Amazon State has swiftly become a coveted dining destination since openings its doors in mid-2023, offering a lively fusion of elevated culinary and auditory experiences. Housed within one of Hawthorn’s landmark buildings on Burwood Road, the venue encompasses a multilevel bounty of restaurant and bar spaces poised behind its historic facade. Seamlessly uniting a collection of distinct aesthetics while retaining the individuality of each, Amazon State required a zoned audio solution that would reflect both the versatility and sophistication that defines the venue.
The hunt led to marrying a selection of Quest Engineering’s Australian-made loudspeakers and amplifiers with NST Audio’s VMX88 Installation Processor to design an easily operated, full coverage sound system.
Spanning across Amazon State’s four storeys are distinct sections comprising opulent dining areas, a champagne and oyster bar, an all-weather covered balcony and an intimate nightclub space perched above its al fresco upper level. Playing host to a myriad of occasions, including private bookings, corporate functions, live music and DJ events, the restaurant’s audio demands are variable yet highly precise.
Elias Chahoud of Dolphin Solutions was appointed to design a framework able to fulfil the restaurant’s mixed range of uses and best deliver audio to each space, without spilling into the next. As Elias explains, the vision for Amazon State was to ‘enhance’ rather than ‘overshadow’ the dining experience- necessitating technology that could be tailored and carefully regulated, while also being capable of unleashing substantial performance once it was time for DJs to steal the limelight through to the venue’s 3am closing:
“The client highlighted the significance of sound in the overall presentation of the venue. With different areas for eating, drinking and dancing, it was essential to have the capability of feeding background tracks, Jazz performers and DJs to each space separately; allowing for diverse moods whilst not interfering with each other. They were looking for pinpoint volume and zone control, great sound quality and most importantly, a system that could be easily operated by anyone- no after-hours calls from confused employees!”
A closer look at Amazon State’s construction reveals a venue where acoustic properties were regarded just as highly as its appearance during development. Acoustic panels line the ceilings and walls, priming the spaces for their modern AV architecture to shine.
An abundance of Quest Engineering’s economical yet robust hardware imbues the venue with a reliable sonic palette. 16 x HPI8i 2-way passive speakers and 4 x HPI12S compact subs discreetly provide powerful, high-fidelity sound across the venue’s four levels, while 2 x MX601 weatherproof loudspeakers ensure the balcony also receives comprehensive coverage. 8 x MX6C ceiling monitors complete additional coverage for every corner, with even the bathrooms enjoying premium sound. Driving the speakers and maintaining quality across the chain of Quest solutions are 7 x QA4004 and 3 x QX300 amplifiers.
Seamlessly managing and routing playback and live music throughout the venue are 2 x VMX88 Installation Processors and 4 x VR1 Remote Control Panels from NST Audio. The flexibility of the VMX88’s DANTE-enabled 8-in/8-out full matrix mixer system in combination with the panels enables the staff at Amazon State to effortlessly select from different configurations across all zones of the venue.
The combination of NST’s specialised routing software in synergy with the Quest loadout has yielded satisfying results for the venue, as Elias shares feedback from the client:
“They love that everything is under complete control. Applying different sources of audio to each space using NST’s processors combined with the performance of Quest’s speakers has culminated in amazing sound. The system has been designed perfectly, so despite the venue’s changing acoustics we have been able to ideally tailor everything from room to room. One of the lounges has two different ceiling heights that was easily overcome by fine tuning the sound from each speaker to match up- the adjustment is so precise that the difference is seamless.”
With sensory celebration at its heart, Amazon State beckons patrons to explore its wealth of spaces, enriched not only with fine fare, but a sophisticated atmosphere created through finely-tuned sonic ambience. Elias reveals that the results have not only impressed guests and staff, but prompted the venue owners to venture further into the Quest catalogue for their next project:
“Now that they have seen the success at Amazon State, our client is keen to continue supporting Quest’s Australian manufacturing. They are interested in the brand’s emerging technology for a new restaurant that is set to go a step further in terms of power. The NST and Quest system we have installed for Amazon State has ticked so many boxes for everyone involved. Well-priced, simple to set up, delivers fantastic sound and ultimately you have this amazing level of control that anyone can understand- it’s foolproof really.”
