Emrin
Since 1908, bike enthusiasts – ranging from amateur to accomplished – have turned to Emrin for their cycling needs. The shop in Flemish Brabant, Belgium, was founded by Isidoor Emmerechts and is now in its fourth generation of family operation.
With a proud history of delivering exceptional customer service, from sales and leasing to repair and maintenance, Emrin’s core philosophy has always been to match the right bike to the right rider. And when it came to designing a new premises in 2022 to fulfill demand for the shop’s services, the team knew they needed a sound system to be assembled with the same attention to detail and customised approach.
Bespoke sound for a bespoke bike shop
Designed by architects Mossoux Architecten, Emrin’s new store is high tech and ultra-modern with more than 700m2 of floor space and separate areas for mechanics, maintenance, high-end race bikes, basement storage and offices. As well as diverse functionality and stunning aesthetics, it was crucial to create the right atmosphere in the shop because it fosters such a close sense of community. Music, of course, would be an important part of that so the Emrin team knew they needed a special audio system, as the company’s owner David Gilis explains: “We were looking for a sound system that perfectly matched our concept, both technically and design-wise.”
Before moving to the new premises, the Emrin team invited Iwan Fol of AV specialists FOL Sound, Light and Vision, and Joeri Verholen of Pioneer PRO AUDIO to demonstrate the CM Series commercial loudspeakers at the old location. “Our store is about experiences of all kinds,” says Emrin’s Gilis. “Customers can try out all our bikes in a virtual or real setting, and all our products are supported by a state-of-the-art service department, cleaning division and even a special tracking system to follow up on repairs. With Pioneer PRO AUDIO, we wanted to be sure that the audio quality complemented our vision in the best way.”
The CM Series units draw on Pioneer PRO AUDIO’s rich heritage of making dynamic club speakers to provide systems that save space, complement interior design and deliver outstanding audio in any venue, no matter its layout. The demonstration was a resounding hit and Gilis was convinced immediately, as he remembers: “Pioneer PRO AUDIO is the sound equivalent of cycling brands like Specialized or Stromer, where once you ride it, you are sold.”
Shaping sound to suit the spaces
With the speakers chosen, it was over to FOL Sound, Light and Vision to assemble a set-up spanning three large areas in the new shop: the ground floor, first floor and mechanics department. “For discreet, high-quality audio in the showrooms, we placed 16 of the very compact CM-S54T 4-inch speakers on the walls and used four of the CM-S56T 6-inch units in stereo in the workshops,” says Fol, who goes on to explain: “This means the technicians can enjoy louder music with more bass while working on the bikes! The sound throughout the store is well-spread, clean and present, enabling customers to take time to consider their choices in a relaxed atmosphere that is never intrusive.”
The system is powered by two Powersoft Mezzo 604 AD 600W/4 channel compact amplifiers with DSP and Dante, which came in handy when overcoming some of the challenges presented by the construction of the building. “The purpose-built store comprises a lot of concrete, raw materials and open balconies so speaker positioning was very important across the different spaces,” recalls Fol. “We needed to reduce reflections as much as possible while making sure there was no loss of coverage, and we took our time to tune the system via the DSP in the Powersoft Mezzo amplifiers.”
Addiction of the ears
Once they’d moved into the new shop, the Emrin team were excited to hear the new Pioneer PRO AUDIO system. It didn’t disappoint. “We’re really pleased with the installation, which completely fulfilled our expectations. All our colleagues, particularly the technicians, are very happy,” says Owner and Store Manager, Romy Roef.
The shop was officially inaugurated in March 2023 with two busy Grand Opening days which included DJ sets performed on a temporary Pioneer PRO AUDIO system which included the recently released, powerful and versatile XPRS2 active speakers.
Talking about the collaboration between Pioneer PRO AUDIO and Emrin, the shop’s owner, David Gilis, has the last word. “Pioneer PRO AUDIO sound is flawless – an addiction for the ears! At Emrin, we stand for service, speed and friendliness and we expect the same of all the brands we do business with – Pioneer PRO AUDIO certainly meets this requirement!”
