Kuwait's leading residental AV company Pro Home Cinema agreed to share the story behind three home theaters they have designed for their clients: Ahmed, Mohammed and Salah. These rooms all feature Trinnov processing & power amplification as well as Krix loudspeakers.
Using the Altitude Platform allowed Pro Home Cinema to overcome acoustical challenges, allowing everybody to get the best seat in the room.
"Ahmed – I never thought what I am hearing now is even possible!"
Please give us a bit of your background and company history.
As an individual I have been involved in many AV projects locally for many years and have been an AV enthusiast for as long as I can remember. As a company, we are the leaders when it comes to residential audio and video solutions in Kuwait. Not only are we exclusive authorized dealers for the best brands in the business but also have a highly trained professional team, certified by Trinnov and CEDIA.
What were the clients' original intents for these projects?
Ahmed wanted a reference high-end home theater that can do both movies and video games. Mohammed and Salah's focus was more into getting the best equipment to maximize performance in their room.
Tell us about the room design and speaker layout.
Ahmed has a total of 23 Krix speakers - MX-20 fronts, 2 MX-20 subwoofers, 2 Cyclonix 15 subwoofers, 9 Hyperphonix 45 speakers and 7 in-ceiling IC-52 speakers, a Trinnov Altitude 16, 3 OSD 7-channel power amplifiers. Two Schiit Audio Moduis Dacs were used for the extra channels. We installed a 150 inch AT 16:9 DreamScreen with a Sony VPL-XW5000 native 4K laser projector.
Salah has a total of 25 Krix Speakers – MX-40 fronts, 2 MX-40 subwoofers, 2 Cyclonix 15 subwoofers, 7 in-ceiling IC-52 speakers, 11 Hyperphonix 45, a Trinnov Altitude 32 and 3 Trinnov Amplitude 16. We installed a 175 inch 2.35:1 DreamScreen with a Sony VPL-XW7000 reference native 4K laser projector.
Mohammed has a total of 23 Krix Speakers – Pix for L&R speakers, Megaphonix Centre, 4 Megaphonix speakers, 6 Phonix, 6 in-ceiling IC-52 speakers and 4 Cyclonix 15 subwoofers. Also one Parasound A51, two Parasound A52+ and five OSD BLACK amplifiers to power subwoofers and extra channels. Processing is handled by a Trinnov Altitude16, complemented by two Schiit Audio Moduis DACs used for the extra channels. We installed a 150 inch ALR 16:9 Pro Home Cinema screen with a Sony VPL-XW5000 native 4K laser projector.
Mohammed – "I was missing a lot before installing my Altitude, I had to rewatch all my favorite movies and shows again!"
Why was a Trinnov Altitude selected as the processor?
All the clients wanted the best in terms of sonic performance, the obvious choice was selected: the Altitude!
What technical challenges did you face in completing the cinema? How were they resolved?
Ahmed’s room has a width of only 3.7M and a length of 5.8M (ceiling height is 3.10M in the front and 2.10M in the rear/second row) so it was a challenge to install the 150 inch screen but we managed to do it! The AT screen helped us hide the main speakers and align them at seated ear level. We also managed to fit all the family within two rows.
Salah’s room has a huge media room with a length of 14M and a width of 13M (ceiling is 2.7M) but has performance that does not disappoint. The Krix speakers are being powered with more than 10K watts and we made sure everyone has the best seat in the room. A big screen was installed to also make the experience as immersive as possible.
Mohammed’s room also has two rows for the whole house and visitors, his room width is 5M and has a length of 7M.
"Salah – I wanted a loud setup – this is even louder and more detailed than I could ever imagine!"
Discuss your experience with the calibration process and the final result achieved with the Optimizer.
With most clients we would double check the connections and cabling first. Then, we proceed to some usual basic testing procedures and would calibrate with the Optimizer. Once done, we save different presets with different curves that would suit the client. The input of the client is also critical to make sure they love what they are hearing at the end.
What makes those projects truly unique ?
In Ahmed’s room, we tried to contain the sound as much as possible within the home cinema as the main living room is right next to it. The width also made it a challenge to install not only the screen but also speakers. It was a pleasure to work with Ahmed as he is a big Trinnov fan.
As for Salah’s room, he has this huge daily media/living-room in which we managed to squeeze every bit of performance out of his setup to make sure that he has a high-end system that would always exceed his expectations. Salah is a figure collector and likes to have a lot of memorabilia from all over the world.
Mohammed’s room’s was exciting as we had different challenges. His room was originally not part of his basement, so it was basically constructed from the ground up. Also, it’s nice to know how he loves his new setup and thanks us nearly on a daily basis!