Compact Cinemascope MutroxCinema in chic gray
Mike is an absolute enthusiast: "I've always been a freak when it comes to sound and vision. I have an extensive music system in addition to cinema. Sound just does something to me! It touches your soul." Not only did we build him a cozy, compact movie theater in a room he reserved specifically for this purpose when he bought his house, he also has a very nice stereo system upstairs. With some clever solutions, we were able to build a home theater with fantastic picture and sound quality well within his budget! For example, we found a way to keep the stone floor intact when placing the seats, used a "curved" 2.40:1 screen and an anamorphe lens for maximum resolution when watching CinemaScope movies. And what does Mike think? "It's just a dream come true! If you can own this and enjoy it yourself, it's a unique experience!"
The question
Mutrox's assignment was to build a home theater in a 4.5 x 3.5 m space with the latest technology and outstanding picture and sound quality. The 'look and feel' of the room had to fit in well with the rest of the house. The home theater had to be equipped with a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 layout and 4K 'CinemaScope' picture quality. The client's desire was also to cost-effectively change the image format from 21:9 to 16:9.
The solution
With every home theater we build, we look very carefully at the many different parameters that ultimately determine the experience, such as:
- The screen size and related viewing and projection distance
- The low frequency response at the chosen listening position (standing waves)
- The position of the various speakers
- Sound and image reflections
- The reverberation time in the room
- Good sound insulation to surrounding spaces
It is important to ensure that all these aspects work together to an ideal degree. This involves a lot of knowledge and experience. It is also important to think carefully about proper ventilation/climate control of the room and ensure that this does not have a negative effect on the sound insulation of the room. Obviously, easy operation is also of the utmost importance.
Because of the viewing distance and maximum "cinematic" effect, a 3 m wide "curved" screen was chosen in Mike's case. The JVC DLA-N5 used, with its Panamorph anamorphic lens, gives the maximum image quality when watching CinemaScope movies. Instead of zooming the image in to fit the 2.40:1 image on the screen, the image is first filled vertically in the projector and stretched again horizontally with the lens. This uses all the pixels of the projector, giving a 25% increase in the number of pixels used and also the light output. In 16:9 use, the lens slides away from the light path.
Mike is a discerning listener, so we chose an Arcam receiver with very good sound quality and Dirac room eq. At the front of the room we built a solid 'baffle-wall' to mount the Bowers & Wilkins CWM 7.4 s2 speakers resonance-free behind Screen Research's acoustically transparent 'curved' screen. Two Bowers & Wilkins DB4S subwoofers stand independently in the room, providing a deep and tight foundation.
For perfect acoustics, among other things, we installed an acoustic stretch ceiling. In the black ceiling are warm white spotlights and Bowers & Wilkins CCM 7.5 s2 Atmos speakers. To prevent reflections, we hung acoustic curtains and acoustic panels. Of course, the carpet also participates in bringing down the reverberation time in the room.
- 3x Bowers & Wilkins CWM 7.4 S2 front speakers
- 4x Bowers & Wilkins CWM 7.4 S2 surround speakers
- 4x Bowers & Wilkins CCM 7.5 s2 Atmos speakers
- 2x Bowers & Wilkins DB4S subwoofers (now upgraded to 2x DB1D)
- Arcam AVR11 4k / UHD surround receiver
- Arcam PA410 4-channel power amplifier
- AppleTV 4K
- Sony Blu-ray player
- JVC DLA-NP5 4K projector
- Panamorph anamorphic lens
- Screen Research 21:9 curved acoustic transparent screen 3.0 m wide
- Additional item list
- Additional item list
The result
With the beautiful "curved" 21:9 screen and Panamorph anamorphe lens, the "immersive" 3D sound, the perfect acoustics and the chic anthracite finish, the movie experience in this room is of the highest level. With the three very comfortable cinema seats, you are always in the best seat and the intimate atmosphere puts you right in the movie or concert.
Most importantly, however, Arjan is extremely pleased with the end result and uses this wonderful space a lot.
Interview
After completing a project, we like to hear how our clients experienced the cooperation, and if they like the result.
This is what Mike found
Yes, amazing! It's just a dream come true! If you can own and enjoy this yourself, that's a unique experience!
Friends and myself, of course. There are three spots and usually there are two or three of us. Of course, I also enjoy watching movies by myself.
In the beginning for sure, back then there was also a lot of film material available. By Corona, things have been pretty much quieter in terms of releases. Good example is the James Bond movie "No Time To Die" which did get delayed for almost two years. Lately, more movies are coming out again.
In terms of concert, of course that's Hans Zimmer - Live in Prague. When I watch that one I just have to cry at times. It really is such a fantastic concert. I also saw Dune in my home theater the other day and that's pretty cool too! But of course there are very many good movies to list with a nice Dolby Atmos soundtrack and good picture. Also some older material that has been remade with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack: pure goosebumps when you watch those films again!
I have always been a freak when it comes to images and sound. In addition to cinema, I also have an extensive music system. Sound just does something to me! It touches your soul, you can think of it as a work of art. A composer like Hans Zimmer who designed the sound and music for films is an art in itself. I appreciate that enormously. And in addition, the imagery when you see it at 3 meters wide: that is of course something else than on a TV! If the space then also gives that optimal experience, it's just totally cool. A normal cinema outside the door is of course very big, but if you experience this in your own space, the impact is at least a factor 2 to 3!
Through Yvo and his home cinema! I met him through our work and it turned out he was also a real movie fanatic and also already had a home theater and that's how we got talking. That's how I soon ended up at Mutrox! I had also been to his home theater and that's why I had become so excited. That was truly a boyhood dream! In my previous house I could never realize it and when I got in touch with Ronald from Mutrox we discussed a lot and then I was also looking for houses, which of course had to include that cinema. Then it took about two years before my house was sold. In the meantime, we kept in touch and after two years it finally happened in the new house. I visited Mutrox in the demo rooms and then you are sold very quickly! Hahaha!
It was actually on the basis of quality. The things I see and hear! Yvo was also very enthusiastic about you guys. That they really think along with what you want, that you have everything in house, but also the design and the approach that nothing is too crazy. You notice that when you come into your store: the demo rooms are very convincing with a high level of goose pimples. The cool thing is also that they look at the type of home and furnishings you have, and the cinema is adjusted accordingly. Also the quality of the audio of course, which is just absolutely top notch!
Yes, that was a really fun process that you really look forward to. Ronald visited me and measured everything and made a sketch. You are very curious to see what it will look like. Then I started choosing materials at Mutrox for the walls, the upholstery and the rest of the finishing and it became more and more fun because you really think along and make suggestions. Like the tile floor I have. Are you going to drill into it to fix the chairs or are you going to look for another solution. In that whole process we think along and then it takes a long time, because Corona came in between. Then it is exciting to see whether all the materials are available and fortunately they were 90%-95% in stock and then you really live towards the moment that the building starts, very exciting! The guys who came to build were also very nice people who enjoy their profession and really work towards the result. The work was done very neatly. No mess and everything neat. Nothing but praise! Little by little you see everything being built and every time there is something more. Super fun process but at a certain point you are also really curious how it sounds and how it looks. Then of course you (Garmt) came by to adjust it and then it's really ready and you spend the whole evening and the day after listening to music and watching movies.
I can't really think of anything... What was cool was that sometimes you guys even came up with a better solution. I was thinking of a regular screen myself, but you guys came up with the idea of a curved screen. The only thing that comes to mind that I find unfortunate, and I might be the first one to do so, is that you don't have one of those signs made of, say, stainless steel that says 'Home Cinema Designed by Mutrox', that I can hang up in the cinema. That would be so cool! You guys are so proud of your work, so I'm sorry you don't have such a really cool designed stainless steel sign to hang up... Hahahaha! Of course, it's more of a suggestion, but I just don't have any other points. I do have upgrade plans, of course. For example, I am curious to know what it would be like to put down even better subwoofers. Another example of thinking along are the temporary chairs that were put in place because my own chairs were still a bit late. What's also cool is that you can contribute your own ideas, like the two 'flaps' you made that I can close to convert my 21:9 screen to 16:9 without having to resort to an automated expensive masking solution.
Of course! Those interested in cinema I will definitely send to you!
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