Project: Gwanpyeong Church

The Catholic Church in Gwanpyeong-dong, Daejeon, South Korea, was built in November 2018. Its exterior mirrors the deck of a ship, like Noah’s Ark sailing toward the sky. Its minimalist interior has tall stained-glass windows and is 91-feet long and 55-feet wide, with 26-foot-high ceilings. The church has approximately 2,800 members participating in worship services each week.

Challenge
Church leaders wanted an audio system to enable all congregants to clearly hear the priest’s message and the choir’s songs during services. The church’s size and marble finishes make it vulnerable to sound absorption and reverberation. Church administrators, however, did not want to add any acoustic improvements to the space that would detract from the interior aesthetic. In addition to an effective, discreet sound system, the church needed an assistive listening system to support members of the congregation who have hearing loss.

Solution
To create an inclusive hearing experience, church administrators sought help from YNC Solution, a systems integrator with experience designing and constructing audio systems for use in venues and language translation throughout South Korea. YNC selected Listen Technologies’ LT-800-072KR RF transmitter for its outstanding audio clarity, digital signal strength, and 21 channels. The transmitter is connected to the church’s primary audio system and broadcasts robust and reliable audio to Listen Technologies’ iDSP receivers.

Result
Congregants with hearing loss or hearing impairment can easily and discreetly use Listen Technologies’ RF receivers to hear clearly regardless of where they are in the building. This results in increased engagement. All congregants, including those with hearing loss, can hear clearly and fully participate in the services.
In addition, the ListenRF system has no impact on the aesthetic of the building. It aligns seamlessly with the church’s audio system and does not detract from the beauty of the space – it’s practically invisible.