With Meyer Sound Low-Voltage Systems, Buddha-Bar in Manila is a Delight for the Senses

Customers at the new Buddha-Bar in Manila, Philippines, are enchanted by the stimulation of all their senses. Surrounded by sumptuous Oriental décor, they savor succulent Asian fusion cuisine while enjoying an eclectic music mix that permeates the space through a Meyer Sound system comprising the largest count of self-powered low-voltage loudspeakers—132 total—installed anywhere in a hospitality application.

Located in the trendy Picar Place development of Makati City, Buddha-Bar Manila is among the largest in the franchise, accommodating more than 500 people in the first-level lounge, second-level restaurant, and roof deck. The size of the property, combined with the franchise’s extraordinarily high standards, entailed multiple challenges in acoustical and AV system design, all of which were ably handled by ihD Ltd, a pan-Asian consulting firm headquartered in Hong Kong.

According to Ian D. Harris, managing director and principal consultant at ihD, the brief for high-quality music reproduction tilted the specification toward a Meyer Sound solution. “We wanted guaranteed excellent audio, and this is what we expect with Meyer Sound,” he states.

The majority of seating areas throughout Buddha-Bar Manila are covered by Meyer Sound low-voltage self-powered systems, with 99 MM‑4XP self-powered loudspeakers and 33 MM‑10 miniature subwoofers installed in the restaurant, VIP lounges, DJ booth, and on the outdoor deck. Sixteen MPS-488HP external power supply units deliver balanced audio to the loudspeakers.

Harris was particularly taken by the remarkable performance of the tiny, easy-to-conceal MM-4XP loudspeakers. “They surpassed our imagination,” he comments. “Certainly they are well specified on paper, but to actually experience a 100-millimeter cube projecting such sound somehow defies logic!”

For the dance floor and portions of the outdoor deck, where greater SPLs are required, the system employs additional AC-powered Meyer Sound products, including four UPJ-1P VariO and three UPJunior VariO loudspeakers and four UMS-1P subwoofers.

“The sound is enveloping, even with the very low frequencies of the music.” Harris adds. “The general manager also admires the sound quality, describing it to me as ‘mellow, yet impactful.'”

Harris credits iHD’s Manila-based Mhel Datuin for the overall AV systems design and Noy Rosario for onsite project management. Meyer Sound contract consultant “dB Dave” Dennison plotted loudspeaker configuration specifics, while AVLS of Manila installed the system under the supervision of Marvic Ramos.

In 1996, French hospitality entrepreneur Raymond Visan—who now heads the global George V Eatertainment group—launched the first Buddha-Bar in Paris. Other George V Eatertainment enterprises also using Meyer Sound systems include Buddha-Bar Mexico, Sanctuary in Dubai, and Little Buddha Café in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.