Mareida, Marylebone

A clean, punchy restaurant sound system installation delivering full-bodied music without ever overpowering conversation at Mareida’s new Marylebone restaurant in London.

The Client

Mareida is an Andean South-inspired restaurant on Great Portland Street, Marylebone, bringing the flavours of Chile, Peru and the wider Andean region to the London dining scene.

Sound Division was introduced to the project by LXA Project Management and appointed on a tight turnaround to deliver the venue’s music system ahead of opening.

The kitchen champions the coastal and open-fire heritage of Chilean cooking, reimagining premium British seasonal produce through an Andean lens, with a Chilean-led wine and pisco list to match.

Project Brief

With a short lead time to work with, the brief called for a straightforward, high-quality sound system across the main dining and bar area, capable of carrying the energy of the room without becoming intrusive: clear and punchy enough to be felt, but never at the expense of conversation. The whole job — from introduction and specification through to installation and completion — was turned around in just three weeks.

System Solution

Multiple Martin Audio Blackline X8 (8″ Bass & 1″ HF, 200W) loudspeakers were installed across the main dining and bar areas on Powerdrive ceiling-mount brackets with drop columns, giving direct, even coverage across the room. The toilet walkway and washrooms are served by Martin Audio C4.8T flush ceiling loudspeakers (40W), maintaining consistent background coverage into the venue’s secondary spaces.

The system is driven by Wharfedale DP4065 four-channel, 650W amplifiers and managed through a BSS Soundweb Blu50 digital signal processor, with a BSS EC-8BV wall-mounted control panel providing straightforward backup control.

An additional audio connection point was installed to a central waiter station at the front of the restaurant to allow for DJ’s to set up and perform for DJ led performance evening events.

The Result

Despite the tight installation window, Mareida now has a music system that fills the room with genuine energy. It is punchy and full-bodied at volume, yet clear enough that conversation never gets lost beneath it, and the client has praised the system’s clarity and balance, noting it holds its presence in the background without ever taking over.

• “Mareida is another prime Fitzrovia location showcasing our restaurant music systems work, which we are proud to have added to our portfolio.”
  — David Graham, Founder and Director, Sound Division
• “We were really pleased to be introduced to Sound Division from LXA, they done a great job on an extremely fast turnaround – the sound is exactly what we wanted, crisp, warm and rounded, clearly heard for atmosphere but can hold a conversation without strain!”
  — Prenay A, Founder & Owner