The Roxy Hotel Keeps the Music Cool with the Genelec 4430 Smart IP Installation Speaker

Formerly known as the Tribeca Grand Hotel, the Roxy Hotel is a four-pearl, 201-room property in the heart of Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood. It’s hip and cool – amenities include an in-room pet goldfish (on request) and free loaner bicycles – and multiple bars offer regular live music, including a jazz club and cocktail lounge. The newest amenity is a cozy cocktail and dining area under the hotel’s marquee, designed for a bite and sip in a pandemic-safe environment. But the hotel didn’t skimp on sound: a pair of Genelec 4430A Smart IP Installation Speakers were installed there over the summer by integrator Essential Communications, which had earlier installed and then updated the hotel’s distributed sound system.

Genelec is all about sound quality.

“The Roxy is all about music and all about great sound,” says David Schwartz, President of Essential Communications, which specializes in AV for hospitality clients, among others. “When you want to convey the idea of quality, Genelec is the best choice of speaker, because Genelec is all about sound quality. It’s why musicians, record producers and recording engineers use them.”

And the Genelec 4430A was the perfect fit for the hotel’s needs. Weighing barely 11 pounds, and approximately 11 inches high, seven inches wide and seven inches deep, the 4430 delivers full-range sound in a compact package, and its weather-resistant finish makes it perfect for covered outdoor applications such as this. But what also caught Schwartz’s attention was its inclusion of power-over-Ethernet (PoE) and Genelec’s traditional self-powered operation. The 4430A offers power, audio and loudspeaker management via a single standard CAT cable, delivering unrivalled flexibility, cost-effectiveness and simplicity of installation. “I had been talking about that idea for years, and when Genelec delivered that in the 4430, I knew this was the speaker for this project,” he says. Integration of the 4430As with the existing Dante™ protocol audio transport network was a simple task. “A single cable back to the PoE switch we had installed there, create a zone for it in the sound-system processor, and we were done. And they loved the sound.”

They also liked the value. Schwartz remarks, “In addition to the level of quality you’re getting, you also have to factor in that you don’t need to buy and install and wire an amplifier. Combined with the PoE connection, everything over one cable, this was a very cost-effective installation. And combined with the great sound, it’s a complete winner.