Lola's Hi-Fi Lounge Opens with the Cannon Series

Cannon C5i’s for the back listening room

Madison, Wisconsin – Hospitality vets Tori Gerding (owner, Ancora), Evan Dannells (owner, Cadre) and Matt Gerding (Majestic Theatre founder & ex-President at FPC Live) have opened Wisconsin’s first HiFi lounge, Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge.

The music themed concept features a high-fidelity sound system designed with a wide mix of input from across the country.

“We really wanted this space to sound better than any other HiFi bar in the country, so we brought a lot of experts to help us build a custom design.” says Matt Gerding. “The first thing we did was build in acoustic treatment to deaden the space.”

The 3,200 square foot cocktail lounge and restaurant features 2 inches of K-13 Sound Absorption Spray on the ceilings throughout as well as lots of soft surfaces like theatrical curtains covering all windows, upholstered booth seating, and carpet. The space features speakers and amps sourced throughout the country including from Aural HiFi in Denver who turned their attention to horn-loaded speakers and tube amps.

Main Bar with Crites Loudspeakers, WSUB45s mounted to the ceiling, and distributed C6is

“Given Matt’s vision for the space, we really wanted the showcase system installed into the back bar to be something truly unique, visually captivating, sonically astounding,” says Jeremy Irwin, Founder and Owner of Aural HiFi in Denver. “For speakers, we chose Crites, who have been the premier upgrade source for heritage Klipsch speakers for more years than I can count. The Crites CS-B loudspeaker is similar to the Cornwall (that you’ll find in many Hi-Fi bars across the country) but is even more cohesive, smooth, and never fatiguing – and packs enough punch to fill the space. For amplification, we chose the Fezz Titania Evo, which is just an amazingly musical Polish tube amp that has jaw dropping looks and is just incredibly reliable; perfect for the rigors of a lounge. The Music Hall Classic turntable completes the system. It’s got modern/vintage styling, an affordable price tag so it’s not too painful to replace if a drink gets spilled on it, doesn’t require a surgeons dexterity to operate, and has auto-lift and shutoff when the record ends if the bartender gets distracted. We think it’s the perfect system for a Madison-style Hi-Fi spot.”

To fill out the rest of the room, Matt worked with his local consultant Andrew Szlapka who introduced him to 1 SOUND and audio designer Lou Mannarino.

“Andrew was so very passionate about 1 SOUND and after doing a deep dive we decided that it was so perfect for all of our passive speakers and subwoofers,” says Gerding. “We were looking for something unique that could offer premium and modern speaker technology.”

Andrew integrated 1 SOUND’s Cannon Coaxial loudspeakers (C5i and C6i models) for the distributed audio design. The new American-made premium brand’s Cannon Series features high-fidelity quality audio with extended low-end and higher SPL, incomparable for a speaker of its size in pro-audio applications. Four WSUB45’s were distributed for bass and mounted to the lounge’s ceiling utilizing its C-Clamp Kit accessory.

“I am excited to see 1 SOUND incorporated with other fantastic loudspeakers in a hi-fi experience. It is not usually the case for a commercial loudspeaker to be included in the high-fidelity space, but when it comes to our Cannon Series all it takes is a listen to understand their studio-monitor quality sound and premium build quality with the finest materials,” says Lou Mannarino, CEO & Designer of 1 SOUND.

Lola’s Hi/Lo Lounge opened to the public on November 7th to a packed house and rave reviews. Check out Lola’s Hi-Lo Lounge’s Instagram HERE for more photos of the lounge experience.