In the heart of Berlin’s Mitte district, Monsieur Vuong is a thriving family-run restaurant that has brought authentic Vietnamese cuisine to the German capital. Run by brothers Dat and Tan Vuong, along with family friend Andreas Bodenstein, Monsieur Vuong serves fresh, shareable Vietnamese dishes in a lively, communal setting that is hugely popular with hip Berliners. To further enhance this convivial atmosphere, the management team recently decided to upgrade the restaurant’s sound system.
‘I used to work in the film industry, where Genelec was the de facto standard in audio postproduction,’ Bodenstein begins. ‘In my view, the simplicity and sound quality of Genelec loudspeakers is unparalleled. I wanted the restaurant to benefit from that same exceptional sound while still being easy to use, easy to maintain, and extremely reliable – as the system is running non-stop for 12 hours every day. That’s why we decided early on to get rid of traditional amplifiers, analogue cabling and passive loudspeakers. One broken amplifier means the sound in the whole venue will be down.’
Bodenstein could also see the flexibility that networked audio would bring to the restaurant: ‘To find the right solution, we visited Genelec’s Berlin Experience Centre for an extensive listening test,’ he continues. ‘We focused our planning on loudspeaker positioning, signal distribution, and the ability to control the sound in an environment where background noise is constantly fluctuating.’
After evaluating several alternatives, Tan Vuong and Bodenstein concluded that the Genelec 4420 Smart IP loudspeakers were decided the preferred option. ‘The Genelec team explained that this model combines the power and flexibility of Smart IP technology in a compact form, making it ideal for the restaurant’s tight space – all without the need for analogue cabling or external power amplifiers,’ says Bodenstein. ‘A big selling point for us was the single-cable PoE technology of these networked loudspeakers, meaning that installing and configuring the system was far less complicated than a traditional solution.
‘We installed eight 4420 loudspeakers around the dining space, all configured using Genelec’s Smart IP Manager software, and we have two Windows music servers – one main, one backup – to distribute the audio through Dante Virtual Soundcards to the network. The daily scheduling is controlled by MairList software which is also used by radio stations, and this is particularly useful in the restaurant as we wanted different programming for daytime and night-time. We use Dante Controller for the loudspeaker matrix, which makes it very easy to replace and reconfigure a loudspeaker in the highly unlikely event of a failure. Finally, we have a little Axon TCP/IP controller which enables staff to easily adjust the volume as required, depending on customer traffic.’
The installation has been the finishing touch on everything that the Vuong family set out to achieve: ‘We wanted to create a dining experience that was immersive and inviting. Running a successful restaurant isn’t just about the food, it’s about creating the right atmosphere,’ Tan Vuong explains.
Stepping into the restaurant, customers are immediately greeted by an ambiance that marries modern aesthetics with traditional Vietnamese decor. Lacquered red walls adorned with evocative photography set the stage, while the rhythmic clatter from the open kitchen adds an authentic soundtrack to the dining experience.
‘Given the challenges of installing sound in a restaurant space not designed for acoustics, the Genelec loudspeakers have proved to be a highly adaptable solution,’ Vuong comments. ‘Our whole system is running fully automatically with very little intervention from us, and we are continually impressed with the quality of the sound. We really do feel that we made the perfect choice. Our customers tell us that they enjoy the atmosphere that the music provides – and if the people who choose to dine with us are happy, then we are happy.’
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