Wouldn't it be great if your new home already had a first-rate entertainment system built in? Some developments now allow buyers to choose from a number of systems that are installed and programmed before they even move in. Hoping to make JBL-based home theaters as de rigueur in luxury homes as Viking ranges and Sub-Zero refrigerators, Harman Consumer Group has teamed with a developer and a custom installer to offer turnkey home-entertainment packages at Andalusia at Coral Mountains. (The 680-unit development is located in La Quinta, California, about 25 miles from Palm Springs in the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains.)

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The partnership among JBL's parent company Harman, custom installer Radio Active, and developer Drummond Company lets buyers of any of six different home models (ranging from 2,900 to 5,000 square feet) order one of several preassembled JBL home theater systems when they sign a contract to buy the house. Prospective owners can visit one of the on-site models to get some hands-on experience with the gear and to see how it can be integrated into the home's decor.

Each of the houses in the Andalusia development comes with extensive pre-wiring as part of its purchase price, which can range from just over $1 million to about $2 million. Owners can buy one of the stock systems as displayed or go for a variety of options, including a selection of video displays. System prices — which range from about $15,000 to $45,000 — include having the gear installed and calibrated to Dolby and THX specifications. Some HDTVs and Crestron control systems are extra.

For homeowners, the A/V process begins once they've signed a purchase agreement with the developer. After discussing the design elements of the project with Drummond's internal design center, the buyers meet with Radio Active — the developer's exclusive custom installer — to consult about the various A/V, communications, and security options.

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System Option ONE

JBL Cinema Vision In-wall version •CVPD50 50-inch 720p plasma HDTV •CVR700 7.1-channel A/V receiver/DVD changer •Two SS6 front L/R in-wall speakers •SSLCR in-wall center speaker •Four SS6C ceiling surround speakers •SS88IWS dual-8-inch in-wall subwoofer Millwork version — same as above, except: •Two CVSAT50 front L/R speakers •CVCEN50 center speaker •CVSUB50 12-inch subwoofer

"We personalize the system to the needs of the homebuyer based upon their cabinetry or application at no extra charge — other than the cost for Middle Atlantic racks if they choose to have their equipment rack-mounted, which many do," says Scott Hudson, Radio Active's sales and marketing manager. Millwork is handled by the design center, which works with Radio Active to determine the layout for the buyer's system and to ensure that requirements for space, cooling, and accessibility are met. (The cost of the millwork isn't included in the system price.)

During construction, Radio Active pre-wires the home for the A/V, security, phone, and networking systems. "We've taken pre-wiring to a higher level, not just by making it standard, but by selecting the best locations within each of the six floor plans," Hudson says. "We use an industry-specific CAD program to determine the optimum placement for pre-wire."

The standard development contract calls for a GE Security Smart ConnectionCenter structured-wiring package, which Hudson calls "the backbone" of the homeowner's broadband, Internet, digital telephone, cable TV, and satellite service. He says that Radio Active also pre-wires for the JBL home theater system in the great room "using premium-grade, oxygen-free 14-gauge speaker wire, when the industry standard is 16-gauge, low-copper wire."

The partnership between JBL, Radio Active, and Drummond has several advantages. For instance, the packages have been engineered and tested to ensure they work together seamlessly. "We designed systems that give the best performance and value for the particular spaces," explains Chris Neumann, JBL's director of sales and marketing. "These homes are challenging — they have very wide-open floor plans, with great views and cavernous rooms — so optimizing systems for them really took some forethought on all of our parts."

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System Option TWO

JBL Performance In-wall version •Three P941 front L/C/R in-wall speakers •Two P81 flush-mount surround speakers •S4S dual-10-inch THX in-wall subwoofer •AV1 THX Ultra2 surround processor •AVA7 amplifier Millwork version — same as above, except: •Two PT800 front L/R speakers •PC600 center speaker •PS1400 14-inch subwoofer

Because the installation is part of the home's purchase price, buyers can roll its cost into their mortgage or construction loan. And, since Radio Active receives a purchase order for the system and is paid in increments like any other subcontractor, the developer can monitor the job on the buyer's behalf. Also, because Radio Active is buying a lot of gear from a single vendor, it can negotiate very competitive equipment prices that are passed along in savings to the customer. Programming costs are much lower, too, since most of the gear is from JBL and a limited number of other companies. The result, Hudson says, is that Andalusia homeowners get a custom home theater system completely installed at a price very close to what they'd pay for the components alone.

Buyers choose from four basic systems, each of which can have either in-wall speakers or speakers built into the home's millwork. The JBL Cinema Vision system includes a 50-inch plasma HDTV, a 7.1-channel A/V receiver/processor with integrated five-disc DVD changer, and a 7.1-channel speaker package. The Performance Series is a step up in quality, but the buyer has to pay for a separate video display. The premium offerings are the THX Ultra-certified Synthesis HT and the THX Ultra2-certified Synthesis Four systems.

The Cinema Vision system costs about $17,000, while the Performance system, which includes a Denon 2930ci DVD player, is about $23,000. Synthesis systems, which have a Denon 3930ci DVD player, are about $45,000.

Options for the Performance or Synthesis systems include various HDTVs, Crestron control systems, and whole-house audio systems offered in "good, better, best" configurations. The "good and "better" selections include Denon CD players, Crestron's Adagio multiroom audio products, and JBL Performance architectural speakers; the "best" option includes an Escient media server/controller and a Crestron processor, amplifier, and PAD8 keypads.

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System Option THREE

JBL Synthesis HT •Two HT4V front L/R THX speakers •HT4H center speaker •Two S4A flush-mount surround speakers •Two HTPS-400 12-inch THX subwoofers •SDP-5 THX Ultra2 surround-sound processor •SDEC3000 THX digital equalizer •S7150 THX amplifier

Although the Performance and Synthesis systems are offered as 5.1-channel setups, both can be configured for 7.1 channels for an additional charge. More speakers can be added, or the Synthesis' S4Ai THX Ultra2 multi-array flush-mount speakers can be wired to produce two discrete surround channels from each enclosure.

Hudson says that both JBL and Radio Active have "rigorously tested" all options to ensure performance and reliability. "We wanted to make sure the other components work well with our gear," JBL's Neumann explains. "By engineering these things so we know what the heat loads are going to be and what kind of fidelity we'll get from the speakers for a certain price, we've relieved Scott and his people from some of the engineering they might have had to do. These systems are extremely reliable."

The video processor in the DVD player/receiver that comes with the Cinema Vision system automatically scales and resizes images from any source " so the homeowner never has to see black bars again," Hudson says. "That feature really stands out for people when we demonstrate it."

Performance and Synthesis customers can choose from an assortment of HDTVs, including Fujitsu flat-panel models that can be concealed within the walls. Although most of the homes don't have dedicated home theaters, Radio Active does offer several front projectors and retractable screens.

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System Option FOUR

JBL Synthesis Four same as Synthesis HT, except: •Two S4VC front L/R flush-mount speakers •S4HC flush-mount center speaker

Most buyers stick with one of the stock systems they've seen demonstrated in a model home — which isn't too surprising when you consider that few of the Andalusia houses are the owners' primary homes. "They tend to go with the systems we have on display because they work so well," Hudson says. "When an owner comes into town on a weekend with family and friends, the most important thing is that the system work no matter what. When we explain why we've chosen these brands, and that we designed the systems so that we can stand behind them with a level of support unmatched in the industry, the buyers get it and understand the value we're offering."

Service, of course, is crucial for upscale customers, and Radio Active's close relationship with JBL has established the installer as an important customer. "How JBL backs us has a lot to do with our ability to deliver great service for our customers," Hudson says. "Because we're really partners with JBL, they quickly get us any replacements or parts we need."

Hudson expects to see more partnerships between manufacturers, installers, and developers. "Developers are realizing that homebuyers are becoming more sophisticated," he says. "They also realize they have to differentiate themselves from the other developers in this increasingly competitive market." One way to do that is to offer aesthetically pleasing, high-performance prepackaged or turnkey systems. "Home theaters are becoming just like Sub-Zero refrigerators, Viking ranges, and Kohler fixtures. A buyer at a certain price level now expects his new home to have fiber-optic high-speed Internet access and to be wired for whatever entertainment options they want. As installers become more successful at selling these luxury goods, developers are getting more involved because they see it as something that can help them sell their homes."

RADIO ACTIVE
46805 Dune Palms Rd.
La Quinta, CA 92253
760-777-1787
radioactiveav.com

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