A Tropical Bond Hideaway Cinema: Audio Perfection Down Under
When a new client approached Wavetrain Cinemas, they had a clear vision: a fully engineered, acoustically certified home cinema that would combine high-end performance with a design that seamlessly complemented their home. Inspired by a tropical, cinematic “Bond hideaway” theme, the client wanted an immersive environment where every detail—from sound to visuals to seating—would transport viewers into another world.
The original brief focused on a modern cinema that balanced clean aesthetics with uncompromised performance. As the project progressed, the client became more involved in technical decisions, prompting upgrades in speaker layout, acoustic treatments, and seating to create a true reference-level environment.
Overcoming Technical Challenges
From the start, the project presented several technical challenges. Achieving even bass distribution in a multi-level room, precise localization of sounds across the seating area, and maintaining audio integrity within a heavily isolated structure all required careful planning.
Wavetrain’s design-first, engineering-led approach ensured that sound isolation, ventilation, and equipment integration were addressed early, minimizing complications during installation and calibration.
Immersive Audio and Visual Experience
The room features a robust 9.4.6 configuration, utilizing a full Elementi system (Earth LCR, Air surrounds, Water height channels, and Fire subwoofers). This layout was specifically configured to exploit StormAudio’s superior decoding and speaker mapping capabilities.
The Elementi speaker setup delivers exceptional spatial accuracy, provides precise imaging, and fills the room with three-dimensional sound.
To drive this high-performance room, Wavetrain turned to the StormAudio EVO 20 processor. The choice was driven by a need for low-latency, high-precision processing that could handle a fully digital ecosystem.
“StormAudio gave us the precision and reliability we needed to bring the Elementi speakers to life,” adds David Moseley, Founder and Director of Wavetrain. “The system’s flexibility allowed us to perfectly map the room and create a seamless, reference-level listening environment.”
Advanced connectivity was also key for this project. StormAudio was an early adopter of Audio over IP (AoIP), and Wavetrain utilized the EVO’s digital capabilities to perfectly match the Elementi Audio speaker system. As a digital active system, the amplifiers are located close to the speakers, meaning analogue signals only run for a few meters. This architecture preserves the purity of the signal from the processor to the driver.
Visuals are equally spectacular. A Screen Research acoustically transparent motorized projection screen combines with a Christie M 4K25 4K HDR laser projector to deliver crisp, immersive imagery. Luxury motorized Cinemaworks recliners in two rows, featuring integrated lighting and USB-C power, provide comfort for every viewer. Content sources include Kaleidescape Strato, Apple TV 4K, and Blu-ray.
Calibration: The "Slippery Slope" of Acoustics
Wavetrain’s philosophy on calibration is strict: software should refine a good room, not fix a bad one. “Any room correction in software is always a slippery slope,” they note. “We take a lot of care to ensure that the room is as accurate as possible prior to starting the process. EQ doesn’t eliminate the need for good acoustic engineering.”
Calibration combined StormAudio’s Expert Bass Management, Dirac Live Active Room Treatment, and Wavetrain’s proprietary fine-tuning methods.
“There has always been an emphasis on consistent bass across a cinema, but not as much attention on the fact that all channels in an audio track are full range,” Wavetrain explains. “Dirac ART, when used correctly, provides the flattest frequency response across our seating area for all channels, not just the LFE.”
This meticulous process resulted in a seamless sound field with crystal-clear dialogue and perfectly controlled low frequencies.
The Result
The finished cinema is a triumph of integration.
But it is the sonic performance that left the deepest impact. The feedback from the client was overwhelmingly positive. They immediately noticed the “sense of envelopment and clarity,” describing the final result as “far beyond anything we expected—better than any commercial cinema we’ve been to.”
This exceptional level of execution was further recognised by the industry, with the room winning both the CEDIA Award for Best Home Cinema Level III and the prestigious CEDIA Best Home Cinema Global.
If you wish to see the room in more detail, you can watch the video.
About Wavetrain
Wavetrain Cinemas has been designing and engineering award-winning home cinemas across Australia and New Zealand for over two decades. They are the only cinema design company to have won the CEDIA Best Global Cinema award twice, a testament to their uncompromising standards and technical excellence. Their turnkey approach covers every aspect of cinema creation – from acoustic engineering and interior design to AV integration, HVAC, lighting, and calibration -ensuring every project delivers a seamless, world-class experience.
Systems & equipments:
Audio Processing & Amplification:
- Processor: StormAudio EVO 20
- Amplification: Elementi Audio Amplifiers
- Power Management: Furman & WattBox dedicated power filtration
Speakers (9.4.6 Configuration):
- LCR: Elementi Earth
- Surrounds: Elementi Air
- Height Channels: Elementi Water
- Subwoofers: Elementi Fire
Video:
- Projector: Christie M 4K25 High-performance 4K HDR laser projector
- Screen: Screen Research Acoustically transparent motorised projection screen
- Sources: Kaleidescape Strato movie server, Apple TV 4K, Blu-ray player
Control & Environment:
- Automation: RTI control system integration
- Seating: Luxury motorised cinema recliners from Cinemaworks (integrated lighting and USB-C power)
