Constantia Dolby Atmos Installation

THE BRIEF

We are very proud of this Dolby Atmos Installation recently completed in Constantia for one of the best clients that we have ever had the privilege to work with. Over the period of the past 4 months we have been working hard on making a concept, that our client has faithfully trusted us with, become a reality. In a description I could say that our client had (not directly quoted) said something along the lines of:

‘You are going to be able to deliver on something more spectacular than what I currently have; and that is why I trust you’

What started out with an audio interference issue found on one of our clients rear speakers became a discussion about upgrading to a newer, larger size television, with more features added. Though, this is was always my intention to implement an Anthem MRX surround sound processor which would allow us to introduce a pair of in-ceiling speakers for Dolby Atmos. During one of our meetings, I mentioned that we were going to take a 2-stage approach to carrying out this upgrade, to which he described, ‘if we are doing this, we may as well get on with it then’ which is when the introduction of the Wisdom Audio speaker package and the design which we have implemented today has come into discussion.

The requirements for this installation are quite straight-forward, but as follows:

• Wide music listening soundscape (this is due to our client sitting off-center of the room, so his seat has to have great audio at its location)
• Robust bass, which is capable of reproducing a wide range of music, as well as be useful for television / movie watching
• Detailed audio reproduction
• High volume is not required, but should the mood arise, no interference to the music listening experience
• Aesthetically this installation needs to look incredible!
• Dolby Atmos

For me, the choice of products for this installation was easy to make, a breakdown of them is as follows:

• Front Left / Right speakers: Wisdom Audio L8i
• Center Speaker: Wisdom Audio P2i
• Surround Left / Right: Wisdom Audio P2i
• Subwoofer: Wisdom Audio S55i Ported in-ceiling subwoofer
  • Powered by Wisdom Audio SW-1 Subwoofer Amplifier
• Dolby Atmos Left / Right: M&K iw-5
• Anthem MRX 1120 surround sound AVR
• Samsung Q9 65″ UHD QLED television
• Crestron HR150 remote control and Crestron MC3 processor

With regards to the installation of this system, it was a challenging but fairly quick process taking place in the following stages:

• Measurement of television panel and having Sphere Custom Design manufacture a new television panel to accomodate the Wisdom Audio speakers for us.
• Removal of Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11-55 television and motorised wall bracket
• Removal of Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 9 floor standing speakers from the joinery.
• Installation of new wall mounted swing frame equipment rack into garage, this is out of the way and accomodate all the new electronics.
• Removal of existing Bang & Olufsen audio and video cabling.
• Installation of Metra HDMI cables from new equipment rack to television location.
• Installation of new speaker cabling for all speakers
• Installation of 2 new DSTV Explora 2 HD decoders
• Installation of the M&K i-w5 speakers in the ceiling for Dolby Atmos

Once all the cabling had been installed and prepared for the new equipment, the real fun could begin.
With perfect timing, the Wisdom Audio speakers and subwoofer arrive in Cape Town from being air-freighted from Carson City, Nevada, USA.

The final stage of the installation starts with the installation of the Left / Right Wisdom Audio L8i speakers, then onto the P2i center channel speaker.
Next is the installation of the Wisdom Audio S55i subwoofer in the ceiling and the M&K Dolby Atmos speakers.
Lastly, the stunning Samsung Q9 65″ QLED television is installed.

To wrap up this installation we have carried out an upgrade to the home network and wifi with the installation of an Araknis router, network switch and new wifi access points. This allows us to ensure that all streaming services are delivered to the Apple TV which is connected to the Anthem AVR without issue. The implementation of a high speed wifi system also ensures that playing high resolution music from a portable device like an iPhone or iPad can be carried out without interruption.

The final speakers to be installed in this lounge are the Wisdom Audio P2i’s in custom manufactured speaker boxes to accomodate their location at the rear of the room. These speakers are angled in and down to ensure the correct projection for the audio listening position.

In our continued approach to ensure that our audio / video installations are as easy as possible to use, we have installed a Crestron HR150 hand held remote control
This fixed button remote control enables use of all features in this installation from a single remote control with 1 button press to select any source required.

Overall, this is another home audio video installation where we are proud to have transformed this lounge into a technological master piece that accommodates all of the latest technology offerings; Dolby Atmos, UHD, HDR, Video Streaming.

If you would like to discuss a solution like this Constantia Dolby Atmos installation for your lounge, please get in contact on our contact page. We would be happy to assist you.