Located in a coastal penthouse in the United States, this advanced immersive audiovisual room sets a new benchmark for home theater design.
The audio system primarily features custom speakers by QUESTED, representing the culmination of the brand's previous collaborations with top European architects and designers and delivering groundbreaking innovations in audiovisual technology.
With over 35 years of expertise in rear projection and curved solid screens, technology integrator Wallscreen Skylounges skillfully addressed the acoustic and ergonomic challenges of the video wall. This project marks the first residential application of their see-through window acoustic technology.
What truly sets this immersive art space apart is its curation by the most discerning audiophile in history, achieving perfection in installation quality, acoustic performance, front screen presentation, surround sound implementation, overhead imaging, room decay time (325ms), and craftsmanship.
Its performance even surpasses that of ideally designed systems, including the one by CEDIA's most renowned acoustics expert, whose room was once considered overly resonant. Furthermore, it outperforms several of North America's most esteemed home theaters, spanning from Florida, Atlanta to Seattle. This demonstrates the project's exceptional quality and solidifies its status as the new pinnacle of home theater design.
Craftsmanship and Details
On the audio front, addressing the room's "suboptimal acoustic conditions (a non-dedicated space with extensive glass surfaces)," Sabine targeted a Dolby Atmos Premier Studio standard for the 1-10kHz range. The objective was achieving linear high sound pressure levels while eliminating distortion caused by speaker-glass interactions, requiring calibration across 10 custom models from QUESTED and ME Geithain.
The complete system deploys 45 speakers total, including 37 bi-amplified units (QUESTED) and 8 networked subwoofers (4 from ME Geithain).
Three distinct array configurations employ professional-grade Dolby Atmos implementations, enabling proximity effects comparable to those at Atmos's Burbank studio, such as:
· Head-enveloping surround immersion
· Seat-moving bass localization
· Overhead impact with tactile precision
· The full-range ceiling units anticipate future MIMO bass management algorithms with active room correction capabilities
The leather-wrapped diffuser columns not only house Atmos floor speakers but also incorporate a 28.2-channel DTS:X Pro overhead layer. Additionally, Columns 1 and 3 are equipped with ME Geithain's custom cardioid subwoofers—the exclusive implementation of cardioid technology in the residence. This multi-channel directional bass system concentrates acoustic energy precisely across the six primary seats, preventing dispersion into adjacent areas.
The bass here physically engages your body from every direction, replicating the immersive experience our DNA is wired for, unlike conventional theaters that focus all low-frequency energy at the front stage.
Eight meticulously engineered aluminum-framed columns deliver 80% of the room's acoustic diffusion while housing a three-tier vertical array of speakers (upper, mid, and lower).
Columns 2 and 4 accommodate the ground-level channels along with the upper-height channels for DTS:X Pro/Auro-3D, while Columns 1 and 3 additionally integrate coaxial cardioid subwoofers for overhead directional surround.
To manage this sophisticated multi-speaker array, the system utilizes QUESTED amplifiers, recognized for delivering the most analog-like sound quality available. These units provide comprehensive input compatibility, accepting digital AES, Dante, and analog XLR balanced signals.
On the video side, after evaluating 12 brands, Wallscreen Skylounges ultimately selected the SONY Crystal LED Gen.2. Its distinguishing feature lies in how the Crystal LED Pixel's halo extends beyond the illumination point of typical micro-LEDs: by using a 1.2mm pixel pitch with 99% black area, it creates a near-seamless P3 image with effectively infinite contrast.
The design team's "Spatial Audio Bubble" concept for the SONY Crystal LED video wall merges form and function to create a unique cinematic experience.
The intricately deconstructed spatial arrangement is designed to evoke a sense of adventure—as if approaching a scenic cable car and boarding its refined cabin. During the ascent, a suspended canopy overhead enhances the immersion, while holographic audio columns surrounding the cable car add a captivating cinematic atmosphere. When you finally face the massive Sony display, the feeling is akin to being aboard an aircraft carrier—an unforgettable experience.
The entire system employs an active electronic crossover design, supported by a staggering number of power amplifiers: 2x 300W (8 channels), 8x 950W (16 channels), 8x 1000W (32 channels), and 2x 2000W (8 channels). In total, 56 discrete amplifier channels deliver sustained power outputs ranging from 300 to 2000 watts per channel.
This configuration is exceptionally rare in a private home theater. To be precise, I have never encountered a power reserve of this magnitude before.
The "SOLFAR" project was selected as a finalist for the CEDIA Awards 2022, a prestigious honor in our industry. These awards are globally recognized as the ‘Oscars’ of the audiovisual world, attracting top design firms from the Americas, Europe, and Asia to compete with their most outstanding projects. Every winning entry is distinguished by its uniquely sophisticated integration of cutting-edge equipment and environmental design.
In reality, even the act of reaching the CEDIA stage is a significant achievement in itself. The rigorous selection process ensures that every finalist, not just the winners, represents a home cinema project of exceptional quality and merit.