Sprawling San Diego Theater - February 2005 - page 2
The picture in the theater is crisp and vibrant, thanks to the Seleco SVD-800 HD CRT projector mounted on the ceiling. To handle both widescreen and regular 4:3 traditional format television broadcasts, a Stewart Filmscreen motorized masking screen was installed in custom-built cabinetry. Krell electronics discreetly hidden in the cabinets under the screen are the heart of the system. Two additional HDTVs were installed above the screen for a “picture in picture in picture” and give the homeowner the ability to watch three sporting events simultaneously.
The sound in the theater is an area that gives designer Jerry Axelrod a particular sense of pride. After hearing a demo in the incredible-sounding Reference Theater in Systems Design Group’s showroom, the client was inspired to have that same sound in his own home. The front channel speakers in the theater are custom built Avlar Duets on the left and right and in the center. The speakers are identical, except that the AWE 500 driver in the center channel is rotated 90 degrees to accommodate its horizontal orientation. Each speaker consists of two Audiom (Focal’s pro division) 10-inch polyglass cone woofers and one Avlar AWE (Acoustic Wave Emitter) driver, coupled to a cultured marble waveguide, crossed over at 500 Hz with a 24 dB per octave slope, via active external crossovers. Frequency response is 34 Hz to 25 kHz + or - 2.5 dB. Efficiency is 100 dB for one watt at one meter. The acoustic wave emitter is an exclusive proprietary driver, handcrafted by Avlar. It has a frequency response of 500 Hz to 25 kHz + or - 2.5 dB and an efficiency of 100 dB. The rise time is an incredible 15 microseconds and the second harmonic at 100 dB is 54 dB below the fundamental frequency. Therefore, harmonic distortion is inaudible, according to Avlar. The cabinets are heavily braced MDF and are lined with an acoustically inert five-layer constrained damping material called “Black Hole 5.”
The two built-in surround speakers were custom made by Avlar and utilize the same Avlar AWE 500 driver as the front channels, coupled to a Seas Excel eight-inch magnesium cone woofer, crossed over at 500 Hz with an active external 24 dB per octave crossover.
The Acoustic Wave Emitter is a unique, patented state of the art driver that is hand-built in the U.S. by Avlar. It employs a folded thin film diaphragm that emits sound by squeezing the air between its horizontal pleats, much like an accordion. The diaphragm is composed of Mylar that is .00025 inches thick, with an aluminum circuit etched on it, resulting in an incredibly light moving mass. The motor uses four large Neodymium bar magnets, providing a huge magnetic force. A custom manufactured cultured marble wave-guide coupled to the driver provides high-efficiency linear response and controlled dispersion. All of the speakers in the theater feature JPS and Audience speaker cable internally and WBT and Cardas speaker terminals.
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