The Armani Room: In Pursuit of Blending Opulence & Immersion

The pursuit of the perfect home theater experience has driven audiophiles and cinephiles to push the limits of imagination and technology in equal measure. This is perhaps the most intense project we have undertaken in the past fifteen years since we started Home is Theater.

The client was in the process of building his dream home and was personally overseeing every aspect of the products being incorporated into the newly constructed house. This included curated materials such as marble tiles from Italy, faucets from Armani, mother-of-pearl wallpaper, and more. We had just completed a high-end home theater project in Bangalore with the same architect who was working on this house. She was comfortable with our working style and recommended us to the new client.

The client's brief was simple yet precise: "What's the best home theater?" Answering a question like that is subjective, and there are numerous elements that contribute to creating an exceptional home theater. Our objective was to provide a high-fidelity system that would deliver a movie theatre-like experience without causing ear fatigue. We modeled the home theater after the sleek and powerful Brabus custom Mercedes, aiming for a combination of raw power and sophistication.

After attending a demonstration in Amsterdam and being profoundly impressed by the sound, we suggested using Meyer Sound to our client, which he approved. Known for their sonic excellence and phase accuracy, Meyer Sound had been on our radar from the beginning. Our good friend Sandeep Braganza, who represented Meyer Sound in India, helped us design a tailored solution, taking into account the room's dynamics. We opted for Anthem processing because we were highly impressed with the performance of their AV processor in our own demo room at our Langford town studio in Bangalore, where we showcase home theater systems, along with the QSC reference series speakers.

To address the room's unique acoustics, we collaborated with Sonosphere LLP for acoustic consultation. Their acoustic design considered how sound would travel and behave within the space and helped craft solutions to address factors like reverberation, standing waves, and the most critical challenge looming in home theaters acoustic design, Bass trapping. Strategically placed absorption and diffusion panels tame flutter echoes, ambient reverberation, and bass buildup. the comprehensive acoustic design featured elegant Armani fabric walls and Floss lighting to gently illuminate the fabrics accents, This fine-tuned acoustical environment allows the Meyer Sound system to perform at its peak.

To complement the phenomenal acoustics, the visual component needed to be just as spectacular. We selected @Sony's 4K HDR Laser Home Theater Projector with Native 4K SXRD Panel for its exceptional color accuracy, high contrast, and 4K resolution. Paired with a customised acoustically transparent 2.40:1 aspect ratio screen, this projection system delivers incredible cinematic visuals. The laser light source allows for 30,000 hours of near-maintenance-free operation. Thanks to Sony's Reality Creation and Object-based HDR remaster technology, standard and high dynamic range content is remastered in real time to take full advantage of the projector's capabilities.

No home theater is complete without comfortable seating to immerse viewers in the experience. The seating was sourced from Moovia seating, Germany, featuring their beautiful Chesterfield series in a Prescott red finish, and HDL lighting automation was implemented to automate the lighting ambiance. The motorised adjustable seats allow for perfect viewing positions with lumbar support and footrests. The premium leather and increased density foam provide exceptional comfort for long movie marathons. Automatic recline and headrest adjustments optimise the viewing experience.

The collaboration between our team and other contractors involved in the project, such as HVAC and electricians, resulted in the creation of a truly breathtaking entertainment space.

The system was meticulously calibrated using EASERA SysTune and an Earthworks Measurement microphone by AV expert Deepak Gracias from Audvic, ensuring crystal-clear sound quality. Every component was tuned and aligned to achieve optimal frequency response, precise imaging, and an expansive soundstage. With realistic surround effects and dialogue clarity even at reference levels, this home theater rivals the best commercial cinemas.

For a reliable power supply, we incorporated Surgex power conditioners due to their robust design and their ability to reduce EMI/RF interference that can negatively affect sensitive audio-video systems. In the backend, we added a custom-made servo stabilizer with a built-in isolation transformer to eliminate ground loops and prevent unwanted hum and interference in the system. Clean, consistent power is critical for high-performance gear.

Surgex's conditioning technology provides noise filtration, voltage regulation, and surge protection. This ensures glitch-free operation even during power fluctuations.

The final result was a world-class home theater that exceeds even my own lofty expectations. Every aspect was carefully considered and precisely executed, from the initial concept to final calibration. My client was absolutely thrilled with the experience, as it truly transports viewers into the movie like nothing else can."