Soundbars and soundbar systems with subwoofers and surround speakers are excellent solutions for home theater sound. But, no matter how well they work, they are not the real thing.
To get serious home cinema sound, in a dedicated space, it is still very problematic that a full-range system should be the way to go.
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Which – who would have thought? – that’s what we have for you here. This is a premium home cinema system aimed at enthusiasts and housed as a permanent residence in a dedicated test room.
The program
A projector
We are at the forefront of good things Sony Bravia Projector 8 (VPL-XW6100ES). This native 4K laser projector is a worthy successor to the Award-winning XW7000ES.
Sony’s strengths and projectors are always unique, and the Bravia 8 is no exception.
It delivers incredible depth of black – a rarity in the projector world – and ensures that dark scenes, such as Gotham’s night sky in Batmanthey’re deep and powerful, and avoid veering into the dark gray seen in many competitors – even some at this price.
The new XR Processor, a modified version from Sony’s high-end OLED TVs, brings features like XR Dynamic Tone Mapping and XR Deep Black to improve brightness control and detail.
Detail levels are outstanding, presenting intricate patterns and textures with stunning fidelity. The color rendering, too, is excellent.
As we say in our review: “skin tones are balanced and well-judged, resulting in a pleasing yet not overcooked presentation across the color spectrum.
“They are uniquely balanced and realistic, too, while having the punch needed to draw the eye.
“Speaking of it, the eye at first Blade Runner 2049 it combines stunning blues and greens, with a rich presentation that combines colors with a smooth gradient.”
This projector is perfect for gamers too, with enhanced 2.1 definition on both HDMI sockets. It supports 4K/120Hz signals with Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), and has an impressively low input lag of 12ms.
This is truly a projector that delivers on the promise of a premium, big screen experience.
AV amplifier
At the heart of any great home cinema is an AV receiver capable of both refinement and brute force, and Marantz Cinema 30 shoveling. This is a premium unit that justifies its price with an equally premium performance.
The amp’s ability to place sounds directly in three-dimensional space combines with the ability to produce a very large and enveloping soundscape.
Detailed sounds – crumbling concrete, dripping water, power cuts and high-pitched alarms – come from all around you and together fill the room. Importantly, you hear the sounds, not the speakers.
Marantz tuned this 11-channel speaker to work well with music and movies. Switching to Pure Direct means we can listen to the stereo channels right from the front, and the delivery far surpasses most AV amplifiers.
It is possible that in a setup like this, the amplifier will be hidden away, to make its object invisible. When it finds itself on display, however, this is an attractive unit by AV amp standards, with its small ‘porthole’ display.
More importantly, it’s very well specified, with seven HDMI 2.1 inputs that support 4K/120Hz. It can be difficult for even the most enthusiastic person to run out of sockets to plug things into.
Speaker system
And using the impressive capabilities of the Marantz amplifier, we have an award-winning KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 Speaker system.
This stylish package is anchored by a pair of five-star Q Concerto Meta standmounts, with support from Q1 Meta surrounds, a Q6 Meta center channel, and a formidable Kube 12 MIE subwoofer.
For the full Dolby Atmos experience, a few pairs of the KEF Q8 Meta Dolby ‘toppers’ will set you back another £599 a pair. And in this system, that is certainly a worthwhile investment.
We were treated to a powerful and rich, yet very fast presentation from the Q Concerto Meta system.
This system sounds big and bold, enveloping it in engaging sound from all angles, but it avoids losing focus and being shy as a result.
There’s plenty of low-end punch, with the subwoofer delivering its low-end gut-punch while remaining in total control. And no flab or waffle here; the KEF Kube 12 MIE delivers a powerful and dynamic low kick.
Voices are delivered with clarity and texture, supported by impressive handling of low-level dynamics. This results in a truly natural and realistic representation of voices with excellent design, aided by the way this center channel is heard directly and clearly.
It manages to stay well integrated into the overall system while doing it, which is really impressive. The left, right and center speakers connect easily, and these alternately gel with the surrounds, leaving no noticeable gaps between channels.
The genius of the show, then, lies in its incredible sonic juxtaposition.
Blu-ray player
To make the most of a high-end projector and powerhouse (yet subtle if necessary) sonic package, you’ll need the best when it comes to power sources.
As always, we recommend physical media for this whenever possible – a wired connection will always provide a more stable connection than anything transmitted over the air.
That means 4K Blu-ray. Enter the Panasonic DP-UB9000.
The market for Blu-ray players has struggled over the last five years or so, with streaming video dominating. New players in the market are few and far between. So it’s a good job that young adults are amazing players.
The UB9000 offers very high image quality, and is a machine that will give good service for many years.
Broadcast box
It is unreasonable to expect any home cinema to depend on media alone, however. Video streaming is here to stay, and image quality is improving all the time.
The best, most consistent quality, however, comes from the excellent Apple Apple TV 4K.
We find it to be the best performer compared to many of its competitors – which is why it so deserves its place in this smart home movie lineup.
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