CODA Audio wins loudspeaker shootout for Wiener Stadthalle upgrade

When Austria’s largest and most iconic venue, the Wiener Stadthalle, set out to upgrade its audio system, only the best would do. In a head-to-head shootout between four top loudspeaker brands, CODA Audio emerged as the unanimous winner, impressing the entire team with its power, precision, and clarity. With Audio-Integra handling installation and Wilhelm and Willhalm Consulting and Sales GmbH (W&W) delivering system design, CODA was chosen to carry the sound legacy of this legendary Vienna venue into the future, as Headliner discovers…

Opened in the late 1950s and located in Vienna’s 15th District, the iconic venue has hosted leading international stars for decades, and can be justifiably regarded as one of Europe’s premier entertainment venues.

Christoph Mader, Head of Sound at Wiener Stadthalle, describes the shootout: “We didn’t want to rely solely on our ears, so we engaged a renowned acoustician to obtain objective measurements. CODA Audio performed flawlessly, with a linear frequency response and better dynamics and impulse accuracy than the competitor brands.”

When the listeners' subjective assessments were taken into account, the outcome was even clearer. “My four colleagues and I, with varying ages and levels of experience, all independently awarded CODA the highest scores by a wide margin,” explains Mader.

The system at the Stadthalle was based on CODA Audio’s very latest CiRAY compact line array, a high-output 3-way dual 10-inch line array. 

The venue invested in 24 CiRAY units, complemented by four SC2-F sensor-controlled bass extensions, four SCP sensor-controlled subwoofers, three APS compact arrayable point source, five N-APS ultra-compact arrayable point source, and eight CUE FOUR high-performance 3-way stage monitors. 

Four CODA Audio LINUS14 and five LINUS12C DSP amplifiers power the system.

The system was designed by Thomas Dürrbeck from W&W, who was involved in the project from the outset. He was more than confident that the high standards demanded at the Wiener Stadthalle would be comfortably met using CiRAY.

“The acoustician mentioned that the system offers an extraordinary phase alignment and provides a very uniform sound across the entire audience area,” comments Dürrbeck. 

“Another advantage is that the system operates efficiently with minimal amplifier power: three loudspeakers per channel on each array. For me, the decisive factor is that the system delivers a balanced sound without electronic assistance, purely through the design of the components.”

Audio-Integra’s Christian zur-Loye was delighted to have been commissioned for the installation, and remarks on the collegiate approach to completing the project with great efficiency: “It was a tight schedule over the summer, but thanks to effective communication between client, integrator, supplier and manufacturer, I was able to complete the project ahead of schedule,” he says.

Although the primary function of the system at the Stadthalle would be to service the wide variety of entertainment taking place in the venue’s Hall F, the management team also required that the system could be deployed in other halls within the complex as required. CODA Audio’s flexibility and ease of handling made this easily possible.

“We are able to set up and take down easily, the system is very flexible and energy efficient, and the fact that the units are so compact means that sightlines are not compromised when events are broadcast for television,” Mader points out. “CODA Audio scores top marks in every respect!”

The system made its debut in Hall F for ‘Flying Hansel & Gretel’, a high energy music and dance show which featured rappers, beatboxers, pianists and electronic sounds - a challenging setup as Mader explains: 

“Honestly, I was quite nervous for the premiere, but everything went brilliantly. It was very demanding. The music ranged from hip-hop to classical, with some samples as low as 28 Hz in the bass range. We stood there, looked at each other and just smiled because it sounded so good.”

The system’s qualities were then further tested in Hall D, the largest in the complex, at the ‘Erste Bank Open’ ATP Tennis tournament, where it was used in a different configuration to cover the 8,000 seats. With sightlines critical for TV broadcast, the compact CODA units more than proved their worth.

“This was the ultimate flexibility moment," Mader enthuses. “We realised we could also use the system very effectively for arena sound coverage. The CiRAY provides a huge output with extremely clean resolution, and the bass is punchy and precise.”

“It’s fantastic to see a CODA Audio system chosen for such a prestigious project,” concludes global sales and marketing director for CODA Audio, David Webster. “It means a lot to us to see such a strong vindication of the quality of our pioneering proprietary technologies. To have led the way in the shoot-out ahead of a number of premium brands is something we’re naturally delighted about. 

"As well as the audio quality, the compact nature of CODA systems, made possible by our technologies, was clearly a factor in our favour, as was the simple and intuitive rigging.”