How else could the Vipingo Ridge Resort in Kenya be defined? Receptive structure immersed in a verdant paradise, it’s also equipped with a renowned restaurant, where LD Systems products are perfectly integrated.
The need was to obtain a soft, caressing sound for the restaurant of the Vipingo Ridge Resort: mission accomplished thanks to LD Systems products, a brand of Adam Hall Group specialized in audio solutions for all needs. Located about 35 kilometers north of Mombasa, Kenya, Vipingo Ridge is a gated community also open to tourists and hikers, thanks to its 2.500 hectares of land, including an eighteen-hole golf course, a bathhouse and various sports and well-being facilities. The central meeting point in the Vipingo Ridge area is the Clubhouse, which includes shops and a TV room, a bar, a rooftop terrace with 360° views and a restaurant.
Specifically for the restaurant, the Vipingo operators were looking for a reliable and discreet audio system, which would provide guests with relaxing background music during dinner. The solution was identified by The Music Company – the Kenyan integrator responsible for the work – in the LD Systems DQOR series. In fact, there was a need for a type of product capable of coping with the high humidity of the place, without sacrificing high quality sound even at low volume. Furthermore, a specific request of the Resort managers was that the speakers discreetly integrate into the overall aesthetics of the venue.
The Music Company team, and in particular the technical manager Kevin Sugden, installed the DQOR 5T W 5” two-way passive speakers with white finish at a height of about three meters and at a distance of almost 35 meters from each other. DQOR 5T W 5” is a speaker for indoor and outdoor use and with IP65 (DQOR 3) and IP55 (DQOR 5 and 8) certificates. Equipped with a corrosion-resistant aluminum front panel, it boasts a very elegant and dynamic design, in both white and black, and is wall-mountable with slide latch and integrated concealed connections. The wide coverage angle (120° horizontally, 80° vertically) and the waveguide optimized with BEM guarantee a very balanced sound. The product is available in 3”, 5” and 8” sizes.
An LD Systems IMA 30 Class D mixer amplifier acts as a driver. It is a 35W @ 4 Ohms/100V/70V installation amplifier, with two line/microphone inputs and microphone/line switch, as well as switchable 24 V phantom power. Thanks to the use of the EASE Focus software – which from late 2020 includes DQOR systems and other LD Systems loudspeakers in the licensed GLL format – the integrator was able to calculate not only the amount of speakers needed, but also their location in the space.
After the Clubhouse restaurant, The Music Company is already waiting for the next challenge: the central location of Vipingo Ridge. In fact, from the beginning of 2022, the LD Systems DQOR loudspeakers will also be installed in the Vipingo Beach Club in the internal bathing area, where they will certainly once again demonstrate their flexibility.
