Pro AV Engineering and James Loudspeakers create a cutting-edge smart A/V system for this stunning penthouse.
One of the latest audio solutions involves a ceiling mounted speaker that mimics the aperture and facia of an LCD lighting fixture. Known as aperture speakers, these models blend into the ceiling and contemporary design décor. One of the leaders in this burgeoning speaker category is high fidelity speaker manufacturer, James Loudspeakers. James has an incredible portfolio of audio products and aperture speakers are just another great addition to their line-up.
We present a James Loudspeakers case study from an exciting project in Nashville.
Nashville 505
Pro AV Engineering (PAVE, LLC) is a Nashville-based technology integration firm founded in 2003. When developer Tony Giarratana and his team reached out about creating a show home in one of four 45th floor penthouses within a luxury high rise apartment building in downtown Nashville called The 505, the PAVE team, along with General Contractor Trace Ventures, responded with a creative design solution for a state-of-the-art smart audio/video system architectural and custom speakers from James Loudspeakers.
The interior designer in charge of the 4500 sq. ft. penthouse project was already familiar with James Loudspeaker as a supplier of premium décor-friendly architectural entertainment products, so when PAVE suggested James Loudspeakers Small Aperture® series speakers and a custom sound bar for the 85-inch Sony TV, everyone was in agreement about how to achieve best performance while maintaining the clean, modern design ethic of this penthouse project.
custom solution
The entertainment system design features 8-zones of audio, including the living room, great room, dining room, kitchen, office, master bedroom, master bathroom and guest bedroom. The living room is home to a 7.1 entertainment system along with a Sony 85-inch TV housed in custom cabinetry, which gave the PAVE team very little clearance to integrate an LCR (Left/Center/Right) theater speaker. James Loudspeakers accommodated this challenge by custom building a sound bar with a staggeringly compact 1.5-inch height. This is achieved by constructing an L-shaped aluminum enclosure, with the extended rear section of the enclosure accommodating six forward-firing 3-inch woofers and four 2-inch midrange drivers. The sound from the woofers and mids emit through the narrow 1.5-inch section of the bar, which is all that is visible from the front. The three ¾-inch tweeters are housed just behind the 1.5-inch tall grille.
This custom LCR sound bar, finished in black to match the Sony TV, showcases the magic of James Loudspeaker engineering and enables integrators to provide clients with the performance they desire without impeding décor. The sound bar, mounted discreetly to the top of the display using custom brackets also designed by James Loudspeakers, is barely visible in the furniture and looks like part of the TV. The living room also features Small Aperture in-ceiling speakers for the surround channels and a Small Aperture in-ceiling subwoofer, generating stunning 7.1 playback from a nearly invisible speaker system that aesthetically matches the LED light fixtures used throughout the space.
GALLERY
music everyhwere
The whole-house entertainment speakers are all James Loudspeakers Small Aperture through the 8-zones. The model 63SA-7HO delivers full frequency response with wide dispersion into any room along with extended and detailed bass, eliminating the need for dedicated subwoofers in each zone. Because of their aircraft-grade aluminum enclosure and aluminum driver array, Small Aperture speakers are also ideal for humid environments, such as the master bathroom. The James Loudspeaker Small Aperture speakers play through a tiny 3-inch grille designed to match the elegant square-style LED lighting fixtures.
The entire living space within the penthouse features premium entertainment available on demand in each zone. The living room theater system is the only zone that required a subwoofer, and the PAVE team selected a James Loudspeakers Small Aperture (101SA-6) architectural subwoofer mounted to studs in the ceiling. The 101SA-6 features an all-aluminum bandpass enclosure housing a 10-inch woofer mated to an elegant, compact 4-inch grille. The subwoofer is powered by a James Loudspeakers M1000 1000- watt subwoofer amplifier with DSP capability for perfect room calibration. The subwoofer amplifier, surround receiver and smart home electronics are housed in an equipment rack tucked out of sight in the laundry room.
an intelligent integrated home
The PAVE team selected a Savant control system for the penthouse, giving residents a highly intuitive user experience when they access their smart home and whole-house entertainment features. Savant IP Audio manages the distribution of music throughout the 8-zones, providing robust amplifier power for all of the James Loudspeaker architectural speakers. Savant Music delivers a nearly limitless choice of streaming content, all effortlessly accessed using Savant’s awardwinning Pro Remote (REM-1000) or one of six dedicated 8-inch touch panels as well as an array of iPhones and iPads running the system. The Savant system also controls 4-zones of climate with remote sensors, 64-zones of lighting, 60 automated shades, an access control system and more throughout the residence. These technologies are monitored 24/7 using Savant’s SCM (Central Management) system. The entertainment system also features two Apple TVs and a Blu ray player, with content coming into the space over Google Fiber.
“James Loudspeakers is a valuable solutions provider for any technology integrator, because when only a custom solution will get the job done, they come through every time,” explained PAVE’s Frank Stafford. “The performance and build quality of the James Loudspeakers sound bar and Small Aperture speakers is second to none; we are thrilled to work with them particularly for discerning clients such as the 505.”
Project Name: Nashville 505
Project Location: Nashville, TN
About the Manufacturer:
James Loudspeakers
615-210-8092
jamesloudspeaker.com
About the Dealer:
Pro AV Engineering (PAVE, LLC)
615-279-8284
proave.com
