[ATTACH=CONFIG]195314.vB5-legacyid=3467[/ATTACH]Nags Head, NC – April 2012… Part of the North Carolina Aquarium Society, Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head was recently re-built and now replaces what was the oldest pier along the state’s Outer Banks. The pier and its 16,000-square foot pierhouse, along with five acres of oceanfront property, serve as a unique outreach site for the nearby Aquarium on Roanoke Island. The architectural design of Jennette’s Pier is intended to complement the traditional Nags Head style seen in the weathered cottages that dot the shoreline. The building combines a gift shop / general store on the lower level (plus a few special fish tanks) with a multipurpose / banquet hall on the upper level. To ensure premium sound quality throughout the complex, a new sound system comprised of loudspeakers from Greensboro, NC-based WorxAudio Technologies was placed into service.
Greenville, NC-based Hi-Tech Electronics, a design/build firm with a focus on the commercial installation market, was contracted to handle the design and installation of the facility’s new sound reinforcement system. Owner David Williams, who designed and oversaw the deployment of the new equipment, discussed the project’s challenges and his decision to install a combination of WorxAudio’s I/O-4 surface mount loudspeakers and HT8-C ceiling loudspeakers.
“As a facility that sits at the water’s edge,” Williams explained, “the ability of an outdoor loudspeaker to withstand the elements was a crucial concern. I was looking for a versatile, surface mount loudspeaker that offered solid music and speech reinforcement qualities that could also hold up outside. With its sleek, injection molded, high-impact polycarbonate enclosure, I knew the I/O-4 would be a great choice. For the multipurpose area inside the pierhouse, we installed nine HT8-C ceiling speakers because we wanted a big, musically detailed sound that simply doesn’t exist with your typical ‘ceiling can’ loudspeaker designs.”
Used for general background music and paging applications, Williams and his crew installed 40 WorxAudio I/O-4 enclosures throughout the pier as well as the upper and lower porches of the pierhouse. The WorxAudio I/O-4 is a 2-way, full range bass reflex enclosure that utilizes a two element array of high output, 4-inch transducers with a horn loaded HF (high frequency) wave guide. This wave guide employs a 1-inch driver with a Titanium diaphragm positioned between the two element arrays to ensure balanced high frequency response.
Located on the top floor of the pierhouse is the private reception area—known as Oceanview Hall—with covered outside decking that offers panoramic ocean views. Accommodating up to 175 guests, it makes a spectacular backdrop for weddings, dinner parties, rehearsal dinners, business meetings, and more. “The hall has a tongue and groove-type wood ceiling, so the hard surfaces really help the system project,” Williams notes. “The nine WorxAudio HT8-C ceiling speakers do an incredible job covering the 3,500 square foot area that measures 70 feet by 50 feet.”
A two-way, high efficiency, passive loudspeaker, the WorxAudio HT8-C has a one-inch exit compression driver coupled to a 75- by 75-degree wood waveguide horn reproducing high frequencies, and an 8-inch cone transducer in a tuned enclosure for the low frequencies. With its sturdy multi-ply plywood enclosure and a catalyzed polyurethane finish, the HT8-C uses a different form factor than conventional ceiling speakers and this design is precisely what makes its sound reproduction qualities dramatically ‘bigger’ and more natural.
“The HT8-C setup is an 8-ohm system that has noticeably more punch than conventional distributed systems” Williams reports. “The clarity and bottom end sound reproduction are awesome. The speakers are covered by a custom-fabricated, powder coated mesh grill that is intended to help them blend into the décor of the room. The architect on this project was really impressed with their ability to seamlessly integrate with the room’s aesthetics—and the sound quality absolutely floored him.”
With the new WorxAudio loudspeaker systems in service, Williams reports the system is drawing kudos from all who encounter it. “When the building inspectors showed up for permit approval,” he said, “the first thing I heard was, ‘We want to hear this loudspeaker system that everybody’s been talking about.’ Everyone has been really pleased with the sound quality. The I/O-4’s are doing a terrific job outside and inside, the HT8-C’s are providing great level, a rich, full sound, and even coverage. The sound quality of the HT8-C’s really compliments the overall look of this upscale room. When people interested in renting the space come to see it, the sound quality is an important sales factor. We received nothing but compliments.”
To learn more about Hi-Tech Electronics, contact the company at (252) 756-9533.
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About WorxAudio Technologies
Headquartered in Greensboro, NC, WorxAudio Technologies has been at the forefront of loudspeaker development for the pro touring and contractor markets for the past thirty years. With a comprehensive lineup of more than twenty loudspeaker models that feature integrated rigging hardware for streamlined installation and pack out, WorxAudio products can be found in prestigious facilities worldwide. For additional information, visit the company online at [url]www.worxaudio.com[/url].
