Question 1

Why do I need a Professional Audio Consultant ?

Accepted Answer

To save money. When it comes to a high performace home theater, Design and Planning is of utmost importance. Getting advice from a professional in the initial stages can save you a lot of money and headache in the long run. There's loads of technical data to plan and analyze before starting civil work, How many seats will i get? How big will the screen be? Which is the best projector for my budget & what is the best location for the projector in the room? What is optimum height for second row risers, Which speakers will evenly disperse sound with a flat frequency response? Position of main front speakers and the surround speakers. Optimum position of multiple subwoofers? If these technical aspects are not planned before starting the project you will not be able to squeeze out the last bit of performace your system is actaully capable of.
 
In fact an entry level 15 - 20 Lac home theater setup designed and calibrated by a professional will give an uncalibrated eight figure Hi-End home theater a run for its money.

Question 2

What are your Consultancy fees ? Do you work only with Architect's ?

Accepted Answer

Our consultancy fee structure depends on the complexity of the project (i.e. Is it a Hi-End dedicated Home theater, A simple Living room with a TV and on wall speakers or multiple rooms, bedrooms and a Home theater in a single residence). Consultancy is based on a fixed percentage of the total project cost or a flat fee for multiple room Hi-End projects. If you're a looking for 2 - 3 Lac's budget tower speaker package, we doubt our associates would be of any assistance.
 
Sound Kraft specializes in discreet architectural audio solutions specifically meant for Architects and Interior designers, i.e all the speakers and electronic equipment is hidden and installed either in walls, ceilings or existing furniture. It takes detailed planning, site visits, and meetings to keep up with the changes happening on site, detailed CAD's, 3D room renders, custom made designer AV Racks. All these details are best managed by an Interior Designer or an Architect. However in certain Hi-End projects where the client has a team to manage all the civil, electrical and carpentry work onsite we would be more than happy coordinating with them to execute a project.

Question 3

How much is my Home Theater really going to cost ?

Accepted Answer

We'll answer that question with a number as soon as you tell us how much it costs to buy a new car. You could spend a couple of Lac's or a Crore+, In other words It really depends on what you're buying.
 
Clients generally have a tentative budget in mind which is a good starting point, we then study the floor plan and give the client suggestions based on the room size. The client can then demo the speakers and get a first-hand account of the sound quality before deciding the final budget.

Question 4

Do I have to buy all the equipment from your company ?

Accepted Answer

No. Unlike other consultants we do not sell any equipment to our clients, we strive to be purely consultants and concentrate mainly on the technical aspects of designing and installation. We arrange the discounts, manage all the required paperwork, and to ensure maximum transparency cheque payments are made directly to the authorized distributor. For warranty purposes we advise against grey market products.

Question 5

Do I really need Acoustic treatment for my Home Theater ?

Accepted Answer

If you are planning a dedicated home theatre room with multiple rows and recliners, then acoustic treatment is a absolute must. Few people realize that the room's acoustics has the single most dominating effect on the sound quality of your speakers. By making some simple improvements to your room's acoustics you can make a bigger difference in sound quality than thousands spent on expensive components and fancy snake oil cables.The right combination of absorptive, reflective and diffusive panels can enhance the sound quality by much as 40%.
 
If you planning a multi-pupose home theater in a living room or a room that has another purpose, then the existing furniture, curtains and carpets will do a fairly decent job of controlling the harsh reflections that bounce of walls and floors. For multi-purpose rooms acoustic treatment is an option not a compulsion.

Question 6

What size screen is the best for my Home Theater ?

Accepted Answer

Contrary to popular belief you need not have a bigger screen than your neighbours to have a cinematic experience. The optimum screen size is determined by a complex mathematical formula which takes into account the projectors lumen & contrast capabilities with respect to the distance you are seated from the screen. In fact it is easy to use the zoom and get a dull oversized screen that exceeds your field of vision and incidentally also get a headache (try sitting in the first 3 rows of a cinema). The real challenge is to place the projecter at an optimum distance to achieve bright high contrast images with a screen size that delivers a larger than life cinematic experience.
 
Long story short - It is the size of the room, not the size of your wallet that determines the best screen size. To get a wow experience the screen will have to be custom made for your room size (not the standard size available in the maket) and then professionally calibirated according to the ambient light conditions in the room to achieve the best image clarity, colour depth and striking contrast levels.

Question 7

Do you undertake projects outside Mumbai, What about Warranty ?"

Accepted Answer

We undertake projects in any Indian city provided the travel time doesn't exceed 3 hours from the destination airport. However for Hi-End projects exceptions can be made.
 
Warranty is applicable for 1 Year all over India.
 
For Middle East / Overseas projects please contact our office for further details.

Frequently Asked Questions