Hotels in Miami’s South Beach offer a range of luxurious beachfront accommodations, but the new Nautilus Hotel South Beach offers something special that separates it from the pack: a unique emphasis on art and music. With a fine art collection and Powersoft-driven sound systems, the Nautilus Hotel South Beach is a feast for the eyes and ears of its visitors.
To achieve unparalleled sound in its rooftop lounge as well as its top-floor penthouse, the hotel turned to specialist All Things Integrated (ATI). ATI president Robert Athey and his team knew right away that the hotel’s aspirations could only be met by the clarity, efficiency, and performance of Powersoft’s Ottocanali series amplifiers.
“Music and sound are a big part of their brand, and one way that they wanted to stand apart from the crowd was with a sound system that’s truly high fidelity,” Athey said. The rooftop sound system would need to be reliable and efficient enough to cover background music night after night, while having the power and headroom to pump up the volume for DJ nights and special events. With that in mind, Athey selected a Powersoft Ottocanali 8k4 amplifier driving a system that includes 12 QSC S8T weather-proof loudspeakers and two QSC AD-S112sw subwoofers. “We had one circuit for the whole space, so the incredible efficiency of the Powersoft amplifier was key,” Athey said. “We also had to be sure we had an amp we could crank up for DJs without it overheating, and the 8k4 runs very cool. We can crank it way up and that thing will really take it.”
Because the roof lounge floor was decked above the actual rooftop, Athey and his team had to customize a mounting solution. “We drilled holes through the deck and had poles mounted to the roof below coming up through them,” he said. “Each pole came about 18 inches up above the deck and we affixed the speakers to them with custom brackets so that they would point slightly up at the guests on the deck. This not only prevents them from being an eyesore, but also works to keep the sound contained within the space and minimizes reflections off of other residential buildings.” The Ottocanali 8k4’s diminutive 2 RU rack footprint was another key attribute, fitting easily in a small rack placed in a utility room one floor below the roof lounge, and a dedicated AV room in the penthouse. “Sonically I knew we were where we needed to be, from an efficiency standpoint I knew we were where we needed to be, and I also knew we had all the headroom we needed for any kind of event, so the 8k4 really was the total package.”
The penthouse at the Nautilus Hotel South Beach might be the only one in Miami with a true high-fidelity sound system built in. Accounting for separate zones for the kitchen, den, lobby, living room, dining room, bedroom, bathrooms, and more, Athey selected a Powersoft Ottocanali 4k4 as the primary amplifier, turning to a Powersoft M30D to provide the last two channels he needed for complete zone coverage. He chose Martin Audio C6.8T in-ceiling speakers for every room. “The choice of speaker is important of course, but using the right power amplifier is just as important and often overlooked,” Athey explained.
The penthouse and roof deck opened to accolades from guests, many impressed by the pristine sound delivered by the hotel’s Powersoft amplifiers. “The sound quality of Powersoft is second to none, but we also choose Powersoft because of the consistency and reliability,” Athey said. “We never have to make service calls on Powersoft amps. They just work.”
