Anyone who is passionate about music and films will tell you that the ultimate aspiration of a true aficionado is to have a specially designed room where you can enjoy the very best quality of audio visual entertainment in the comfort of your own home.
Regardless of how expensive and advanced your stereo system is, the weakest link in any music or home cinema is often the listening room itself, so it is essential for this to be built to the highest possible standards. Here’s a breakdown of how to go about ensuring that you create the perfect listening room to complement any home cinema installation.
The Location
Modern home audio systems have moved towards fully digital audio, which means that sound can be heard without any of the noise or signal loss that was inherent in traditional audio systems. In order to enjoy this new sound quality it is vital for your listening room to be located in a quiet location, or better yet in the tranquil silence of an isolated hillside! Aim to build your listening room as far as possible from roads, buildings and any other sources of external noise.
The Acoustician
In order to achieve the best possible acoustic design for your listening room it is well worth employing the services of an expert acoustician. Before approaching anyone, do your research and try to find a company that has specific experience of working in the field of small room acoustics, which has a very different rule book to larger spaces. What you want is an impartial acoustician to offer you impartial advice, so be wary of technicians who sell acoustic treatments and may be swayed by a conflict of interests.
The Design
In an ideal world, a listening room should be built from scratch to give you complete control over the acoustic design. Fitting a home cinema into an existing room is possible, but it could lead to compromises in sound quality if the space is not well suited. A good design team will help you to create a room that incorporates a careful balance of absorptive materials, sound diffusers, bass traps and acoustic clouds to create the ideal acoustic environment.
The Equipment
When all of the groundwork is in place, you still need to select your home cinema system. In order to achieve truly accurate sound, your audio equipment will require a high level of fidelity and electronic room correction that is second to none. There is no shortage of developments in this field so it may take you some time to find the best possible system to meet your needs. This is another good time to ask for the advice of an impartial professional!
If you can combine all of these elements in the correct way the results can change the way that you enjoy film, television and cinema forever. Looking back in years to come, investing in a home cinema will feel like the progression from VHS to DVD or tape cassette to CD. Before you know it, the way you currently experience audio visual media will be nothing more than a nostalgic memory.
This post was written by Nicky Hand. To create the perfect home cinema takes a little expert help, so I recommend talking to Gecko Home Cinemas about their industry recognised home cinema installations.