andrei Mazuruc of ShowOne Productions in Canada to lead the project. Rajadamnern and Mazuruc chose to work with KV2 Audio for the audio system, which was supplied and installed by KV2’s distributor, Audio Gears, in Bangkok. The grand reopening was on December 21.
Their grand design saw the dome as a giant screen, like a planetarium, which meant there could be nothing that would impede sightlines or cast shadows on the projection. But the audio system had to be powerful enough to provide crystal-clear commentary to every seat in the house, as well as compelling immersive surround sound.
After modelling various options, they selected KV2’s EX28 2.5-way full range active loudspeaker system. A total of 24 KV2 EX28s were used throughout the stadium; a pair of loudspeakers mounted on custom poles at each corner of the ring combined with a further 16 EX28s distributed around the perimeter to deliver audio to every seat. Eight KV2 VHD 2.18J subwoofers provide high-energy low frequency reinforcement and the system is driven by eight KV2 VHD 3200 amplifiers which maintain sonic integrity even at high volumes.
For control and distribution, Audio Gears installed four NST Audio VMX88 processors alongside two Netgear M4250 12M2XF network switches and a Drawmer DA6 distribution amplifier. The stadium’s existing Midas M32 Live digital console was equipped with a DN32 Dante expansion card and incorporated into the new system.
Leo Tanzil, technical support director for APAC, KV2, said: “This was a real challenge. A design based on a distributed system of perimeter loudspeakers around the dome wasn’t going to work either as Andrei wanted the ring master’s commentary to sound as if it was emanating from the ring – in other words, to be properly localised to the source – in addition to great immersive surround sound. And of course, the system had to be as compact and unobtrusive as possible.”
He added: “EX28 came to the rescue. This loudspeaker is small enough to be placed at the corners of the boxing ring without intruding on the action, yet powerful enough to cover the whole stadium. Combined with the surround sound loudspeakers (also EX28s) with the proper processing, we were able to create the illusion that the sound originates from the boxing ring and minimise the effect of the reflection from the room.
“In surround mode, each of the perimeter EX28s gives wide enough coverage that surround sound effect can be heard by everyone in the audience, no matter where they are seated. When paired with the distributed sub arrangement, even the low-mid frequencies can be localised in surround mode; yet in stereo mode the sub arrangement gives even coverage throughout the venue.”
