Here at Ce Pro we are used to seeing many whole home installations which look to draw together many different aspects to offer home owners a true 21st century experience. This does not mean however, we are under any illusions as to just how hard it can be to deliver a truly integrated experience and this knowledge makes the achievements here by the team at Pro Install AV Ltd impressive with help from distributor Habitech.
This large luxury home presented quite a few challenges, but nonetheless has been equipped an extensive, integrated multi-room audio/video/control system, including a full-range multi-channel cinema and high-quality audio to three garden zones.
In addition to multi-room touchscreen control over audio and video in 19 rooms, this project needed to deliver robust, high-speed Wi-Fi access not just inside, but outside too, an increasingly common requirement as AV and connected experiences continue to creep from the home into other areas of the property. The team were also required to deliver future upgrade potential through an ultra-high bandwidth fibre cable backbone running alongside the structured wiring to all TV points and to a garden data hub.
Sajid Qureshi of Pro Install AV Ltd, says: “This is an extensive premium quality custom installation in a very large luxury property which has been designed to a high architectural standard within a large garden setting.
“We worked with Interior Designers ‘Moderno Interiors’ to create an AV installation that was architecturally and aesthetically in tune with their design objectives. The brief for high performance audio, video and control inside and outside the home in sympathy with décor gave us the opportunity to showcase all of our custom installation skills.
“It included the provision for robust and fast Wi-Fi access and control, and on our recommendation, the installation of a fibre network to future-proof data capacity. We partnered with distributor Habitech to supply the cable and Wi-Fi access infrastructure, all the speakers for interior and exterior areas and also all the equipment for a media room cinema, which needed the versatility to operate as a living space as well as a high performance home theatre.
“Habitech worked with us to develop the specification for the project, coordinating the supply of product at each stage of the build to satisfy performance targets and deadlines. Their close support included key product demonstrations and the supply of a virtual Wi-Fi heat map, which proved invaluable to winning customer approval.”
Project goals
Extremely discreet high-quality audio was required throughout the property and gardens and so for areas such as bedroom, lounge, hallway and pool areas 30 pairs Sonance Visual Performance VP66R were used. Moving outside Sonance Sonarray systems were used in three separate garden zones. The team went for Sonance for the whole property to provide uniformity of sound and performance and also appreciated the qualities of the VP66R, a compact, high quality 6.5in architectural speaker which offered versatility, producing dynamic, detailed coverage from discreet in-wall and ceiling positions. Pivoting dual tweeters also optimise HF sound in single stereo and ambient roles, while a choice of round or square grilles aided the aesthetic needs of the project.
The Sonarray System comprises eight small horn-shaped satellites and an 8in dual voice-coil underground subwoofer for the bass, long the Achilles heel of exterior systems. SonArray is capable of servicing spaces up to 185 sqm and presents an 8ohm load which means any standard amplifier can drive it. The system installs in a simple daisy-chain configuration, with the subwoofer connected to both channels. The bijou Sonarray SR1 speakers, which incorporate 3.5in (89mm) anodised aluminium cones, are discreet enough to be located under plants or foliage at just 4in in diameter, so again the system does not impact on the looks of the home.
The last trick up the system’s sleeve is the inward facing performance bubble which uses the horn-shaped enclosures to create sound only where the installer wants it.
Inside to the flex cinema, which serves a dual role as cinema and media space within a large lounge/bar area approximately 300sq m in size.
For this space, Pro Install AV went with a 7.2 Dolby Atmos cinema sound system featuring 3 x Sonance Cinema Series LCR2 in-wall speakers behind the screen, 4 x Sonance VP86S in-ceiling surround speakers and 2 x VPSUB10-NC in-wall subwoofers behind the screen powered by a dedicated Sonance DSP 2-150 Digital Amplifier. A Yamaha RX-A3060, 11.2ch, Dolby Atmos/DTS:X amplifier compatible with Ultra Blu-ray 4K/60P, 4:4:4, HDCP2.2 and HDR Screen (a custom-made Projecta Tensioned Descender Electrol in RAL 7021 (satin) were also employed. Delivering the light is a JVC X9000R 4K projector on a lift.
The room benefits from near-invisible high-performance audio, generating high SPL to reproduce the home theatre audio dynamics needed and yet be unobtrusive at all other times. Front LCR2 speakers are fully enclosed and slender three-way full range designs featuring a coaxially mounted midrange/tweeter and quad woofers. They’re joined by Sonance 10in in-wall subs with slim (85.7mm deep) dedicated backboxes to prevent bass frequencies from reaching adjoining rooms.
Atmos surround channels are reproduced by full-range three-way Sonance VP86S ceiling speakers. All speakers share similar Sonance voicing for sound field and quality and consistency while their microtrim grilles aid room integration. For concealment, an electric 3m Projecta screen (with custom painted black casing to match the cabinet in the room) and ceiling lift for the projector were employed only activated when needed.
These days there is no install without strong Wi-Fi needed, challenge here was that it did not need to perform just inside, but outside the property too.
The team called on a full Ruckus 802.11ac system comprising of a Zone Director 1200 controller, R500 Access Point x 7 and Outdoor Access Point T300 x2.
The team appreciated the Ruckus ZoneDirector as a simple simple and straightforward centralised WLAN software solution using the Web user interface to make configuration and administration of the WLAN straight-forward. The Ruckus ZoneFlex R500 is designed to deliver high-performance and reliable 802.11ac wireless networking. According to the maker, its patented BeamFlex adaptive antenna technology and ChannelFly dynamic channel management deliver up to 2x increase in Wi-Fi signal coverage minimising the number of APs required to service any area. Designed for easy installation in dense urban environments, the ZoneFlex T300 Series dual-band 802.11ac outdoor access points are equipped with BeamFlex+ Smart Antenna Technology to provide reliable connections outside.
Looking to the future, the team also installed a fibre network. Running alongside the copper backbone of shielded SCP CAT6A cable is a network of Cleerline SSF fibre to all TV points and to a data cab in the garden.