ČPP ARÉNA, CZECH REPUBLIC

A historic venue in the heart of Czech hockey

The ČPP Aréna, located in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, was inaugurated in 1957 and has a capacity of 6890 people. It is the home of the Mountfield HK club, one of the leading teams in the Czech ice hockey league, in a country where this sport is one of the most popular. Throughout its history, the arena has hosted high-level sporting events, as well as major concerts by national artists, trade fairs and exhibitions, making it a reference venue for sports and events in its region. The installation and commissioning of the new sound system were carried out by Dance Floor AVL Solutions, a company specialised in professional audiovisual solutions with extensive experience in large-format projects.

Reflective ice and strong reverberation

The ČPP Aréna presented acoustic challenges typical of a large-capacity sports venue, with an ice rink that acts as a huge reflective surface and steep stands that generate multiple echoes and areas with difficult coverage. During matches, the noise level of the crowd is particularly high. For this reason, a system was needed that could ensure good intelligibility of both music and announcements, even at moments of maximum pressure. In addition, the arena hosts non-sporting events that require uniform coverage and consistent sound pressure across all sectors, avoiding dead zones and ensuring that every spectator receives the same level of clarity and energy. All of this was combined with the need for a solution that would not interfere with visibility or the daily operation of the venue, which is essential in a facility with constant activity.

The HQ-212.95, a key asset in sports environments

The installation was carried out by Dance Floor AVL Solutions, a company with extensive experience in sound projects for sports venues. In the ČPP Aréna, 24 HQ-212.95 systems were deployed, all of them installed in the ceiling to keep spectators’ sightlines clear and completely free up the rink and corridors. The layout consisted of five clusters of two units on each of the side stands, one additional unit on each end and two more systems installed in the central area of the ceiling, aimed towards the rink. This configuration made it possible to uniformly cover both the stands and the areas close to the ice, ensuring that all attendees received a consistent sound experience.

The HQ-212.95 proved particularly suitable for this project thanks to its coaxial configuration and the design of its acoustic enclosure, which allow it to deliver a very solid low-frequency response. This made it possible to dispense with subwoofers, thus avoiding adding unnecessary energy in an environment that is already naturally reverberant due to the geometry of the venue and the ice surface. To complete the installation, the technical team carried out a tuning and alignment process that ensured tonal consistency and uniformity across all sectors, even during moments of high ambient noise during matches.

“Intelligibility is much higher across all sectors”

According to Libor Klemenc, CEO of Dance Floor AVL Solutions, “the ČPP Aréna is a complex space, with an ice rink that reflects sound in all directions and supporters who create a very intense atmosphere. We needed a system capable of delivering clarity even when the venue is at its noisiest”.

Klemenc adds: “With the new HQ-212.95 we have achieved much higher intelligibility across all sectors. Coverage is more uniform, and both matches and other events now benefit from more balanced and accurate sound”.