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HI-DEF Plasma LCD dvd blu-ray
High-performance sound & Vision
Home cinema install
£45,000 movie palace Turn over for more‌
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2 pro install ➜ £45,000 ➜ www.audio7.co.uk
Movie bliss without strangers Anton van Beek looks at the successful conversion of an unused outhouse into a home cinema full of authentic touches Home Cinema Choice
Installs 3 Two rows of seats are placed at heights that ensure everyone has a grandstand view
S
urrey-based home cinema specialist Audio 7 says it ‘likes to think that we’re specialists in making people almost impossibly happy’. That claim certainly proved right in this conversion of an unused outbuilding into a dedicated home cinema space. The Audio 7 team came up with a design that closely matched the owner’s desire to accurately recreate the experience of going to a public cinema. This meant front speakers hidden behind the screen, a motorised curtain, high-end AV performance and a 2.35:1 ratio screen. The latter was sourced from Screen Research, and it works in tandem with a JVC DLA-DH750 projector and a Schneider Optics anamorphic lens. The owner says that Audio 7 was the only installer to suggest a 2.35:1 projector screen – shame on you, everyone else! To keep the front speakers out of sight, Audio 7 fitted L/C/R Spitfire Monitors, interspersed by a pair of Artcoustic Spitfire subwoofers, behind the acoustically-transparent screen. Amplification for the fronts and subs comes from a pair of three-channel Artcoustic PA-1800s, allowing the team to bi-amp the centre for more efficient sound. The rear and surround speakers are driven by a suitably powerful Denon AVR-4308, which in turn is served a hi-def diet from the rack-mounted Denon DVD-2500BT transport and Sky HD set-top box.
Let there be light!
Kit Checklist
The 2.35:1 screen is hidden from view by a motorised curtain
JVC: DLA-HD750 projector Schneider Optics: Anamorphic lens Screen Research: ClearPix2 130in acoustically transparent projector screen Sky: Sky+HD set-top box Denon: DVD-2500BT Blu-ray transport Artcoustic: 3x Spitfire Monitor 2.5-way loudspeakers (L/C/R) Artcoustic: 4x Diablo Monitor X2 2-way loudspeakers Artcoustic: 2 x Spitfire subwoofers Artcoustic: 2x PA-1800 amplifiers Denon: AVR-4308 7.1-channel AV receiver Philips: Pronto TSU9400 programmable remote control Philips: Pronto RFX9400 wi-fi extender Silent Gliss: 5400 electronic curtain track Lutron: Grafik Eye GRX-3504 4-zone lighting control system Daneway: 8x black leather cinema seats
The authentically atmospheric lighting scheme for the room was implemented using a Lutron Grafik Eye control system. Like the rest of the tech, this is controlled via a Philips Pronto touchscreen remote. The programming of the system naturally includes a one-button macro that’s timed to turn everything on, dim the lights and even play music in the background as the projector warms up. The final job to do before the room was finished was fitting the two rows of four cinema seats, with a height difference between the tiers measured to ensure even those at the back get a good view. This install was a finalist in the CEDIA 2010 awards, and the owner is impressed with his new hi-tech AV room too, calling it ‘a cinema that my friends and family are envious of…’ He can add HCC to that list as well... Home Cinema Choice
4 Installs
A B
C
A The bigger picture
High-definition imagery is provided by JVC’s superb HD750 D-ILA projector coupled with an anamorphic lens attachment from Schneider Optics
B Snack time
This popcorn-maker near the door completes the illusion of watching films at your local cinema
C Step it up D
The eight cinema seats are arranged across two different tiers to ensure that those sitting at the back don’t have their view obstructed by the back of somebody’s head
F
D El Diablo
A quartet of wall-mounted Artcoustic Diablo Monitor X2s look after the rear and surround audio, with amplification provided by a Denon AVR-4308 in the kit rack
E Ace of bass
E
Behind the screen you’ll find a trio of Artcoustic Spitfire Monitors acting as the L/C/R, plus a pair of the audio specialist’s matching on-wall Spitfire subwoofers
F Small screen thrills
This stunning pro-install isn’t just made for movie-watching. There’s also a world of high-definition sport and TV shows on offers thanks to the Sky+HD set-top box
G Twice the power
This pair of Artcoustic PA-1800s provide the amplification for the front speakers and pair of subwoofers. The additional outputs meant that the Audio 7 team could also bi-amp the centre speaker
G