Stadium of Ice, Italy
	Venue: Stadium of Ice Location: Appiano, Italy Venue-type: Ice Stadium Loudspeaker system: 20 x Impact 80 moulded enclosures
	Specifying a sound reinforcement system for an ice stadium, with its own acoustical idiosyncrasies and constantly changing ambient temperature, is no mean feat. Audio Link, Turbosound's distributor in Italy were approached to do just that, for the Stadium of Ice in the Italian town of Appiano. Audio Link were working to a brief that demanded "perfect sound quality" in the grandstands, which were built in tiers along the length of one side of the arena. The structure of the grandstands, sectioned off into ten separate bays, presented its own acoustical problems which had to be overcome. Faced with a soundwave delay time of seven seconds, caused by the ice mass, Audio Link needed a loudspeaker that would compensate adequately. They also sensed that, given the high levels of humidity brought about through the extreme fluctuations in temperature, as well as the changing seasons, wooden enclosures would be inappropriate. Winter temperatures can plummet to as low as -25°C - the expansion of ice within a wooden structure would cause permanent damage. To overcome the inherent complications, Audio Link specified Impact 80 loudspeakers; 20 units were mounted on suitable supports in front of the grandstands. Moulded from high quality plastic, the cabinets are impermeable to crystal-forming water droplets and therefore durable over time. Furthermore, the manufacturing technique of the Impact 80's provides the added benefit of eliminating resonance in the cabinet walls which, in this application, was absolutely vital. Stefano Cantadori of Audio Link commented: "The Impact 80's allowed us to achieve our brief, providing optimum clarity for the grandstands for many years to come."