KV2 Audio enhances control and intelligibility at Norway’s Leangen Arena

Following a highly competitive public procurement process, AV integration specialist Avonlyd AS was awarded the responsibility of designing and commissioning an audio upgrade that would fulfil the requirements of the venue. Founded in 2007, Avonlyd has spent nearly two decades building a reputation as one of Norway’s specialist engineering-led integrators, combining system integration with distribution and technical support. “The arena demanded a sound system capable of delivering exceptional speech intelligibility for announcements, high-quality music playback, and consistent coverage across audience seating areas,” says Edgar Andraa Lien, Partner, Founder and Sales Director at Avonlyd. “Due to the inherently reverberant nature of an ice hockey arena, there were several acoustic challenges that we needed to overcome.”

The public tender set two demanding — and potentially conflicting — targets: high sound pressure level and a high Speech Transmission Index. “Meeting both in a highly reverberant arena was never simply a question of extreme output capability,” says Lien. “It depended on maintaining precise directivity and a consistent frequency response across all seating areas. We spent a great deal of time arriving at a solution that did exactly that.”

Built from large concrete walls, exposed steelwork, and expansive reflective surfaces of glass and ice, Leangen Arena’s previous sound system struggled to overcome the long reverberation lines. “The key to excellent engineering begins with understanding the room,” continues Lien. “If you understand the acoustics, you can design the system correctly, well in advance of even entering the venue.”

Avonlyd had been in contact with KV2 Audio from the early stages of this project, during which a core solution was developed by the two companies well in advance of the installation. Lien worked closely with Leo Tanzil, KV2’s Technical Support Director and Product Specialist for APAC, throughout the design process, refining the EASE models and optimising the loudspeaker design. “Leo and I share the same engineering mindset,” says Lien. “We both enjoy working in EASE and SketchUp, discussing drawings and solving problems long before anyone arrives on site. Having accurate acoustic data alongside professionally prepared SketchUp models made the whole optimisation process efficient and genuinely enjoyable.”

“Loudspeaker positioning, amplifier racks, cable routing, and mounting details were all digitally modelled to verify coverage, delay values, and predicted intelligibility,” Lien explains. “KV2 Audio’s comprehensive SketchUp library proved invaluable as it allowed every loudspeaker to be precisely integrated into the digital venue, giving us detailed data for coverage and intelligibility.”

Avonlyd subsequently brought the project’s consultants to Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) in Barcelona, where they held their first direct technical discussions with KV2. Those meetings covered documentation, acoustic modelling and the engineering reasoning behind the design already on the table. “Those discussions allowed us to review the whole project together before installation began,” Lien adds. “We presented the proposed solution and the consultants were fully on board with the approach.”

An eight-piece subwoofer array system from KV2’s VHD Series and twenty-six ESD Series full-range loudspeakers were chosen to deliver power and clarity across the arena. “The original plan was to suspend the subwoofer cluster in the centre of the ice rink for low-frequency reinforcement, but a media cube was already suspended in this position to display scores and live match content to the audience,” he says. The digital EASE model had already allowed them to determine the optimum loudspeaker placement, leading to the installation of a completely new steel suspension structure around the media cube from which eight VHD4.18 subwoofers were deployed in an oval geometry that reflected the layout of the arena. 

Twenty-six ESD12 2-way, passive loudspeakers were flown around the perimeter of the ice rink, with four positioned along each short side and nine along each long side. “The arena’s geometry proved to be a natural advantage for the sound design,” reveals Lien. “Every loudspeaker position was relatively close to the audience seating area, allowing the system to deliver high output with excellent tonal consistency so that direct sound remained dominant over the highly reflective acoustics. The arena’s short throw distance allowed us to keep audiences inside the direct field of every loudspeaker, which meant we could fully exploit KV2’s controlled directivity to achieve excellent intelligibility without needing excessive sound pressure.”

Since the installation, Leangen Arena has seen significant audio improvement during ice hockey matches and public skating events. KV2’s VHD and ESD Series deliver smooth, even full-range coverage across the seating areas, ensuring audiences hear all announcements and enjoy pristine music playback during matches, intervals, and public events. “Working with KV2 helped ensure that logistics and commissioning progressed efficiently, and delivered a robust, future-ready system that can be expanded and optimised for years to come,” Lien explains.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of the project was working with people who share the same engineering mindset,” concludes Lien. “KV2’s Leo Tanzil, Sascha Khelifa and Dominik Krampera were always available throughout the design and integration process, and this close collaboration ensured that every aspect of the system was carefully refined, from the earliest EASE model through to final optimisation.”

KV2 system setup:

• 26× ESD12
• 8× VHD4.18
• 8× ESP2000D  
• 2× VHD3200D

System design, engineering and integration — Avonlyd AS