The Japan-based fashion retailer brand Uniqlo chose Chicago for a brand new flagship location, the second largest in the nation. AV provider OnSite Media has been an ongoing vendor of choice of Uniqlo in the U.S., and once again they were charged with installing an extensive infrastructure for the premium location.
Together, Uniqlo and OnSite decided on Bose speakers as a cornerstone of the audio infrastructure at this and future stores. “At a previous gig, we had a number of Bose components installed,” said John Nowak, Uniqlo USA director of construction. “I was impressed by the sound quality, the ease of installation and the professionalism of the Bose Professional organization, and it left a very positive impression on me. I recommended Bose for the Uniqlo installations, but I was willing to look at other options — however, when we started testing products from other manufacturers against each other, Bose won the shootout, and it was clear that we would proceed with a set of Bose solutions.”
In the early days of the Uniqlo/OnSite relationship, OnSite set up the AV solutions in a mock store built in a warehouse by one of Uniqlo’s architects. “We had to put in a little mini Bose system, as well as the visual ticker system,” said Nowak. “We had a full meeting with all of their designers. Their management team from Japan came in, reviewed everything. It was a trial run for us as a supplier, and for Bose speakers as a main component. It went great, and the pieces really started to come together.”
For the new Chicago store, OnSite installed several Bose Professional components, including 83 DS 100F recessed loudspeakers, 14 DS 40F loudspeakers, six Panaray MA12EX Modular Line Array loudspeakers; PowerMatch amplifiers, and more.
“All the Bose equipment, from the controllers to the amplification — everything ties together to give the customer a really great sound experience,” said Brian Van Hecke, OnSite Media president. “Specifically we use a lot of the Bose DS 100F loudspeakers for these stores. We love that speaker. For somebody who wants good sound there’s no better speaker in terms of its overall value, its coverage, and its quality. A client who’s demanding a quality sound experience in their stores, wants customers not just to hear this music but also to feel it; we need to be competitive in the systems we use.” Van Hecke says the Bose DS 100F also allows the OnSite to design with fewer speakers. “So it reduces not only the number of speakers but also the labor, and we’re able to deliver a better-sounding system for less.”
PRODUCT AT WORK
Bose FreeSpace DS 100F
This is an extended-range, high output loudspeaker with a single 2.25-inch Twiddler driver and a 5.25-inch woofer in a ported enclosure; it delivers a 160-degree conical coverage pattern for flush-ceiling or pendant-mount applications in ceilings up to 32 feet high.
