Steve Mendez, owner of Subsonics, Inc., an audio design/installation company with offices in New York, Miami and Caracas, Venezuela, has seen the trend firsthand, recently installing new sound systems in several restaurants and clubs in the United States and Latin America. While all of his clients' needs are different, several recent projects have something in common. All have opted for loudspeakers from a name that's been parlaying its reputation for great live sound applications into an emerging following in the commercial contracting world - Turbosound. With its Impact line, Turbosound is packing the power and intelligibility of its famed Flashlight/Floodlight Series into a product that can easily translate to the commercial install market, says Mendez, who's been a loyal Turbosound customer for many years. "With the Impact loudspeakers, Turbosound has been able to maintain the sound quality of its larger line of speakers, something that usually is compromised when manufacturers move into the contracting market," he says. "My company is pushing the new Impact products very hard and our customers are happy when they first hear the sound they produce." One of Subsonics' most recent Impact installs was at the new Sushi Samba restaurant in downtown Chicago. Sporting a high-end, Japanese/Latin flavor, the restaurant chose the recent addition of a stunning rooftop bar/dining room/club as the occasion to add a full, professional sound system to the venue. "They were looking for something very high-end sounding but also relatively invisible so that they could keep the lines of their very upscale look, "Mendez says. "Immediately my choice for Sushi Samba was the Impact line, since I've worked with it in other restaurant settings, and know these loudspeakers will give us great sound and intelligibility in both high and low sound pressure level environments." To cover the facility, Mendez utilized a mix of 16 Impact 50 and Impact 80 speakers, along with other Turbosound products, including TSB-110 subwoofers, TCS-59 full-range, two-way speakers, and TCS-118 low-frequency cabinets. They were paired with Crown Microtech 2400 amplifiers and XTA DP 226 processors. With the new sound system in place, Sushi Samba has expanded its hours and begun utilizing the new deck for dining during the day before transforming into a nightclub complete with big-name DJs, in the evening. The restaurant also has used the new sound system to begin hosting more corporate and private events. Subsonics has installed a similar mix of Turbosound products in other popular restaurants around the country, including the Sushi Sambas in New York City and Miami, and Vapor and The Sugar Cane Room in New York. "All of the reviews are great," Mendez says of the reaction of the establishments to the Turbosound installations.