We Have Just One Word for You: Acoustics
In a famous scene from the 1960s classic The Graduate, a young Dustin Hoffman gets some advice from his father’s friend for his future: “I just want to say one word to you. One word. Plastics.” No, this blog isn’t about plastics, and that secret is out anyway. But we do want to talk about one word that can’t be ignored when it comes to home theater – acoustics.
Home theaters present some unique challenges for audio performance. Today’s theaters have many speakers, as many as 16 when you count surround speakers, subwoofers, and height speakers. Each one of these needs to evenly cover a certain area, blend with the overall soundtrack, and not cause sound imperfections that don’t belong. The layout, finishes, and furnishings of the theater also significantly affect the sound. It's not just a matter of choosing excellent equipment and calibrating it correctly, and sometimes the space needs acoustic help.
If you are a builder or designer, it’s wise to consider acoustic treatment early in your plans for residential projects in Charlotte, NC. Why? We’ll get into it below.
SEE ALSO: CinemaTech Helps Interior Designers Create Dedicated Home Theaters
Absorption and Reflection
Sound reflects off certain materials like hard surfaces and gets absorbed by others. Too much reflection yields a degree of echoing, and too much absorption leads to dull sound. Two typical acoustic problems in theaters are fatiguing sound from too much sibilance at high frequencies and limp bass response in some parts of the room. Some of this can be tuned, but a balance must be struck between achieving dynamic sound and overwhelming the auditory senses.
CinemaTech ARS Acoustic Treatment
CinemaTech is a well-known company in home theater design, seating, and acoustics. ARS (Acoustic Room Treatment) is part of every CinemaTech design, because virtually no theater space is acoustically perfect. Designed for the layout, furnishings, the sound system, and even your personal preferences, CinemaTech ARS adds absorption, reflections, and diffusion acoustic panels to ensure you maximize the performance from every soundtrack, from film to music to video games.
Sound Isolation can also be an important element affecting your design. Your clients may want to soundproof the room to avoid sound leaking into adjacent spaces or sound from other areas marring the home theater experience.
An Integral Part of the Theater
While you can add wall-mounted panels to a home theater to improve acoustics, CinemaTech recommends a holistic approach. Through dealers like The Integrated Home, they create a package of acoustic enhancements specifically designed for the theater space. The acoustic enhancements also consider aesthetics, and there are options for hidden versus surface treatments that all fit within your and your client's design objectives for the theater. In the end, proper planning and design yield a theater that wrings every ounce of performance from the sound system for the immersive experience everyone should get from a private home theater.
Partner with The Integrated Home for the best home theater integration in your Charlotte projects. Reach out to us by calling 704-412-4040, filling out an online form, or connecting with us instantly by clicking the chat window below. We look forward to working with you!