Inspire Brands, the global multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC, recently completed a major audio upgrade at its Atlanta Global Support Center with JBL Professional loudspeakers and Crown amplifiers. At the heart of the renovation is an auditorium used for internal communications, live presentations, executive briefings, and high-profile brand events.
To ensure every event had the proper clarity, coverage, and impact, Inspire’s AV team partnered with Vision2 Marketing and AV Tech Media Solutions to install a HARMAN Professional audio system, anchored by the SRX900 Series loudspeakers and DCi Networked Amplifiers.
“We chose the JBL SRX900 Series for its combination of tour-grade sound, scalable deployment, and streamlined integration,” said Rick Couch, senior AV support technician at Inspire. “Its compact form factor paired with powerful output made it the ideal choice for the auditorium's size and acoustic demands.”
Beyond aesthetics, the auditorium upgrade was driven by the need for professional-grade performance in a corporate setting. The room’s tall ceilings, hard surfaces, and wide layout posed coverage and intelligibility challenges, particularly in the rear seating areas and corners. The JBL SRX900 Series, featuring compact SRX906LA line array elements, delivered focused coverage and full-spectrum clarity without overwhelming the space visually. The arrays were paired with VRX918SP powered subwoofers, strategically placed to reinforce low-frequency content during high-impact video and multimedia presentations.
“Hard reflections and inconsistent coverage were some of the biggest challenges,” said Couch. “The SRX900’s focused dispersion pattern helped eliminate problem areas and brought speech intelligibility to every seat.” To complement the main system and address front fills coverage, JBL AC16 compact loudspeakers were deployed as fills, ensuring a consistent listening experience across every seat.
Power and control came from Crown DCi Network Amplifiers, purpose-built for integration with the JBL ecosystem. “The advanced DSP features, power efficiency, and remote monitoring capabilities made them a perfect match for managing the SRX900 system. Additionally, the combination ensured consistent performance and peace of mind for the AV support team,” added Couch. Using JBL Performance software and data imported from JBL Venue Synthesis, the system was tuned and commissioned with precision, enabling real-time monitoring and effortless scalability for any event format.
Inspire’s auditorium is one of the most popular spots in the facility. “Users have commented on the clarity of speech during presentations, the evenness of sound across the room, and the system’s professional quality. The auditorium is a preferred venue for internal events, thanks in large part to the upgraded audio experience.”