AWE, the UK distributor of many of the custom installation trade’s leading brands, has unveiled its new, state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos cin...
AWE, the UK distributor of many of the custom installation trade’s leading brands, has unveiled its new, state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos cinema room. The impressive set-up is one of the few places in the UK that this innovative new technology can be experienced and is rapidly becoming known as the best demonstration of its type. Since AWE moved into their new HQ Alexander House in January this year, the team have created a stunning show apartment and cinema room to showcase a real world example of an integrated smart home.
At the latest AWE Expo, the UK distributor revealed the inspiring new Dolby Atmos cinema room featuring KEF, Denon, URC and Philips Dynalite. At launch, the results received acclaim and praise from supplier partners, dealers and even Dolby for the impressive set up.
AWE’s aim was to create a cinema room which hits the sweet spot of home cinema within the installation trade and being scalable comes within the £15K - £50K price range. Most of its dealers work on projects of this scale so it was important for the space to represent this. Most impressively, the cinema room was designed, built and furnished completely in-house by the AWE team.
“The team have been working extremely hard to deliver a truly stunning cinema room featuring the latest Dolby Atmos specification and we couldn’t be happier with the end result†explains Stuart Tickle, Managing Director of AWE. “Our customers are regularly installing home cinemas and we wanted to be able to provide them a cinema room demonstrating what can be achieved using the brands we distribute. This exciting new space is now open to our dealers to visit and also to bring their clients for a truly inspiring home cinema experience.â€
Thanks to Denon and KEF, the cinema boasts a 7.5.4 Dolby Atmos surround set up providing exceptional audio quality with smooth delivery, whilst retaining the necessary impact. This is ultimately the main attraction within the room. The demo illustrates seamless delivery of the 360° sound which is achieved by the intelligent set up, all specified, designed and built by the smart home experts at AWE. With Dolby Atmos, the sound comes from all directions, including overhead, filling the home theatre with astonishing clarity, power, detail, and depth.
The Denon AVR-X5200W AV receiver is at the heart of the 7.5.4 Dolby Atmos layout, powering the superb KEF in-wall CI speakers. The 7 channel basic configuration is supported by five matching in-wall subwoofers which are installed with two at the front, two on each side and one on the centre of the back wall. Four Ci200RR-THX in-ceiling speakers providing the front and rear height channels have been painted black to match the design and decor of the room.
AWE’s dealers install a mixture of projectors and screens in home cinemas, so the decision was to demonstrate both options. A Samsung 85HU7500 85" 4K TV is mounted neatly on the wall behind a Draper projector screen. As the room upstairs has a mezzanine floor, it was not possible to fix the projector to the ceiling so the AWE team overcame this by mounting the projector to the firewall at the back of the room.
Philips Dynalite LED lighting control and URC Total Control has been used in the cinema room to provide AV and lighting control. The lighting sets the mood with colour options illuminating the panel walls. The acoustic panels were custom built by AWE and are finished with an acoustic material that matches the carpet. Bass traps include one that has been cleverly installed above the door to prevent visitors getting blasted by the sound as soon as they walk into the room. Lastly, acoustic panels with printed graphics were designed and installed in the outside room around the apartment to provide sound absorption and reduce reflection in the open plan apartment.
The impressive cinema room will soon form part of the Smart Home Academyâ„¢. As the team completed all stages of the build, they can clearly discuss all aspects of the install within the training courses. This experience not only highlights the knowledge that the AWE team has, but it adds further credibility to the training courses.
Dealer Testimonials
Stephen Toal, Technocat: “The AWE cinema room is an absolutely awesome experience. I was very impressed with demonstration of Dolby Atmos which transports you from an ordinary moment into an extraordinary experience with breathtaking, multidimensional sound that flows all around you. It would be my first choice for a high end system and would unreservedly recommend it to my customers who were looking for the very best of what available today.â€
Zak Vracevic, M.E.G.A AV Installations: “I was very interested to see how the room will turn out, and it was worth the wait. The room has a nice interior design with interesting lighting and comfy chairs. But the most important thing - the sound was great! It is crisp and controlled with tight bass and has great performance from in-wall subs. The KEF THX speakers are doing a great job!â€
Stuart Burgess, Just Add Popcorn: “We use AWE for virtually all of our equipment due to their wide product range and faultless support. When they opened the show apartment it was a considerable bonus for us, as we were able to not only demonstrate solutions to potential clients, but also reassure clients of our wider contacts and relationship knowledge. The only area that needed further development was the creation of a dedicated cinema room, which has now been added and launched, to great effect. The cinema room demonstrates just what can be achieved without 'breaking the bank’. Let’s face it, the majority of clients do not have millions to invest in a cinema room, so this solution is realistic and therefore achievable for our clients. The main observation from having experienced the cinema room is that you wouldn’t ever question the budget spent - it sounds tremendous!â€
Kit List
7.5.4 Dolby Atmos configuration
Speakers:
- 3 x KEF Ci5160RL-THX (LCR)
- 4 x KEF Ci3160RL-THX (surrounds)
- 5 x KEF Ci3160RLb (in-wall subs)
- 4 x KEF Ci200RR-THX (Height in-ceiling)
- 3 x KEF KASA500 LF amps
Denon AVR-X5200W AV Receiver
Marantz MM8077B – 7 x 140 watt power amplifier
Denon and Marantz Blu-ray
URC Total Control
Philips Dynalite LED Lighting Control
Samsung 85HU7500 85" 4K TV
Custom built acoustic panelling
Draper Projector Screen
Epson Projector
Front Row Seating
For further information and to arrange a visit to Alexander House, visit
www.awe-europe.com