At Audio Excellence we encourage you to involve us at the planning and design stage of your new home, renovation or addition.
An ideal home would have four functionally different audio systems:
• A dedicated projection based home theatre.
• A high-performance two-channel system for pure music listening.
• A discrete distributed multi-room audio system.
• A sheer fun high volume entertainment system.
Typically space and budget exclude most of us from such a necessary indulgence. With this in mind, the full functionality of this featured system is remarkable.
• Home theatre in an open space.
• Front speakers provide a convincing wide musical sound stage.
• The amplifier which drives the home theatre also powers and controls music in the kitchen and patio independently.
• Klipsch speakers are highly efficient so can play a respectable volume
For a projection-based home theatre system, a dedicated, enclosed, windowless room, which completely inhibits any light from entering it, is always first prize, but often neither practical nor desirable. A recent home remodel was an opportunity for the client’s home office to also become the family’s home theatre. Our first suggestion of bricking up windows was politely declined. Solution – Blinds and a motorised screen convert the room into a home theatre with the room’s natural light maintained for office work. A fantastic multi-functional space.
The benefits of dealing with Audio Excellence are perfectly showcased by this cinema. Our client’s initial concept for his new theatre was themed with formal cinema seating. Over months of consultation and revisions with us, the project evolved into a theatre with no distractions, colour scheme to optimise picture quality, practical and comfortable seating, and acoustic treatment to optimise the movie’s soundtrack. The result is a highly engaging and completely immersive experience.
Client: “I would like two quality, powerful subwoofers for my newly renovated apartment, but have limited space”
Audio Excellence: “Not a problem, Sir. GoldenEar Technology have built them into their speakers”
Intelligent engineers and well-executed products often provide a very elegant solution to a tricky installation. Point in case. Very few speakers would be able to deliver the scale of sound which the GoldenEar Triton Ones do in this confined space. A quality installation with great performance.
Equipment list:
Cabinet challenges.
System features.
Performance:
This depends on how the system is going to be used and what one’s performance expectations are. A dedicated two-channel stereo system will always deliver a more musically satisfying performance and a home theatre will provide a more dramatic and engaging cinema experience.
Ideally one would have two separate systems; in practice, most of our clients require a system that has a level of competence for both music and movies.
The real issue lies with the very different requirements that music and movies have. Movie soundtracks have a very wide dynamic range, dialogue and on-screen effects are mixed to play on a centre channel speaker, surround effects for ambience as well as directional steering, and have a dedicated bass channel. Music recordings are almost always mixed to play in two-channel stereo, are typically dynamically compressed and truly deep bass effects are rare.
In a music system, correct pitch and timbre are absolutely critical for instruments to sound realistic. This is less important in a theatre where speakers which can handle dynamics are necessary. In a theatre, we are also less critical of audio due to our attention often being focused on the screen. Audio in a theatre has a supportive role whereas audio in a stereo system needs to excel on its own.
For a home theatre, a sub woofer’s function is to supply room-shaking effects and for music one requires a tuneful accurate bass that integrates seamlessly with one’s speakers. If the above seems confusing, then the best advice is to come through to our showroom where we can discuss and clarify your requirements and demonstrate different options for you.
Over the years we have had many clients who initially approached us for a theatre but eventually purchased a stereo system and vice versa. Our objective is to supply you with the most balanced and appropriate system.
In a bi-amplified speaker system, two separate frequency bandwidths are powered by independent amplifiers. e.g. tweeter and midrange drivers are powered by one channel in an amplifier and the bass driver by another. This typically translates to a more coherent sound as there is no muddling of bass and top frequencies in the amplifier.
The pictures show a KEF R series speaker bi-amplified by a Yamaha AV receiver.
As part of Clearaudio’s 40th anniversary, the great German turntable manufacturer, has taken another iconic Teutonic product, a 1978 VW Kombi and pimped its sound system.
Now, take me to the autobahn!
A very special pure stereo system – Magico A3 speakers, Conrad-Johnson tube amplification throughout, Linn LP12 turntable, Lumin network player, Supra cabling, and Bluehorizon equipment stand.
