October 28, 2007

The $3.4 Million Home Installation Of The Year

This is one of the most amazing home theater installations I've ever seen. Robb Report's 2007 Installation Of The Year, found in an Austin, Texas home needs three electrical panels just for the media center! Entry into the theater moves you through two bronze doors with cast figures of lions. All of the fabrics found in the theater are hand-screened and hand-embroidered, sconces were cast from original antiques and even the carpet was hand-made. The gilding is composed of 24-karat gold and sound moves through 24 12 inch subwoofers, CAT/MBX speakers and amplifiers. The style of the room is based on early 20th century Parisian opera houses, and the crimson coloration and wood finish were designed to reduce brightness and light reflection. The picture, on an 8 foot screen, is provided by a Runco MBX-1 projector, commercial-grade that can cast images up to 40 feet wide.

The massive main equipment cabinet is cooled by 24000 BTUs of air conditioning, audio cables were cut to their precise lengths, and all RCA connectors were hand-soldered. In total, there are 38 audio zones in this home theater with the cheapest speakers costing $2000. Even the pivots the bronze doors swing on took a year to produce and cost $6000. In the end, the project took about 5 years and cost about $3.4 million. Wow!

Robb Report via Gizmodo