In the world of high-performance home cinema, the space is viewed holistically, and the teams of installers creating these projects must consider how the room behaves and reacts to the system being installed and calibrated.
This dream penthouse custom install system is all about the Joy of home theatre (and hi-fi)
Acoustic treatment is often a key part of the journey. But if you are imagining ugly bass traps and odd contraptions to control the audio, think again—modern approaches offer aesthetic improvements as well as acoustic ones.
The team behind this project, after demonstrating different options for the customer, selected a set of equipment and a room design approach that aligned with the client’s dream of the perfect entertainment space.
Everybody loves to see how the other half lives, looks and listens, so read on to discover how this high-end home cinema was brought to life.
A strong home cinema concept
Marcin Kulas, founder and director of AVA Concept, the team behind this month's project, explains that after a flood, his client's house required much renovation. The client saw this as an opportunity to create the home cinema they had always wanted.
Marcin reveals, “Instead of just replacing the damaged components, he decided to take his home entertainment experience to the next level.
"With an increased budget and a vision for an upgraded home cinema, the team worked closely with the client to design and implement a cutting-edge audio-visual system that not only restored but far exceeded the original setup.
"What started as an unfortunate and highly unusual series of events turned into an opportunity to create something exceptional.”
He continues, “We had a great relationship with the client, and since he was very technical, it made it easier to guide him through the project.
"The process began with project design and drawing up the exact positioning of the speakers, screen and seats.
"Initially, we planned to install fabrics around the room, but instead we suggested reallocating the budget towards acoustic treatment using Vicoustic.”
Vicoustic is an innovative company that creates attractive treatments to either absorb or diffuse sound, often made from recycled materials. The company also assists in cinema design, emphasising strong aesthetics as well as audio enhancement.
The install team arranged for the customer to visit the demonstration facilities of the equipment suppliers—a common practice in high-end home cinema projects. Experiencing the possibilities firsthand really excited the customer about the potential of the space.
Getting the audio right was a major priority, including adjusting for the room’s acoustics.
Marcin explains, “The acoustic treatment design was based on our drawings and created by Vicoustic. The client and our team were very impressed with what Vicoustic came up with.”
Cinema detail, build and gallery
To prepare the room and house some of the equipment, false walls were constructed using two sheets of plywood with a layer of soundproofing rubber in between, providing acoustic insulation and a solid base.
One of the early tasks was also to install lighting fixtures, which were integrated into the building’s Control4 home automation system that manages the entire home as well as the cinema.
All the Triad speakers were installed and positioned early in the process. The speaker array consists of:
- Triad InWall Silver/6 LCR (x3), chosen for their sound quality and compatibility with the room size
- Triad InWall Silver/4 Surround (x2) for surround sound
- Triad InWall Silver/4 Sat (x2) as additional satellite speakers
- Triad InCeiling Silver OpenRound (x4) for immersive overhead sound
Two powerful Earthquake Sound MKVII-15PIANO-SV-W 15-inch powered subwoofers were also installed. Marcin, a long-time fan of Earthquake subs, was pleased to use them in this project to deliver deep, high-performance bass.
The next phase involved installing the JVC projector, Projecta screen and seating.
The client previously had a JVC projector, so the team upgraded to the DLA-NZ7 model, offering better features and performance.
The Projecta screen is a 128-inch fixed-frame model, chosen for its 4K UHD and HDR compatibility. Marcin says, “We’ve had great results with this screen in previous projects, so we recommended it for its quality.”
MadVR processing was included in the setup. Marcin explains, “After debating between madVR and Lumagen, the client chose madVR despite initial hesitation about the price. We convinced him by sharing videos and discussing the advantages of this high-end processor.”
In the home cinema world, even high-performance products such as the JVC projector can be enhanced with specialist equipment such as MadVR, which takes imaging to the next level through advanced HDR tone mapping, upscaling, geometry control and calibration.
Also included was an Anthem MRX 1140 AV receiver, selected for its premium performance and compatibility with the room and speaker array.
Control of the system is enhanced with a Control4 Halo remote. As Control4 dealers for 15 years, both the team and the client are fans of the remote's reliability and ease of use.
At the end of the installation, both the projector and the AV receiver were calibrated for optimal performance.
So, what are some of the stand-out features?
Marcin says, “We recommended Vicoustic panels to enhance both the sound and the room’s interior, which really impressed the client.
"Additionally, the Earthquake subwoofers provided incredible deep bass and the MadVR ensured the picture was displayed in full, maximising the screen’s potential.”
The full kit list
- JVC DLA-NZ7 projector
- Projecta 128-inch acoustically transparent fixed frame screen
- MadVR Envy Pro processor
- Anthem MRX 1140 AV receiver
- Control4 Halo remote control
- Lutron Control lighting
- 3 x Triad InWall Silver/6 LCR
- 2 x Triad InWall Silver/4 Surround (standard bipole)
- 2 x Triad InWall Silver/4 Sat
- 4 x Triad InCeiling Silver OpenRound
- 2 x Earthquake Sound MKVII-15PIANO-SV-W 15in POWERED SUB, 3000W
