No Holds Barred Home Theater
When it came time to put comfort, convenience, and a splash of coolness into this home, the owner had a really good idea of what he wanted. After all, he was very familiar with the consumer electronics industry and the products in it. He just wasn't entirely sure how to get those products into this 18,000-square-foot new construction.
Thankfully, Soundwaves Custom Home Integration was brought in at the very start of the project, to make sure each high-tech transition went smoothly from beginning to end.
"Everything he wanted was to be high-quality,” said Joe DeMarco, owner of Soundwaves Custom Home Integration, which is based out of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. “The system had to be simple to use and extremely stable. He had a good knowledge of the AV industry, so he knew what he was getting himself into."
That's a good thing too, considering that the project took two-and-a-half years. The end result has a whole-house ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System, a Lutron HomeWorks lighting system, and 24 thermostats working to keep the family of six comfortable year-round.
Music can be streamed through any of the 16 zones of audio, with surround sound systems in the great room, study, the master bedroom, and a billiards room. Everything is tied into Elan touchpads and handheld controllers, which are located throughout the house. This type of control system makes everything easy for the entire family to operate—even the family’s four children, which range in age from 10 to 16.
The Big Screen
Of course, the family's favorite spot is the sparkling blue home theater room, which measures 27-by-20 feet. The lush carpet, seating, and surroundings are all eye-catching, but the overall experience is the main feature here. Thanks to his previous residence, the homeowner had become accustomed to having a theater room, with good sound, a big screen, and high-end products. In this new space, however, he wanted things to be bigger and better.
"That’s where we came in," DeMarco said. "We brought in a couple of projectors to demo in his old house before we made any decisions, and then he relied on me to design the whole theater—from sound quality, video quality, and noise control. He kind of gave me the keys and let me run with it."
The room features a dedicated equipment rack, with all of the AV equipment, including a slew of source material. Everything can be viewed through the Digital Projection HIGHlite 330 Projector, which is housed at the back of the theater in its own closet that measures 4-by-5 feet. It may seem small, but that tiny room even has its own ventilation. Of course, there's no hiding this projector, a 3-chip DLP that can deliver up full 1080p HD images, 10-bit color, and eye-popping 3D imagery.
"It has an awesome picture and various lenses to get the throw distance that we needed," said DeMarco. "It has a very bright picture with excellent contrast and deep blacks, and it just really pops off the screen; it’s really nice."
This particular unit was chosen based on cinematic picture quality, but when it came to choosing the brand, DeMarco said the decision was a bit of a no-brainer. He always goes for Digital Projection (DPI), not just because of the performance, but because of his experience working with the company for the past seven years.
“I think DPI is great company to do business with,” he commented. “They pay attention to all dealers, big and small. They have an excellent product, they have an excellent support team, and if I need something, they’re there for me.”
A massive, 133-inch (diagnol), 16:9, perforated screen from Stewart Filmscreen was chosen to pair with the projector. The entire family uses it for movies, as well as sports and everyday TV watching. A Wyrestorm video matrix can deliver access to a Verizon cable box, two different TiVo boxes, multiple Apple TVs, a Fusion movie server, and a DVD player. Everything can be called up through an Elan controller. The projector, the screen, and the sources are connected to a Datasat RS20i processor, and a 9.4-channel Pro Audio Technology speaker system. Left, center, and right channel speakers, as well as two subwoofers, are located behind the screen. Two sets of surround speakers and an additional two side subwoofers fill the room with awesome sound.
"They just wanted a spectacular theater room that when they’d use it, they’d absolutely love it," he said.
An Outdoor Concert
When the family doesn't want to be confined indoors, there's an entertainment space outside, with an outdoor TV, as well a Sonance system with 24 satellite speakers and four subwoofers hidden throughout the landscape. "It sounds like a concert out there; it sounds incredible," DeMarco said.
Do It Again
Soundwaves Custom Home Integration recently started working on another property for this homeowner. Not only does DeMarco plan to put a high-tech system into the family's beach house, but also he's going to tie both homes together, so each one can be accessed through any iPad, iPhone, or computer. "He’s really particular," DeMarco said of his client. "He’s very happy with how stable the system is, and how easy it is to work.”
EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEM HIGHLIGHTS
Home Theater
Datasat RS20i Surround Processor
Digital Projection HIGHlite 330 DLP Projector
Fortress Theater Seats
Middle Atlantic Rack
Pro Audio Technology Amplifier
Stewart Filmscreen 16:9 Perforated Screen, 133-inch diagonal
Home and AV Control
Elan g!
Elan HR2 Handheld Remotes (6)
Elan TS2 Film Interactive OLED Touchpad
Elan TS10 10-inch In-Wall Color Touchscreen
Elan VL10 Valet Color LCD Touchscreens (5)
Equipment Room
Apple TV (3)
Autonomic MMS-2 Mirage Media Server
Elan C2 Communications Controller
Elan DSC3BZ Door Station
Elan DT11 AM/FM Sirius-Ready Tuner
Elan HC12 System Controller
Elan M86 6-Zone/8-Source Switcher/Amplifiers (4)
IC Realtime DVR-FLEX8E High Performance DVR
Lexicon DD8 8-channel Amplifiers (4)
Marantz SR7008 9.2-channel Receivers (4)
Middle Atlantic Racks (4)
Oppo DVD Player
Pakedge Network
Billiards Room
Leon Custom Surround System
Leon PrUTLX-MC (fronts)
Leon Custom Oak DS44LX On-wall Surrounds
Sonance In-floor Subwoofer
Samsung UN65F9000 4K Ultra HD Smart TV
Master Bedroom
Leon Custom PrUTLX-MC (fronts)
Leon A10-UT-1K Thin Subwoofer wired under bed
Samsung UN65F9000 4K Ultra HD Smart TV
Sonance Architectural Series Surrounds
Study
Leon Custom Surround System
Leon Horizon HzUT (front speakers)
Leon Timbre Ti44LX Bookshelf Surrounds
Leon in wall subwoofer
Samsung 55-inch flat panel display
Great Room
Leon In-wall Subwoofer
Monitor Audio Bookshelf Speakers Front
Samsung 75-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV
Sonance Architectural Series Surrounds
Outdoor Systems
Seura 47-inch Storm Outdoor LCD TV
Sonance Landscape System (24 satellites, 4 In-ground Subwoofers)
Surveillance Cameras at Main Gates
Photography courtesy of Soundwaves Custom Home Integration
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