NextLevel Acoustics Gives Home Theater Fans Access to Free, Custom Immersive Demo Material to Celebrate CEDIA 2026

full?d=1787190155.jpg

(August 19, 2026) NextLevel Acoustics is bringing a little bit of old-school CEDIA magic back in 2026, giving dealers, calibrators, and home theater enthusiasts access to an original immersive audio demo built specifically to showcase what a modern surround system can do. And that, folks, is pretty cool. Produced by Nick Matzke of Bayview Audio, the 90-second Beyond the Room demo will be available to download for free beginning September 2 in MP4 and MKV formats. And no, you won’t need to attend CEDIA to get your hands on it.

The idea behind Beyond the Room reaches back to a part of CEDIA that longtime attendees may remember well. Demo discs were once among the more exciting things to bring home from the show, giving demo fans fresh material to impress customers, friends, and family. Some of those discs became staples in showrooms and private theaters for years. NextLevel says Beyond the Room was created as a modern-day tribute to that tradition, only this time the content is being opened up to everyone.

Rather than leaning on another familiar movie clip, Beyond the Room was built from scratch as dedicated demonstration material. The mix includes effects moving around and above the listener, powerful low-frequency moments, precise spatial placement, and large-scale transitions intended to make the boundaries of the room disappear. That gives listeners something designed specifically to exercise an immersive system from end to end instead of relying on a movie scene that may only briefly tap into its capabilities. For dealers and calibrators, it also provides a short, repeatable piece of material that can quickly demonstrate what a system is capable of doing.

“One of the things we always loved about CEDIA was finding a great new demo and bringing it back to share with friends, family, and customers,” said Lee Weber, Co-Owner of NextLevel Acoustics. “That was the inspiration behind Beyond the Room. We wanted to create something people would be excited to experience at the show, and just as excited to bring home and play in their own theaters.”

CEDIA attendees will get to hear a special version of the demo inside Sound Room 7 (SR7), where NextLevel Acoustics is supplying the loudspeakers for “Lumagen Presents: Paragons of Home Cinema – Episode II.” This 1-minute, 47-second Paragons-branded edition of Beyond the Room will serve as the opening segment of the SR7 presentation before the demo shifts to a curated collection of movie clips. NextLevel says the two versions are largely the same, with a few branding and audio adjustments made specifically for the Paragons presentation.

The SR7 system will feature a 9.4.6-channel configuration built around equipment from NextLevel Acoustics, Lumagen, Christie, StormAudio, Stewart Filmscreen, SpeakerPower, Simplified Acoustics, and Cinemotion Posters. Using Beyond the Room as the opening piece gives the system a chance to stretch its legs before moving into more familiar movie material. It also gives attendees an opportunity to hear the demo in a purpose-built, high-performance environment before taking the downloadable version home and trying it on their own systems.

So, how can you experience this demo clip? Beginning September 2, it can be downloaded directly from the NextLevel Acoustics website, with QR codes distributed at CEDIA providing another way to access the download. NextLevel will also have a limited number of physical copies available at Booth 1346, which feels like an especially fitting touch considering the demo-disc tradition that inspired the project.

The standard version will be available in MP4 and MKV formats, and NextLevel says additional special editions and alternate versions will also be offered. That should make it relatively easy to work the demo into a variety of playback setups, whether it’s being used in a dealer showroom, during calibration, or simply as a fun way to put a home theater through its paces.

If you're at the show, swing by Booth 1346 for your chance to pick up a physical copy!

Related Reading:
 
Click to expand...
What a fantastic idea! Hopefully this becomes a new tradition and maybe other companies join the fun.
 
Can we download their demo to a flash drive and then play it back in our theater?
 
MusicManLen said:
Can we download their demo to a flash drive and then play it back in our theater?
Click to expand...
Sounds like it. It will be available to download next Wednesday, September 2 at their website (NextLevel Acoustics)
 
Mike Schramm said:
Sounds like it. It will be available to download next Wednesday, September 2 at their website (NextLevel Acoustics)
Click to expand...
Thanks. Will do next Wednesday
 
Already available for download.
 
I just downloaded and watched it. I only had time to watch it once before I had to go to work (which is where I am now, hahaha). It was about a minute and a half long and I thought it was pretty cool. Tons of surround and overhead use. It definitely felt like a bubble of sound.

However, did anyone else have an odd sound come from their sub at the very end? I have two PB-2000 Pros, one in the front and one in the back, and on the very last note of the demo an odd sound came from my rear sub. Sort of a flub or chuff sound. Maybe it just can't dig deep enough to reproduce what is being asked of it?

There are two versions by the way: standard and signature. The version I watched was the signature version.
 
Last edited:
I could not get it to play on my AV10 or Oppo Blu-ray so I could not test it with my (4) SB5000 subs.
It did play on my desktop PC but that is not the way to listen to this.
 
Mike Schramm said:
I just downloaded and watched it. I only had time to watch it once before I had to go to work (which is where I am now, hahaha). It was about a minute and a half long and I thought it was pretty cool. Tons of surround and overhead use. It definitely felt like a bubble of sound.

However, did anyone else have an odd sound come from their sub at the very end? I have two PB-2000 Pros, one in the front and one in the back, and on the very last note of the demo an odd sound came from my rear sub. Sort of a flub or chuff sound. Maybe it just can't dig deep enough to reproduce what is being asked of it?

There are two versions by the way: standard and signature. The version I watched was the signature version.
Click to expand...

Mike, I think you’re hearing a hard push into infrasonics. Subs can sound that way when the motor is pushing hard but you can’t hear audible output.
 
Todd Anderson said:
Mike, I think you’re hearing a hard push into infrasonics. Subs can sound that way when the motor is pushing hard but you can’t hear audible output.
Click to expand...
Can that cause damage to the subs?
 
I was able to play the files via my LG OLED G4. My Pioneer Elite VSX-LX805 AVR would only play the audio without the video and my Panasonic UB9000 would only play the video but puts a message that the audio format is not compatible.

I got lucky that LG media player is able to play all 4 files properly i.e. both MKV and MP4 version which I can listen via the eARC.

On my system, the MKV versions sounded a little better but it could be placebo affect. Also the Standard version sounded with better bass effects over the Signature version for me. I was expecting the opposite.

Yes, there is definitely some type of low infrasonic effect at the end which my average subs were not able to play as well.
 
I need to try both versions tonight. I was not able to test them both out yesterday. It's a cool little demo, especially since Next Level Acoustics has made it free to download for all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Popular tags

20th century fox 4k blu-ray 4k uhd 4k ultrahd action adventure animated animation bass blu-ray calibration comedy comics denon dirac dirac live disney dolby atmos drama fantasy hdmi 2.1 home theater horror kaleidescape klipsch lionsgate marantz movies onkyo paramount pioneer rew romance sci-fi scream factory shout factory sony stormaudio subwoofer svs terror thriller uhd ultrahd ultrahd 4k universal value electronics warner warner brothers well go usa
JTR Speakers SVSound Essence Audio

OUR MISSION

At AV NIRVANA, our mission is to explore audio and video systems that elevate the entertainment experience, allowing you to move beyond the ordinary and become fully immersed in music and movies. Our site is a gathering place for AV enthusiasts to share insights, experiences, and ideas—free from ego-driven debates—with the shared goal of refining and optimizing systems to achieve a true state of audiovisual bliss.

We take pride in fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where discussions benefit everyone, from newcomers to seasoned experts, and where all levels of gear, from budget-friendly to high-end, are embraced. Above all, we encourage open, friendly conversations that inspire and uplift.

We invite you to join us in building a vibrant community of passionate enthusiasts who engage with respect, curiosity, and a shared love for exceptional sound and vision.

Quick Navigation

Buy us a cup of coffee!

The management works very hard to make sure the community is running the best software, best designs, and all the other bells and whistles. Care to buy us a cup of coffee (or two)? We'd really appreciate it! Check out our extra benefits for supporting members!

Premium Memberships
Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2025 XenForo Ltd.
ALL Rights Reserved; Copyright © 2017– AV NIRVANA, LLC
XenPorta 2 PRO © Jason Axelrod of 8WAYRUN
Back
Top