These homeowners were no strangers to home theaters. They had them in some form or other in the past, according to Advanced Home Audio’s Bill Charney, but with advanced technology they wanted it to be truly unique this time.
Marrying impactful design elements with equally dramatic audio and video effects, Advanced Home Audio of Shelton, Conn., teamed up with Laura Kaehler Architects and Pompa Development & Construction to deliver a stunning theater room that dazzles at every turn, and also from floor to ceiling.
“The owner was looking for a very high-end audio and video experience in addition to wanting a very modern aesthetic look in the theater,” says Charney. “The screen incorporates motorized masking panels that adjust to the Hollywood (from 16:9 HDTV aspect ratio to 2.35:1 CinemaScope super-wide) image. The screen size, speaker system and curtain in the room’s front proscenium were balanced carefully to maintain a ‘floating’ ceiling architecture, while still providing superior performance.”
The superb video system combines a SIM2 C3X Lumis projector with a 130-inch, curved model from Stewart Filmscreen that takes up most of the front wall real estate in this slightly narrow room. The SIM2 C3X Lumis projector works with a Lumagen Radiance processor to deliver the super-wide images from the homeowners’ vast movie collection, which is stored and served up via a Kaleidescape system.
The projector peeks out from behind the rear wall, which along with the other walls are aided by an Acoustic Smart interior acoustic panel treatment system. At the front of the room, a motorized Acoustic Smart theater curtain sets the stage for a dramatic beginning to any movie. The room’s AMX control system and plentiful, thoughtfully planned out Vantage lighting system, allow the homeowners easy operation to set the ambiance for entertaining and the show. Lighting provides important aesthetic touches within the proscenium and surrounding the ceiling.
“The team implemented a creative ceiling design making the ceiling appear to ‘float’ or be magically suspended in the room,” says Charney.
Along with the special effects aspect, the ceiling posed a logistical challenge to the theater installation, Charney adds, especially with the request for an extra row of raised seating. “The only location for the theater had a number of challenges, and in particular were a narrower space and a somewhat limited ceiling height, due to pre-existing mechanical systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, gas lines, etc.),” explains Charney. “The limited ceiling height required all mechanical obstructions to be moved and re-routed in order to gain the additional ceiling height needed for the requested third row of seating.”
Another challenge, Charney says, was that the entryway had to be architecturally centered from the stairwell to maintain the design, and the collaborators not only did that but made the portal a key visual focal point to whet theater goers’ appetites as they head down the stairs.
Once inside, not only does the room’s visuals produce a stellar experience, but they are well complemented by the full-throttle surround-sound system, which features an array of Bay Audio loudspeakers fed by McIntosh electronics.
Click here to view more photos of this home theater.
Systems Design & Installation: Advanced Home Audio, Shelton, Conn.
Architect & Interior Design: Laura Kaehler Architects
Builder: Pompa Development & Construction
Equipment
(10) Acoustic Smart-Barchetta-style Luxury Theater Chairs
(1) Acoustic Smart-Custom motorized theater curtain for front stage
Acoustic Smart-Interior acoustic panel treatment system
(1) APC-APC9000
(1) APC-APCS20
(1) AMX-MVP-5200i w/docking station & power supply(1) AMX-NI-3100
(1) Aprilaire-8027
(1) Aprilaire-8051
(1) Aprilaire-8061
(1) Aprilaire-8818
(1) Aprilaire-8870
Auralex Room Acoustic Isolation System
(4) Bay Audio-PTM/One
(3) Bay Audio-PTM/Two
(1) Bay Audio-15” Rumble Subwoofer
(1) Bay Audio-12” Impact Subwoofer
(4) Bay Audio-500W Power Pack
(2) Cisco-SR520W-FE
(1) Kaleidescape-Kplayer 6000
(1) Kaleidescape-K-server
(1) Kaleidescape-Kplayer 5000
(5) Kaleidescape-Kdisk 2000
(1) Lumagen-Radiance
(1) McIntosh-MC207
(1) McIntosh-MVP881
(1) McIntosh-MX150
(1) Middle Atlantic-5-43-26
(1) Middle Atlantic-SP-5-43-26
(1) Middle Atlantic-CBS-5-26
(4) Middle Atlantic-assorted custom rack shelves
(1) SIM2-C3X Flex – motorized lens
(1) SIM2-C3X Lumis T3 – projector
(1) Stewart Filmscreen-Cinev 130 CV130H – custom curve screen
(1000ft) Straight Wire cabling
(1) Vantage-IC-36
(1) Vantage-KS11TG
(1) Vantage-MDS8RW101
(1) Vantage-MPES-2-IC36
