Nestled within the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Natural Park, San Rossore Racecourse (Ippodromo San Rossore) has completed a comprehensive modernisation of its public address infrastructure with a new JBL Professional and Crown Audio system designed to support one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious horse racing venues.
Delivered by system integrator Alfea Cinematografica with support from Exhibo, the installation replaces a decades-old analogue system with a networked audio platform capable of serving race operations, hospitality and family entertainment while minimising acoustic impact on the surrounding park and nearby horse training facilities.
Established in the 19th century, San Rossore Racecourse hosts international horse racing, equestrian training, hospitality events, and family entertainment throughout its racing season. The venue also serves as Italy’s largest thoroughbred training centre, spanning more than 70 hectares with nearly 800 horse stalls and a resident population of approximately 500 racehorses during the season. Welcoming tens of thousands of visitors each year, the racecourse required an audio system capable of supporting multiple activities simultaneously while respecting the unique environmental conditions of the protected natural park.
The previous 100-volt analogue sound system had been in operation for approximately 30 years and offered neither digital processing nor independent audio zones. As a result, speech announcements lacked intelligibility across the venue, while operators were unable to independently manage race commentary, public information and background music in different areas.
Another priority was accommodating the venue’s diverse operations. Restaurants, bars, playgrounds and public gathering areas required background music and announcements, while technical areas—including the horse presentation ring and trackside facilities—needed lower sound levels to avoid unnecessary distractions for horses, trainers and officials.
To address these requirements, Alfea Cinematografica designed a distributed audio solution centred on JBL Professional loudspeakers and Crown amplifiers. The outdoor system includes two JBL Professional AWC129 loudspeakers installed beneath the main grandstand roof to provide long-throw coverage across the primary spectator areas.
Seven JBL Professional AWC82 loudspeakers serve the secondary grandstands and walkways, while 16 JBL Professional AWC62 loudspeakers provide distributed audio throughout the restaurant, bar, playground and additional public gathering areas, including a dedicated loudspeaker for the children’s play area. Eight JBL Control 424C/T ceiling loudspeakers were installed throughout the betting hall to provide clear speech and program audio indoors, while a pair of JBL 104-BT compact reference monitors supports audio monitoring within the control room.
The loudspeaker system is powered by three Crown CDi 4|600 amplifiers configured across 10 independent audio zones. Official JBL loudspeaker presets loaded into the Crown DSP platform optimise loudspeaker performance, system protection and long-term reliability while allowing operators to independently manage race commentary, 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 controlled directivity of the JBL Professional AWC Series also proved critical in protecting the horses’ environment. By focusing sound toward occupied spectator areas rather than the racetrack and training facilities, the system reduces unnecessary sound spill while maintaining clear coverage for guests.
Following system deployment, the new installation immediately improved both operational flexibility and the visitor experience.
“The improvement has been immediate,” shared 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.”
With its new JBL Professional and Crown Audio installation, San Rossore Racecourse now operates a scalable, digitally managed audio platform that supports international racing, hospitality and public events while respecting the operational requirements of one of Europe’s most historic racecourses. The project demonstrates how networked audio, intelligent zoning and purpose-built loudspeaker technology can modernise a historic venue while preserving both the guest experience and the surrounding natural environment.
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