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Cinema, Perfected

The PAVE + AcousticSmart – Stanchfield Private Cinema was designed inside a sprawling 25,000-square-foot luxury residence. Within the home, the modest, underwhelming room was transformed into a worldclass cinematic environment with the help of integrator PAVE, and the craftsmanship of AcousitcSmart. The room lacked proper acoustics and system coherence needed for true immersion, so PAVE engineered a comprehensive overhaul centered on a fully realized JBL Synthesis system using three SCL-1 flagship LCR speakers in addition to surround and overhead channels using complementary SCL architectural speakers ensuring a unified and coherent soundfield across the room.

Cinema, Perfected

JBL Synthesis Delivers Stunning Dynamics, Precision, and Atmosphere in Luxury Home Cinema

Description of the Project:

Inside a sprawling 25,000-square-foot luxury residence, this theater stands as a breathtaking reinvention of what a home cinema can be. What began as a modest, underwhelming room was transformed into a world-class cinematic environment through the vision of Nashville-based integrator PAVE, led by Frank Stafford, and the craftsmanship of AcousticSmart, guided by theater designer Richard Charschan. The client wanted a room that didn’t just look impressive but needed to feel transformative.

From the moment guests enter the finished space, the shift is immediate: a warm sweep of LED perimeter lighting, acoustically sculpted walls, and a dramatic starfield ceiling that hints at what lies beneath. The theater now operates as a seamless ecosystem, where architecture and technology disappear and JBL Synthesis takes command of the experience.

“The original room simply wasn’t capable of delivering what the client envisioned,” said Frank Stafford, COO, PAVE. “We weren’t refining a theater, we were rebuilding it into a true private cinema. JBL Synthesis was the only platform that could get us there.”

The Challenge:

Before the transformation, the room lacked proper acoustics, accurate speaker placement, and the system coherence needed for true immersion. The existing theater left the client wanting more impact, more clarity, more emotional connection.

Compounding the challenge was the scale of the home itself. The residence required extensive infrastructure enhancements including hundreds of lighting loads, more than fifty automated shade zones, a multi-floor distributed AV system, surveillance, and full control and automation. All of this had to coexist with a theater now being rebuilt from the ground up.

Additionally, the sheer volume of the space posed an acoustic hurdle. A room this large, required loudspeakers and subwoofer systems with extraordinary output, precision, and directional control—something only a complete JBL Synthesis architecture could deliver.

The Solution:

To meet these demands, PAVE engineered a comprehensive overhaul centered on a fully realized JBL Synthesis system. At the front of the room, Stafford installed three SCL-1 flagship architectural LCR speakers as the foundation of the new system. Surround and overhead channels were re-designed using complementary SCL architectural speakers, ensuring a unified, coherent soundfield across the room. Low-frequency performance was reimagined with a bank of SSW subwoofers, delivering tactile, room-pressurizing bass that remains tight and controlled.

The interior architecture was rebuilt to support optimal performance. AcousticSmart’s Richard Charschan created a bespoke environment featuring floating LED coves, deeply layered wall treatments, diffusion-integrated columns, and a star-lit ceiling that conceals height channels while visually expanding the room.

“We wanted the room to feel effortless,” said Charschan. “You walk in and experience beauty, but everything behind the walls is engineered with purpose. The JBL Synthesis architecture gave us the freedom to design boldly without compromising performance.”

The system’s backbone—processing, amplification, and control—was seamlessly integrated with Savant and Lutron platforms, giving the client complete command of the theater despite its technical complexity.

“Everything about this room was done right from the start,” Stafford said. “The SCL-1s set the tone for what the space could become. Once we heard them in the final baffle wall, we knew the rest of the room had to rise to that level.”

The Result:

The upgraded home cinema delivers a level of power, precision, and immersion that far exceeds the original space. The JBL Synthesis system handles the room’s demanding acoustics with ease, creating an enveloping hemisphere of sound that moves seamlessly through the space. Overheads blend naturally into the room, while deep, authoritative bass anchors the cinematic experience without overwhelming it.

Beyond performance, the theater’s technology disappears behind elegant architecture and intuitive control. A complex, multi-zone home automation and lighting system now feels effortless for the client to use.

“Complexity made simple, that’s always our goal,” Stafford said. “And in this room, you feel the payoff the second a film begins.”

The resulting environment is dramatic yet comfortable, powerful yet beautifully restrained. It showcases what happens when engineering, acoustics, and design work in harmony, and when JBL Synthesis serves as the foundation for a truly reference-level cinema.

“The JBL Synthesis system just sings,” Stafford added. “It fills the room effortlessly and delivers that cinematic punch the client always wanted. There’s power, emotion, and detail in every scene, and that’s what makes a room like this unforgettable.”

Conclusion:

This home cinema is a masterclass in how technology, design, and acoustics can converge to create an environment that transcends entertainment. What began as an underperforming space has become a cinematic jewel that is visually striking, technically precise, and emotionally gripping. Anchored by JBL Synthesis, the theater stands as a testament to what is possible when the right team and the right system work toward a singular vision: redefining what a private cinema can be.

JBL Synthesis Products Used:

Private Cinema (11.6.4 JBL Synthesis System)