What to know:
- The challenge was, unlike entertainment venues, ICONIX Fitness required an audio system that blended into the architecture while delivering exceptional music reproduction and crystal-clear speech intelligibility.
- The completed installation features 154 SoundTube loudspeakers deployed across 14 independently controlled audio zones, creating consistent, high-quality music and paging throughout the facility while allowing staff to route virtually any source to any space.
- The audio system quietly enhances every workout while providing an immersive listening experience without ever drawing attention to itself.
ICONIX Fitness Puts the Music in Music City
When ICONIX Fitness set out to create its flagship Nashville location, the goal was much more ambitious than building another fitness center. The 25,000-square-foot facility was designed to deliver a premium member experience where architecture, lighting, technology, and music work together seamlessly. JAG Warner Productions turned to SoundTube loudspeakers for the sonic portion of the project.
[A High-Tech Oasis Rising above Low-Tech Downtown Vegas]
The challenge was to create an audio system that complemented the building's modern aesthetic while delivering the energy and clarity expected in a fitness environment. Unlike entertainment venues where loudspeakers often become part of the visual experience, ICONIX Fitness required an audio system that blended into the architecture while delivering exceptional music reproduction and crystal-clear speech intelligibility.
The completed installation features 154 SoundTube loudspeakers deployed across 14 independently controlled audio zones, creating consistent, high-quality music and paging throughout the facility while allowing staff to route virtually any source to any space. The audio system quietly enhances every workout while providing an immersive listening experience without ever drawing attention to itself.
The 154 speakers used were 74 RS800i Pendant Speakers in the open-ceiling workout areas; 19 RS1201 Open-Ceiling Subwoofers which distributed low-frequency reinforcement; 56 IPD-CM82-BGM Dante In-Ceiling Speakers in the offices, wellness areas, and locker rooms; and five CM62 BAA/TAA Compliant Ceiling Speakers for the saunas and shower areas.
The building's nearly 360 degrees of exterior glass, combined with white treated ceilings and open workout areas, created a highly reflective environment where excessive playback levels could quickly reduce intelligibility and increase listener fatigue.
Rather than relying on fewer high-output loudspeakers, JAG Warner Productions designed a densely distributed audio system that positioned each sound source closer to listeners. This approach allowed the system to operate at lower overall volume while producing more uniform coverage throughout the facility. By reducing the distance between each loudspeaker and its listeners, reflections from the building's extensive glass surfaces were minimized, resulting in improved intelligibility, lower ambient noise and a more comfortable listening experience.
“Projects like ICONIX Fitness demonstrate the value of designing the system before a single loudspeaker is installed,” said Sarah Chauvin, CTS, director of sales engineering and training at SoundTube. “Our complementary design services provides direct and relative SPL modeling that helps integrators select the right loudspeaker models, determine optimal placement and achieve consistent coverage throughout the space. By validating the design in advance, we remove guesswork and help ensure the finished system performs as intended."
The final design strategically placed speakers throughout the building, ensuring balanced music coverage in every workout area while giving staff complete flexibility to combine or separate spaces as programming changes throughout the day. The result is an audio experience that feels effortless. Members simply hear great sound everywhere they go.
For ICONIX Fitness, SoundTube delivered a combination of performance, aesthetics ,and support that aligned perfectly with the project's objectives. Patented BroadBeam technology provided wide, uniform coverage with exceptional intelligibility for both music and spoken announcements, while the architecturally friendly loudspeaker designs blended seamlessly into the facility's modern aesthetic. Installer-focused mounting hardware, dependable lead times, and responsive technical support helped keep the project on schedule, and SoundTube's comprehensive portfolio of pendant, ceiling, subwoofer and Dante-enabled loudspeakers gave JAG Warner Productions the flexibility to specify the ideal solution for every space.
In addition, SoundTube Design Services provided access to application engineering, loudspeaker layout assistance and product selection support, helping optimize system performance from design through installation.
"Between the support, lead times, installation ease, product quality and acoustical performance, SoundTube continues to be the right product for quality dispersed invisible audio sources," said Zac Bender of JAG Warner Productions.
