Dream Theater

Most dedicated theater rooms are built around a really big screen and high-powered projector. It’s the focal point of the room, unlike Great Rooms and other multi-use spaces. If the picture occupies a high enough percentage of your field of view, your suspension of disbelief (a movie industry term) will make you so involved that some scenes could cause a visceral response. A car chase going over a hill may make your stomach jump or a scary scene may cause an adrenaline rush. Isn't that what you really want? At ESC we use Stewart screens and Barco projectors to provide the most stunningly realistic image we can make in your home.

One of the defining differences between a media room and a home theater room is acoustic treatment. Without it the sound will have audible peaks and dips that distract from the immersive experience of movie viewing. The carefully produced soundtrack is at the mercy of bad room acoustics. We can fix that.

Another defining difference is subwoofer quantity and placement. Bass is the hardest frequency range to control, as it reacts strongly with the shape and dimensions of the room, cancelling at some frequencies and reinforcing at others. Acoustic treatment alone is not enough to achieve optimum bass. Large theater rooms need multiple subwoofers. The correct quantity and placement of them is critical to achieving powerful, accurate bass at all room locations. Early planning is required since subwoofer locations are often baked into the room design, especially if inwall subs are being used. It also helps if you use great subwoofers. We use JL Audio.

Of course, the rest of the speakers are important too, and we pay just as much attention to the quality and placement of those. We like Wisdom speakers.  Also, the amplifiers driving the speakers must be able to do so effortlessly at THX Reference Level. Depending on speaker selection, one of our go-to choices for amplifiers is Audio Control.

Because a home theater is designed for the explicit purpose of watching movies, dedicated theater seats are a great way to elevate your movie experience. They are available in a wide variety of leather or cloth surfaces, with options for leg rests, motorized recline, cupholders, and snack trays. It’s common to have two or more rows of theater seating in a larger home theater. Some rows may have love seats instead of individual chairs. Designed to be comfortable for long viewing sessions, home theater seating goes way beyond what you would find in a commercial theater.

The final ingredient is calibration. This is where expertise makes the difference between an assemblage of quality components and a finely tuned system. A top-notch home theater must be capable of powerful, detailed, and balanced sound that draws you into the movie. If you have ever watched a movie in a well-designed home theater what you will remember most is how great the movie was, because the sound and video system helped you suspend your disbelief and become totally involved in the movie. That’s the goal.