Joe K. in Santa Rosa, CA

People of any age love the heart-pounding excitement of an immersive movie or music experience, especially when enjoyed in the company of others. Blue Mountain Enterprises specializes in the construction of assisted living facilities and knew they wanted to provide a special place where residents could enjoy the latest shows or movies on a big screen with convincing surround sound and all the perks of a typical theater.

To help outfit these spaces, Blue Mountain Enterprises brought in Joe K., a custom AV integration specialist who has a world of experience building home theaters. In his words, “I want to know that the experience is the best it can be. It is not practical for them to go to a commercial cinema anymore, so I want them to have that fun group experience in their community.” One crucial element is setting the foundation for sound and there’s no better option for low frequencies than SVS subwoofers.

Learn about their most recent Piner Road project and how four SVS SB-1000 pro subwoofers helped turn the TV room into a premium cinema experience.

Questions And Answers:

How did Blue Mountain first get involved with building premium home theaters in assisted living facilities?

Blue Mountain Enterprises is a multi-faceted construction company that does home building, residential HVAC, and General Contracting. We have built multi-family apartments and assisted living facilities that the company owns and partners with operators to manage. While building these, a movie room is almost always included for the residents, but they were being finished by contractors not familiar with high-end theaters.

My former boss and friend of mine asked me what I thought of the spaces. I explained that the rooms needed proper equipment, seating, installation, and calibration to provide something special for the residents. My experience as a CEDIA ESC-D certified designer was called upon to turn a boring movie room into an impressive cinematic experience.

Are there any special challenges or requirements when working on these kinds of projects?

All of the usual requirements for designing a theater need to be taken into account - sightlines, audience coverage, dialog intelligibility, easy system control, proper ventilation, acoustic treatments, strong, but not overpowering bass, etc. Additionally, many of the residents may have mobility issues so room for wheelchairs and walker access needs to be provided and accounted for. I also try and keep the systems very easy to use with only three sources - a 4K capable disc player, a streaming box, and a cable TV box - all controlled with a single remote.

Why is having high-performance subwoofers important for this system?

Subwoofers are the foundation upon which the rest of the audio presentation is built. Without high-performance subs, nothing is going to sound right and it will lack a sense of realism. For these rooms, the bass does not need to be extremely loud, but it does need to have a clean-sounding presence at any volume level.

Subwoofers that are extremely reliable and will stand up to the test of time are also important. I need to know that when they are installed they are going to last for years in their application. I also always use two or four subs strategically, but unobtrusively, positioned in the room to provide the most even bass coverage possible.

What has been your impression of the SVS subwoofers?

I've used SVS subwoofers for years now, in my own home theater and in projects I've worked on. My first SVS sub was a second-hand PB13, and I am currently using a pair of SB16-Ultras. In the theater projects I have spec'ed and used everything from the multiple SB-1000 to PB-2000 Pro depending on the size of the room, but always with the SVS Isolation Feet installed to minimize vibration and maximize performance. I have always been extremely impressed with the performance of the subwoofers, the high value they provide, and the customer service the company offers. Please keep it up.

Any anecdotes or reactions from residents that are worth sharing?

I asked one of the VP's of the management company her thoughts on the theaters, and she said, "In our communities, the theater is one my favorite spots for our residents. Residents come together for movie nights and special events. It’s a place for them to watch some of their favorite movies and watch new ones. They can also enjoy this part of the Community with other residents or their own family members. It’s a happy place…especially if there is popcorn!"

Why do you think it’s important for residents to have a quality home theater experience?

As a movie lover myself and someone whose mother was in assisted living, I think about the fact that this may be the last place some residents ever get to enjoy a movie, sporting event, or special programming. I want to know that that experience is the best it can be. It is not practical for them to go to a commercial cinema anymore, so I want them to have that fun group experience in their community. Whether it is watching a favorite film with their friends or seeing a Super Bowl game - they deserve to enjoy it to the fullest extent possible.