Avalon
Hollywood owner John Lyons recently teamed back up with EAW engineers to create
Avalon by EAW loudspeakers. Custom versions of the new loudspeakers were
installed in Avalon Hollywood earlier this year.
The new
design was driven by advances in the technology used in loudspeaker design. For
all intents and purposes, Lyons was still looking for the same features
as the original loudspeaker series – tremendous SPL with enough clarity to hear
the nuances of the music – but in a smaller footprint and capable of a higher
SPL.
“The new
Avalon by EAW loudspeakers provide exactly that,” Lyons explains. “Advances in
transducer design enabled EAW to create a system that was half the size with
twice the output, so we have a much better mousetrap.”
The
loudspeaker series, Avalon by EAW, consists of four full-range loudspeakers
(CLUB.two, CLUB.three, CLUB.four, CLUB.five) and a subwoofer (SUB.two). In
addition, Lyons was interested in the development of an extreme version of the
CLUB.two loudspeaker and SUB.two subwoofer specifically for Avalon Hollywood.
EAW created these one-of-a-kind loudspeakers – the CLUB.one-JL and SUB.one-JL –
at his request.
With the
design complete, Lyons renovated the main PA at Avalon Hollywood with the new
Avalon by EAW loudspeakers and made a number of physical upgrades to the venue
at the same time. The entrance and lobby to the club was transformed while the
original 1927 features throughout the club were restored to their former
glory.
The main
room, with a capacity of 2,000, features an extended balcony with great views
and new VIP booths. More VIP seating is available in tiered levels surrounding
the dance floor, with two exclusive VIP booths located backstage.
Six
CLUB.one-JL loudspeakers were installed in the main room. The loudspeakers are
mounted roughly 14 feet off the ground and placed in each of the four corners
of the dance floor with two additional enclosures located in the middle of the
side walls. The CLUB.one-JL is loaded with four 15-inch LF cones arranged in a
symmetrical pattern behind two 10-inch midrange cones and a coaxial mid-high
compression driver that produces peak output of around 136 dB. The design
creates unbelievable sound levels on the dance floor while minimizing spill
onto walls and ceilings. The loudspeakers – with black enclosures, red grills
and black horns – blend into the red velvet and black décor nicely.
Six
SUB.one-JL subwoofers are positioned under the stage and in front of the dance
floor. Each of the subwoofers incorporates a 40-inch cone and three horn-loaded
12-inch woofers into independent subsystems that are powered and processed
separately. By creating a hybrid subwoofer that combines direct-radiating and
horn-loaded sections together, the enclosures deliver the perfect blend of
impact and extension. The end result is absolutely earth-crushing sub
bass.
“The subs
are clean and powerful – they absolutely blow people away,” he continues. “It
is amazing what a 40-inch cone can produce. The combination of the horn-loaded
and direct radiating sections together really allows me to dial in the tonality
to get the best of both worlds. We are nowhere close to maxxing them out. As a
matter of fact, I’m not even sure we can max them out.”
Disc
jockey, producer, and record label owner Erick Morillo, is a stickler for high
quality audio systems. As one of the godfathers of the musical genre, he
performs regularly at Avalon Hollywood considering the venue a “home away from
home”.
Once the
new system was installed at Avalon Hollywood, Morillo was one of the first
performers to put it through its paces. “The new Avalon by EAW boxes are
unbelievable, it was loud and clean and they weren’t even close to being tapped
out,” he explains. “The new bass bottom The sheer size is crazy. The box
itself sounds phenomenal. I was blown away by the design and quality of the
entire system. Avalon is easily my favorite club in LA and the new system makes
it even more so.”
The entire
system is capable of generating in excess of 140 dB SPL on the dance floor.
However, on a typical night the systems sits around 115-120 dB, delivered by
more than 200,000 watts of amplifier power.
Two
CLUB.two loudspeakers along with two SUB.two subwoofers are in place backstage
to cover the exclusive VIP booths. The CLUB.two uses four 12-inch low-frequency
woofers arranged in a symmetrical pattern behind the mid/high section. The
drivers sum to product the output of larger drivers without suffering from the
slow response usually associated with big cones. Two Sub.two subwoofers drive
the low end of the backstage system. A hybrid subwoofer similar to the
SUB.one-JL, the SUB.two delivers extreme extension and the physical impact
required by high-end night club like Avalon.
The DJ
booth, front and center on stage, is equipped with three CLUB.three
loudspeakers. The CLUB.three combines a coaxial MF/HF design with a vented
woofer directly behind it for optimal alignment making them truly world-class
DJ monitors.
When asked
about the monitor system Morillo adds, “So many systems don’t include enough
bass – I need to feel what the audience is feeling – if I can’t, then what is
the point If you feel what they are feeling then you can create a good mood.
Avalon pays attention to that. Using the Avalon by EAW CLUB.three loudspeakers
as monitors is amazing, absolutely brilliant.“
Lyons has a
team of people that are constantly pushing the envelope to repeatedly amaze
club-goers. Every few weeks they take it all down and build something new and
different to keep it fresh and vibrant.
“It’s all
about providing club goers with the extreme audio experience – something
different than what they get everywhere else,” Lyons adds. “It’s loud, almost
body shaking loud, but with accuracy and pleasing sounds like you would get out
of a great set of headphones. That is what we provide at Avalon.”
