CE Pro promises not to weigh in on Wilder’s recent claim that he punches harder than another famous former heavyweight, Mike Tyson. But we’re pretty sure Wilder has the upper hand on Tyson when it comes to heavyweight home theaters after seeing the total knockout that DSI designed and installed for Deontay and his family.

In fact, the home theater is so impressive, the “virtual” ringside judges for the CTA Smart Home Division Mark of Excellence Awards scored it the winner in the Home Theater/Media Room of the Year category for this year’s honors, which were announced during CES 2023. We were thrilled Wilder gave DSI permission, and even a testimonial for this project (and anytime a celebrity lets us see their amazing theaters or other projects).

Wilder, who claimed the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020 and rebounded from back-to-back losses to Tyson Fury by beating Robert Helenius last October, wanted a home theater that could pack similar AV punch for him and his family of athletes. And when it comes to the other Tyson, keep in mind that Wilder stands nearly a foot taller than Iron Mike – his 6-foot-7 frame and physique are among the reasons he’s compiled a 43-2-1 record.

So this would be no ordinary home theater build for Lake Balboa, Calif.-based DSI, which Wilder called upon to turn his theater dreams into reality. Naturally for this special client, seating, sight lines and adding a bit of flair became priorities for DSI to factor into the room design.

What AV Gear Did DSI Install in Deontay Wilder’s Home Theater?

“Immersive Atmos sound and 4K laser video make this room a stunner. This room is a turnkey system with lighting and climate control, starry ceiling with shooting star features, high-performance acoustic design, and beautiful custom interior design that incorporates the client’s logo and themes from his professional boxing career,” says DSI president Eric Thies.

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For the Dolby Atmos system DSI used a combination of JBL Synthesis and Revel speakers along with high-impact dual JL Audio subwoofers to provide the “amazing bass” as requested. These were all powered by electronics from AudioControl, and the room was tuned using the built-in Dirac software.

Since the acoustic package was fully engineered, DSI had only minor adjustments to make to perfect the audio, Thies adds. All of the front speakers sat behind an acoustically transparent Seymour/Screen Excellence screen so that they were at the perfect height for the audience.

To provide outstanding 4K video, DSI chose the Barco Balder CinemaScope. “This projector allowed us to use a native 2.40 screen and project content with zero resolution loss and without the need for zooming and re-focusing the image every time the content aspect ratio changes,” Thies says.

Slayman Cinema Incorporates Bronze Bomber’s Logo into Design Elements

DSI treated the entire room acoustically to manage reflections and bass. For control it implemented a Savant control system that is easy for the entire family to use that controls lighting, climate, starry ceiling, and all audio/video.

When it came to the aesthetics, DSI worked with frequent collaborator Slayman Cinema for great flourishes. Plus, as Thies notes there’s the star-field ceiling with shooting stars – just like Wilder’s opponents likely see while on the canvas after he KOs them.

“Working closely with Lisa Slayman of Slayman Cinema, we came up with a technical room design that utilized the space perfectly and allowed for an amazing design and high-performance video and sound. The client wanted a design that incorporated his logo and also had elements of his logo throughout the wall treatments,” Thies says.

For the design, the Wilder’s DW logo was custom embroidered into the seats from Fortress. In addition, the leg rests were extended and the seats widened to support his frame. The elements and geometry of the logo were creatively integrated into the fabric wall panel design to add that extra level of personalization.

So what do “The Bronze Bomber” and his family think? The theater’s a true knockout and has completely won them over, Thies reports.

“Movie nights are amazing,” Wilder said when asked for a testimonial from DSI. “We watched some good Marvel action-packed movies where the bass was amazing!” (His family would really love this action heroes theater!)

Click here to check out a slideshow of the project, and watch the YouTube video above.

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