Firstly, it’s good to understand the science behind why adding a subwoofer can make the most impact to your audio system.  Most full range speakers operate within a range of 70 Hz to 20,000 Hz , a huge range that can accurately relate most – but critically not all frequencies in the audible spectrum.   Subwoofers typically operate in the much lower and narrower band of 30Hz to 150Hz..  It’s the rumble in your seat that you notice during action scenes in a movie theatre or the thumping bass in a DJ’s set.  At lower levels it can also help to produce a full rich sound that will fill the room. Low frequency reinforcement is not always needed, but if you’re going to do it, it needs to be done well.

There are three options, but you can pick only two!

When choosing equipment for projects, we consider three key elements: Aesthetics, Performance and Price. We often say: “pick any two”, because we are yet to come across something that is beautiful, powerful, andcheap.

AESTHETICS

By their nature, subwoofers are typically big, bulky, unattractive boxes – causing exasperation for any architect or interior designer.  Balancing the needs of the room with the needs of the architectural finish will often be the most challenging part of project design.   However, several of our brands have creative innovative solutions to making a subwoofer more aesthetically pleasing or, in some applications, almost disappearing.

In-Wall: Some subwoofers have been designed to be only partially visible.  K-array from Italy have engineered a subwoofer to pack a very large punch in to a small enclosure. They also have some stunning custom finishes including Chrome and Gold.  Sonance, who invented the recessed speaker, have in-wall subwoofers with paintable grills or custom wood finishes to seamlessly match their surrounding decor.  JL audio also makes an impressive in-wall subwoofer with an attractive finish.

Remote Subwoofer: The ultimate aesthetic option, for us, is made by James Loudspeaker. These powerful speakers are totally hidden in a bespoke cabinet.  Sound is delivered to the room via a flexible tube which connects to a discrete toe kick.  The toe kick is often unrecognizable as the subwoofer output making it impossible to know where that low frequency punch is coming from. Alternatively, with specialized engineering, some subwoofers can be installed into existing furniture, or placed under beds and sofas.

PERFORMANCE

Choosing the right subwoofer requires complete understanding of the form and function of the room as well as the speaker itself. In fact, it’s arguably more important to understand the composition of the room first before you choose the performance of your subwoofer, so let’s have a quick review.

In a home theatre for example, simply buying a powerful subwoofer, placing it in the corner and turning it on, may not necessarily yield a great audio experience. If the room is the wrong shape or has a lot of reflective surfaces, the low frequencies can be very uncomfortable to listen to. So, when it comes to choosing a subwoofer, it needs to be a balance of what the room is intended for, what the room’s acoustic performance is capable of and what the reflections are going to be like based on the finishes of the walls, ceilings, and floors.

REFLECTIONS

In the Caribbean, we often find ourselves trying to add high quality sound in rooms or spaces that have tiled floors and large windows. These are not great spaces for a subwoofer. Low frequency wavelengths reflect off flat walls and surfaces more than higher frequencies.  You can think of a subwoofer audio like a bouncy ball. You can imagine what will happen if you throw one against a hard flat surface. The same is true with audio and especially below 100Hz. The best way to prevent the ball from flying around the room is to add some absorptive materials that effectively “catch” or trap the audio waves. If you don’t add absorption to a highly reflective space, the low frequency energy will create an uncomfortable listening experience. It may also be important to try and prevent the low frequency sound waves from leaking out of the room which can be disturbing for the rest of the house or even your neighbours, but we’ll save that discussion for another day.

Now we’ve got a room that is ready for low frequencies, let’s review the different performance characteristics of a subwoofer. Subwoofers come with a few basic options: Active or passive, Ported or sealed. So, let’s review the main differences:

Active subwoofers have the amplifier built-in. Passive subwoofers have a remote amplifier and are powered by speaker wire. Generally, active subwoofers work well out of the box because the amp is powered and tuned for the speaker but they are not good for outdoor use, especially in the BVI’s Marine environment.  Passive speakers are generally the best choice for outdoor applications and most distributed audio systems but you have to choose the right amplifier and use the right cable.

With all the different speakers out there, it’s impossible to say these rules apply to all, but broadly speaking, ported subwoofers have a higher output and range and are better known for use in large theatres. They are often described to make a better “boom” effect which is more common in movies but also known to be quite effective with some musical applications. Sealed subwoofers are known for their accuracy and the preferred choice for musical applications or small theatre rooms.

For the large-scale home theater solutions, we would choose the high-performance solutions from Pro Audio.  These large speakers are generally installed behind a transparent acoustic curtain or hidden behind an acoustically transparent projection screen to provide cinema grade audio that is off the charts.  For smaller residential applications, Sonance, JL Audio and Sonos all sell subwoofers that can boost, clarify, and elevate the audio and take your movie watching experience to the next level.

For listening to music, it’s important to note that different genres of music have different audio requirements.  Therefore, we always spend time with our clients and architects to design and engineer an audio solution that will meet their needs.

PRICE

If aesthetics and performance were the only two facets of our audio designs, our job would be simple!  Where we must get creative is providing a bespoke solution that delivers all the needs of the clients, architects, and designers, within the set budget.  When choosing brands, it’s often the price that ultimately tips the scales.

At the high-end is Pro-Audio but we only recommend that level of sound in a a premium home-theatre.  For a typical residential application for watching movies and listening to music, subwoofers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and price.

For the discerning customer, we would recommend James Loudspeaker.  Their selection is vast, the sound quality is incredible, and their speakers can withstand the harsh BVI environment, even in water-front properties.   K-array are also a high-end solution and have an innovative selection of free standing or in-ceiling/ in-wall options to elevate any room in the house.

Sonance and JL Audio subwoofers offer amazing value for money and both provide excellent sound solutions with a high architectural aesthetic finish. And for a price conscious project SVS subwoofers are extremely affordable and provide attractive finishes.  Sonos is a popular, cost-effective solution which can be integrated to any audio system and easily controlled using a pad or smart phone.

At AVL, we cannot stress enough the importance of a subwoofer in achieving well-balanced sound that fills the room. Those gasp-worthy movie scenes or dance-triggering music moments would not be possible without the impact, drama and power of your audio systems secret weapon – the subwoofer.

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In consideration for this award, AVL submitted photos and technical details for a bespoke lighting and shade package, that we designed and installed using the Lutron® HomeWorks system.  HomeWorks is the most reliable and advanced lighting control system for residential projects.

The project is a multi-million dollar private home on the exclusive Moskito Island.  AVL started work on this project in 2017 and after a short interruption from Hurricane Irma, work was resumed, and completed in August 2020.

Hundreds of companies from around the world submitted their projects for the category of Best HomeWorks Project and twenty-nine were shortlisted.

After announcing AVL as the winner in this category, the competition judges commented: ‘This fantasy Island project, a 17,000 square-foot estate, exemplifies everything that a Homeworks QS system was intended to do. It makes this complex property extremely simple to use including control of 216 lighting loads, 75 SeeTouch keypads, 55 Sequoia shades, 10 lighting control panels and four processors. The property also has three villas each with her own RadioRa2 system controlling various lighting loads and triathlon Shades. As well as traditional forms of control, the owner can also control the property using Alexa and mobile devices. AVL also allowed for several operating modes to allow for overall efficiency and to make simpler for the property managers. Due to the ultra high-end ownership and remoteness of this project, AVL implemented a full remote support system to allow for immediate support and design changes. From an engineering perspective, AVL were required to design the system from the ground-up and coordinated with the Architect and contractor to deliver a fully working system with no delays or issues. The judges called this project “remarkable”. Congratulations to AVL!’

Lutron® is synonymous with excellence and quality in the world of lighting control.  Lutron® invented the ability to control and dim lighting fixtures back in 1961 when they designed and manufactured the world’s first rotary dimmer switch. Since then, they have expanded their offering to over 15,000 products. AVL uses Lutron® on the majority of their lighting and shade design and installation projects, and are proud to work with a brand that is renowned for reliability, innovation and support.

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Energy Efficiency

Although there is a natural appeal to saving money on a monthly utility bill, the global need for ‘greener’ solutions to energy consumption is a driving force for many of our customers upgrading to smart lighting.

For the average home, lighting accounts for about a quarter of energy bills.   Installing dimmers and sensors can instantly positively impact your electricity usage. Sophisticated sensors can detect occupancy to only activate a light when someone is in the room, or sense daylight to shut off any lights when they are not needed.  Energy efficient light sources such as LED or fluorescent lamps and dimmable light fixtures help reduce electricity usage and generally last a longer than a traditional incandescent or halogen lamp.  Additionally, easily activating ‘away mode’ or ‘green mode’ when the property is unoccupied prevents unnecessary electricity wastage.

Convenience

A well-designed lighting control system is easy to operate and understand.  Light years away from the basic ‘on/off’ wall switch, a smart network allows you to control the presence and levels of lighting for a single room or an entire house.

Each button is fully customizable to suit the needs of the homeowner, such as ‘movie’, ‘cooking’ or “property off”. Preset scenes can be added to each room, giving numerous options for different occasions.  These commands can be instantly activated by a touch of a button on a wall mounted keypad, from an app on a smartphone or tablet, or integrated with a voice activated system, such as Alexa. It can also be executed automatically using a timeclock. For example, at sunset, the system will automatically turn on the path lights, the pool lights and set an attractive scene in the social areas. This is how most commercial resorts control their lighting in public spaces and is the reason why you do not see their staff running around turning on and off a combination of lights and adjusting dimmers. It all happens automatically, and it is tracking the position of the sun at any time of year, so it knows exactly when to activate a setting.

Home Security

Lighting control can be programmed to provide additional home security and keep vigil over an unoccupied property.  In “vacation mode”, the lights can be programmed to provide random lighting in specified areas to make it look like someone is at home.

Ambience and Aesthetics

Lighting can play an essential, and often understated, role in the ‘feel’ of any space, in both commercial and residential applications.  Colour temperature and levels of lighting will all contribute to the size, atmosphere and ambience of a room.  Each area will have different requirements and a lighting control system can easily adjust for each situation.  Pre-settings can range from an endless range of choices, from dinner party to disco, and dimmable light fixtures provide further control to set the desired scene.

Installed interfaces can help customize the look to suit the aesthetics of the décor.   Faceplates range in size, finish and texture to blend in or accentuate.  Back lit buttons are easy to find and read in the dark, and personalized engraved labels clearly navigate the chosen settings. The benefit of a fully integrated lighting control system is that you do not need to have several gangs of switches and dimmers on the wall. You just need one keypad in a convenient location and the buttons can be programmed to control one or hundreds of lighting loads and other devices in the property.

Future Proofing

There is no question that the need to be efficient is an essential pre-requisite in the design of new homes and buildings. When you add the convenience and aesthetics of a lighting control system to these intelligent features, it’s understandable why this option is being considered in so many mid to large scale homes and businesses. A lighting control network is easy to update and change up as your needs and requirements evolve over time.  The latest technology can be applied as new updates become available, ensuring your system is working to its fullest potential.

AVL can assist in the design, supply, installation and support of LUTRON and CRESTRON lighting control systems. Please contact us for a free consultation.

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Oil Nut Bay Resort in Virgin Gorda continues to be our largest ongoing client.  This year we have been working hard on newly constructed private homes and provided ongoing support for all the completed projects to ensure they are operating seamlessly.   Additionally, AVL has been involved in all aspects of the resort wide renovation, installing WIFI connections, security cameras, fully integrated audio-visual devices and automated lighting control in all the common areas, including the newly built Marina Village and Nova Restaurant.

Nova Restaurant, Marina Village, ONB

The last half of 2019 was largely focused on the Rosewood Little Dix Bay Resort, Virgin Gorda.  The newly renovated resort opened in December 2019, so the project required immaculate planning, preparation and experienced manpower to complete on time.  AVL was responsible for all the fibre optic, copper, surveillance and WIFI networks throughout the resort. Additionally, we installed automated lighting control and audio systems in the shared social areas.

AVL continue to provide services and support to all the privately-owned islands and resorts in the North Sound, Virgin Gorda.  On Moskito Island, AVL was proud to complete one of the largest privately-owned homes in the BVI, an ongoing project since 2016.  Here we installed an extensive lighting control system with motorised shades, a multi-zone and very powerful audio system with an integrated IP TV solution and naturally, a ubiquitous high-speed WIFI signal throughout. On Necker island, we are currently involved in a large lighting control with shades, and data project that will continue into the first quarter of 2020.

The Moorings Resort and Marina is one of the largest ongoing developments on Tortola, boasting restaurants, a luxury hotel, boutiques and a full service marina.  AVL has been collaborating with The Moorings for the past three years, providing Audio Visual, fibre and copper data connections, WIFI and security.  As The Moorings continues to develop and expand, AVL looks forward to providing them with any services and support they need.

AVL’s ongoing clients in Tortola include corporate offices and private homes, for which we provide varied services from bespoke designed lighting and AV systems, secure data networks, WIFI solutions and security surveillance. We are also responding to the growing need for secure video conferencing and interactive white board systems.

Private Home – Fully automated AV/Lighting system

At the end of last year, we completed our office and warehouse expansion in Wickhams Cay 2.  Our state-of-the-art office provides the space we need for our admin team and a fully integrated, soundproof conference room for meetings and AV demos.  This year, we added a warehouse to expand our total storage capacity to 1800 square feet.  This allows us to maintain an extended inventory to save on shipping time and expenses, so the majority of requested hardware is available immediately for our clients.

In 2019, we took on several new members of staff to meet the demand, bringing our total staff to 25.  With the arrival of a new member of the AVL team in January 2020, we will be announcing our new service and support department.  AVL fully supports all the technology we install and as our completed project portfolio is expanding, our need for a dedicated service and support department has grown.

AVL Team 2019!

The workload forecast for 2020 looks very busy, so we expect to continue our search for talented new staff as we take on more projects throughout the BVI. We are very lucky to have a dedicated and talented team of professionals and we have recognized that in order to maintain standards and quality, another target for 2020 will be to develop our training and certifications program for everyone.

With the majority of our projects on Virgin Gorda and surrounding islands, AVL needs to constantly evaluate and improve our transportation options.  With the expansion of our staff and projects in remote locations, our techs and hardware often needs to travel over several trucks and boats to reach the final destination safely.  Our AV equipment is highly sensitive to movement, moisture and sunlight, providing a challenge when transporting them from island to island, but our fleet of vehicles and boats, and our relationship with transportation barges, ferries and truckers, allows us to deliver our hardware unscathed.  In 2020, we’ll continue to look at different options for boats and vehicles to allow us to operate more efficiently.

AVL would like to specially thank all our clients for trusting us with their private homes and commercial projects over the years.  We continuously evaluate our internal processes to maximize efficiency and maintain the highest possible levels of customer service.  From the entire team at AVL, we wish you a very happy 2020!

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