Traveling to Austria’s capital, Vienna, you will find a jewel lying within its historic streets. Kleinod am Ring is a new, high-class venue that aims to blend comfort and energy. By balancing the notes of a cozy lounge vibe with an atmospheric nighttime dance bar setting, Pro Performance Sound + Acoustics produced a dynamic system solution through expert acoustic design and carefully chosen equipment. Something that reflected the bar’s vision for atmosphere, comfort, and style.
The Jewel on the Ring
Have you ever wondered how a restaurant and bar can shift from a relaxed lounge to a buzzing nightlife spot? Without compromising sound quality, design style, or that feeling of a warm and festive homecoming?
In this behind-the-scenes look at one of Vienna’s newer nightlife jewels. We will dive into Kleinod am Ring – or, directly translated, “The Jewel on the Ring.”
Opening in February of 2025, the ‘am Ring’ is the fourth addition to the Kleinod family. This Gem is found in the heart of Vienna’s 1st district: Innere Stadt. It is the Kleinod group’s first attempt to combine their recognized dining and cocktail environment with an option for a festive, dancing nightlife.
An Ambience of High Class
Across two levels, the management of the Kleinod family, David Schober, Oliver Horvath, and Salar Gerami sought a system that would reflect the team’s vision—setting the atmosphere while simultaneously complementing the design and style.
The key priority for guests was to feel at ease and be comfortable in this high-class setting.
On the ground floor, guests can enjoy an intimate dining experience and tasteful cocktails. Afterward, refreshed visitors can proceed to the lower level for music and dancing.
On the lower level, Kleinod am Ring transitions into a more energetic bar and dance floor. Unquestionably blurring the lines between restaurants, cocktail lounges, and dance bars.
The key to the team was to nurture an atmosphere of quality that progressed from one level to another. To create their dream of a venue capable of full-night entertainment.
While visually stunning, the sound system of a potent dance bar environment had to match equally in acoustic excellence.
The New Horizon
With new goals – a set of new challenges follows. The building is an apartment complex located on the first floor above Kleinod and extends six floors above that. Restricting sound levels and addressing the unavoidable need for insulation was a must-win battle for system installer Pro Performance Sound + Acoustics.
Additionally, the lower-level dance bar features a tunnel-like architectural construction, measuring 20 meters in length but only 6 meters in width. Correspondingly, the installation had to be mindful of the horizontal coherent wavefront, high reverberation time, and even sound distribution, as well as design limitations.
Pro Performance + Acoustics brought a tailored and dynamic sound system to life. From the integration and configuration of three 4000-watt, eight-channel PowerZone Connect 4008 amplifiers, which power the lower level. To the custom setup with Xilica Solaro FR1-D-Frame, XC-SML input, XC-SLO output, and XC-GP GPIO cards on top of the Blaze Audio amplifiers.
Acoustics First
Pro Performance, led by CEO Wolfgang Sauter, has over 20 years of experience with the acoustics-first approach in system installations. The methodology is simple: First – treat the room. Secondly – use quality products.
Wolfgang remarked: “Besides the techincal aspect, we understand acoustics as being able to create or destroy an atmosphere. Building a bar like this needs a very particular atmosphere. Working the room and selecting products to support the overall concept was key. We wanted a dynamic solution where you have the ability to talk as in a lounge, and from there go to club-like levels for dancing.”
“It is an overall concept.
Adjusting the room, the processing, and the programming for the client to have access to basically all his wants and needs.
It requires a very flexible system.”
Top End Performance
The CBL523 was the ideal loudspeaker for this project. Designed by Hugh Sarvis, an acclaimed veteran in the loudspeaker industry known for redefining value in professional audio, the CBL523 is part of Blaze Audio’s CBL series, known as Constant Beamwidth Loudspeakers.
In summary, 22 CBL523 models were chosen for their feature-rich and innovative design. Specifically, the constant directivity array of three 2″ high-frequency drivers. An ultra-compact solution capable of delivering 119 dB of maximum SPL in a focused 160° horizontal and 55° vertical sound dispersion pattern. And the CBL523’s versatile mounting options which meant for a possible flexible design solution.
In Wolfgang Sauter’s own words, “We chose to the loudspeakers because of the 160° wide dispersion it gives us. People would be standing and sitting infront of the speaker from around half-a-meter to 3/4 of a meter. Placing the CBL523’s with 2,5 meters in between, meant we could achieve the first major goal of even sound distribution. This combined with the smooth response on short listening distances were the crucial aspects for the choice of loudspeakers.”
“I would say, that if you look at the price point and the performance of the CBL523 you get a product that is very, very capable, flexible, and if integrated right, will give you a really good performance.”
– Wolfgang Sauter, CEO, Pro Performance
Treating the Room
Anything above 100-200 Hertz was dealt with by using 253 square meters of porous absorbers across both levels of the Kleinod am Ring. For the low end of the frequency spectrum, Pro Performance opted for a subwoofer array in a custom, unbranded bass array.
Instead of having one or two subwoofers pounding away. To achieve even sound distribution, a total of 19 x 10″ custom subwoofers, spaced 1 meter apart, were implemented. This setup was implemented on only one side of the room, accompanied by special membrane bass absorbers on the opposite wall to absorb the reflected sound.
Developed by Lambda Labs, these FRPA modules are 27 cm deep and weigh approximately 100 kilograms each. They are impressive in their ability to catch sound waves down to a frequency of 25 Hz.
Although their size can result in a minor design challenge, Wolfgang and his team succeeded in treating the room. “The reverberation time in the naked room before we treated it was way, way, too high. And now we basically have studio levels, even for the bass. We are at a maximum of 0.6. We chose this solution because it was challenging to find a suitable product on the market.” Wolfgang commented.
Reflecting on the End Result
The high-end venue Kleinod am Ring sought to achieve an equally high level of acoustic excellence. By leveraging Pro Performance’s experience and Blaze Audio’s amplification and loudspeaker products, they succeeded in creating an immersive end result. The comments from owners, DJs, and customers have been that the Kleinod has taken its sound quality to another dimension. In retrospect, Wolfgang’s final thoughts were:
“For Kleinod, bringing together all their concepts and creating one whole thing was the biggest challenge. I think the biggest success of this project is that the customers receiving and perceiving the new sound landscape are all raving about the new sound and going ‘Wow, what a place!'”
This end result is a testament to the quality and hard work of all the stakeholders’ teamwork in realizing the Keinod am Ring atmosphere.
Check out the Pro Performance’s blog to see how their solution elevated Kleinod am Ring’s atmosphere, and be sure to read the MONDO DR article celebrating Hugh Sarvis, the loudspeaker designer behind our CBL series.
Gallery
Acknowledgements
David Schober, Oliver Horvath and Salar Gerami from Kleinod am Ring
Distribution partner ATEC PRO
System Installer & Acoustics professional Wolfgang Sauter from Pro Performance Sound + Acoustics
Interior designer Ben Julian Toth from STURGE & TOTH
Photos © taken by Nikolaus Mautner Markhof