London’s late-night Tiger Bay shisha lounge chain has opened a new venue in Enfield, where it will ply its dynamic fusion of Indian and Chinese cuisine, and shisha flavours. This new location is the fourth in the UK branch and seventh internationally.

With this new venue, Tiger Bay wanted to create an environment that easily shifted from dining to a lively party destination as the evening progresses and guest DJs take over. The venue needed immersive sound, which it found with Middlesex Sound & Lighting and KV2 loudspeakers.

‘The client reached out to us via word of mouth, bringing a set of detailed drawings,’ explains Middlesex Sound & Lighting A/V designer, Toby Jones. ‘They were looking for a distributed audio system that could maintain impeccable sound quality whether at low levels during the dining hours or cranked up for DJ sets later in the night. Plus, it needed to cater for both indoor and outdoor spaces in the shisha lounge.’

Before finalising its choice, Middlesex Sound arranged for the Tiger Bay team to attend a live demonstration of KV2’s ESD Series at one of their sister venues in Kingsbury, London. ‘KV2’s reputation for outstanding sound quality and reliability really speaks for itself,’ Jones says. ‘Whether it’s a live event, nightclub, or a more intimate venue, KV2 consistently delivers rich, full-bodied sound with no distortion, even at high volumes.’

With a schedule of events ranging from cocktail evenings to fire shows, VIP parties, and DJ-led nights, Tiger Bay needed a sound system that could handle it all. The venue features nine audio zones, which support flexible sound management across different areas of the restaurant. These zones encompass the ground and first floors, as well as the reception area and mezzanines on each.

Middlesex Sound selected KV2 ESD5 loudspeakers for both the upper and lower floors. The ESD Cube was also used in the design for its ability to blend into the venue’s décor. ‘The ESD Cube is discreet but powerful,’ says Jones. ‘It’s ideal for a venue like Tiger Bay, where aesthetics are just as important as performance.’

For the main ground-floor area, Middlesex Sound installed eight ESD25 loudspeakers, which provide increased bass extension compared to the smaller ESD5, delivering deeper, more impactful sound. Two KV2 ESD6 speakers were also provided as DJ monitors.

‘The ESD Series offers great versatility in terms of loudspeaker models, making it an ideal choice for a space like Tiger Bay,’ Jones says.

‘It’s affordable, easy to install, and there’s also a full range of subwoofers that we used on this project to provide a full-range system. We chose the ESD1.10 subwoofers to deliver tightly controlled bass, even at very high output levels.’

To make sound control as intuitive as possible, the main audio zones are managed through a touchscreen interface, while smaller, enclosed areas can be controlled locally with analogue volume controls. This allows staff to easily adjust sound levels based on the type of event or the atmosphere they want to create. Additionally, multiple audio input points were strategically placed around the venue to maximise versatility for DJs and performers.

The result is a sound system that enhances the entire guest experience at Tiger Bay, whether patrons are enjoying a meal, a cocktail at the bar or dancing the night away. ‘The KV2 system works perfectly in Tiger Bay,’ Jones reports. ‘Its flexibility allows us to deliver balanced, high-quality sound throughout the venue, and it can be scaled up or down depending on the type of event. The client is thrilled with how the sound has taken their events to the next level, and we’re proud to have helped.’

More: www.middlesexsound.co.uk
More: www.kv2audio.com