Here is a great example of the mess left behind by integrators who just don’t care. We were invited by the wonderful home owners  to come offer advice and make the system work. We cleaned it all up, added a new receiver and more importantly we added the proper ac and thermal protection devices. These addition insure the long life and proper operation of all the components! The result is a system that sound better and no longer looks a mess. The next step is Crestron control.

The equipment cabinet before.

The equipment cabinet after. Please note the addition on the fans and the ATM thermal system.

IT closet before

IT Closet after.

IT Box before.

IT box after!

The new Krell Cipher SACD/CD Player as well as the newest Evolution Multi Channel amps have been well received to say the least!

Krell now offers Evolution Series Multi Channel amps! The 2 channel Evolution 2250 sells for $8,000.00 and the 3 channel 3250 is $10,000.00. These outstanding amps offer 250 watts per channel and the great sound quality we have come to expect from Krell.

The 2 channel Evolution 2250 sells for $8,000.00 and the 3 channel 3250 is $10,000.00. These outstanding amps offer 250 watts per channel and the great sound quality we have come to expect from Krell.

The folks at HomeTheater.com had great things to say about the newest Krell amps.
The 2250e’s bass is taut with excellent control, extension and detail, not to mention depth while its high frequency performance is smooth and grain free.

The midrange is also smooth, with tremendous dimension and weight giving vocals, especially female vocals such as Sarah McLachlan’s, a palpable presence.

Soundstage-wise the 2250e possesses a vast and open soundstage that it manages to be enveloping whilst still remaining focused.

Dynamics, another Krell staple, are solid with the 2250e and its power seems limitless regardless of how loud you wish to play your favorite music or how inefficient your favorite speakers.

Even at $18,500 the Krell Evolution 402e is still my favorite amplifier; however at less than half the price I find the 2250e to be that much more impressive in terms of overall value.

While designed primarily for two-channel use, the 2250e excels at playing back cinematic content as well, whether that content is the latest Hollywood blockbuster or something more s1/2ued. Pair the 2250e with its three-channel sibling, the 3250e, and you’ve got a home theater marriage made in heaven.

The Krell Cipher SACD/CD player.

Here is what HIFI Choice had to say:

Krell’s new Cipher is an exceptional digital front-end, giving state-of-the-art replay of conventional CD and SACD formats. It’s via SACD that it really shows its mettle, delivering results that combine stunning clarity with amazing dynamics, plus impressive naturalness and refinement.???

We experienced levels of detail and clarity that no CD player could approach. The Cipher’s ability to separate-out individual voices and instruments is almost uncanny??¦Impressive stuff!???

The Cipher images exceptionally well, creating a broad precisely defined soundstage notable for the solidity of individual voices and instruments. On the right SACD, you get a holographic, almost 3D effect, with impressive width and depth.???

The Cipher’s exceptionally lucid presentation is notable for amazing clarity and astonishing fine detail.???

The Cipher certainly delivers the goods and offers results that will be hard to better, regardless of price.

Here are a few before and after shots of this ongoing project!

The CEO's office needs a TV!

The Conference Room

More pictures to follow. We are adding Crestron control along with custom desktop switching and control for all 7 TV’s and multiple sources. From any executive desktop you will be able to route any source to any tv.

The NEW PM-1, $2,800.00 per pair seen here with with the PM-1 Stand.

Introducing the NEW Bowers & Wilkins PM1, probably the most refined small speaker yet created. Many of the lessons learned in the development of the 800 Series Diamond have influenced the design of the PM1.It offers an extremely high-quality audio performance and features several key technological innovations, including a new tweeter design and a cabinet unlike anything previously constructed by Bowers & Wilkins.

Foremost among the new technology is the PM1′s Carbon Braced Tweeter. This new design takes the already high performance of Bowers & Wilkins aluminum domes to a whole new level. The tweeter mechanism is mounted on top of the PM1 in the same way as the 800 Series Diamond and uses a Nautilus(tm) tapering tube. However, its high-quality aluminum dome, is strategically stiffened with a ring of filament-wound ultra-high modulus pitch-based carbon fiber.

Sitting below the Carbon Braced Tweeter is what at first appears to be a regular Bowers & Wilkins Kevlar® cone bass/midrange driver, as found on the likes of the well-regarded CM1, and which is renowned for its ability to deliver clarity and detail at mid frequencies. However, the PM1′s drive unit features a new Anti-Resonance Plug: a mushroom-shaped device that is a tight fit inside the voice coil former, helping to damp the motion of the former. This reduces cone break-up, for a smoother, more refined sound, again raising the performance of a key Bowers & Wilkins technology to a new level of performance.

The construction of the cabinet is critical in any loudspeaker, but especially so in a mini monitor. Internally, the PM1 uses the Bowers & Wilkins Matrix(tm) bracing system, for improved rigidity. This is a vital element in producing a large sound from a compact loudspeaker. The striking front baffle and top panel is also a key element in the PM1′s refined performance. The shape echoes the profile of the ‘head’ unit used on the 800 Diamond and 802 Diamond, and improves image localization. A layer of mineral-filled resin is poured in liquid form to the back of the outer thermoset profile, where it sets to create a dual-layer composite that combines high mass with damping for an impressively inert construction.

Lots of technology in a georgous package!!

As we near completion here in Manteca I wanted to show some pictures of the B&W Signature 8′s once painted out and in the context of the whole system . Additionally we have the kitchen and master bedroom.

Here is the living room which features the B&W Signature 8 for right, left and center channel speakers as well as the ISW-4 in wall sub woofer. Once painted they look wonderful.

Inside the cabinet is the heart of the system. An Anthem MRX-700 Surround Sound Receiver, Marantz BD-7004 BluRay and a NA-7004 Network Audio Player. The HD video is distributed thru the home via a Atlona HDMI Matrix Switcher. The entire system is protected by Furman AC protection. The automation is by Crestron. One button operation expertly programmed in house by SCI!

The kitchen TV is mounted on a swing arm so it can be viewed while cooking or dining.

The master bedroom TV is neatly tucked in a corner above the dresser.

Here are a couple of pictures of the B&W speakers installed but prior to painted grills!

The B&W Signature 8's are installed!

In-Ceiling B&W's will disappear once the grills are added!

Here are a couple of pictures of a beautiful remodel we are working on in Oakland.  The new B&W in-ceiling speakers sound great and will look wonderful in these locations! Look for the finished photos to see them disappear!

Rough in for the living room speakers.

Here is another shot of the living room now that the sheet rock has been patched. As you can see, the back boxes are covered leaving only the area the speaker will fill.  Our next photo will be after the speakers are installed and the painter has done his work.

B&W Signature 8's back boxes prior to paint and speaker installation.

The kitchen ceiling before paint.

Here are a couple of pictures of the living room  rough in. This room will feature a 58 inch Panasonic Professional Series Plasma TV and the stunning B&W Signature 8 Surround Sound speaker assortment. 3 of the Signature 8 in-wall’s and the B&W ISW4 in wall subwoofer!

One of the things that make the B&W Signature 8's so special sounding is the proper mounting of the back boxes.

Look in the next few days to see these back boxes disappear!