Sennheiser was selected by All Souls College to enhance the audio in its oldest meeting rooms.
Founded in 1430 by Henry VI, All Souls College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, United Kingdom. With nearly 800 years of history, the university aimed to improve one of its most historic rooms with a high-quality audio system. Renowned for its voice applications and user-friendly setup, SLDW was the choice to help prepare the future of one of Britain's leading academic research institutions.
Sennheiser SLDW is user-focused and designed for both university and corporate use, making it a perfect fit for All Souls College.
Describing their initial acoustic challenges, Paul Blaxill, IT Director at All Souls College, explains that their main issue revolved around the extraordinary architecture of the building, with many rooms featuring intricately carved stone vaulted ceilings. “Using these beautiful, ancient rooms for modern purposes required adaptation, which led us to reach out to the local rental company CAV Oxford”, he explains.
CAV provides tailored support to many of Oxford's most prestigious venues. When All Souls College sought their assistance, the team knew that SLDW was the right solution. Key determining factors were the system's ease of use for non-technical staff and its array of integrated features eliminating the need for additional external equipment.
Leisuretec, an experienced and trusted Sennheiser distributor since 1UU0, was chosen to deliver the system due to their longstanding relationship with the global audio manufacturer. Knowing that technical support wouldn't always be readily available in the university's meeting room, Leisuretec understood that the installation needed to be flawless and remain consistent over time. This was why Obed Mashayamombe, Glenn Smith, and Clover Richards, all part of the Leisuretec sales team, brought CAV Director Sam Haney to a training day at Sennheiser UK. There, they met with the company's Commercial Development Manager Kevin Gwyther-Brown, Gareth Peters from Internal Sales Support, and Channel Sales Manager Eddie Lane, who ensured that both CAV and Leisuretec were briefed on the finer details of SLDW.
Mashayamombe explains that visiting Sennheiser was pivotal in gaining a better overview of potential outcomes:
Leisuretec has supplied equipment to Sennheiser for over 20 years and enjoys an excellent relationship with the company. The team is always available and ready to assist us with technical queries, sales inquiries, and even our marketing assets. Any member of our team knows they can reach out to Sennheiser and receive high-quality support, as evidenced by the invitation for us and our client to visit their UK headquarters in Marlow to ensure the right equipment was supplied for the job at hand, he states.
Gwyther-Brown highlights how enduring relationships like these persist and what Sennheiser's team does to support their customers.
“Leisuretec is a well-established Sennheiser distributor in the UK, and we've enjoyed a longstanding relationship with them”, he notes. “We know the support we provide to Leisuretec will truly benefit them, not just their clients. This is what brings them back to us, and it's not just the commercial development team, but all of the support from associated Sennheiser staff, such as technical support, training, and account management. Supporting our distributors allows us to build better relationships with our end users, and that's what Sennheiser is all about”.
Sennheiser SLDW was developed with the end user in mind and is designed for university and corporate use, making it a perfect solution for All Souls College. The optimized end-user experience is enhanced through integrated DSP, providing automatic audio level management and equalization. This means scholars can focus on their discussions without distractions.
The SLDW system operates at the push of a button. Additionally, charging docking stations have been mounted in a glass-fronted rack unit, and the speakers seamlessly integrate into the room with custom paintwork. Easily accessible charging stations ensure the equipment is always ready for use and can last throughout the day thanks to the 15-hour battery life.
The All Souls College team is fully satisfied with the installation results. A room that was once unusable but beautiful has now become an inspiring place to gather and discuss. It's been an instant success, as confirmed by Haney.
“The quality provided by Sennheiser SpeechLine Digital Wireless has been warmly welcomed”, he states. “That's why Sennheiser and Leisuretec are CAV's preferred suppliers for audio installations”.
Blaxhill agrees and is pleased to comment on the successful outcome. “The overall audio quality took a huge leap forward”, he reports. “CAV Oxford understood the brief and designed a system that surpassed our requirements. They were incredibly professional, and the rack containing all the equipment was very well presented; it's a work of art”.
Relationships are more important than ever in the professional audio industry, and Sennheiser understands this, especially with longstanding partners like Leisuretec.
We always strive to go above and beyond for our customers. We love meeting teams and sharing knowledge. Successful collaboration between all involved highlights the importance of understanding customer needs and employing innovative solutions in audio technology. We're here to engage with our customers and our distributors. Support is a huge part of our mission, and we love it!, concludes Gwyther-Brown.
