Home cinema install: Synthesis of sound

The owner of this premium movie room knew he wanted a JBL Synthesis speaker setup, having had one in a previous system. Here he's gone for the full monty – a 7.2.6 array – tasking installer Dawsons AV with designing a room that can make the 15 enclosures disappear (including the two 18in subwoofers) and sound their best.

The space itself brought some challenges; it had a marble tile floor and twin entrances, including a patio door. To overcome the first issue a room within a room was constructed using a timber frame topped with fabric panels. This gives the room both a unique styling and an acoustic leg up – although naturally full EQ/calibration was undertaken. Even more innovative are the motorized, sliding wall-sections that reveal the doors, easily controlled via a Crestron system linked to a tablet touchscreen interface.

JBL Synthesis processing, EQ and power is used – the latter including seven 2 x 200W stereo amplifiers – while a calibrated Wolf Cinema 4K laser projector crafts the largescreen visuals. The room's entire front-wall is filled by a 4.2m-wide screen. For sources, the owner can switch between Ultra HD Blu-ray, 4K downloads from a Kaleidescape system, Sky Q and Apple TV, plus legacy hardware including a LaserDisc player...


Installer Info

Dawsons AV
dawsonsav.co.uk


Kit Checklist

JBL Synthesis: 3 x SK2 3300 (left, centre, right); 2 x SCL4 (surround); 2 x SCL4 (rear); 6 x SCL4 (height); 2 x S1S 18in subwoofers
JBL Synthesis: 7 x S820 power amplifiers (2 x 200W); 1 x S7165 seven-channel amplifier (7 x 160W); 1 x JBL SDP-75 HD processor; 2 x SDEC 4500 digital EQ modules
Wolf Cinema: TXF5000 4K laser projector; ProScaler
Ultimate Screens: 4.2m-wide, 2.35:1 projector screen with lateral masking
Kaleidescape: Strato 4K movie player
Panasonic: DMP-UB900 4K Blu-ray player
Apple: Apple TV 4K
Sky: Sky Q PVR
Crestron: Control system

There are 42 RGB LED strips tucked away into the false ceiling. 'Any pattern and colour of lighting can be achieved' says the installer. 'When activated they sequentially illuminate towards the screen...'

A tablet gives touchscreen access to a Crestron-powered interface that offers simple control over the room's multiple sources, lighting, temperature and motorised doors

Dawsons transformed the bare-box room with fabric wall panels installed on a timber frame. These conceal the rear/surround speakers and help fine-tune the cinema's acoustics

COMPANY INFO

X