NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA: Los Pentecostales de Newport News is a Pentecostal church serving the Hispanic community in Newport News, Virginia. With seemingly-boundless energy, Pastor Mario Zunzunegui delivers impassioned services and encourages strong community bonds. The band that supports him is talented and sounds its best at high volume and with abundant bass. Los Pentecostales had a high-performance sound reinforcement system that most churches – and indeed many clubs – would find more than adequate. But when local production and integration firm Sound Ideas provided a Danley rig for an outdoor Covid-19 service, Pastor Mario and the rest of the congregation saw new possibilities for clarity and impact. After a successful indoor demo, the church now has its own high-impact Danley system composed of SM80F full range loudspeakers, FLX12 monitors, and a DNA 20k4 Pro amplifier.
Los Pentecostales de Newport started out years ago with an MI-grade sound reinforcement system and upgraded significantly three years ago with the help of Sound Ideas (design and installation) and Winter Sound (the actual sale of the equipment). Sound Ideas owner Paul Popadak continued his involvement with the church maintaining the new system. Thus, when Pastor Mario heard that Popadak was helping area churches deliver outdoor services during Virginia’s Covid-19 lockdown, he asked him to help at Los Pentecostales.
“Los Pentecostales de Newport News has a congregation of around 450,” Popadak explained. “They like their services loud with lots of bass. I had to explain to Pastor Mario that my stereo pair of Danley SM80 loudspeakers and four TH118 subwoofers were really about one-quarter of the system they had in their sanctuary – and we would be outdoors. I said, ‘maybe expect a little less.’ But it turned out to be actually more! A lot more! Everyone was stunned at the coverage, the clarity, and the volume. Pastor Mario was immediately interested in the possibility of upgrading to a Danley system indoors.”
Popadak worked with Jay Andrews, Danley eastern regional sales manager, to model the room and to arrange a demo of the system he would eventually install: two Danley SM80Fs and two Danley TH118 subwoofers powered by a four-channel Danley DNA 20k4 Pro amplifier with integrated DSP and model-specific presets. The SM80F utilizes the SM80 (the same box Pastor Mario was so impressed by at the outdoor service) as the full range section of the SM80F and integrates two 15-inch LF drivers in Danley’s patented Tapped Horn configuration to deliver an astounding full range response all in one loudspeaker. “The Danley demo blew away their entire rig, which was way bigger and, again, no slouch,” Popadak said. “The Danleys kept sound off the parallel surfaces of the sanctuary (a former bowling alley) and its phase-coherent, point-source performance was significantly more articulate than their previous system.”
“I really liked the way Paul’s Danley rig sounded outside, and everyone was looking forward to the demo inside,” said Pastor Mario. “He and Jay fired it up, and I was speechless. I loved the tightness of the sound. It was very clear, and the bass was very even. I tell people now, once you hear a Danley system, you really cannot compare it to other speakers. Danley is in a class by itself. I had a deposit check in Paul’s hand before the end of the demo!” and again, Winter Sound again helped with the purchasing and logistics.
To provide the same Danley clarity on stage, Popadak added a pair of Danley FLX12 loudspeakers as monitors and powered them with existing amplifiers from the previous system. “Our old system was really good, and we’re still using two of its subwoofers to supplement the Danley system,” Pastor Mario said. “But the Danley system is way better! We are planning to sell the old system and use the money to buy two Danley TH118 subwoofers and another Danley amp! Then our system will be complete and 100% Danley.” Los Pentecostales de Newport News celebrated the new Danley sound system with a service devoted entirely to music. “Everyone is ecstatic!” Popadak said.
ABOUT DANLEY SOUND LABS
Danley Sound Labs is the exclusive home of Tom Danley, one of the most innovative loudspeaker designers in the industry today and recognized worldwide as a pioneer for “outside the box” thinking in professional audio technology.
