Fashion designer John Varvatos is synonymous with the rock “n roll look, and his
nearly thirty stores around the world – from San Francisco to Mexico City to London to
Moscow to Bangkok and beyond – attest to the global excitement for his uniquely put-
together, yet authentically rebellious look. When the Varvatos company added its fifth
New York City location in the Westfield World Trade Center mall, they hired Essential
Communications (East Hanover, New Jersey) to design and install a killer music
playback system worthy of the Varvatos name. Essential Communications relied on
Ashly Audio’s four-channel nXp8004 DSP-equipped network multi-mode amplifier,
paired with Ashly’s WR1.5 remote volume control & source/preset selector and Ashly’s
custom iPad/iPhone remote control app.
“We specialise in retail, restaurant, and hotels where the client cares a lot about the
aesthetics,’ said David Schwartz, founder and president of Essential Communications.
“Although we don’t design based on price, we have to be sensitive to it. Like us, our
clients want an amazing sounding system that doesn’t cost a lot. Ashly is one of those
rare companies that deliver great sounding products that are rock-solid reliable for
way less than comparable products from other manufacturers. And they have a huge
array of amplifier sizes: from two-, four-, or eight-channels, 75 to 3000 watts per
channel, with or without network connectivity or DSP so that I can fit any project.’
At John Varvatos WTC, Schwartz opted for a four-channel Ashly nXp8004 Protea™-
enabled DSP network amplifier, which delivers 800W per channel. Essential
Communications went the extra mile to give the new store loudspeakers to
complement its rock “n roll memorabilia. The store had several old 1970s-era home hi-
fi loudspeakers that – although non-functional and degraded from a sound perspective
– still had all their visual charm. Schwartz and his team simply gutted the large
cabinets and put new Community v2-8 loudspeakers inside.
To control the system, Essential Communications gave the staff a physical Ashly WR-
1.5 combined volume control and input source selection remote, along with the Ashly
Remote App, a customised wireless remote for the iPad or iPhone. “Everyone’s into
the remote control apps these days, and Ashly makes a great one,’ Schwartz said.
“Half the time they ask, “can I control it from my phone?’ and half the time I suggest
it before they think to ask. Either way, they love being able to control their new state-
of-the-art system from their device.’
