Invisible speakers for a discreet professional audio solution | Kinloch Lodge
Key Features
- Bespoke audio solution
- Custom-branded Graphic User Interface (GUI)
- Tablet control
- Tannoy system
- TV installations
- New cabling and connection circuits
- Professional audio systems
Kinloch Lodge were looking for a discreet audio solution for their new multi-use social space at their luxury catered holiday home in Northern Scotland. Our team worked with Amina invisible speakers, to develop a bespoke and truly invisible audio system that blends into this historic country house.
Partnering with Edinburgh-based architectural firm Gras to redesign their annex space, Kinloch Lodge recently transformed four small rooms into one larger social space designed to bring their guests together.
The new annex space was decorated in Kinloch Lodge’s signature style, complete with wood-panelled walls and the ceilings. The Gras and Kinloch team wanted to bring discrete but powerful, professional quality audio into this space, maintaining the country-traditional design of the space, which is why our team were brought in.
The system also had to be smart, ensuring the speakers would act as surround-sound for the built-in TV in ‘standard mode,’ but easily switch over to ‘Bluetooth input’ for manual music control as and when required.
We considered many routes we could take to achieve this, including cutting into the wall panelling to fit flush, painted ceiling speakers. However, having recently worked with Amina’s Invisible Speakers on a similarly challenging premium facility in the retail sector, we decided their hidden speakers would offer the perfect solution to our problem without causing permanent changes to the wall panelling.
“Amina DML (Distributed Mode) loudspeakers use microscopic vibrations to generate acoustic energy. This leads to an even and smooth response throughout the entire space, enabling much better retention of clarity, detail and intelligibility in an acoustically challenging space than is possible with conventional loudspeakers.”
Babs Moore | Sales Director, Amina Invisible Speakers
The plan was to install the speakers directly behind the ceiling panels, concealing them from view but yielding maximum sound transfer from the speakers through the wood. The owner of the lodge turned out to be a bit of an audiophile, and he was taken with the idea, so they were given the go-ahead to design the system.
Whilst mapping out the space to define the audio requirements of the annex, it was determined that four Amina Mobius 5i would perfectly cover the space, thanks to their wide dispersion.
The team then cleverly designed a system where they could drop four of these loudspeakers into the ceiling cavity above the annex’s social space, along with an Amina’s A100Q amplifier to power the system. At the lodge, the team worked in the tight ceiling cavity to install the speakers and pre-built rack. They carefully recessed the back of the wooden panels to securely and properly fit the speakers, which were then fixed into place after a thorough sweep test.
Finally, the team installed a Bluetooth connection plate to allow guests simple connection to the system. As per the client’s request to keep visible technology to a minimum, this was concealed in an easy to access seating cupboard in the corner of the room.
The result is a room that seamlessly transitions between modes according to the guest’s desire; from a soothing background tunes for a yoga class to powerful movie surround sound, or the foreground music for large celebrations. A truly immersive, invisible sound experience.
