Curvy Sound on Europe’s Rivers – LD Systems CURV 500 on Avalon Waterways’ Cruise Ships

Since 2004, the cruise ships of the Avalon Waterways shipping company have been sailing the major rivers in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. The company’s fleet is constantly growing and now comprises 20 ships with a length of up to 135 metres and room for up to 166 passengers. Since 2023, five identical Avalon ships have been sailing in Europe with an LD Systems CURV 500 sound system in the central lobby area.

LD Systems CURV 500 Audio Installation at Avalon Waterways

The installation of the CURV 500 systems took place in spring in different ports in Slovakia, the Netherlands and France. For Juraj Grafik, Managing Director of the responsible Slovakian integrator Techhouse, the project represented a major logistical challenge: “It was crucial that the CURV 500 systems arrived at the respective ports on time to avoid unnecessary and costly waiting times. On one ship, the first cruise already took place the following day.” Thanks to the intensive cooperation and consultation with the sales department of the Adam Hall Group, the systems were always ready on time. For the installation on the ships, Techhouse collaborated with Andrej Sedlár from ZuboMEDIA.

In each of the five identical Avalon ships, the lobby is sounded by four CURV 500 arrays and two CURV 500 TS 15” subwoofers. The arrays – consisting of three D SAT duplex satellites and two S2 array satellites per stereo side – were mounted on the central columns in the lobby. “The columns are quite narrow, which is why we chose the CURV 500 WM B wall mounting brackets,” explains Juraj Grafik. “This allowed us to mount the arrays flush against the columns, which not only provides a visual advantage but also reduces the risk of guests bumping into the arrays.” The CURV 500 system is powered by a single CURV 500 I AMP 4-channel Class-D installation power amplifier per ship.

At the beginning of the planning phase, the team was able to listen to the originally installed speakers in the lobby to get an impression of the spatial and acoustic conditions. “The sound was far from optimal – not least because the system had to work for background sound, for DJs as well as for live music by a band.” With the change to the CURV 500, both the musicians and the ship’s personnel find a sound system that is as powerful as it is flexible: “The CURV 500 series offers excellent performance and a unique design. In addition, the entire system is kept very simple. After the installation, we always gave a short briefing to the respective crew and the reactions were enthusiastic. The Avalon management is also highly satisfied and is already planning to convert the next ships to the CURV 500.”