Hidden Performance

Advanced Integration is a leading home automation and BMS specialist based in London and operating globally on residences, yachts, hotels and commercial properties.

The company started in Greece over 25 years ago and, in just six years of presence in the UK, secured many high-end projects all around London. Among the most recent achievements, they were in the TOP 3 finalists of the AV Technology Awards 2020 for the Residential Project of the Year. The project they presented is a stunning luxury mansion, which happens to be the most expensive house on sale in London this year (for the whopping amount of £75 million!).

BRIEF
The cinema is part of the full automation system installed in the mansion. For the design, the developer had two requirements: he didn’t want to have intrusive speakers visible and wasn’t keen to invest in too expensive components and seats, since it wasn’t clear that time if he would sell or rent the house. The cinema room was designed accordingly investing on the room acoustics, cabling and provision for future upgrades (e.g. including power for electric seats and USB in each spot), while choosing the best equipment available for the allowed budget.

ROOM ACOUSTIC
Since the owner didn’t want any visible acoustic material in the ceiling, only wall treatment was allowed. For this reason, invisible speakers were used for the ceiling. Specially designed bass traps were installed in the front wall, along with acoustic baffles to support the soffit main speakers (MK S150) behind the perforated screen.Same attention was given to the 2 subwoofers (MK-X12), as the team built two rigid mass loaded boxes to prevent unwanted boundaries reflections from the low static waves and simulating a soffit installation type.

The main front wall construction was reinforced and braced to support the screen and prevent any rattles and vibrations from the powerful subwoofers. Same techniques and materials were applied to various points in the room, to isolate and maintain the acoustic energy while controlling the sound to be natural,dynamic, with minimum sound coloration and distortion.

MK Speakers were also used for the back and side surround (respectively, MP150 and IW950).

MK Equipment:

MK S150 x 3 (main speakers) –
Were selected for the neutrality and highlevel performance while providing high SPL, required due to the distance of front wall to the seats
MK MP150 x 2 (back surround) – Were selected for the wide dispersion and dynamic while maintaining high SPL to the listening area
MK IW950 x 2 (side surround) – Recessed to the Wood panel to match the aesthetic of all cinema with hidden speakers
MK X12 x 2 – Subwoofers that can offer ultra-low distortion and the highest dynamic performance, as using “dual Push Pull coupled drivers”, providing a total sur face area most equivalent to a single 18” driver

Other equipment:

AVC-X6500 DENON IMAX ENCHANCED
Mobius 7 x 4 (ceiling) – Painted and not visible
Screen Research 4WB ClearPix4, fixed perforated THX screen 150’, 16:9 – Was selected due to its exceptional viewing and
acoustic performance with THX perforated fabric
Projector JVC DLA-N7B – The best projector under 10000 pounds, to keep the budget low
SONY BD PLAYER UPB-X800M2
APPLE TV 4K
ROKU HD ULTRA 4K (For Streaming services)
MIDDLE ATLANTIC 26U RACK
ATEN POWERSTRIP – Reboot any device via the Remote Control, iPad or remotely
CRESTRON TSR310 – Remote control
CRESTRON TSR310 iPad app – Custom GUI
CRESTRON TSW760 TOUCHSCREEN – Entrance of the cinema, hardwired via POE