L-Acoustics Creations and C SEED Reach New Heights with Maunakea, the Pinnacle of Home Entertainment Technology.
When C SEED revealed the very first video of its monolithic M1 silently emerging from the floor and unfolding into a stunning 165in 4K MicroLED TV display, the bar of luxury viewing had unquestionably been raised. In the same way, L-Acoustics Island Prestige, an immersive sound lounge delivering ultra-high resolution spatial audio provides a listening experience like no other. Today, these brands argue that the the bar rises again with the announcement that L-Acoustics Creations and C SEED have partnered on Maunakea, an integrated pairing of M1 TV and Island Prestige for content enjoyment in luxury residential and superyacht environments.
“Maunakea,” explains Laurent Vaissié, CEO of L-Acoustics, “is named after a volcano in Hawaii, the world’s tallest peak as measured from its sea-floor base to summit—even taller than Mount Everest. In the same spirit, our latest product collaboration with C SEED affords new heights of modern elegance in luxury home entertainment systems. And just as most of Maunakea, the volcano, resides beneath the ocean surface, the technology offered by L-Acoustics Creations and C SEED remains cleverly concealed yet spectacular.”
The self-contained personal auditorium, Island Prestige, was designed by Dr. Christian Heil and the R&D team at L-Acoustics, the pioneering manufacturer of sound systems that serve many of the world’s leading artists and music festivals. Island was created to offer an unprecedented sonic environment that comfortably places its occupants at the epicenter of the concert, film, or gaming action via 13 professional audio frontal speakers, five rear speakers, and two substantial subwoofers. Optional overhead speakers provide for an even more immersive experience. With a media processor, Island’s art technology integrates to play audio from any format, including CD, DVD, Blu-ray, gaming platforms, Dolby Atmos, and hi-res streaming services such as Apple Music Spatial Audio, Amazon Music Ultra HD and Tidal.
Designed by Stefan Pani, M1 TV’s unfolding screen is described as a marvel of futuristic engineering and exquisite form, rising from the ground in a tidy package and then metamorphosing into a massive display diagonally stretching nearly 14 feet. Once deployed, M1’s 4K MicroLED display delivers vibrant colors and a resolution with 1,000 nits brightness and 64 billion colours. A special screen surface treatment displays the all-important black, deep and accurate. In addition to onboard HDR Plus (High Dynamic Range), C SEED´s Adaptive Gap Calibration Technology renders borders between the display panels totally invisible.
“Separately, Island Prestige and M1 each represent superb and inimitable technological achievements in their respective markets. But together? There is simply no more visually and sonically incredible way to experience a film or a livestreamed concert event at home,” shares C SEED Founder and Managing Partner Alexander Swatek. “Maunakea is the latest evolution and true zenith of home entertainment, rivaling the experience of the movie industry’s top screening rooms.”
Other ventures
Maunakea is not the first joint endeavor for the two companies. Since 2017, L-Acoustics provides amplified controller and embedded loudspeaker technologies for C SEED Hyde 125, a fully retractable speaker system delivering up to 125 dB of pristine output and cinema-quality 9.1 surround sound. Highly water resistant, Hyde 125 has been deployed in tandem with the award-winning C SEED outdoor TV, designed by Porsche Design Studio, at high-end residences and lavish pool and yacht settings around the globe.
“Maunakea is another leap forward in our collaboration with C SEED,” shares L-Acoustics President and Founder Dr. Christian Heil. “This is a much-needed departure from the conventional, rectangular dedicated dark cinema room. Maunakea taps into a contemporary and vital desire to transform the living space into a more human-centered, multi-purpose entertainment, wellness, and social environment. When a screen is required, it appears, as if by magic! The viewer is fully enveloped in physical comfort and stunning realism when watching a film or a favorite series. When end credits roll and guests wish to take in the view of a beautiful sunset, Island gently rotates to face any direction for a change of experience and scenery. It’s unique, natural, elegant, and effortless, the very definition of a luxury lifestyle.”
For ultimate viewing comfort, M1’s unfolding screen rotates 180 degrees in each direction to provide the perfect viewing angle. And when not needed, the screen smartly refolds with a simple button press, once again completely disappearing into the floor to preserve the clean look of an ultramodern living room.
Maunakea will be available for shipping in spring of 2022, and both L-Acoustics Creations Certified Integrators and C SEED distributors will be able to offer the combined high-end entertainment system with the full support of one another’s technical and application teams.