Indian Integrator Creates ‘Dark Night’ Home Theater to Serve as Respite for Weary Showroom Owner

Established in Ahmedabad, GJ India in 2007, integrator Sound Sense has always prided itself on servicing its customers within their code of ethics and commitment to excellence. While recent accolades for their work include a CEDIA Award and a CTA 2019 Mark of Excellence Award, when the team was asked to tackle a particularly tricky theater install, Sound Sense knew it had to look back at previous projects and try and find a solution.

The Sound Sense team knew the project, titled “The Dark Night”, was one that would test its creative skills after a local business owner called about his needs. The high-end electronics and home appliances showroom owner wanted a unique, discrete, world-class home cinema set-up with a large screen and a seating capacity for seven people. The cinema set-up would require audio and video calibration and one-touch control.

The theater space, intended to be the owner’s work respite, is conveniently located adjacent to the store showroom and office. The existing room structure needed updates to make it a viable theater space, and noise isolation was a top priority.

“We faced a few challenges with the room design,” says Ankur Bhatt, founder & director of Sound Sense. “Our first obstacle was the structural planning. The entry to the cinema set-up was from the rear, center of the room. The placement of the steps leading to the room needed to be worked out as the steps immediately followed the door opening.  We selected curved steps to allow for enough space between the doors and the step landing.”

In-Wall Phase Technology Speakers Help Stop Unwanted Noise

The in-wall loudspeakers also played a role in abating noise. Phase Technology’s CI Custom Install 3-way in-wall speakers were selected for the high-end theater audio for their high-quality sound and noise isolating properties. The CI 120 and CI 130 use a hybrid in-wall enclosure design that lowers the transmission of sound into an adjacent room while keeping the bass output at levels close to an infinite baffle design. With this design, a speaker with the same size rear enclosure will have bass output that extends up to one octave lower than a comparable speaker, according to MSE Audio.

 “The goal for this installation was to offer the client the best cinematic experience and to project the director’s intent in every way possible,” says Bhatt. “We tend to stick to the Custom Install line of Phase Tech … these speakers are helpful in discrete installations. Their on-axis and off-axis response is unique and enhances the overall experience of the set-up. And, because of the technology used in these in-wall and in-ceiling speakers, they produce a more controlled sound that helps with noise isolation.”

The Dark Night theater also includes a Crestron DALI digital addressable lighting interface lighting system. The Sound Sense team used the DALI system to outline the theatre walls to create low-level lighting for a striking view of the darkened room.

“Our client was quite pleased with the theater. High-quality, reliable product solutions are the topmost priority of every AV integrator,” says Bhatt.

Equipment List:

• 3 Phase Tech CI 130 LCR speakers
• 4 Phase Tech CI 70X surround speakers
• 4 Phase Tech CI 7.3X Atmos speakers
• 2 Phase Tech Power FL12 subwoofers
• Marantz AV 7704 processor
• Marantz MM 8077 7-channel power amplifier
• Marantz MM 7055 5-channel power amplifier
• Sony BDP s1500 Blu Ray player
• Apple iPad Mini for operating automation
• iPort Launchport charging wall station for iPad
• Milan Acoustic transparent fixed-frame screen
• JVC UH1 200 Im projector
• Grandview projector stand
• Legrand Valrack for devices
• Ubiquiti UAP AC access point
• D-Link GO-SW-5G 5-port internet switch
• Nvidia Shield tablet computer
• Crestron CP3 automation processor
• Crestron DIN DALI 2 lighting module
• Crestron PW60 DIN DALI power supply
• Tata Sky HD satellite TV