Nightjar Coffee - Leon Surynt

As the co-founder of Wellington’s legendary Matterhorn, I know the importance of hi-fidelity sound quality and venue acoustics. When the room, music and curated experience all fit like a glove, the customer dwell and spend time increases. This simply makes logical business sense; over the 10 years that I owned and operated the venue, its reputation for quality music grew, all while the value of investing in proper acoustic equipment proved itself time and time again. After relocating to Dubai and establishing Nightjar, I wanted to create a similar experience, but this time the challenge was to operate a busy coffee roastery, café and music area all within an arts complex housed in a former industrial area with high stud metal warehouses and poor acoustics.

DM Acoustic came on high recommendation from industry colleagues in NZ, and collectively we worked with our interior design team to engineer a room design and fit out that can delivery amazing sound on a quiet day, during a full-noise brunch, or with large scale arts events and street festivals directly outside. The brief was one where the music can resonate with both super clarity and deepness, while a customer needs to be able to hear themselves when music is either at low volume or when we decide to crank it to club level.

Our music is a carefully curated digital selection, alongside regular programming of DJs playing both digital and all-vinyl sets. An analogue vibe was integral to the interior design, and DM Acoustic even customised the speakers into retro-vibe oak cabinets without compromising on acoustic quality. This approach to acoustics in F&B had never been done before in Dubai, and the proof of concept has been outstanding. We loved working with DM Acoustic throughout the process, and it was worth getting them halfway across the world to ensure we got exactly the outcome we needed. I would highly recommend them for anyone needing a sound system done right.”