Project Background
Located in Shanghai, FIRST-X has become a highly anticipated high-end nightlife landmark in the area, boasting a massive 700-square-meter floor area and a stunning 16-meter ceiling height. However, the enormous spatial span and extreme ceiling height also posed significant challenges for acoustic design. How to ensure high sound pressure level coverage throughout the venue while effectively overcoming issues such as sound wave reflections and excessive reverberation caused by the high-ceilinged space, thereby achieving both clarity and impactful sound? After rigorous acoustic evaluation, FIRST-X ultimately selected the world-renowned professional audio brand Clair Brothers, whose custom-tailored sound reinforcement system perfectly solved the acoustic challenges of the high-ceilinged space.

Core Sound Reinforcement System Configuration
Targeting the unique physical environment of FIRST-X with its 16-meter ceiling height, the sound reinforcement system adopted a three-dimensional layout scheme of “precise projection + uniform fill + low-frequency array”:

• Main PA Loudspeakers: The core of the system consists of 10 C12 dual 12-inch three-way line array loudspeakers. With excellent vertical directivity control and powerful sound pressure projection capabilities, the C12 array precisely covers the 700-square-meter dance floor with direct sound, effectively reducing ineffective reflections from the ceiling and walls, ensuring transparency in the mid-to-high frequencies and extremely high vocal reproduction accuracy.
• Fill Loudspeakers: Eight 1AM 12-inch coaxial loudspeakers are evenly distributed throughout the venue as auxiliary fill. This configuration ensures that every corner of the dance floor edges, booth areas, and the high-ceilinged space receives a full and consistent sound field experience, completely eliminating listening blind spots.
• Stage Lip Fill: Two FF2 8-inch two-way full-range loudspeakers are deployed at the front of the stage, providing near-field auxiliary coverage specifically for the stage opening.
• Subwoofer System: To match the massive 700-square-meter space, the system is equipped with 14 CS218 dual 18-inch subwoofers. The massive low-frequency array not only delivers bottomless low-frequency extension and an immersive “wrapping” sensation, but also ensures clean, tight low-end performance and extremely fast transient response, instantly maximizing the party atmosphere.

Sound Field Performance and Technical Specifications
Targeting the complex architectural acoustic environment of 700 square meters with a 16-meter ceiling height, the Clair Brothers system demonstrated exceptional directivity control and sound pressure management capabilities. Through precise beamforming of the C12 line arrays and the collaborative operation of the 14 CS218 subwoofers, the system perfectly resolved standing wave and long reverberation issues common in high-ceilinged spaces, achieving uniform sound energy coverage throughout the venue. Even at continuous sound pressure level outputs exceeding 120 dB, the system maintained extremely high speech intelligibility and transient response, with smooth and natural three-band integration and no phase distortion. This “high energy, low distortion” acoustic performance has set a new benchmark for high-end nightlife sound field design in Shanghai.

Conclusion
Shanghai FIRST-X, in partnership with Clair Brothers, successfully conquered the extreme acoustic challenges of a 700-square-meter space with a 16-meter ceiling height through the hardcore configuration of 10 C12 line arrays and 14 CS218 subwoofers. This is not only the perfect implementation of a sound reinforcement system, but also FIRST-X’s solemn commitment to delivering the ultimate nightlife experience, creating a pure, impactful, and unforgettable audiovisual feast for every guest who steps through the door.