AUSTRALIA: Allianz Stadium in Sydney has undergone a major audio transformation with the deployment of a full-bowl L-Acoustics sound system designed and installed by JPJ Audio, delivering a significant upgrade in intelligibility, coverage consistency, and low-frequency impact across one of Australia’s most high-profile sporting and entertainment venues.

Home to the Sydney Roosters, NSW Waratahs, and Sydney FC, the 42,500-seat stadium hosts more than 50 sporting fixtures annually alongside international events and major concert productions. The venue’s operational demands required a system capable of handling vastly different sonic requirements; from crystal-clear speech reproduction for on-pitch announcements and presentations to high-energy playback capable of matching the scale and intensity of elite live entertainment environments.

When Venues NSW sought to elevate the stadium’s game-day audio experience to match the venue’s world-class positioning, JPJ Audio was selected following a competitive tender process. Already responsible for operating audio systems across multiple NSW stadiums, the company brought extensive operational familiarity with Allianz Stadium, alongside direct deployment experience with temporary L-Acoustics K1, K2, and Kara systems previously used for both sporting and concert configurations inside the venue.

“We had already shown them the benefits of a concert-grade sound system in the venue,” says Wayne Mulder, Project lead for this installation and who runs the sporting division for JPJ Audio. “From the moment the temporary L-Acoustics system went in, they understood the difference straight away. The challenge was turning that into a permanent solution that worked every day.”

One of the project’s biggest technical challenges stemmed from Allianz Stadium’s five-second reverberation time. Any uncontrolled excitation of the seating bowl risked significantly compromising speech intelligibility, making precision coverage and controlled directivity central to the system design strategy.

“It meant approaching the stadium almost in sections,” explains Mulder. “You had to keep coverage very controlled and localised so that you were only delivering sound where it was needed.”

To achieve this, JPJ Audio collaborated closely with the L-Acoustics applications team using Soundvision predictive modelling software, combining data-driven simulation with operational insights gained from previous temporary deployments within the venue. The design process was further developed alongside L-Acoustics application support and Tom Williams of Clair Global, allowing array geometry, subwoofer positioning, and coverage zones to be optimised before installation commenced.

“Soundvision was critical because if you put the speakers in the right place from the start, you don’t spend a week chasing problems afterwards,” says Mulder. “The design work gave us confidence that every section of the bowl would behave the way we expected.”

The predictive modelling process also informed low-frequency system deployment, enabling JPJ Audio to position the SB18i subwoofer elements behind the main arrays while using low-frequency steering techniques to minimise excessive energy build-up throughout the stadium bowl.

Installation itself presented substantial logistical complexity. With Allianz Stadium remaining operational throughout the project and strict venue restrictions prohibiting cranes, boom lifts, or any access to the playing surface, the entire deployment relied on rope-access installation techniques from the roof structure. Each array was initially assembled within one of the stadium’s vomitories before being lifted into its final flown position using a load-transfer workflow across multiple motors.

JPJ Audio adopted a touring-style deployment methodology, pre-building, wiring, and phase-checking every array at its warehouse prior to transport to site. This approach enabled final on-site loudspeaker deployment to be completed within just five days.

“We treated it like a production build,” Mulder explains. “Every array was pre-built, phase-checked and ready to fly before we arrived. That meant once we were on site, everything moved quickly.”

The completed stadium system divides the bowl into four quadrants, each using five different array configurations tailored to seating geometry and roof height. The largest array positions deploy 14 Kara IIi loudspeakers with three SB18i subwoofers, while additional positions use combinations of 12, 10, and eight Kara IIi systems paired with varying SB18i configurations. Across the complete installation, the system totals 232 Kara IIi loudspeakers and 52 SB18i subwoofers flown beneath the stadium roof using custom-designed metalwork developed specifically for the retrofit project.

Additional A10i loudspeakers were installed around the venue’s large video screen positions to address residual coverage gaps, while a container-style docking mechanism was developed to simplify future servicing operations without requiring tools at height.

Operational usability also formed a key part of the system design process, particularly given JPJ Audio’s ongoing responsibility for match-day operations at the venue. Amplification is provided via 78 LA4X amplified controllers distributed across four amplifier room positions on level four, with signal transport handled over AES67 routed directly from Q-SYS. Six LC16D network audio converters interface with the LA4X units via AES/EBU, while the venue’s ICN Cisco switch infrastructure manages audio distribution and control.

Q-SYS provides centralised control and monitoring through a custom GUI, complemented by L-Acoustics Network Manager for detailed system supervision when required. L-Acoustics live impedance monitoring continuously checks loudspeaker health every minute, enabling operators to confirm system integrity throughout live events.

“We wanted something powerful, but also simple for daily use,” says Mulder. “Operators can walk in, power up the system, confirm everything is healthy and be ready immediately.”

The new system was commissioned ahead of the first A-League fixture on January 18, 2026, with early feedback from venue stakeholders and home clubs reportedly highly positive. Independent third-party reviews have also confirmed the system’s performance against project objectives.

“A lot of game-day presentation now involves pyro, lighting and very high-impact moments,” Mulder concludes. “You need an audio system that delivers that energy, but just as importantly, when someone is speaking on the pitch, every word still has to land clearly. That was always the goal, and now we have a system that does both.”