‘Each time the Vuitton team does a show, they want something different, one thing is always the same – they never want to see the loudspeakers,’ says Alain Français of audio company De Préférence, which has collaborated with Louis Vuitton for many years and become a master of invention, conjuring up new ideas for each event. ‘But This means I’m always looking for new equipment and new ways of hiding the cabinets…’

Held in the stunning Cour Marly of the Louvre’s museum, the Louis Vuitton Autumn/Winter 2017 show at the recent Paris Fashion Week featured Vuitton’s models showing the fashion house’s new collection among white marble statues from the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV. Usually, the specification for such a show’s audio is that it should be heard and not seen, but on this occasion, L-Acoustics’ new Syva system took a starring role.

‘For this show, taking place in an exceptional space with so much history and impact, we considered and tested a lot of different options,’ Français explains. ‘Because the Cour Marly is entirely constructed of marble and has a glass roof, it’s an incredibly reverberant space. Trying to find a solution that could cope with that, deliver the right amount of SPL, have the right tonal range and be invisible was proving difficult, particularly as there really is nowhere to hide large subs in the room.’

It was at this point that Français was introduced to the just-announced L-Acoustics Syva, – loaded with six 5-inch MF speakers providing usable bandwidth to 87Hz and three 1.75-inch HF diaphragm compression drivers, loaded by Dosc waveguides in a J-shaped column progressive curvature. This transducer arrangement produces 140° horizontal and 26° vertical directivity pattern, for ultra-wide horizontal coverage with extended throw capability.

Its companion Syva Low enclosure features two K2 12 inch drivers designed to provide low frequency contour and extended bandwidth down to 40Hz. Syva Sub features one high-excursion 12 inch driver equipped with a KS28 woofer motor to further extend the bandwidth of the system in the sub frequency domain down to 27Hz.

‘As soon as I saw Syva, with its remarkably fluid form I suspected it might be a good solution, and as soon as I heard it, I knew it was right for this project,’ Français recalls. ‘L-Acoustics’ Cédric Montrézor and I demonstrated it to the Vuitton team and they were completely convinced by the sound and were impressed enough with the look that they chose to make it part of the set. No need to hide it.’

Français worked with Montrézor on the audio design for the show, settling on a system comprising 22 Syva positioned across the Cour Marly’s three levels – all of which were being used as part of the catwalk – to ensure complete coverage.

‘Normally we wouldn’t use 22 loudspeakers to do this kind of room,’ Français says. ‘Six would be sufficient, but by upping the speaker count we didn’t need to push the system too hard, allowing us to handily cope with the room’s reverberation.’

The result, according to Français, was stunning: ‘With other column systems there is little or no low frequency without adding a sub. Syva simply has more bandwidth, which means it delivers a sound that is richer than you can achieve from other systems. Syva’s size belies its power and its 140° horizontal coverage is truly impressive.’

With the Paris Fashion Week event proving Syva’s success, the team at Vuitton recently requested its return to the Louvre – this time in the hall in which the Mona Lisa hangs, for a private dinner launching a new line of handbags.

‘This was the first time the Louvre had allowed such an event, so it was a very big deal,’ Français says. ‘We used Syva again, but this time just two cabinets and for speech only. The Vuitton team was pleasantly surprised that we were able to cover the entire massive room with just two loudspeakers and they really impressed with the results.’

Français now has a problem, however: ‘We like to learn about everything and I am open to using products from every manufacturer. But no one else is doing anything like Syva and it’s so good that once people have heard it, they don’t want another system. We must be very careful about that. But the truth is, while other column systems are good, Syva is simply a cut above.’

More: www.l-acoustics.com