Six VUE i-6 full range systems join three is-26 compact subwoofers at New York’s Sao (Click for full size)
New York welcomes a new high-end restaurant with the grand opening of Sao, an upscale lounge and Brazilian eatery located in heart of the city’s Washington Heights neighborhood. Seeking to delight customers with a blend of Latin-fusion cuisine and an elegantly playful aesthetic, Sao combines chic and colorful décor, festive lighting, and lively music served up through a new loudspeaker system from VUE Audiotechnik
With a goal to perfectly balance sound quality and aesthetics, Sao’s owners reached out to restaurant and club designer Kenny Fiesta, with whom they’d collaborated previously on two successful restaurants in the Washington Heights area.
“When I first saw Sao’s beautiful and detailed interior, I knew instantly why the owners were so adamant about selecting a loudspeaker system that would integrate with the room’s decor,” explained Fiesta. “But they were also planning to host DJs, so in addition to being compact, the system needed to capable of exceptional output and dynamic range as well.”
Fiesta arranged for the owners to audition compact offerings from a variety of different manufacturers. Among the options were a selection of two-way systems and subwoofers from VUE Audiotechnik’s i-Class family.
“I had just attended a VUE demo several weeks earlier,” said Fiesta. “And while I was personally blown away by what I heard, this was the first time I put the VUE speakers in front of a customer against some very established competition.”
An upscale dining experience thanks to festive decor, vibrant lighting, and careful attention to quality audio (Click for full size)
Fiesta continued, “We listened to about five different brands over the course of several hours, and ultimately Sao’s owners heard exactly what I heard. In terms of sound quality and output for their size, absolutely nothing could touch the VUE.”
A total of six VUE i-6 powered two-way systems were mounted at ceiling height throughout the main dining and lounge areas utilizing the supplied mounting hardware. For additional low frequency support, three VUE is-26a powered subwoofers were discreetly installed inside custom housings underneath the booth seating.
“The results are simply amazing,” concludes Fiesta. “The VUE systems take almost anything we can throw without ever breaking apart sonically. And the is-26a is easily the most capable compact sub I’ve found yet. It even holds its own with our resident DJ.”
Sao officially opens its doors on May 8, 2014. Customers interested in sampling the unique Latin-fusion menu, grabbing a drink, or just stopping in to enjoy the VUE can find Sao on Washington Heights’ popular Dickyman St. Or visit www.saonyc.com
Featured Products
i-6 Foreground Loudspeaker System
is-26a Compact Surface-Mount Subwoofer System