A popular steak house in Chicago’s Old Town district, SteakBar features an audio system with Martin Audio CDD and Ceiling Series speakers on four levels to provide exceptional sound quality and coverage throughout the space.
SteakBar, a Four Corners Tavern Group– Hogsalt collaboration, provides nuanced background music for its patrons in addition to supporting DJs on weekends who play what Wagner terms “downbeat house music that builds to a contemporary Top 40 playlist.”
“There’s a walk-in lobby floor which opens up to an outdoor seating area beyond the entrance which has glass doors, a downstairs space with enclosed booths and a bar, a second floor above and a halfl-evel area between both with bars, tables and highboy seating,” explains installer Ayre Productions principal John Wagner.
To achieve maximum results, the Ayre install team mounted 14 Martin Audio C6.8Ts in the ceiling throughout the basement area and three CDDs mounted along the wall facing the street entrance in the first floor lobby. Upstairs, the second floor includes three CDD10s firing in from the window side and two CSX212s at opposite ends/corners of the room facing each other with a bar in the middle of the room facing the street. A half floor below, there are six CDD10s– two for the DJ booth which is adjacent–two CDD6s and three CSX212s “for a ton of low end” that are perimeter- mounted at several points in the room.
According to Wagner, “the system is designed for one signal source but the restaurant does have the option to run different program material in a specific area, like a sports broadcast in the basement. “The CDD sound is pleasing to the ear whether it’s quiet or loud and you barely notice the cabinets when you look up because of their slim profile,” he said. “Customers can enjoy the music, have conversations and a great dining experience without experiencing any ear fatigue.”
