Design
In the latest Dyer A/V install, the good news was the homeowner built the house with the dedicated theater space from the jump. Thank goodness. With the dedicated space came a media closet that houses the rack and equipment. Double thank goodness. When I was brought in at the design phase of the audio-visual project, the house was already in motion, speaker locations were set, and all the low voltage pulls were complete. Triple… you get the point. Not having to wrestle any of the pulls post construction was great.
Equipment
When we were ready to move from design to procurement, I had the flexibility to choose the right set of equipment that would create a balanced and great sounding home theater. The client’s budget was appropriately sized and there was little pressure to go down a specific path based on a buddy, social media, or random YouTube videos. There was also little time pressure which made waiting for the supply chain to get rolling an acceptable but still painful process.
The room is setup for a projector, but the client and I agreed that we would start with panel and then leave the screen option as a possibility for future updates. There Is plenty of room in the rack and all the prewire for expansion if he gets the bug. Here are pictures and a table highlighting a few of the major components of the build.
| Manufacturer | Item | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Strong | Strong® Custom Series Floor Standing Rack [Rack, Shelves, Cable Management] | https://www.snapav.com |
| Episode | Signature 7 Series In-Wall [LCR, Surround, Ceiling] | https://www.snapav.com |
| Samsung | QN85Q70AA – 85 Inch QLED 4K TV | https://www.allnetdistributing.com |
| Panamax | MR4300 – Power Manager | https://www.allnetdistributing.com |
| Logitech | Harmony Elite | https://www.allnetdistributing.com |
| Episode | Episode® Evolution Series Sealed Subwoofer – 12″ | https://www.snapav.com |
| Yamaha | RX-A4A – Yamaha AVENTAGE AV Receiver | 7.2 Channel x 110W | https://www.snapav.com |
| Episode | Episode® Wireless Subwoofer Kit | https://www.snapav.com |
One happy equipment surprise was the wireless sub kit
One happy equipment surprise was the wireless sub kit. Unfortunately, a dedicated cable for Low Frequency Effects (LFE) signals was not included in the construction phase. To avoid running another cable I went with the Episode wireless sub kit shown below. It turned out great. The 5V connection and mounting to the sub made for an extremely clean and finished looked. It also paired right of the box and had zero signal issues. I would recommend it to anyone and 100% confidently put it on the next job.
Outcome
Visually, it checks all the boxes. The homeowner brought the room together with great finishes to make it cozy, comfortable, & inviting for watching a blu-ray or big game. Even better is the enveloping sound the system produces. There is tremendous balance in the audio that makes it easy to enjoy the experience. The center channel brings crisp & bright dialogue, the Atmos height channels & surrounds are immersive, and the subwoofer is powerful yet not painful. It all sums to a room I just don’t want to leave.
The client walked in during the final calibration while I was playing Star Wars: The Force Awakens and was caught up by the experience. As if in a trance he made his way to the couch and sat down as he took it all in. My apologies to his wife for interrupting the cleaning that ought to have been going on for a party later in the day.
A tremendous outcome and I look forward to the next one.
