Sonance outdoor music system installation for boutique hotel in Bath
Nestling within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Beauty, Homewood is a privately owned boutique hotel promising fine dining and bespoke service within a secluded ten-acre country house setting.
According to the owner’s Ian and Christa Taylor “Homewood offers us an opportunity to create a truly luxury boutique country property and to do something different to what everybody else is doing locally”.
A major part of this ambition focuses on the completion of an elegant new terrace as an outdoor restaurant space . Ian has devoted all his energy and vision to recreate an authentic outdoor dining experience serving breakfast, lunches, afternoon teas and evening meals cooked on the terrace, involving big sharing plates, a imaginatively stocked bar and just the right level of high quality audio from a discreetly installed Sonance Landscape 16.2 channel outdoor sound system.
The Project
For specification and installation of the sound system, Ian turned to Tim Moss and his team at Moss of Bath. Tim takes up the story: “prior to this job we’d designed and installed the AV distribution systems for Homewood’s interior, and because Ian was happy we were the natural choice when it came to extending his vision outside. “We knew he wanted an outdoor system that projected the quality of the Homewood experience, and we knew it had to be Sonance after we’d completed a job for another client earlier in the year. Our sales director was so impressed he had a demo system installed at his home, which allowed Ian to hear the speakers in action.”
“We’ve discovered that the excellent detail and bandwidth available from Sonance actually allows you to run the system at a lower level while keeping the perception of audio quality. In this way the system produces a relaxing backdrop, encouraging social interaction without competing with it. It’s perfect for the subtle but enveloping audio quality and control that Ian was seeking for the terrace.”
The Plan
Working with Habitech, Tim selected a Sonance Landscape system in a 16.2 configuration to deliver even coverage of full-range sound over the terrace’s substantial 460 sq m area. Sixteen Sonance LS4T 4.5″ 2-way landscape satellite speakers mounted on ground stakes and two LS12T 12” in-ground subs are discreetly installed within a surrounding gravel soakaway and powered by twin Sonance DSP2-750 two-channel amplifiers. Camouflaged in a dark brown all-weather composite to the highest 810G and IP66 standards, the satellites and subs are positioned to fire inwards from the perimeter according to traditional Sonance garden sound design, and blend with their environment with the help of strategically placed planters and pots.
“The job went like a dream” says Tim, “which is just as well because COVID restrictions gave us ten days to survey the site and install the system before opening on July 4 in line with Government guidelines. “We’re really indebted to Habitech who pulled out all the stops with specification, coverage plan and the timely delivery of everything we needed, including the accessories and cable.”
The Performance
“And we’re delighted with the outcome. The guys on site were so excited by the response from the speakers that they were sending video back to me in the office. The volume level is so evenly spread that you can enjoy just the right level of richly detailed sound no matter where you are seated on the terrace. “Ian and his general manager have been bowled over by the success of the sound and received positive feedback from the guests who’ve noticed the clarity and depth – even the staff feel relaxed and enjoy the experience.”
Word is spreading. Friday nights on the terrace have become very popular for their atmosphere and the ‘instagramability’ of the setting. “Great dining and music quality are putting Homewood on the map for a very wide demographic, says Tim, “especially during the lockdown recovery phase when everyone feels a little safer outside. “Ian Taylor invited us to create an ‘unforgettable’ experience, and with help from Habitech and Sonance I think we’ve accomplished exactly that.”