Audio visual, sound and lighting installations
Beyond Audio.
OBAV designs, installs and supports audio visual, sound, lighting, hearing loop and evacuation systems for commercial sites and high-end homes across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the rest of the South East, and further across the UK for the right project.
We are a specialist installation company rather than a product seller. We work directly with clients and homeowners as well as architects, consultants and main contractors, from early design and first fix through to installation, programming, commissioning and handover.
Projects range from commercial AV and public-address systems to venue sound and lighting, hearing loops and private home cinemas. Our own engineers carry out the installation and remain available to support the system afterwards.
OBAV is SafeContractor approved and ISO accredited, and most of our work comes through architects, main contractors and clients who have used us before.
More than audio, which is where the name comes in
The name says audio, but our work goes well beyond it. We design and install sound, video, lighting, networking and control systems, bringing the different parts of an AV project together where required. Working alongside our sister company, Lake Electrical, also means we can coordinate the AV with the wider electrical installation on larger projects.
We are based in East Sussex and carry out most of our work across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the wider South East.
For larger commercial, venue and specialist AV projects, we also work further across the UK and overseas. Our experience ranges from local churches, schools and hospitality venues through to larger public venues and specialist installations further afield.
Wherever the project is, the same team can stay involved from design and coordination through to installation, commissioning and handover.
From design through to handover
Some projects come to us with an AV specification already prepared. Others start with a room, a building or a set of architectural drawings and a requirement for what the system needs to do.
We can work either way.
For new builds and refurbishments, we can become involved before first fix and coordinate loudspeaker positions, displays, projectors, lighting, equipment racks, power, network points, containment and cable routes with the wider project team.
Where an existing building is being upgraded, we survey the equipment and infrastructure already in place before deciding what should be retained or replaced.
Our own engineers then carry out the installation and remain involved through programming, commissioning, testing, training and handover.
The sectors we work in
Much of our work is commercial and specialist, and there are sectors we are known for.
We install for churches and heritage buildings, a speciality that includes the faculty and diocese process and the care a listed building needs. We work in public buildings such as town halls, in restaurants and hospitality with the budget to do the job correctly, and in bars and nightclubs where the sound and lighting carry the room.
We install in schools and education, often through main contractors and tenders, and we design home cinema and residential AV for higher-end homes, usually alongside an architect or designer.
Working with architects, consultants and contractors
A significant part of our work is delivered as part of larger construction and refurbishment projects.
We work from architects’ drawings, consultant specifications and tender documentation and provide the technical information the wider project team needs for the AV installation.
That can include equipment positions, cable routes, containment, power and network requirements, rack locations and interfaces with lighting, electrical and other building systems.
Where something needs resolving, we would rather raise it while the project is still on the drawings than once walls and ceilings are finished.
Where we work
OBAV is based in East Sussex and works mainly across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the rest of the South East, where a real person can be on site quickly when you need one. For larger commercial and specialist projects we travel further across the UK.
Why our clients pay for quality rather than the cheapest quote
We are not the cheapest, and we do not pretend to be. What you pay for is the knowledge, the thorough survey and a system installed and commissioned correctly, backed by the team that did the work. We are straight about what a site actually needs from the start, so the full scope and cost are agreed up front and nothing appears part way through a job.
Our engineers are employed and have stayed with us for years, a real person answers the phone at any hour, and much of our work comes through architects, main contractors and clients who trust us from earlier jobs. We are comfortable with tenders and with being brought in early at the design stage, and combining with our sister company Lake Electrical means the group can take on larger contracts where the audio visual and the electrical work sit together. We also take on the involved, technical jobs that many firms our size would rather leave alone.
New systems, upgrades and ongoing support
Not every project starts from scratch.
We also survey and upgrade existing sound, lighting and AV systems, and where equipment or cabling can still do the job, we will consider retaining it rather than replacing everything.
After installation, support stays with OBAV. Our engineers are employed by the business, so the company looking after the system is the company that installed and commissioned it.
Where suitable remote access is available, some checks and adjustments can also be carried out without arranging a site visit.
Accredited and trusted on commercial and heritage sites
We are SafeContractor approved and ISO [[NUMBER: exact ISO standard to confirm]] accredited, with heritage and faculty experience, and our engineers are employed and long-serving rather than subcontracted.
Prefer to talk it through first? Get in touch.
Case studies
What clients say
[placeholder — recent review 1]
[placeholder — recent review 2]
[placeholder — recent review 3]
Tell us about your project
If you have a project in mind, commercial or residential, the next step is a conversation and, where it helps, a site survey, so we can design the right system and give you a full scope and cost.
Request a quote. Prefer to talk it through first? Get in touch, or call and speak to one of us directly.
Old Barn Audio Ltd
Unit 15, Wylands Farm
Powdermill Lane
Battle
East Sussex TN33 0SU
01892 752246
enquiries@oldbarnaudio.co.uk
We work across London, East Sussex, Kent, Surrey and the rest of the South East, and travel further across the UK for the right project.