When you spend $1.3 million on audio/video gear (not including installation), you should expect something special. And that’s just what we got with CEDIA Expo 2025’s most expensive home theater system in Sound Room 7. With a 14.18.10 channel immersive audio system featuring Ascendo speakers and amplification and a StormAudio processor, and video powered by Kaleidescape, MadVR, Seymour Screen Excellence, Christie and Panamorph, the audio and video experience inside this custom built home theater was exceptionally clean and dynamic.
But even this top-of-the-line system had its challenges. After a spiel by company executives from each of the audio and video partners, the presenter pressed play… and things did not go as planned. Dialog was missing and an obvious echo plagued the sound from front to back. Our hosts tried to identify the issue but eventually asked attendees (media and content creators) to please come back later. Apparently with the system running on two independent networks – and all the complexity that a crowded trade show infrastructure added on top of that – the two networks lost synch leading to missing channels and echoes.
So next time you try to impress your friends with your awesome A/V system and find that something isn’t working right, just know: you are not alone. It worked in the rehearsal! When we returned later that afternoon, the issue had been fully resolved and we were able to experience all the visual and audio wonders of this no-holds-barred A/V system. It’s important to note that customers with such a system would be unlikely to experience something like this as no homes would have the kind of network traffic and complexity we see at a crowded technology trade show floor.
The system saw the debut of Ascendo’s new HALO 10 PRO LCR speakers, a futuristic-looking 3-way design featuring a central coaxial tweeter and midrange unit, surrounded by six woofers to replicate a point source for precise audio imaging. These speakers are said to be able to reach 136 dB reference levels without significant distortion. So if you need to convincingly reproduce the sound of a jumbo jet taking off in your living room, Ascendo has got you covered.
Three of the HALO speakers were installed behind the acoustically transparent Seymour screen for the critical front left, center and right speakers. There were a total of 14 speakers at ear level, supplemented by no less than ten separate ceiling speakers for height effects as well as 18 subwoofers arranged in a DBA (double bass array) for uniform bass response throughout the theater. In the rear of the room, Ascendo included two of their “THE 64 SUB” subwoofers, each with a 64-inch driver to provide infrasonic frequencies (below human hearing) to pressurize the room and bring that gut-wrenching low bass impact to life.
Video was delivered by Christie Digital’s brand new Eclipse G3 projector ($400,000) with a Panamorph lens in place to spread the image over Seymour Screen Excellence’s retractable, auto-masking MFR screen in a 2.4:1 aspect ratio. The screen automatically masked itself with luxurious light-absorbing black velvet to accommodate 16:9 and other aspect ratio content. And when not in use, the Seymour Screen disappeared into the ceiling as any good projection screen should. A Kaleidescape Strato V played the 4K clips while video processing, including HDR tone mapping and Motion AI motion handling, was provided by MadVR’s new Envy Extreme Mark III Processor.
With a laser light source and 6-chip DLP light engine, the Christie Eclipse G3 features a whopping 30,000 ANSI Lumens of brightness, and attains 98% of the REC.2020 color space. The Eclipse G3 would clearly be at home in theaters three or four times the size of the one at CEDIA Expo – its light output was prodigious! – but careful planning is required. The projector’s 400+ pound weight and requirement for a liquid cooling system means it will need its own separate space behind the theater. But hey, if you’re buying a $400,000 projector, you can probably spare some room in the budget for a projection booth… and a projectionist as well.
To keep those “butts in seats,” Moovia provided the theater with three rows of its ultra comfortable luxury MARBELLA sofa theater seating, in Italian wool with Walnut trim. Simplified Acoustics handled the room treatment with their new BDP acoustic panels placed discretely in strategic locations.
With clips from “Roger Waters’ The Wall,” “Ratatouille,” “Ballerina” and “Interstellar,” the system was equally adept at delivering subtle dialog and acoustic music as it was at reproducing the dynamic gunshots and explosions of an action movie as well as the deep unsettling bass notes that Christopher Nolan uses so effectively in his films. Bass response was articulate and extended, It was also uniform as I listened in from a couple of different seating positions. Overall, the system exceeded the audio and video quality of many professional theaters I’ve been in, including the so-called “Premium Experience” of certain movie chains.
With outstanding visuals, it’s easy to see why Dolby tapped Christie to manufacturer the Dolby Vision projectors used in Dolby Cinemas. And now well-heeled consumers can get this same cinematic experience (or better) at home.
The Bottom Line
Is $1.3 million too much to pay for a home theater? That’s a matter of perspective. If you’re a high net worth individual who happens to love movies and entertaining your family and friends at home, then investing in a system like this might actually make sense. It gives you the ability to enjoy virtually any movie or TV show you like in a system that rivals the best professional movie houses, without having to leave the house. And for the rest of us, advancements made in these cost-no-object systems eventually trickle down to the gear that mere mortals can afford.