Under construction. Expected completion January 2027
A reference cinema you can hear before you build one
We are rebuilding our theatre room in Fyshwick as a complete JBL Synthesis system: a 7.4.4 Dolby Atmos layout with in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers, four subwoofers, dedicated amplification for every channel and Dirac room correction, tuned to the Harman target curve. Once it is finished it opens by appointment as a demonstration room, so you can sit in the seat and hear exactly what we would design for your home.
- 7.4.4 Dolby Atmos
- Tuned to the Harman target curve
- Dirac Live room correction
- 11
- JBL Synthesis loudspeakers
- 4
- Subwoofers
- 16
- Processing channels
- 15
- Amplified channels in use
The build, step by step
The system is designed and specified. The room is being converted now, and we will update this page as it comes together.
- Done
System design
Loudspeaker positions, channel layout, amplification and subwoofer placement specified for the room.
- Late 2026
Build and install
In-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers fitted, subwoofers placed, rack built, cabling terminated and labelled.
- January 2027
Calibration
Measured and tuned with Dirac Live to the Harman target curve, then submitted for Harman's certification process.
- Expected January 2027
Open for demonstrations
Listening sessions by appointment, for homeowners, architects and builders planning a cinema.
Built by the people who put sound in cinemas
JBL has been in commercial cinemas since the early days of film sound, and JBL Synthesis is the home theatre line that carries that engineering into a private room. The reason we chose it for our own theatre is simple: it plays loud without strain, it stays clear when a soundtrack gets busy, and it is designed and tuned as a complete system rather than a collection of boxes.
Cinema dynamics at home
Compression drivers on JBL's High-Definition Imaging horns deliver the sudden, effortless swings in level that make a film feel real, without the harshness that cone tweeters show when pushed.
Dialogue that holds together
Controlled horn directivity keeps voices anchored to the screen and consistent from seat to seat, so the person at the end of the row hears the same film as the person in the middle.
One family of loudspeakers
Every SCL model is voiced to match the others, so the fronts, surrounds and heights sound like one continuous space when an effect moves around the room.
Tuned to a researched target
Systems are calibrated to the Harman target curve, developed from HARMAN's blind listening research. It is the same reference JBL uses to design the loudspeakers, so the room and the speakers are aiming at the same result.
Bass that reaches every seat
Four subwoofers, two at the front and two in the rear wall, managed together to smooth out the peaks and dips a room creates, so the low end is even across the seating rather than great in one chair and missing in another.
Out of sight
Architectural in-wall and in-ceiling designs with paintable grilles, so the room looks like a beautiful room first and a cinema second. The hardware is there to be heard, not seen.
Our room, channel by channel
Seven ear-level channels, four subwoofers and four overhead Dolby Atmos channels, driven by a 16-channel processor and dedicated amplification for every speaker. Dolby Atmos treats sounds as objects placed in three-dimensional space, and the processor decides which speakers bring each one to life. The simulation shows how that plays out in our room.
Voices stay locked to the centre channel, with left and right filling out the stage.
- Front left, centre, right3 x SCL-6XL in-wall
- Surrounds4 x SCL-7 in-wall, two on the side walls and two in the rear wall
- Dolby Atmos heights4 x SCL-5 in-ceiling
- Subwoofers2 x SSW-2 dual 12 inch across the front wall, plus 2 x SSW-4 dual 8 inch in the rear wall
- ProcessingSDP-60 16-channel immersive processor with Dirac Live
- Amplification2 x SDA-7120 for the eleven main and height channels, 1 x SMA4750 for the four subwoofers
- Ear-level channels
- Overhead Atmos channels
- Subwoofers
- Sound object
Did you know? Films are mixed in Dolby Atmos with up to 128 tracks, and up to 118 of them can be sound objects, each with its own position in three-dimensional space. At home, the processor places every object using the speakers in your room.
What is going into the room
Every component is from the JBL Synthesis range. These are the same products we specify for client cinemas, which is the point of the room.
Loudspeakers
SCL-6XL
A 2.5-way in-wall loudspeaker built for the front stage, with the output to sit behind an acoustically transparent screen in a medium to large room.
- Four 6.5 inch Advanced Aluminium Matrix woofers
- 1.5 inch compression driver on an HDI horn
- 35Hz to 20kHz (-6dB), 90dB sensitivity
SCL-7
A two-way in-wall loudspeaker designed for off-axis listening, so the surround field stays even across every seat rather than favouring the middle chair.
- Two 5.25 inch Advanced Aluminium Matrix woofers
- 1 inch compression driver on an HDI horn
- Paintable zero-bezel magnetic grilles
SCL-5
A two-way in-ceiling loudspeaker with an angled horn, aimed at the seating to place overhead effects precisely instead of spraying sound across the ceiling.
- 7 inch Advanced Aluminium Matrix woofer
- 1 inch annular ring compression driver
- 48Hz to 32kHz (-6dB), boundary proximity control
Subwoofers
SSW-2
A dual 12 inch passive subwoofer in a heavily braced cabinet, built for cabinetry, behind-screen or in-room placement.
- Two 12 inch high-excursion woofers
- 20Hz to 400Hz (-6dB), 93dB sensitivity
- 64kg each
SSW-4
A dual 8 inch in-wall subwoofer set into the rear wall. Working against the SSW-2s at the front, it evens out the bass from the front row to the back.
- Two 8 inch woofers in a 102mm deep enclosure
- 36Hz to 150Hz (-6dB)
- Fits between standard wall framing
Electronics
SDP-60
The heart of the system: decodes every immersive format, manages bass across four subwoofers and runs the room correction.
- 16 channels of processing
- Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, IMAX Enhanced and Auro-3D
- Dirac Live room correction and Bass Control
- Dante network audio, HDMI 2.1 with 8K/60 and 4K/120
SDA-7120
Seven channels of Class G amplification each, driving the front stage, the surrounds and the Atmos heights.
- 100W x 7 into 8 ohms, 140W x 7 into 4 ohms, all channels driven
- 0.002% harmonic distortion
- Dante input from the processor over one network cable
SMA4750
A four-channel power amplifier giving each subwoofer its own channel, so the processor can control every one independently.
- 750W per channel into 8 ohms, 1,500W into 4 ohms
- Dante and AES67 digital inputs
- Network monitoring and control
Our commitment on a JBL Synthesis project
A system at this level is only as good as the room it is in and the calibration that finishes it. Building our own room first means we can show you the result rather than describe it.
- You hear it before you commit. Our room uses the same loudspeakers, amplification and processing we specify for clients, so a demonstration tells you what you are actually buying.
- Calibration is part of the job, not an extra. Every system is measured and tuned with Dirac Live to the Harman target curve, and the measurements and settings are kept with your project documentation.
- Designed around the room. Seating, screen size, wall construction and acoustic treatment are planned together with the loudspeaker positions, because those decisions matter as much as the equipment.
- A tidy, documented rack. Labelled cabling, a device schedule and a plain-language guide for the household at handover.
- We are straightforward about certification. Our room will go through HARMAN's certification process once it is calibrated. Until that is complete we will not describe it as a certified theatre.
- And about fit. A JBL Synthesis cinema suits a dedicated room and a serious budget. If your space or brief would be better served by something else, we will tell you so.
Common questions
When can I hear the room?
Completion is expected in January 2027. Register your interest below and we will contact you as soon as demonstrations open. Sessions are by appointment only, so you have the room to yourself and can bring your own films and music.
Can you build a system like this in my home?
Yes. The room exists so you can hear what a JBL Synthesis design sounds like before planning your own. We scale the speaker count, subwoofers and electronics to your room, and the range runs from processor and separate amplifier systems like ours through to AV receivers for smaller spaces.
Do I need a dedicated room?
A dedicated cinema gets the most from it, because light, seating and acoustic treatment can all be controlled. Because the loudspeakers are architectural, a well-planned media room can also work, with the speakers hidden in the walls and ceiling behind paintable grilles or an acoustically transparent screen.
Is it better to plan this during a build or renovation?
Yes. In-wall loudspeakers, subwoofer positions, cabling and wall construction are all decided before the walls are lined, so planning during a build or renovation gives the best result for the least cost, and the earlier we are involved the better. In an existing home it can still be done, usually by opening up the walls and ceiling in the theatre room itself.
Will it work with my home automation?
Yes. JBL Synthesis processors support network control, so the cinema can sit within the same Control4, Savant or KNX system as the rest of the house, with one press to dim the lights, drop the blinds and start the film.
Is it only for films?
No. Tuned to the Harman target, the same system is a very capable music room. Many owners spend as much time listening to music in the space as watching films.
Be first to hear it
Leave your details and we will be in touch when demonstrations open in early 2027. If you are already planning a cinema, tell us about it and we can start on the design now. We work by appointment, in the room or on site with your architect or builder.
JBL and JBL Synthesis are trademarks of HARMAN International Industries. Product images courtesy of Amber Technology. Specifications are manufacturer published figures.