Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers chosen for Jesamondo Salon & Spa in Natick, Massachusetts

Through its Smart IP technology, Genelec, the leader in active loudspeakers for over 45 years, is increasingly the choice of loudspeaker system for retail establishments, commercial spaces and beyond, especially among those aiming for a premium experience for customers. Jesamondo Salon & Spa in Natick, MA, is just one of those businesses, recently installing an audio system that matches up to its gorgeous decor and ultra-talented staff of over 40 hairstylists, estheticians, nail technicians, massage therapists, make-up artists, a reiki master and more. Jesamondo owner Matt Traiger had a particular ambiance in mind, and he has made it happen thanks in part to this savvy investment in Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers.

It took half a second to tell a distinct difference from the sound system we had.

Genelec Inc. senior technical sales manager Paul Stewart is himself a longtime patron of Jesamondo, relying on their talented stylists to maintain his signature coif. Several months ago, his stylist Marisol mentioned plans for an upcoming major renovation involving all-new floors, ceilings, hair stations and spa rooms, and Stewart brought up Genelec as an ideal audio choice for such a makeover. Traiger was open to any great ideas for the renovation, and it didn’t take long for the prospect of a Genelec system to strike the right chord with him. “I chatted with Paul,” Traiger recalls. “And then, an hour later, I’m at Genelec Inc.’s Experience Center in Natick, and he’s showing me and testing everything. He just turned on the Genelec speakers, and it took half a second to tell a distinct difference from the sound system we had. The quality of the sound was just like night and day, and I said ‘Let’s do this!’.”

Stewart connected Traiger with Zachary Lacroix, system engineer at frequent Genelec integrator partner Parsons Audio (based in Woburn, MA), who was happy to get the ball rolling. Traiger’s vision included being able to dial in a festive mood for the salon’s mimosa-sipping patrons, matched with a much more relaxed/tranquil vibe in the nail room, spas and shampoo room. The system they arrived at included 22 Genelec 4435A Smart IP Dante®-enabled active in-ceiling speakers, blending seamlessly into Jesamondo’s chic aesthetic and being able to serve Jesamondo’s distinct spaces (two speakers in the reception area, one in each of two bathrooms off reception, two in the nail room, seven in the salon, two in the shampoo room, one in each of four individual spas, and one in each for a spa bathroom, the spa lobby and the hallway outside the spa rooms). Additionally, on-wall dials leveraging Q-SYS automation systems offer intuitive zone management, individual speaker muting, and overall control.

The benefit you get with using an IP system is that each speaker is individually addressable.

Prior to the renovation, Traiger relied on a single Pandora feed to populate all the music for the entire facility, which occasionally created a dissonance between the needs for the salon compared to the more subdued spaces. Now, they have four different Pandora feeds, fully routable to any room, to make sure that each space can dial in just the right vibe. Lacroix remarks, “The benefit you get with using an IP system is that each speaker is individually addressable. So, you can change the routing…you can change the grouping down the road if you need to. It’s not all tied together on one cable.”

Traiger is more than satisfied: “There was nothing that wasn’t done to perfection. Walking into here now is the same as walking into that five-star hotel spa retreat…that five-star hotel salon retreat. That’s what we’ve created here. And it wouldn’t have been possible without the Genelec sound system.”