Home to the NBA Miami HEAT in the heart of Downtown Miami’s Entertainment District, Kaseya Center also hosts over 80 non-basketball events annually, from A-list concerts to national conferences. Situated on Biscayne Bay’s waterfront between the city skyline and South Beach, Kaseya Center needed sound to match its vibrant location. This season, as the HEAT takes the court, they’ve got it – thanks to a new L-Acoustics K2 sound system installed by Solotech Systems Integration before the current NBA season began.
“The selection of L-Acoustics as our preferred sound reinforcement partner was guided by two primary principles,” says Blake Engman, Senior Engineer and Director of Broadcast Services for the Miami HEAT. “First, the pursuit of exceptional audio intelligibility – ensuring that every fan and patron can clearly hear and enjoy all forms of content delivered in our arena. Second, the challenge of integrating a high-performance audio system within an extremely tight payload footprint. With no margin to add weight, L-Acoustics rose to the occasion, transforming seemingly insurmountable constraints into tailored solutions that meet our demanding specifications.”
The HEAT Group, the organization that brought an NBA franchise to Miami, is committed to making Kaseya Center the premier sports and entertainment venue in South Florida through state-of-the-art technology and cutting-edge renovations. This latest audio upgrade delivers the powerful sound and impressive bass that perfectly represents Miami’s dynamic culture.
“K2, with the L-Acoustics sonic signature, set the level and performance in the facility,” observes Mark Wilson, Director of Sales, Miami for Solotech. “The A15i Focus and Wide speakers have that same sonic signature, filling the upper levels smoothly, consistently, and well-aligned with the K2. Every seat at the arena now always gets the same incredibly musical sound experience and impact. It’s taking the venue to an entirely new level of fan experience.”
Installed over the summer of 2024, the new system comprises eight arrays of 10 K2 each, flown around the central display over the court, with four of the arrays (NE, NW, SE, SW) each backed by a hang of four KS28 subs time-aligned with the main PA system. A total of 20 16-channel LA7.16i amplified controllers housed in equipment racks drive all the K2, while four LA12X power the subs. Ground stacks of four more KS28 subs per side are positioned at each end of the court for additional LFE punch. Thirty-two delay arrays comprised of various combinations of a total of 75 A15i Focus and Wide enclosures provide coverage to the upper bowl seats. These are also efficiently powered by eight more LA7.16i.
“The HEAT spearheaded the sound system selection process, working closely with venue management,” explains Wilson. “While the venue wanted to enhance its rental appeal, it was ultimately the team that drove the decision, prioritizing fan engagement above all. They were determined to install a truly high-performance system for basketball and evaluated several competing options before choosing the L-Acoustics K2. This choice perfectly balances Miami’s vibrant music culture with critical venue requirements like speech intelligibility.” Wilson concludes with confidence: “It would be difficult to imagine a better sounding system in that space.”
For both the live games and online engagement, the need to keep the sound meeting fan expectations is more important than ever. “The HEAT delivers signature audio content before, during, and after games, while NBA-mandated courtside microphones capture the on-court action that viewers have come to expect,” says Wilson. “This system sounds so amazing that you can really hear the differences in the content. The NBA is focused on creating better guest experiences league-wide, and systems like L-Acoustics give teams the opportunity to enhance that content. Great sound, great team – it’s a win-win situation.”
For more information on the Miami HEAT and Kaseya Center, visit www.heat.com and www.kaseyacenter.com. Solotech Systems Integration can be found online at www.solotech.com/en-us/solutions/systems-integration.
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