Vinyl, cocktails and crystal-clear atmosphere - DALI x HELLA Bar

A cocktail bar where music matters 

When co-owner Mads Schack and his partners began planning HELLA Bar, they knew that music had to be more than just background noise. The space was meant to be a vinyl listening bar, where carefully curated records and signature cocktails went hand in hand. 

The challenge? The venue’s architecture. With huge glass windows and a concrete floor, the room was far from acoustically friendly.  

“We wanted people to enjoy their drinks and conversations without being overpowered by the music,” explains Schack.  

The question was how to create a sound experience that felt rich and detailed, while still supporting HELLA’s relaxed and social atmosphere. 

Designing the perfect sound system 

To solve the challenge, HELLA partnered with DALI and the local HiFi Klubben team. The solution was not a traditional club setup with a few large loudspeakers, but a distributed system designed for clarity, coverage and low-volume performance. 

Eight compact DALI OBERON 1 speakers were installed across the ceiling, supported by two E-12 subwoofers at the back of the room and a K-14 subwoofer near the DJ booth. Instead of stereo, the speakers were configured in mono to ensure the same experience at every seat in the bar. 

“This isn’t a listening room, it’s a conversation room,” explains DALI Senior Product Specialist Thomas Holm. “Coverage is more important than perfect stereo imaging. With many smaller speakers and carefully tuned subwoofers, you get the warmth and depth of vinyl without ever having to turn the music up too loud.” 

A new experience for DJs 

Resident DJ Mads Appeal immediately noticed the difference when the system went live.  

“As soon as the new speakers and subwoofers were installed, I picked up percussion and frequencies I’d never noticed before - not even in my headphones,” he says. 

In the booth, two DALI ALTECO monitors give him a direct sense of what the audience hears. “I hardly use my headphones anymore, only for cueing. The monitors make mixing more organic and more fun, because I can hear the music in the room exactly as guests hear it.” 

This has made DJing at HELLA more engaging and less fatiguing, allowing for longer sets with more creativity. It also ensures the sound is finely balanced, whether a record is pressed loudly or softly. 

Atmosphere first - cocktails, music and hygge 

For guests, the result is a unique blend of high-quality sound and relaxed atmosphere. The music fills the space evenly but never overwhelms conversation. It feels more like a carefully curated house party than a nightclub. 

Schack describes it as “the kind of atmosphere you’d have at home. A private party or a summerhouse gathering - just brought into a bar setting.”  

Even the cocktail menu reflects the music connection, with drinks like Pink + White, named after a Frank Ocean track. 

Compared to the owners’ other bar, Force Majeure, the difference is striking. “At HELLA we could finally do everything we couldn’t before,” says Schack. The superior sound design has become a cornerstone of HELLA’s identity, elevating the cocktails, the vinyl selection and the overall guest experience. 

Why great sound defines HELLA Bar’s success 

What HELLA Bar proves is that sound isn’t just a technical detail - it’s a vital part of hospitality. By choosing a DALI setup built around OBERON 1 speakers, ALTECO monitors, and E-12 and K-14 subwoofers, the bar has created an environment where people stay longer, connect more deeply, and enjoy music. 

In a city filled with restaurants and cocktail spots, HELLA stands out not only for its drinks but also for its crystal-clear, conversation-friendly soundscape. Great sound, it turns out, can be just as important as a great cocktail.