Big Picture Big Sound

Usually the news items we feature here highlight a "Big Picture" or "Big Sound" but for once, we have a system that excels at both. At a press event in New York earlier this week, Epson and Atlantic Technology demonstrated their new jointly developed Ensemble 1080, a complete system which includes all of the necessary elements to deliver the movie theater experience at home: upconverting DVD player, powered surround sound system, universal remote, 1080p projector and 100-inch motorized screen.

The Ensemble system even includes a component stand that can house the subwoofer and controller, plus all the necessary cabling and a unique modular wire management system. Just add an HD set-top box, Blu-ray Disc or HD-DVD player for a full-fledged, fully integrated "Full HD" home theater system.


The Ensemble system is expected to ship in November, 2007 and will be available in both a 1080p version, the "Ensemble 1080" ($6,999) and a 720p version, the "Ensemble HD" ($4,999). Both systems feature Epson's 3-LCD home theater front projectors, but that's just the beginning. The brains of the system are provided by an A/V control center which includes a built-in DVD player, Dolby Digital, DTS and multi-channel PCM audio decoding as well as 2 HDMI audio/video inputs with automatic 1080p up-conversion. The control unit connects to a powered 10-inch subwoofer which also includes amplification for all five speaker channels (30 WPC for front and surround channels, 60 Watts for the center channel).


The front left, right and center speakers are integrated into the motorized screen housing, while the rear left and right surround speakers are built into the projector's cradle mount. The rear speakers are designed to bounce sound off the side walls for a wide rear sound field, but they are also detachable in case you'd like a more "traditional" surround speaker configuration. With its integrated speaker design and motorized screen, the system virtually disappears when not in use, freeing up the room for more mundane purposes like reading a book or enjoying quiet conversation.



Because the system includes integrated cable management via adjustable length surface-mount wire channels, it can be fully installed and configured in less than 4 hours with a clean, finished look. Of course, this assumes you are handy with a stud-finder and a drill, or you hire a professional installer. Also, since it requires minimal drilling (a few screws each for the projector and screen mounts), it makes an excellent choice for apartment dwellers who want to enjoy that big picture big sound home theater experience without chopping holes and fishing wires through walls they do not actually own.


After listening to a brief spiel by Atlantic Technology's Peter Tribeman and Epson's Rajeev Mishra, we settled in for a quick demo - the bridge scene from "The Fantastic Four." Instead of immediately finding flaws in the sonic and visual aspects of the system, I found myself drawn into the movie itself, and this speaks volumes for this relatively inexpensive system. Dialog was intelligible, dynamics and bass extension were respectable and image detail was superb. Colors may have been a smidgen muted and bass response might have been ever so slightly thin, but Peter and the gang said that the system was pretty much left at its default factory settings with very little calibration and tweaking to the audio and video settings. I'd expect a hobbyist with some test discs and some free time or a good professional installer or ISF calibration specialist could remedy these issues.

To compensate for the high placement of the front speakers (above the screen in the screen housing), the system comes with 5 preset equalization curves. Whether you mount the screen housing/speaker bar right up against the ceiling/wall junction or you move it forward or down 6 or 12 inches, you can select the proper EQ to optimize the speakers' response for their specific location. However Atlantic Technology and Epson have managed this trick, it was apparently working as the music, sound effects and dialog seemed to be emanating from the screen itself, not an area above the screen. This unification of the audio and video components into a seamless coherent whole is what made the system so enjoyable.

The subwoofer also includes a unique feature they call "boominess" compensation. With a simple measurement of frequency response via a test disc and SPL meter, you can identify the room mode(s) - specific frequency ranges that are exaggerated due to room reflections. You can then dial this frequency range down a few decibels, restoring a more natural and extended bass response. Of course, overall subwoofer level is also adjustable so you can blend the bass response with the main speakers for best harmonic balance.

The final piece of the system, the LCD-screen unified remote control (OEMed by Universal Remote Corporation, makers of the popular home Theater Master line of remotes) comes pre-programmed to control the projector, drop and raise the screen and operate the A/V control system and integrated DVD player, initiating the relatively complex operation with a single button push. Now if only it made popcorn, we'd be in business.

All in all, considering the system is still a few months out from full production and the home-made demo room offered less than perfect acoustics, the Ensemble 1080 system showed great promise. Its stylish, integrated design should appeal to movie lovers who want a full-fledged true home theater system for a fraction of the cost of a custom system, and with a fraction of the installation time.