JBL tackles Ognissanti church acoustics

Italy:

JBL Professional loudspeakers have been installed at Florence’s historic Church of Ognissanti as part of an audio upgrade designed to improve speech intelligibility while limiting the visual impact of the system.

Dating to the 13th century, Ognissanti remains an active parish and hosts concerts and cultural events. The church’s high vaulted ceilings and reflective masonry surfaces create long reverberation times, presenting challenges for spoken liturgy and sermons. Restrictions associated with the historic building also limited the number and positioning of visible loudspeakers. The project also had to accommodate the church’s artistic significance, ad Ognissanti is home to Renaissance artworks including Sandro Botticelli’s St Augustine in His Study, commissioned by the Vespucci family in 1480.

Exhibo was engaged to install the audio system, working in collaboration with the project architects and systems designers. Taking into consideration the sanctuary’s unique requirements, Exhibo carried out acoustic measurements, three-dimensional modelling and beam-steering simulations before determining the positioning of the solution.

The final setup features two JBL Professional Intellivox column loudspeakers to provide coverage across the church’s 35m nave. Installed on either side of the central nave, the loudspeakers use JBL’s Digital Directivity Synthesis (DDS) technology to steer sound towards the congregation while reducing reflections from the walls and vaulted surfaces. In addition, the manufacturer’s COL800 slim column loudspeakers have also been positioned behind the altar to provide dedicated reinforcement for the presbytery while maintaining the discreet profile of the main system. Following installation, the system was tuned onsite to refine the beam steering and optimise performance within the church’s acoustic environment.

“The goal was clear: improve speech intelligibility throughout the central nave without introducing invasive elements or multiplying sound diffusion points,” said Andrea Ficara, Exhibo product specialist. “Acoustic simulations enabled us to identify the optimal positions for the JBL Intellivox loudspeakers and predict how sound would behave within the liturgical space. The final solution used just two loudspeakers to effectively cover approximately 35 meters of the central nave while maintaining minimal variation in sound pressure across the different listening areas.”