A Fully Engineered Family Cinema in Perth
Some home cinemas begin with a projector and a speaker package. Others begin much earlier, with architectural planning, acoustic engineering, interior design, lighting integration, and performance modelling all developed together before construction is even complete.
This dedicated home theatre project by Hifi Hunter was one of those projects.
Created within a brand new family home in Churchlands, Perth, the room was designed from the outset as a fully concealed, high performance private cinema and immersive audio environment that could deliver genuine commercial cinema scale while remaining visually calm, architectural, and intuitive to use.
The client, an audiophile and movie enthusiast, was referred to Hifi Hunter by a previous customer during the construction phase of the home. Rather than simply purchasing equipment, the brief was to create a completely turnkey home theatre experience, engineered as a complete room from the beginning.
The space needed to accommodate family movie nights, gaming sessions, and entertaining, while also delivering the level of audio performance expected by a serious enthusiast. A star light ceiling was the only fixed design request on behalf of the kids. Everything else was developed collaboratively through the design process.
Designing the Room Before Construction Was Complete
Planning for the cinema began months before the home handover. Rather than waiting until the building was complete, the entire room was developed as a fully documented design package.
This included:
- Acoustic calculations and performance modelling
- Speaker and subwoofer layout & engineering
- Projector & Viewing Calculations
- Lighting design & automation
- Cabinetry detailing
- Interior design selections
- Material and fabric schedules
- 3D room visualisation and walkthroughs
By resolving every detail early, the cabinetry, acoustic treatment, lighting infrastructure, and equipment locations could all be coordinated before installation commenced. This prevented late stage compromises and ensured the finished room aligned precisely with the original vision.
Once the house was handed over, Hifi Hunter’s team completed the dedicated home theatre installation, fit-off and commissioning over a four week period.
Solving the Challenges of a Compact Dedicated Cinema
The room itself presented several challenges.
The goal was to maximise seating capacity while still allowing sufficient space for loudspeakers, subwoofers, acoustic treatment, circulation paths, and cabinetry integration. Multiple layouts were explored and discarded during the design phase to avoid compromising viewing comfort or acoustic performance for the main seating positions.
To reclaim additional space, the neighbouring linen closet was rebuilt into a pull-out equipment rack for the system amplification. Relocating the amplifiers outside the cinema reduced heat and noise within the room while freeing valuable internal cabinetry space.
The front wall cabinetry was also redesigned to extend across the full width of the room rather than stopping at the screen opening. This allowed the projection screen, speakers, subwoofers, acoustic treatment and cabling to disappear behind a seamless architectural surface.
Even the existing window became part of the acoustic strategy. Multiple layers of absorption and diffusion were installed before the entire surface was fabric wrapped to integrate invisibly into the room design. A second acoustically sealed door was also added to further improve isolation from adjoining spaces.
Interior Design and Performance Developed Together
Unlike many cinema projects where aesthetics are addressed after the technical design is complete, this room was developed simultaneously from both perspectives.
Hifi Hunter’s in-house interior design capability allowed finishes, lighting, seating, materials, and acoustic integration to evolve together throughout the process. Our integrated interior design service and home theatre design service is unique and exclusive to Hifi Hunter in Perth. It combines interior design, acoustic engineering, lighting design and cinema system integration under one specialist company.
Style boards, material palettes, and detailed 3D visualisation helped the client understand exactly how the room would feel before construction began. This collaborative approach ensured technical performance never compromised the visual outcome, and vice versa.
A Fully Concealed Dolby Atmos System
The final system was engineered as a reference-level 7.3.4 Dolby Atmos home theatre layout powered by StormAudio processing.
Ascendo loudspeakers were selected throughout the room due to their exceptional output relative to enclosure size, making them ideal for a concealed architectural installation where performance and space efficiency were equally important.
Four Ascendo 6P wedge speakers handle the height channels, while the low frequency system evolved substantially during the design process.
What originally began as dual 16-inch active Ascendo subwoofers ultimately became:
- Two Ascendo Pro Series 18-inch 2500 watt passive subwoofers, and
- One giant 24-inch Ascendo Pro 5000-watt infrasonic subwoofer. The biggest subwoofer in Perth!
All three subwoofers are integrated within the front screen wall and independently processed and calibrated to achieve consistent low frequency performance across every seat. Significant low frequency optimisation work was undertaken before Dirac calibration was applied.
A Locally Manufactured Projector Screen
A 16:9 screen format was selected to maximise immersion for the viewers while remaining ideal for gaming, streaming platforms, IMAX content, and traditional film presentation.
The projector screen itself was manufactured locally in Perth by Hifi Hunter.
Each High Fidelity 4K screen is built to exact project specifications, including screen size, frame depth, and material selection, ensuring precise integration into the system and surrounding cabinetry.
Projection duties are handled by a Sony native 4K projector, professionally ISF calibrated for the room.
Acoustic Treatment Hidden Within the Architecture
Every surface in the room contributes to the acoustic strategy.
Bass traps were integrated into the rear corners, acoustic treatment was incorporated into the seating riser, and the entire room was finished using an acoustic fabric wall system that conceals speakers, acoustic panels, and cabling behind clean architectural surfaces.
The result is a room that visually feels calm and minimal, despite containing extensive acoustic engineering beneath the surface.
Lighting and Automation Designed as Part of the Experience
Lighting was treated as an integral component of the room experience rather than a final decorative addition.
Custom LED strip lighting was integrated into channels within the fabric wall system, with each lighting zone independently controllable for both dimming and colour.
The entire room is automated through Control4, allowing lighting, playback, source selection, and room modes to operate seamlessly from a single interface.
A dedicated Cinema scene guides occupants into the room, sets lighting levels automatically, and prepares the system for playback with a single command.
The Result
Commissioning and calibration took place over two full days, with early demo material including Top Gun: Maverick and No Time to Die. This process was executed by our AV calibrator Andrew Poole, who is Australia’s most experienced calibrator – certified by ISF, HAA, THX and PVA.
For the client, the most striking aspect was not only the scale and impact of the system, but also how effortlessly the room operated and how completely the technology disappeared once playback began.
Following completion of the cinema, the client proceeded with a second dedicated project within the home: a private two-channel hi-fi listening room, developed separately with a completely different set of acoustic and performance goals.
Planning a Home Theatre in Perth?
If you are building, renovating, or upgrading a media room, planning early will significantly improve the end result.
At Hifi Hunter, we provide:
- Custom home theatre design including DIY plans
- Acoustic planning and engineering
- Full installation and calibration
- Projector and surround sound systems
- Smart home integration
- Interior design coordination
The earlier a cinema is considered within the building process, the greater the opportunity to integrate acoustics, lighting, cabinetry, and technology properly from the beginning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Home Cinema Installation in Perth
How much does a custom home cinema cost in Perth?
The cost of a home cinema in Perth depends on room size, equipment specification, acoustic treatment, cabinetry and automation. We design each system individually to match the home and performance goals.
What is the ideal room size for a dedicated home theatre?
A dedicated home theatre room can be designed in various sizes. Proper acoustic modelling, speaker placement and bass management are more important than raw room dimensions.
Can you build a home cinema during construction?
Yes. Planning a home cinema during construction delivers the best results, allowing cabling, sound isolation and cabinetry to be integrated from the beginning.
Do you provide full turnkey home theatre installation in Perth?
Yes. Hifi Hunter provides complete home cinema design, equipment supply, installation and professional calibration throughout Perth and Western Australia.
