Hard Rock Stadium is owned by, and home to, the NFL Miami Dolphins. It also hosts University of Miami football and major entertainment events throughout the year. As part of a three-year, facility-wide renovation, the re-named facility now boasts a massively upgraded sound system by Electro-Voice.
With the stadium’s addition of a roof and massive video displays, crowd noise levels are substantially higher than the original open-air design, making even coverage critical, both in terms of SPL and frequency response. In addition to the primary task of improving the fan experience through better audio, the sound system is also used for mass notification of life safety information. The Dolphins selected Diversified Systems to design and integrate the system, charging them with the task of overcoming increased levels due to roof reflections while delivering both vocal intelligibility and musical fidelity.
Drawing from all parts of the diverse yet sonically matched Electro-Voice loudspeaker portfolio, the installation delivers concert-quality sound via 186 XLCi-127DVX line array elements, weatherized and integrated into custom-engineered frames to withstand extreme storm and wind conditions. These are augmented by EVF-1122S front-loaded loudspeakers and EVH-1152D long-throw loudspeakers to cover hard-to-reach zones like corner seating areas. In addition, 48 dual 18-inch subwoofers, custom designed for the project, add an exciting bass element that was absent in the stadium’s previous system.
An ongoing installation challenge was the management of the installation across the renovation’s phased construction timeline, requiring ongoing support of the legacy sound system while the new Electro-Voice system was being installed, tuned, tested, and deployed. To ensure even coverage throughout all seating areas, EASE modeling and intelligibility plots were critical tools in selecting the appropriate loudspeakers and their placement. Two Electro-Voice NetMax N8000 digital matrix controllers allowed the integration team to apply FIR filtering to optimise loudspeakers as needed and appropriate.
In addition to the primary task of improving the fan experience through better audio, the sound system is also used for mass notification of life safety information. Electro-Voice ceiling and surface-mount loudspeakers ensure smooth, continuous coverage in luxury suites, concourses, restrooms, offices, and all public areas throughout the stadium. This task required approximately 1800 ZX1i indoor/outdoor loudspeakers and over 1000 EVID ceiling-mounted designs selected from EV’s wide range of options.
The Dolphins team are pleased to report that the system has exceeded their performance expectations while meeting budget and timing requirements. The system is at its best when the stadium is full, enhancing the fan experience with clear, effortless coverage, and rising to the occasion to amplify crowd energy in big moments.
Whether deployed for sporting events or major concert events, Hard Rock Stadium offers a winning combination of full-range fidelity, comprehensive coverage, and high intelligibility that plays a key role in transforming the venue into global entertainment destination for large-scale events.
