AWE Showroom Visit Inspires Home Cinema Upgrade

Surrey based integrator, Edge AV, recently completed a stunning home cinema upgrade in the Wood Rising area. The brief was to transform an outdated cinema space in the basement into a captivating family home cinema with immersive surround sound.

Edge AV, who had installed the cabling 20 years ago, was commissioned to complete the installation. With all the original blueprints on file, they knew exactly where everything was and how to overcome any issues which may arise. Edge AV also recommended additional building services – for example carpenters, decorators and electricians.

The client wanted to create a Dolby Atmos surround sound experience with high-performance products, all within a firm budget. To help with product specification and to show what was possible, Edge AV took the client to the AWE show apartment in Epsom. Here, clients can experience two different, both impressive, home cinema experiences at varying price points. This remarkable facility enables installers to demonstrate home cinema products in situ.

So impressed by the quality of the cinema rooms, and particularly the Bowers & Wilkins sound system, the client doubled his initial budget to achieve a similar audio performance.

“As an installer, I find it incredibly useful being able to take clients to the AWE show apartment and demo the level of audio quality that’s achievable for varying budgets. For this project, the client went into the AWE showroom with a budget in mind, but after experiencing the possibilities, they chose to level-up to create something extraordinary”, said Sean Holmes, Director, Edge AV.

Following the visit, the client requested the same Cinema Build fabric acoustic panels, a product line with which Edge AV was not familiar. Edge AV sent technicians on a Cinema Build training course, with support from AWE. This training paid off, and the fabric panelling – along with LED lighting and acoustic treatments – were installed to a superb degree, leaving the client delighted.

“Seeing the AWE demo facility really opened my eyes as to what was possible with home cinemas, I’m so glad I went with the higher end spec because the sound is breath-taking. Edge AV were brilliant with their knowledge and ability to adapt to any hurdles that came up.” The client added.

Edge AV sourced the mainstays of the project from AWE. The cinema was configured into a 7.2.2 Dolby Atmos home theatre surround sound audio set-up. Using Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series speakers including two CWM7.3 S2 and two CWM7.5 S2 in-wall speakers, two CCM682 in-ceiling speakers, and a pair of ISW-4 subwoofers – powered by their CDA-2HD DSP amplifier.

Space was an issue. With limited headroom available, a large fireplace support to work around, different ceiling heights and walls that weren’t square, there were some challenges for the installation. The space-saving slim profile of the CWM7.3 S2 and CWM7.5 S2 speakers helped with this, as they could be easily installed into the fabric of the room and behind the projector screen. With integrated backboxes designed to optimise performance and cut down sound transference, the 700 Series adopts a ‘heard but not seen’ mantra, while still maintaining an elite level of audio quality.

“On this occasion, the rear channel speakers were installed in the ceiling due to space limitations in the room. This wouldn’t usually be an ideal solution, but following a detailed calibration process it worked out to be a good option in this space”, commented Sean.

A premium Marantz Cinema50 AV receiver provides fine-tuning for a consistently smooth, balanced sound and offers a powerful base for upgrading home cinema AV in the future. Other benefits include HEOS® Built-in music streaming and support for Dolby Atmos, 8K Ultra HD, DTS:X and Auro-3D for high performance cinemas.

For optimal picture quality, a Sony VPL-XW5000 projector provides native 4K and IMAX enhanced picture mode. With 8.3 million pixels, 2000 lumens and Sony Triluminos Pro technology, the client can view movies in true cinematic style, with vibrant colours and crisp imagery. Another advantage to the Sony VPL-XW5000 is that it’s one of the most compact native 4K projectors on the market, making it an ideal fit in a cinema room where space is limited.

Despite the cinema being in the basement, the room also includes several windows which let in natural daylight and can impact the quality of the cinema experience. To counter this, Edge AV installed Silent Gliss battery-operated shades to the windows. The benefit of using Silent Gliss in this project is that the shades are super quiet to operate and have a black-out effect to minimise light pollution when the cinema is in use.

“As a film lover, it’s exciting to hear and see movies in the way the director has intended. We now have a reference-level immersive cinema room where we can come together as a family and get lost in the action, adventure and fantasy of whatever we are watching at that moment – it’s exactly what I had hoped for”, concludes the client.