EAW Scores Big At 2006 Club World Awards
After less than a year since their introduction at the NSCA Expo in 2005, EAW's revolutionary NT Series loudspeakers brought home top honors in the "Best Sound Product" category at the 4th Annual Club World Awards, held in March at Crobar24@Nocturnal in Miami, Florida.
Held in conjunction with the Winter Music Conference and sponsored by Testa Communications "Club Systems International" Magazine, the awards – also known as the "Disco Globes" in recognition of their mirror ball trophies – pay tribute to the best club and lounge venues in North America, as well as the people and products that make them possible. The staff of Club Systems selects nominees, and a panel of 10 industry veterans determine the winners. (Pictured above are Jeff Fisher of LOUD Technologies and Mike Lecina of JK Sound, on hand to accept awards.)
Competition in the "Best Sound Product" category was especially tough this year, with products from Martin, SLS and Yamaha nominated along with the EAW NT Series. Ultimately, the NT's combination of self-powered simplicity, lightweight flexible design and unparalleled sound quality set it apart from the competition. This combination is setting the stage for the NT Series to join EAW's vaunted Avalon Series as the club speaker of choice for serious audio professionals.
Ruby Skye in San Francisco (pictured left) won the "Best Sound System" category. This beautiful 15,000 sq. foot club, housed in a converted Victorian style theater in the heart of San Francisco, routinely hosts world class DJs and has also received top venue honors from DanceStar magazine.
The one-of-a-kind sound system is based on the EAW's Avalon Series and was designed and installed by JK Sound's Mike Lecina. In order to further enhance the already impressive output of the Avalon system, EAW worked with Lecina to customize Ruby Skye's Avalon DC1 boxes with components found in some of the higher output touring systems such as the EAW KF Series. The resulting system utilizes over 30 customized and standard Avalon products and offers up crystal-clear, even coverage with outstanding amounts of body-shaking bass.
In addition to the "Best Sound Product" category, EAW products also showed up in three other categories: "Best New" "Best Lounge" and "Best Sound System". "Best New" was won by Las Vegas' newest mega-club Tao at the Venetian. This 10,000 square foot, $20 million club opened in September 2005 to instant acclaim.
Tao's award winning system was designed by John Lyons, president of design/build company John Lyons Systems and owner of the Avalon clubs in Boston and New York as well as the Avalon and Spider Club in Los Angeles.
To provide coverage for Tao's diverse areas, Lyons selected over 20 different loudspeaker models from EAW's vast product line, for a grand total of 154 loudspeakers. Models ranged from the Avalon Series (which Lyons co-developed with EAW) to the versatile MK Series and the highly economical EAW Commercial VR Series. (Tao is pictured at right.)
For the third year in a row, Tabu Ultra Lounge at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas won "Best Lounge". This cosmopolitan lounge is the pinnacle of everything sleek, sensual and sophisticated. An impressive array of custom furnishings and state-of-the-art technologies such as animated murals and interactive tabletops, combine to tantalize the senses and create an unforgettable experience.
In keeping with the club's high-end theme, MGM's Head of Audio, John Taylor (JT) specified the sound system with a variety of EAW Avalon Series speakers. Although Tabu is more of a lounge than a true dance club, a regular rotation of house and visiting DJs keep guests entertained thanks in large part to the powerful sound system that delivers the consistently clear and even coverage that are EAW hallmarks.