Genelec loudspeakers enhance upmarket home theatre project in Southern India

Karur is known as the textile capital of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. One of India’s premier industrialists – who made his fortune manufacturing high quality mosquito nets that are now exported all over the world – has recently built a luxury mansion for his family that includes a high-class home cinema fully equipped with Genelec loudspeakers.

The mansion – including the cinema – was designed by the PR Design Group, the renowned architects based in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), who are known for their work in the high-end residential market. However, when it came to equipping the cinema space, the client turned to entertainment and smart home automation specialists, Cinespa by Mark Technologies.

Cinespa owner, P.R. Srenivasan, aka ‘Sreni’, recalls that when he met the clients at the showroom – which features an impressive Genelec immersive loudspeaker system – they hadn’t actually budgeted very much to equip the new theatre. However, once they’d experienced the demo, there was no going back!

“The immersive demo with Genelec loudspeakers was definitely a clincher,” says Sreni. “The tonality, performance and the history of Genelec as a premium brand in prestigious global studio and AV installations – including home theatre applications – convinced our client that this was what he wanted for his home theatre.”

Nevertheless, Cinespa was faced with a number of challenges when it came to design and configuration. “The client would have preferred to implement both Auro 3-D and Dolby Atmos formats – but actually, due to the A/C duct positioning, we didn’t have sufficient height for loudspeaker placement for Auro 3-D, plus there was no rack space available outside the room, so our only option was for an actively powered system. Genelec was therefore the ideal solution in a Dolby Atmos 9.1.6 format.”

The Genelec sound system delivers a matchless immersive audio experience.

Consequently, Cinespa installed a total of sixteen Genelec loudspeakers, including three S360s housed behind the screen which act as the L/C/R system. The S360’s fusion of reference-quality performance, high SPL and compact size makes it perfect for demanding film, post and music production, including Dolby film mixing – and thus ideal for cinematic audio reproduction in a Dolby Atmos setup. Six powerful AIW26 in-wall loudspeakers blend seamlessly into the environment for transparent surround sound at the sides and rear of the room, whilst six 8340 smart active loudspeakers are installed in the ceiling to complete the immersive 9.1.6 configuration. The 7382 subwoofer can be found beneath the screen along with all of the processing and media automation equipment, neatly hidden behind an elegant wooden screen.

“The only place for any equipment was beneath the screen, so we had to do a lot of work to ensure there was sufficient ventilation,” explains Sreni. “It wasn’t easy but I’m very pleased with the final result.”

The rest of the room is equally high spec with state-of the-art acoustic treatment on the walls and ceiling from Vicoustic in Portugal, Sony projection equipment, intuitive media automation and control from Casadigi and lighting control from Lutron. Completing the experience is plush, raked seating from Moovia in Germany featuring electric adjustable footrests and backrests, finished in premium Italian leather.

“I’m very proud of what we achieved in this beautiful home theatre,” concludes Sreni. “The Genelec sound system delivers a matchless immersive audio experience that does full justice to the luxurious, ultra-high-spec environment. During our first detailed meeting and demonstration at our immersive showroom, the whole family opted for the best configuration with absolutely no compromise – they loved the natural sound of Genelec loudspeakers and insisted that nothing else would do. The family was recommended the best solutions in the world – both from us and from the architect – and they approved everything. It was a privilege to work on such a prestigious project which is surely one of the best home theatre rooms in India.”

The family was recommended the best solutions in the world and approved Genelec.