AV Case Study: Gran Torino & Bar Torino
Neil Perry’s latest venture immerses patrons in high-quality, yet virtually-invisible, audio.
24 November 2025
Story:/ Christopher Holder
Neil Perry is one of the most recognisable names in Australian hospitality. The Neil Perry star has at times risen stratospherically high, successfully launching and operating big-budget, corporate-friendly restaurants such as Rockpool and Rosetta. In more recent times, Perry has returned to his roots, basing himself in the old stamping ground of Double Bay, in the salubrious eastern suburbs of Sydney.
Neil Perry’s vision might be more grassroots and family centric but his eye for detail and his desire to deliver a superior product remains undaunted. So you’d expect his latest venues Gran Torino and Bar Torino to be a cut above. And they are, with Gran Torino offering amazing Italian food and Bar Torino a superior bar concept.
SLEAK INTIMATE COZY
Fascinatingly, the interiors were imagined by fashion designer, Collette Dinnigan, and photographer, Earl Carter.
Tucked away in the basement of Gaden House beneath Gran Torino, Bar Torino goes for a sleek, intimate speakeasy vibe with a nostalgic ‘50s/’60s Italian vibe. The cozy space seats about 80 indoors and features an alfresco terrace for around 30, overlooking Bay Street. It’s a great standalone venue, or the perfect spot to segue from cocktails to dinner upstairs.
Paul Cavallaro won the AV design and installation job. Paul’s company Goldfinch Projects was subcontracting to AV Lounge on the project. He worked closely with the builder, Calida.
“When I first saw the plans I immediately thought about K-Array. I’m an AV guy but I love architecture and design, and I felt convinced the design and performance of K-Array’s loudspeakers would be ideal for this project.”
Paul reached out to K-Array’s distributor, Australis. “Australis was great. Nik and David, in particular, helped me conduct a demonstration on the venue’s construction site for Neil Perry and worked with me on the audio design. Neil went for it immediately. He couldn’t believe the sound coming out of the compact system.”
BASKING IN K-ARRAY LYZARD
The ‘system’ was a combination of K-Array’s tiniest contenders, the Lyzard KZ14, micro arrays. Not much bigger than a matchbox, the Lyzards, when combined with a low-profile K-Array sub provide virtually invisible sound without sacrificing sonic performance.
The bar area scores a larger K-Array system to support DJ performances. A Python KP102I column loudspeaker either end of the bar, again, coupled with a concealed subwoofer, provide all the impact required for those weekend performances.
‘We discreetly concealed subs in some joinery in the banquette seating,” explains Paul. “The K-Array Thunder and Rumble range. There are additional Truffle subs in banquettes elsewhere in the space to support the KZ14 micro arrays.”
Paul worked with the designers and builder to seamlessly integrate the KZ14, such that they match the width of dark-stained timber strips. They sit flush with the KZ14s finished in a complementary colour. “When you’re seated at the venue, patrons have no idea where the speakers are or where the immersive sound is coming from.”
Care was taken to position the KZ14s all at a similar height relative to patrons heads to avoid any hotspotting. K-Array KA34 and KA18 amplifiers drive the system with one amp channel handling three KZ14s. There’s plenty of granularity for Paul to fine-tune the system to ensure absolute smoothness and even coverage.
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When you’re seated at the venue, patrons have no idea where the speakers are or where the immersive sound is coming from
INVISIBLE SOUND
Above the bar is Gran Torino, a 130-seat upstairs dining room. It’s easy to feel instantly at home. The cooking is as comforting as a hug from nonna, while the interiors are nostalgic without being mawkish, featuring a burgundy palette, leather banquettes, creamy marble surfaces, plush velvet curtains, and feature photography from Earl Carter.
“The architect specified the Sonance Invisible range of loudspeakers,” explains Paul Cavallaro. “The product is installed behind the plasterboard – they’re genuinely invisible and they perform well. Installing them was a learning experience. The speakers need to be installed prior to the plasterboard, but the ceiling design made things tricky. We were grateful for [distributor] Amber Technology’s design assistance.”
If you’re unaware of the Sonance Invisible range, it’s something out of the ordinary. Unlike traditional speakers with visible grilles, these employ a transducer tech that uses the wall or ceiling surface itself as a diaphragm, turning the entire plane into a sound-radiating element. This creates a very diffuse and immersive sound field with wide dispersion (up to 180 degrees) without compromising the room’s aesthetic. As you can imagine, Sonance Invisible is especially popular in luxury homes and with architects.
BATHED IN SOUND
Gran Torino is far from Neil Perry’s first rodeo, and like every top-shelf restaurateur he’s keenly aware that all elements of the design need to be in balance to support the main offering – the amazing food and wine.
“The lighting and music need to be in balance with the interiors,” explains Neil Perry. “Often I’ll see a battle between the architect and the audio about where to position the ‘ugly loudspeakers’ and it feels like one or the other is inevitably compromised. That’s not happened this time. When Paul auditioned the baby K-Array speakers I was instantly sold – not only did they sound amazing but they could be seamlessly integrated into the interior design. The music in Bar Torino just bathes our patrons in sound. They have no idea where the music is coming from yet the quality is next level. And when we have a DJ performing, the energy elevates effortlessly.”
CONTACTS
Gran Torino & Bar Torino: themargaretfamily.com/venue/gran-torino
Goldfinch Projects: goldfinchprojects.com.au
AV Lounge: avlounge.com.au
Australis (K-Array): australismusic.com.au
Amber Technology (Sonance): ambertech.com.au
Calida (Construction): calida.com.au
RESPONSES