Customer reference All Souls College

All Souls College

All Souls College, Oxford Upgrades Audio System for Improved Performance and Simplicity with Sennheiser SpeechLine

The client

All Souls College, Oxford, founded in 1430, is a Fellows-only college. There are no students studying there, instead, the college support students in their research and training.

The challenge

The college wanted to use a stone architecture space, with a high apex room that causes sound to dissipate, impacting audibility. The space would also have no in-person engineer for events.

The solution

Upgrade the room’s audio system and install Sennheiser SpeechLine Digital Wireless system into the space, with its easy-to-use nature making it easy to operate for non-technical personnel.

"The overall audio quality was a massive leap forward and the speakers were custom painted to match the surrounding."

Paul Blaxill, Director of IT, All Souls College

All Souls College, Oxford, founded in 1430, has recently upgraded the audio system in one of their rooms. Thanks to the expertise of CAV Oxford, the professional audio installation team that brought innovation and Sennheiser’s SpeechLine Digital Wireless system into play, the project has been highly successful.

Initial Acoustic Challenges

The college's primary challenge revolved around a stone-walled room with a high apex roof, together having a negative impact on the audibility of events. The architecture of the space, combined with the existing placement of audio equipment and the use of random equipment and different radio microphone vendors, resulted in sound issues that resulted in ineffective communication.

Things weren’t made any easier was the fact that there would be no in-person audio engineer at events, which is something that’s caused multiple issues previously.

The Sennheiser SpeechLine Solution

The team opted for Sennheiser's SpeechLine system, with the primary driving factors being the system's user-friendliness, making the system easy to operate for non-technical personnel, and its range of built-in features that eliminated the need for additional outboard equipment.

The straightforward operation includes each microphone being equipped with simple on/off buttons, and the easy-to-use microphone charging docks eliminating battery-related issues, which in turn, significantly improved functionality. This aligned perfectly with the key part of the College’s brief.

Collaboration with CAV Oxford

CAV Oxford, the Leisuretec customer and company responsible for the installation, expertly designed and executed the project, exceeding the college's expectations.

“CAV Oxford understood the brief and designed a system that met our requirement and more. They were incredibly professional, and all work and fitting carried out to a high standard.”

– Paul Blaxill, Director of IT, All Souls College

The equipment rack was described as a work of art, due to its beautiful arrangement, and the custom-painted speakers seamlessly blend in with the surroundings.

“The rack containing all the equipment was a work of art and beautifully presented. The overall audio quality was a massive leap forward and the speakers were custom painted to match the surrounding. We look forward to working with them again on our next projects.”

– Paul Blaxill, Director of IT, All Souls College

The collaborative success between All Souls College, CAV Oxford, Sennheiser, and Leisuretec stands as a testament to the importance of understanding client needs and utilising innovative solutions in audio technology.

"All Souls College has been delighted with the level of quality that Sennheiser SpeechLine has provided. That’s why Sennheiser and Leisuretec are CAV’s preferred suppliers for audio installation,"

– Sam Haney, Director, CAV Oxford