The Top 10 Best Club Sound Systems in San Francisco

By Derek Opperman Tue., Jun. 12 2012 at 3:30 AM

Vessel

7. Vessel
Union Square might not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking about club culture. Yet the tourist mecca can provide some excellent sound (and respite) if you know where to look. Located just off Stockton, on Maiden Lane, Vessel is one such club. Inside, it's an intimate and lounge-y situation, with ultramodern decor that features surreal lighting and indoor foliage. Hop on the dancefloor and you'll enjoy a combination of good room acoustics and the club's state-of-the-art Funktion-One speaker array. Vessel puts its system through its paces at the guest-centric/tech-house oriented Thursday night Base parties, with a revolving cast of guests that's so far included the likes of Seth Troxler, Sasha, and Art Department.

Mezzanine

6. Mezzanine
Opened in 2003, Mezzanine has long since become an integral part of the city's nightlife, with performances by the likes of Carl Craig, LCD Soundsystem, and the Knife. Sandwiched between Sixth Street and Mint Plaza, it's a cavernous bi-level space in a former printing plant. Powering this large interior is the first Funktion-One sound system to be installed in a San Francisco club, a move that seems to have inspired a trend. Featuring the full acoustic might of four subsonic woofers, when the bass drops at Mezzanine, the floor nearly falls with it. For the full experience, head to the club for one of Dirtybird's quarterly parties.

Kahley Avalon Emerson

BeatBox

5. BeatBox
A fresh take on an old venue, BeatBox is the name of the latest incarnation at 314 11th St. While previous iterations never seemed to make it, we have a feeling BeatBox will stick around. Step inside and you'll notice the place has been spruced up a bit, both visually and sonically. Most important, however, is the club's Danley Sound Labs installation. The first of its kind on the West Coast, this system boasts a clean sound that's so far provided the perfect stage for the extended techno journeys on offer at As You Like It (winner of SF Weekly's "Best Promoter 2012") and the occasional weekend workouts of Housepitality.

Tags:

222 hyde, Beatbox, Harlot, Mezzanine, Mighty, Monarch, Public Works, Ruby Skye, Soundsystems, The EndUp, Vessel

We Recommend

Johnzane

Arguably the best sound I've ever experienced at a dance venue was through the wireless headphones provided by Silent Frisco. If you haven't experienced this unique alternative to rattling stacks of "Worship Me" speakers, you're in for a treat. I don't know why more clubs don't hire them, it's so amusing to watch a crowd getting down, whooping it up while those without headphones shake their heads in wonder. Best part is, you can adjust your own sound level, and slip the phones off to carry on a conversation.

Rick B.

Was pleasantly surprised to see 222 Hyde on there. I remember finding myself in this little hole-in-the-wall club... And the being blown away by the sound. Good stuff!

Mark Robert Ayoub

ruby skye has a great sound system, but they don't use it properly; all i ever hear is distorted bass. harlot's system is crappy. DNA lounge is missing.

vinyl_junkie

good list. bad order.

rxfx

Nice!

Nagolj

Mezzanine has terrible sound, if you happen to make your way up to the...mezzanine. Ground floor is great.

thomas g

Very hard to get good, saturated sound into the halls of Mezzanine, Mighty or Rubye Skye. I personally find that the EndUp belongs higher in the list - due to its setup it has dense, consistent sound anywhere the dance floor. Soundwise, 222 Hyde definitely is my favorite in this list. Not sure what the lighting does to the sound though...