Procella Audio Home Theatre as experienced by Peter Larsson

Quote from Peter Larsson:

When I close my eyes, it literally feels like I’m in the middle of the action thanks to my Procella Audio speakers’ amazing, immersive sound!

I created the original version of Bio Bumerang, my Home Theatre, in 2005 when I bought my house. The spacious basement had a room that I immediately envisioned as the perfect home theatre location. At that time, it simply contained a sofa, a projector aimed at a painted screen on the wall, and basic brown fabric panels on the walls and ceiling for acoustic treatment.

I upgraded my Home Theatre in stages between 2015 and 2020. In late 2015, I built a baffle wall and added three Procella P6 speakers for the front channels, four P5s as surround speakers, and a P15 subwoofer. I also installed a 2.35:1 acoustic projection screen and a Sony VW520 projector. In 2019, I added four Procella P5 height speakers for Dolby Atmos. In 2020, I upgraded the center P6 speaker to the P610 model, added three P10Si speakers, and installed a Lumagen Radiance Pro video processor.

In the spring of 2022, I began considering my 10-year plan to rotate the Home Theatre room 45 degrees and convert the equipment storage area into a lobby. I started digitizing my movie collection on a NAS drive and bought a Zappiti media player. Before summer, I contacted Marcus from The Rock in Lund, a dealer I’ve worked with since 2008, for help executing my plan. “I want to completely renovate the room from the ground up," I told him. Marcus recommended connecting with Freddan at Ninja Sound in Malmö, an expert at optimizing acoustic treatments for concrete rooms like mine.

After visiting in autumn 2022, I received drawings from Freddan and Marcus at the start of this year. I began demolishing the entire room in early January, which was quite labour intensive. This included enlarging the opening to accommodate the projector and amplifiers outside the room. Approximately one metre behind the screen is reserved for acoustic treatment to properly manage the bass. The hybrid baffle wall has both speaker baffles and bass traps. Using Marcus and Freddan’s drawings as a guide, I decided to do most of the work myself. I also consulted Anders from Studio Annorlunda, who spent three full days advising me based on his previous Home Theatre experience.

The bass traps posed quite a challenge. Creating and installing them as designed took a lot of time. I used 170 meters of flex pipe for the speaker cables to accommodate the planned 9.4.4 setup, which adds front wide speakers and an extra subwoofer pair compared to my original setup. I also upgraded the processor from an Arcam receiver with Dirac to a Trinnov Altitude 16 with 20 channels, which allows me to configure each subwoofer and the front P610 speakers as separate channels. Additionally, I added two DACs to handle the extra channels needed. My goal was a more advanced immersive audio system beyond my original configuration.

The project began on January 3rd and was completed on July 17th, nearly six months later. I logged over 400 hours in total, investing immense time and effort. While there were some challenges, like designing the bass traps and lighting, it was mostly an enjoyable process. Freddan provided invaluable guidance on the acoustic treatments, ensuring sound quality. Marcus assisted extensively with the speaker and projector setup, enabling a massive 173.9 inch screen covering the wall. I could not have done this alone – their expertise made this project possible. I am deeply grateful that I decided to invest in skilled help for the technical aspects. Without Freddan’s and Marcus’ knowledge, this room would not exist.

Specifications: 11.3.8 Dolby ATMOS, DTS:X

Processor: Trinnov Altitude16 (20 channels, with 2x Dac Schiit Modius)
Power Amplifiers: 2x Procella DA4280, 1x Labgruppen IPD1200, 1x Acurus M8, 2x  Labgruppen IPD2400
Screen speakers: 3x Procella P610
Surround/Height speakers: 10x Procella P5-Series
Subwoofers: 2x Procella P15, 2x Velodyne DD15+

Projector: Sony XW7000 laser projektor
Video processor: Lumagen Radiance Pro 4242
Screen: AT screen Screen Research 173 inch, 2.35 Clearpix 4 (406 x173 cm)

Mediaplayer: Zappiti Neo, Apple TV 4K, Arris VIP4305 TV-box
Various: HDMI cables Kramer and Supra, Signal cables Supra and Speaker cables from Supra

My favourite part of the Home Theatre is that all of the speakers and acoustic treatment are hidden behind acoustic fabric. The room looks clean and uncluttered, with no visible speakers to distract from the overall aesthetic. Just a screen and fabric walls with cozy lighting create a warm, inviting atmosphere.

I enjoy movies of all genres, appreciating both a compelling story and thrilling audio effects. The deep bass in films like Blade Runner 2049 and Mad Max: Fury Road is magical, bringing a smile to my face.

When I close my eyes, it literally feels like I’m in the middle of the action thanks to my Procella speakers’ amazing, immersive sound.

In closing, don’t guess at how to set up a home theatre properly. Sound is scientific, dependent on room acoustics and speaker placement to achieve optimal performance. Get professional help to calibrate everything correctly. With the right acoustic treatment, even similar equipment in a new room can transform a decent Home Theatre into something magical.

Peter Larsson