Details:
- Z2 Entertainment kept the Fox Theatre's 30-plus year old outdoor PA system instead of replacing it, refurbishing the speaker enclosures to maintain the venue's visual and acoustic identity.
- Lux AVL replaced the failing, power-hungry original amplifiers with compact Powersoft X Series units.
- The upgrade eliminated technical failures and added modern digital control (via Dante and ArmoníaPlus).
The Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO, managed by independent venue group Z2 Entertainment, is historic live-music hall that balances heritage with the technical demands of modern touring productions. Over the years, Z2 Entertainment built its reputation on preserving classic rooms while updating crucial infrastructure to deliver consistent performance for visiting artists and sound engineers. However, balancing preservation with modern expectations often brings unique technical challenges.
Powersoft answered those challenges, helping to modernize the Boulder classic.
When recurring amplifier failures threatened live performances at the Fox Theatre, Z2 Entertainment brought in Lux AVL to diagnose the issues and implement a reliable, long-term solution without altering the venue’s iconic acoustic character. The source of both the challenge and the charm lay in the venue’s legacy loudspeaker system. Originating from large-scale outdoor events across Colorado during the 1990s, the system was later repurposed for permanent installation inside the Fox Theatre. Rather than replacing these historic enclosures, Z2 Entertainment chose to refurbish their internal components. This decision preserved a piece of local audio history, but it introduced severe technical constraints. The power-hungry PA required multi-channel amplification and substantial wattage for every single cabinet.
Beyond resolving reliability concerns, Z2 Entertainment wanted to optimize its physical layout. The technical team aimed to relocate the heavy amplifier equipment off the stage area and into a compact loft space. This shift freed up valuable stage footprint for touring productions, but required a high-power system with an extraordinarily small footprint and lower electrical draw.
To solve this spatial and electrical puzzle, Lux AVL selected Powersoft’s X Series amplifier platform, integrating a mix of X8, X4, and X4L models. Designed for demanding touring and installed sound environments, the X Series consolidates amplification and advanced loudspeaker management into a single lightweight chassis. By combining high channel density with internal DSP, routing, and matrix capabilities, the new platform allowed the engineering team to consolidate the entire drive system into a drastically smaller rack. Ethernet connectivity, three-phase power supplies, and redundant signal paths—utilizing both Dante and analog inputs—ensured rock-solid stability during live shows.
Altogether, the installation included four Powersoft X8 units, one Powersoft X4L, and one Powersoft X4, all featuring integrated DSP and Dante connectivity, alongside eight B&C Speakers 18SW115 drivers. The hardware is housed in a Middle Atlantic BGR-25SA-32LRD rack equipped with a Middle Atlantic FAN2-DC-FC cooling unit and two custom-labeled Lux AVL keystone patch bays. Network infrastructure and signal routing are managed via two NETGEAR switches: an MSM4214X-100EUS and a GSM4212P-100NAS.
Additionally, the integration of Powersoft’s ArmoníaPlus software platform provided Z2 Entertainment’s technical staff with intuitive control, remote Wi-Fi monitoring, and streamlined workflows consistent with modern touring standards. The result is a seamless hybrid: historic enclosures driven by state-of-the-art power and processing.
“They walk into the room and it still feels like an old club," Wessley Stern, director of operations for Lux AVL, concluded. "But when you turn it up, it sounds like a modern system, and that’s exactly what they were aiming for.”
Since commissioning, the upgraded system has operated with total stability, eliminating past component failures while delivering exceptional clarity and headroom. By pairing refurbished vintage speakers with cutting-edge amplification, Z2 Entertainment and Lux AVL extended the life of a legacy audio system, demonstrating how smart technical choices can keep historic, independent venues modern, competitive, and true to their roots.
