Established in 1933 at the end of this country’s Prohibition Era, the Mayflower Club’s history dates to the time when speakeasies were the only way people could consume alcohol. Fast forward 88 years and the Mayflower Club has completed an extensive renovation that includes a new sound reinforcement arsenal drawn for the E11EVEN Sound, Artec, Arco, and Vantec series catalogs of Valencia, Spain-based DAS Audio.
These days, the venue is owned by Antonis Karagounis, with marketing and promotion efforts spearheaded by Panorama Productions, Washington, DC’s largest nightlife hospitality group since 1995. Karagounis recognized the renovation would have to include state-of-the-art sound reinforcement capabilities. He and his team worked closely with John Fiorito, DAS Audio’s installed sound, technical-design, and project management specialist, to develop the venue’s new sound system capabilities.
The main room (first floor) is an upscale Mediterranean restaurant that turns into a nightclub at 11 p.m. Geared toward mingling and private events, the second floor (mezzanine area) overlooks the main floor, provides a more intimate dining experience, and features two bars. The third floor is an indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge with a retractable roof dubbed Zebbie’s Garden, which pays homage to the original 1933’s-era speakeasy owner, Zachariah ‘Zebbie’ Goldsmith.
Karagounis wanted to create a spectacular lounge that provided the finest guest interaction for both amplified DJ music and live sound for bands—all with a heightened sensory experience. “Each room is designed to provide the utmost clarity, ability to feel the music, and still be able to hold a conversation,” said Fiorito.
In the main dining/bar area, guests are greeted by a potent sound setup consisting of six DAS E11EVEN Sound ES-10 two-way point source loudspeakers, eight Artec-306 two-way enclosures, and four Arco-24 loudspeakers. Low frequency support is provided by a combination of eight Quantum series Q-10 compact subwoofers and three Vantec-218 bass reflex subwoofers. Completing the setup, there is also a pair of Artec-510A loudspeakers that are used as monitors for the DJ.
On the second-floor mezzanine area, sound is provided by a combination of four DAS Audio Artec-326 enclosures, one Vantec-218 bass reflex subwoofer, eight Artec-306 2-way loudspeakers, and four Q-10 compact subwoofers.
[Outdoor Entertainment Has Become Essential for Hospitality Venues]
For the indoor/outdoor rooftop area, the indoor portion of the space is covered by 12 compact loudspeakers and six sub bass enclosures that were re-purposed from the prior installation. Similarly, the outside patio area also uses some additional enclosures like the ones on the inside area. However, the outside area also includes a pair of DAS E11EVEN Sound ESBR218 dual 18-inch, bass reflex subwoofers and four Quantec Q-10 compact subwoofers. Completing the setup, the DJ station includes two Artec-510A loudspeakers and a pair of Artec-S15A subwoofers.
Rounding out the installation, the equipment rack includes five DAS EP-2K4 4 channel Class D Power amplifiers, six EP-8K4 4 channel Class D Power amplifiers, one EP-10K4 4 channel Class D Power amplifier, and one EP-22K4 4 channel Class D Power amplifier—amounting to more than 100,000 watts of amplified music. Also in the equipment rack, there is a Furman PL-Plus series power conditioner, and both a BSS Audio BLU-100 signal processor and a BLU-BOB Break-Out Box output expander for signal management. System control is managed by an Apple iPad, which enables users to play any music source in every room simultaneously or by individual selection/zone.
The Mayflower Club installation was completed in August 2021, while the venue construction was finished a month later. “All of us here at the Mayflower are very impressed," Antonis said. "The painstaking attention to detail shows in every aspect of this installation. Most importantly, our customers are responding very favorably—and that’s what ultimately matters. To everyone involved, nicely done and thank you!”
