Located within the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Natural Park, San Rossore Racecourse has hosted horse racing and equestrian events for more than a century while serving as Italy's largest thoroughbred training center. Welcoming tens of thousands of visitors each racing season, the venue supports race operations, hospitality, family entertainment and daily training across more than 70 hectares. Its aging 100-volt analog sound system no longer provided the intelligibility, flexibility or independent zone control required for modern operations, making it difficult to manage race commentary, public announcements and background music across different areas while minimizing noise near the racetrack and horse training facilities.
Working with Exhibo, system integrator Alfea Cinematografica designed and installed a distributed JBL Professional audio system powered by Crown amplifiers to provide consistent coverage and independent control throughout the venue.
The installation includes two JBL Professional AWC129 loudspeakers mounted beneath the main grandstand roof to provide long-throw coverage across the primary spectator areas, seven JBL Professional AWC82 loudspeakers serving the secondary grandstands and walkways, and 16 JBL Professional AWC62 loudspeakers distributed throughout the restaurant, bar, playground and additional public gathering areas. Inside the betting hall, eight JBL Professional Control 424C/T ceiling loudspeakers provide speech reinforcement and program audio, while two JBL Professional 104-BT compact reference monitors support audio monitoring in the control room.
The loudspeaker system is powered by three Crown CDi DriveCore 4|600 amplifiers configured across 10 independent audio zones. Official JBL loudspeaker presets loaded into the Crown DSP platform optimize system performance while allowing operators to independently manage race commentary, public announcements and entertainment content throughout the venue.
“The zoning approach solved the long-standing problems of echoes and overlapping coverage,” said Stefano Vitali, Technical Manager at Alfea Cinematografica. “Each zone receives its own processed signal with precisely calibrated delay times, allowing visitors to move throughout the venue without hearing distracting echoes or sudden changes in sound level.”
The new JBL Professional and Crown system delivers consistent speech intelligibility and uniform coverage throughout San Rossore Racecourse while allowing operators to independently manage audio across 10 zones. The controlled directivity of the JBL Professional AWC Series focuses sound on spectator areas, reducing unnecessary spill toward the racetrack and training facilities and supporting the venue's commitment to horse welfare.
“The improvement has been immediate,” said Emiliano Piccioni, Director of the San Rossore Hippodrome. “Coverage is now uniform across all public areas, and speech intelligibility has improved considerably. Today we can provide entertainment for families and clear information for racegoers without interfering with the concentration required in the presentation ring or on the track, while ensuring the highest level of respect for the horses' wellbeing.”
By replacing its legacy analog infrastructure with a digitally managed JBL Professional and Crown solution, San Rossore Racecourse now supports racing, hospitality and public events with a flexible audio platform designed to meet the needs of one of Italy's most historic equestrian venues.
