Sonic Sculptures: Imagine This Elevates Listening Room Using Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus

When UK integration firm, Imagine This, was tasked with transforming a minimalist, reverberant space in a luxury residence into a multifunctional stereo room, the brief was clear: to deliver a high-end custom audio and an acoustical interior design solution, blending aesthetics with top-tier performance.

Technology Meets Design

The home’s minimalist style, exemplified through clean lines and floor to ceiling windows, meant that the environment was extremely challenging acoustically, particularly considering the intended use of the space as a listening room. There was emphasis on finding a solution that would complement the high-end, art gallery-esque aesthetic.

For this project, where both performance and luxury style were of paramount importance, Imagine This turned to Bowers & Wilkins’ iconic Nautilus loudspeakers, as supplied by CI distributor AWE, to meet these requirements.

Guy Singleton, Managing Director at Imagine This, explains why the Nautilus speakers were the perfect choice: “We wanted something that matched and complemented the aesthetics of the room, which is where the Ammonite theme evolved from, taking inspiration from these loudspeakers to create one, cohesive, artistic statement.”

It’s All in the Details…

Innovative design, precision manufacturing and exhaustive testing ensures Nautilus not only looks like a work of art, but it also performs optimally – with each speaker hand-built to order by a dedicated specialist team in the manufacturer’s UK factory.

A pair of Nautilus loudspeakers were positioned on the left and right sides of the space, now known as the Ammonite room, providing rich, room-filling, two-channel audio.

“These are four-way loudspeakers which come with their own external digital crossovers. Each pair of speakers are serial numbered and is unique to each client. Also, Bowers & Wilkins offer the opportunity to visit the factory to watch a pair of speakers being made” shares Guy.

Each loudspeaker is powered by a Classé amplifier which utilises switching technologies for both power supply and amplification stages, both of which are fed via a preamp/processor.

In addition to their impressive audio quality, the Nautilus loudspeakers exist as a modern art installation, with their instantly recognisable shape providing the perfect focal point in the room for the client, who opted for a distinctive, custom grey finish to complement the ‘Ammonite’ theme.

Acoustic Treatment

“We knew that this was a challenging space, with concrete walls, floors, ceilings and lots of glass,” said Guy. “Controlling acoustics in this kind of environment is very challenging, unless you can control the sound in that room, you’re fighting a losing battle.”

To address the room’s acoustics, custom acoustic treatment panels were designed. Firstly, the rooms RT60 (reverberation time) was tested to see how long it took an impulse to decay over 60dB. The RT60 value initially measured at an uncomfortable 4.5 seconds and the aim was to bring it down to half a second – ideal for a good-sounding room – by effectively controlling any resonances and reflections.

Inspired by the curved design of the Nautilus, two large, gold parametric panels were installed on the left and right walls, while the back wall featured intricately crafted diffractor panels, made from four types of timber and framed by the striking loudspeakers. The diffractor panels were created out of 528 meticulously handcrafted wooden blades slotted together to expertly combat the acoustic waves that hit the back of the room.

The first reflection point is now controlled by the acoustic treatment’s stylish panel design, ensuring the client experiences the loudspeakers comfortably. Reverberation time has also dramatically reduced, while back-wall reflections are redirected to prevent unwanted sound concentration in the main listening area. Behind the acoustically transparent panels is absorption for lower frequencies, below 500Hz, while the intricate back panels scatter mid and high-frequency waves for a balanced acoustic environment.

The result was a dramatic reduction in the RT60 from 4.5 seconds to the ideal 0.5 seconds, allowing for a comfortable listening experience. The room now boasts linear RT60 control over seven octaves, providing the client with a finely tuned acoustic environment.

An Unparalleled Experience

For this project, where both performance and design were paramount, Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus offered a level of craftsmanship and audio fidelity that matched the client’s vision and the demands of the room. The distinct design of the speakers is almost sculptural, which added an artistic element while delivering first-rate sound quality.

The room was designed to fully harness the capabilities of the Nautilus speakers, ensuring the acoustics and layout brought out their best.

The client’s reaction to the finished space was overwhelmingly positive, towards both the acoustic treatment of the space and the custom, stylish design, particularly regarding the impact of the Bowers & Wilkins’ Nautilus – a true testament to how a loudspeaker can elevate a space, turning it into an extraordinary experience.

Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus loudspeakers are available to specify into projects from the exclusive UK CI distributor, AWE. For more information visit here, or contact Sales on 01372 729777 or [email protected].