LEA Professional has provided a powerful sound system for bar staff and guests at the Varsity Ice House sports bar, which is often packed with people cheering loudly for the University of North Dakota’s hockey team, Grand Forks.
Varsity Ice House reached out to Paul Hagen, at Site on Sound, in Fargo, North Dakota, to create the installation, which came from LEA Professional. Hagen installed one CS1504D, a 4-channel amplifier with 1,500 watts per channel to power the bar’s main speakers, and a CS704D, a 4-channel amplifier with 700 watts per channel to run a few fill areas inside the bar as well as to power the outdoor area.
Hagen also utilised the LEA Cloud platform to remote control and monitor from afar, improving response times and the overall quality of service. The 1504D and 704Df are part of the Dante Connect Series, the world’s first Internet of Things- (IoT) enabled professional-grade amplifiers.
“I use LEA amps almost exclusively,” said Hagen. “The LEA Cloud allows me to log into the system and make changes when I’m not onsite and lets me keep an eye on my customers. LEA integrates well with everything else, so using them was a no-brainer.”
The installation was sectioned into two zones on the control system running eight zones of speakers. Also, with three ways to connect, the Dante Connect Series allows integrators the ability to engage the built-in Wi-Fi access point, connect to the venue’s Wi-Fi, or use an existing local area network via Cat5 or Cat6 cable.
“The Dante Connect amplifiers simplified everything,” added Hagen. “With the Dante amps and the Dante encoders, the only other hardware I had in the whole place was the jukebox. It made programming and installation easier.”
Nathan Ridgway, national sales manager, LEA Professional, said: “There’s nothing quite like cheering on your favourite team alongside other fans, and we’re proud that we get to elevate that experience for Varsity Ice House guests. This installation proves that innovative, top-quality audio, can turn an already exciting experience into an unforgettable one.”
