PROJECT:
Multi-Zone Integration in Auckland
We were contacted by the client late 2020 to improve and integrate a range of audio and visual platforms into their home renovation.
Meeting onsite we walked thru the options with the client to ensure they could make the right decisions on technology in each room and space in the house. It was all to be minimal and unobtrusive but allow for sound to flow thru the home, plus a allow for great imagery on TV’s in the rooms and the lounge (media room).
The outcome was a home home with 11 zones of mixed audio and visual content throughout the house, managed by Yamaha’s MusicCast platform from a central rack in the home. The spec includes:
- 4 x bathroom zones with wet area speakers.
- 3 x Yamaha Bar400 soundbars and TV’s mixed use zones with Vogel’s onwall mounts for the TV and the soundbars
- 3 x zones with in-celing Klipsch and Q Acoustics speakers.
- 1 x Media Room zone controlled by a Yamaha RX-V6 to create a 5.1 with an in-wall subwoofer.
- 1 x TV riser from Nexus21 in the media room to allow for height flexibility when watching TV or movies.
- Rack setup with the Yamaha AV units / Streaming amps, Sky Box and other services within a cupboard space in the home.
The final solution was easily driven from the clients mobile phones or home based tablet, to give seamless music and video content integrated into the homes design.
The project consisted of the following Rapallo AV Design & Build services:
- Onsite AV Consultation – to ensure the setup matches the clients brief and the environment its being used
- Speaker Optimisation and Positioning
- System design and aesthetic matching
- Project Management
- Rapallo preferred suppliers
- Installation & setup – installation of the products / testing and training.
- Post installation Support
RECENT AV DESIGN & BUILD | PROJECTS
PROJECT:
New Sound At The Forge
Rapallo were contacted by Forge Fitness to update the sound in the main gym.
We did a site visit (as we do for all our projects) to ascertain the requirements and the space requirements. Our team spec’d four Definitive Technology AW-6500 speakers mounted high on the walls to give a punchy sound . We also installed a SVS subwoofer to provide a good bass punch with all the sound controlled via a Yamaha R-N803 amplifier.
The new sound was sensational and provided more flexibility when using the second zone in the mezzazine floor. So now the gym members have some cracking sound when working out 24/7.
We also re-used the old gear (always good to recycle gear and not just throw it away) in their new boxing gym and helped to set it up so they could use it.
The project consisted of the following Rapallo AV Design & Build services:
- Onsite AV Consultation – to ensure the setup matches the clients brief and the environment its being used
- Speaker Optimisation and Positioning
- Project Management
- Rapallo preferred suppliers
- Installation & setup – installation of the products / testing and training.
- Post installation Support
RECENT AV DESIGN & BUILD | PROJECTS
PROJECT:
Bespoke Home Theatre Room
Early 2020 Rapallo were contacted by the client to carry out a full build of a room into a fully dedicated home theatre room.
Our brief was to take large-ish bedroom as the space to work with, and turn that into a hidden movie sanctuary for exclusive family movie nights. The client was after an advanced setup for the room with a 9.4.6 setup.
Firstly we undertook 3D design modelling first to provide a concept of the room from the brief and then that was translated into the build spec. We created a room spec for the position of all the speakers and seats, based on the clients ideal seating placement.
Our building and electrical partners then stripped the room of all the existing floor / wall and roof coverings and build was started. We ran cable trays in the ceilings and walls to the AV cabinet from all the speaker positions, and started the plumbing for a room specific air conditioning system. All the walls were lined with acoustic batts and double layer acoustic wall linings to try and stop the transmission of sound, as the room backed onto the master bedroom. We also added a new sound-proof door.
A second tier was setup for the first row of seats including recessed power for the home theatre seating and the room had a based layer of mat black added. The room was then carpeted with extra thick underlay to again stop the transmission of the sound the lounge under the room and the fit-out of the hardware started.
Lighting was managed by on wall units that the client can control the scenes and the scene coloration. Our air-conditioning system was installed and commissioned along with a heat transfer system from the AV cabinet and room.
All the AV units were fitted into the hidden AV cabinet, and the cabling labeled and assigned to there components and tested. The speakers were fitted to the walls and the screen setup.
Our custom cabinetry was next on the list. We built a filly lined sub unit at the front of the room that could hold 4 subwoofers that had a black grille that was rubber mounted. Three large panels were then build for the front half of the room, with recessed lighting in behind them, and one with a special mounting box for the front wide surround speakers. Another smaller box was made for the Sony VW780ES projector, to mount on the rear of the room.
Our team then sourced special wall-coverings from Belgium for the rear of the room to provide some interest and texture for the room. This wall covering was then added and it provided the covering to hide the AV cabinet door.
Once all the fit out was completed, the AV gear was commissioned. This was a range of gear, including an ARCAM AV40 processor, HEGEL C55 & C54 power amplifiers and two ARCAM P429 power amplifiers to drive all the speakers.
Once the calibration was done, we are now doing an acoustic sweep of the room (May 2021) and working to add Vicoustic panels into the room to improve the room acoustics.
The final out come was quite stunning and the dead-black room makes the movies really pop, with un-paralleled sound.
*images from final calibration day
The project consisted of the following Rapallo AV Design & Build services:
- Onsite AV Consultation – to ensure the setup matches the clients brief and the environment its being used
- 3D Concept for approval
- Speaker Optimisation and Positioning
- System design and aesthetic matching
- Project Management
- Rapallo preferred suppliers for build / electrical / design
- Installation & setup – installation of the products / testing and training.
- Post installation Support
- Ground Cables and Turntables
- What Are Planar Magnetic Headphones?
- Open-Back vs Closed-Back
- Our Guide to Buying a CD Player
- The Moving Coil Cartridge: History, Design, and Why It Still Reigns Supreme
- How AC Infinity Fans Keep Your AV and Hi-Fi Gear Cool and Protected
RECENT AV DESIGN & BUILD | PROJECTS
PROJECT:
Iconic Home & Integrated Theatre
Rapallo were contacted by the client in late 2019 to build a small home theatre in a formal lounge space in a recently renovated room.
Initially it was spec’d to be a in-ceiling and in-celling projector lift, but once the roof spaces were removed and the area investigated the space wasn’t going to work. Working with the client we revised the spec and added a shelf mounted projector and a on-ceiling screen. The brief for the speakers where they have had to deliver great sound for movies and music, but they had to blend with the library style of the shelving / books.
As the room was already constructed, we ran chase’s thru the walls to get cabling for the speakers / HDMI and power to the right places. We then repainted the walls and ceilings back to the original spec.
For sound we used the ELAC range, with bookshelf speakers for the from L+R channels, and a matching centre that was mounted above the fireplace. SVS ran the subwoofer and the projector was a white Epson 8400 to blend it with the room on the custom shelf we built to mount it. Running the room was then a Yamaha AVR with the BluRay player and Google ChromeCast.
The project was a challenge as it was interrupted by COVID lockdown No.1. So as it wasn’t finished we quickly DIY’d a system for the client for the lockdown duration, and it was then completed once we were back at level 2.
The project consisted of the following Rapallo AV Design & Build services:
- Onsite AV Consultation – to ensure the setup matches the clients brief and the environment its being used
- Speaker Optimisation and Positioning
- System design and aesthetic matching
- Project Management
- Rapallo preferred suppliers
- Installation & setup – installation of the products / testing and training.
- Post installation Support
RECENT AV DESIGN & BUILD | PROJECTS
PROJECT:
The Discreet Home Cinema
The client spent some time with us in late 2020 and we assisted with the technical aspects of the project.
The brief was to provide an upgrade from a TV based system to a new platform that would give them a large viewing area, but when not used was not intrusive in the room. We spec’d an Indigo Motorized Screen, Denon 550BT, Cambridge Audio Minx Speakers and a Epson TW9400 to provide the imagery.
All this had to mounted somewhere, and somewhere that was partially hidden. So to provide a platform for the AV gear in the lounge, the client wanted a shelf to be built over an existing window space. The shelf needed to be strong to take 55kg of gear, and it needed to fit with the room. We designed and built the shelf and it was installed in March 2021.
It looks fantastic and goes with the room style.
The project consisted of the following Rapallo AV Design & Build services:
- Onsite AV Consultation – to ensure the setup matches the clients brief and the environment its being used
- Speaker Optimisation and Positioning
- Project Management
- Rapallo preferred supplier management
- Installation & setup – installation of the products / testing and training.
- Post installation Support
RECENT AV DESIGN & BUILD | PROJECTS
PROJECT:
Distributed Content @ Home
New Home Build / Multi Room Sound + Content Distribution
Rapallo were contacted by the owner as they were building a new home to assist with the AV spec and build.
The client wanted four aspects of their project managed by Rapallo:
- Multi-room sound through three zones.
- integration of sound bars onto living area TV’s (also used as sound zones).
- Setup and advice on a dedicated media room.
- Managed content distribution of Sky & Apple TV to 4 areas in the home with IR control.
Our team spec’d a Yamaha, Klipsch and Blustream product suite for the project. From the Yamaha Bar400 soundbars for three TV’s, to the Blustream HMXL44CS-KIT for content distribution. For sound in the three zones we used an existing Yamaha AVR to manage a range of Klipsch indoor & outdoor speakers to provide background or party sounds when the client required it.
The project consisted of the following Rapallo AV Design & Build services:
- Onsite AV Consultation – to ensure the setup matches the clients brief and the environment its being used
- Project Management
- Location Specific Custom Build & Installation
- Rapallo preferred suppliers
- Installation & setup – installation of the products / testing and training.
- Post installation Support
- Ground Cables and Turntables
- What Are Planar Magnetic Headphones?
- Open-Back vs Closed-Back
- Our Guide to Buying a CD Player
- The Moving Coil Cartridge: History, Design, and Why It Still Reigns Supreme
- How AC Infinity Fans Keep Your AV and Hi-Fi Gear Cool and Protected
RECENT AV DESIGN & BUILD | PROJECTS
PROJECT:
Karaoke & Movies @ The Wine Cave
Rapallo were contacted by The Wine Cave to add a screen and projector to enhance their function room.
Based on their budget we specified a Epson TW7100 mounted on a 3m long Vogels ceiling mount. For projection we used a fully motorised screen with a custom made (and installed) mounting bracket across the rear entry door. The system was then linked to their existing Karaoke system to allow for movies and songs, with a good front sound stage.
The final result is streamlined and minimal, and it has allowed The Wine Cave to expand their function room services and the options for use for clients for future bookings.
The project consisted of the following Rapallo AV Design & Build services:
- Onsite AV Consultation – to ensure the setup matches the clients brief and the environment its being used
- Project Management
- Location Specific Custom Build & Installation
- Rapallo preferred suppliers
- Installation & setup – installation of the products / testing and training.
- Post installation Support
RECENT AV DESIGN & BUILD | PROJECTS
PROJECT:
Acoustics In The Studio
Rapallo were contacted by the client as he had just built a new studio and the room acoustics needed work.
We dropped by the studio and ran a room acoustics test to ascertain the room requirements. From this we specified an acoustics package (Primacoustic London 12 Room Kit) and installed it for the client.
The project consisted of the following Rapallo AV Design & Build services:
- Onsite AV Consultation – to ensure the setup matches the clients brief and the environment its being used
- Rapallo preferred suppliers
- Installation & setup – installation of the products / testing and training.
- Post installation Support
RECENT AV DESIGN & BUILD | PROJECTS
PROJECT:
The Lounge With The Theatre
Rapallo were contacted by our client in Bayswater Auckland as they wanted to update their lounge to include a integrated 5.1 home theatre platform.
We engaged our builders / electrical partners to create a setup that provides minimal impact on the lines and the style of the lounge.
Starting from the front of the room we created a custom pelmet to hide the motorised screen. The screen is sized to fit over the size of the window and the drop finishes just below the lower edge of the window. To provide the front channel, we have two Klipsh DS-160W in-walls either side of the screen, and one Klipsch DS-250W integrated into the seating area. The seating area we custom built based on the clients brief, to provide some seated informal space.
At the rear of the room we built a cabinet space which hides the Yamaha AVR / SkyTV and Epson TW9400 projector. it was built to be part of the room decor and to hide all the gear when it isn’t being used.
The room is now multi-use and allows some amazing imagery for movies, sport and content.
The project consisted of the following Rapallo AV Design & Build services:
- Onsite AV Consultation – to ensure the setup matches the clients brief and the environment its being used
- Building / Electrical design and build
- Speaker Optimization and Positioning
- Project Management
- Rapallo preferred suppliers
- Installation & setup – installation of the products / testing and training.
- Post installation Support
RECENT AV DESIGN & BUILD | PROJECTS
PROJECT:
New Sound @ Rushworth Cafe
Rapallo were contacted to create New Sound @ Rushworth Cafe. Updating a system that had been put in 12 years ago and was starting to show its age.
We specified a system based on the Yamaha MusicCast platform linked to the fantastic Definitive Technology AW6500 speakers. There are 6 AW6500’s spread across the cafe. Two out front, two in the middle and two in the rear of the cafe plus a speaker in the toilet. This allows the music volumes to be controlled in each of the zones, based on the activity in that area or the content that us being played.
The team have also added a TV to face the outdoor area. This is connected to one of the 4 Yamaha WXA-50 MusicCast amplifiers. Now the TV sound to be played in one or all the zones when required, or a mix of music and TV.
The sound is now fantastic. They can use streaming services and it allows flexibility thru the café all managed via one locally setup tablet.
The Setup | New Sound @ Rushworth Cafe project
The New Sound @ Rushworth Cafe project consisted of the following Rapallo AV Design & Build services:
- Onsite AV Consultation – to ensure the setup matches the clients brief and the environment its being used
- Speaker Optimisation and Positioning
- Project Management
- Rapallo preferred suppliers
- Installation & setup – installation of the products / testing and training.
- Post installation Support
