The Gloves Come Off: Industry Giants Team-Up for Demo Extravaganza

(August 5, 2025) A stacked lineup of elite brands is teaming up to deliver one of the most ambitious demo rooms ever constructed at a CEDIA Expo. Slotted as "Sound Room 7," Seymour-Screen Excellence, StormAudio, Ascendo, Christie, madVR Labs, Panamorph, Moovia, and Simplified Acoustics are joining forces to present a $1.32 million – yes, one point thirty two MILLION – dollar full-scale luxury home cinema experience. Each partner is contributing flagship-level solutions sprinkled with some exciting surprises, all seamlessly integrated into a reference 14.18.10 channel room. For home theater enthusiasts, integrators, and industry professionals, it’s shaping up to be a must-hear, must-see highlight of the 2025 event.

At the front of the room, Ascendo is unveiling its all-new HALO loudspeakers configured as an LCR trio. Built around a coaxial architecture, these speakers are billed to deliver a tightly controlled, symmetrical response to each of the twelve seats in the room. Unlike years past where behind-the-screen speakers stay out of sight, the room's Seymour-Screen Excellence’s 15-foot-wide Multi-Format Retractable (MFR) screen will actually retract to reveal the HALOs for a full visual inspection. MFR is an entirely new product for Seymour, boasting the company’s Enlightor-NEO acoustically transparent material, retractable 16:9 masking, motorized masking with integrated black backing, and deep velvet borders.

For bass duties, Ascendo will demonstrate two of its new 64-inch infrasonic subwoofers, run in tandem. This marks the first time these models will be showcased at CEDIA, and, appropriately, they lay the foundation of a thunderous speaker array that boasts over $700,000 worth of Ascendo audio equipment.

The visual side of the presentation is anchored by the launch of Christie’s new Eclipse G3 projector. This next-generation 6DLP design boasts 30,000 ANSI lumens of brightness, a claimed 20,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and 98 percent Rec. 2020 color coverage. It delivers HDR at a level that surpasses the specification of Rec. 2100, making it one of the most powerful displays ever shown at a home theater trade show. To hone the Eclipse G3's image, madVR Labs’ Envy Extreme will handle video processing, offering AI-powered 8K upscaling, MotionAI, best-in-class HDR tone mapping, and seamless aspect ratio switching with direct screen masking control.

Not to be left out of the fun, Panamorph is also making an appearance, showcasing its new flagship Alpha Pro anamorphic lens. The Alpha Pro is designed to enhance brightness and detail from a modern high-end projection system. “We’ve been getting a lot of dealer interest in a lens specifically made for ultra-high-end installations,” explains Shawn Kelly, Panamorph’s CEO. “And that combined with dramatically increasing client interest in the cinema format is helping projection dealers differentiate against increasing 16:9 flat panel sizes while preserving excellent margins.”

StormAudio will handle system processing with its Elite 32 Digital AoIP processor, which includes Dirac Live Active Room Treatment (ART) and custom calibration support provided in collaboration with Ascendo. Simplified Acoustics will manage the room’s sonic environment with its newly developed BDP acoustic panels, which use a next-gen diffusion technique to tame off-axis reflections more effectively than traditional binary designs.

Rounding out the system is extreme comfort and Moovia’s ultra-luxury Marbella seating, presented in Italian wool with walnut trim, arranged in three rows of deeply comfortable elegance. These seats will cradle attendees as the room unleashes a full-frequency immersion of sight and sound.

Sound Room 7 will be active throughout CEDIA Expo 2025, September 4 through 6. Company representatives will be on hand to guide demos and answer questions.

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Last edited: Yesterday at 12:53 PM