High End Audio Done Right
When you are competing in a high end market such as that of Crestron automation systems, it is incredibly important that you separate yourself from the pack by providing a unique value experience for your clients. The reason we refer to ourselves as the #DoneRightNotEasy crew is just that, we take the time needed to do a job the right way, even if it isn’t the most direct or easiest solution. This is especially critical when it comes to home audio systems, either distributed throughout a home or centralized to a home theater or listening room. Our audiophile clients come to expect the highest of sound quality in both of these systems and to do so we must utilize our knowledge and experience in unique ways.
When it comes to home audio, either distributed or local to a home theater or listening room, any integrator can purchase, install and leave high end speakers and they will still sound great to the untrained ear. Where the #DoneRightNotEasy crew shows our value is by specifically calibrating every speaker in the home ecosystem to the room or area it is located. Speakers aren’t designed for rooms, they’re designed to be set up in rooms. Without calibration, the audio won’t be optimal, which means where and how the speakers are set up is almost always more important than the quality of the audio system itself.
In a home theater or dedicated listening room, calibration starts with the room itself, which we prepare by custom designing acoustic panels and placing them strategically along the walls and ceiling of the room, testing as we go to ensure the perfect soundscape. We then cover the acoustic treatments and speakers with acoustically transparent fabric walls for an extra clean look coupled with the ability to access and repair a system competent with as little intrusion as possible.
For distributed audio the process is a bit different, but just as critical. Calibrating small rooms, like your living room, hallway or bedroom, is surprisingly more complex than calibrating larger rooms such as a full home theater. Small rooms have much more distortion because bass-frequency wavelengths do not fit inside the room. The subsequent folding of the bass sound waves causes severe resonance, which is the common ‘boomy’ or ‘ringing’ bass commonly heard in consumer speakers. We work to solve these issues and create full home deluxe sound through proper speaker placement. Since Crestron distributed audio systems tend to utilize hidden speakers, either in ceiling or in wall, a deep knowledge of how these alternate speaker styles work and produce sound is required for appropriate placement. Once the measurements and specs are created for speaker placement, each speaker is individually calibrated, then the system calibrated as a whole, for the highest quality sound throughout the home.
The last piece of the puzzle for quality distributed audio in a home comes from the source itself. With so many streaming options available to consumers these days, each streaming at different bandwidths, it’s important to optimize these streams for consistency of quality. This means utilizing our go to streaming device, the powerful MMS-5 streaming server by Autonomic Control, which allows our music loving clients to stream from pandora, spotify, and any other streaming music service they desire with optimal sound quality throughout their home. Source quality is also important because it is the most common cause of distortion and speaker degradation.
Interested in a home theater or distributed audio in your automated home? Contact GMI today to learn more.
- The Importance of The Right Tools For the Job - September 21, 2017
- High End Audio Done Right - September 14, 2017
- 3 Ways GMI Brings Value to Your Automated Home - August 31, 2017
