Shock and awe: A $6 million home theater

This is the Kipnis Studio Standard.

(Credit: Robert Wright)

If your typical high-end home theater with rows of plush seats, velvet wallpaper, and popcorn machines offers Cadillac levels of performance and luxury, then Jeremy Kipnis' $6 million ultimate home theater is more like a fire-breathing Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, the fastest production Ferrari ever built.

This home theater is all about aggressively advancing the state of the art of picture and sound presentation. Yes, it's comfortable and beautiful, but its prime directive is a quest for the very best. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is overlooked. Kipnis won't settle for second best.

The Audiophiliac (left) and Jeremy Kipnis in the KSS.

(Credit: Robert Wright)

Kipnis calls his creation the Kipnis Studio Standard, and if all goes according to plan, wealthy movie industry professionals, actors, directors, and producers will be lining up to commission him to custom-design and build a KSS for them.

Well, I spent some quality time checking out the KSS system and came away from the experience totally dazzled by the ultra-high resolution (4,096 x 2,160) picture from the Sony SRX-R110 Digital Cinema Projector. The uber Sony produces four times the resolution of 1080p image.

Snell THX Music & Cinema Reference LCR-2800 Center-Channel Speakers

(Credit: Robert Wright)

The 8.8 channel audio system is fed by a well-balanced combination of audiophile solid-state and vacuum-tube amplifiers. The KSS is astonishing in the way it delivers power, but with 11,315 very high-quality watts on tap, that's hardly surprising. The 8.8 channel system uses 16 (!!!) 18-inch subwoofers and that might be why the KSS is easily the most effortlessly powerful home theater I have ever heard. Unlike all of the other high-end home theaters, the KSS was designed to present picture and sound beyond that found in even the finest screening rooms. Kipnis spared no expense to build the very best.

My feature article in the Audio Video Interiors section of the February issue of Home Theater magazine is loaded with great pictures and information about the KSS. Oh, and there's plenty more at Kipnis-Studios.com.

[TowerTone]

Needs more cowbell.......

[PeterBish]

Definatly more Cowbell

[inachu]

I feel sorry for that dog in the picture.
Some kid might run up to the volume and crank it up all the way.

[seo2seo]

But is it really 60,000 times better than my $100.system?

Six times, almost certainly. Sixty? probably.
600? that's debatable. 6000 - I really don't think so.

60,000? waste of cash.

Plus by using sony products, he's contributing to japanese Whaling! No Thanks!

[cbibbs]

Your $100 system includes a TV and surround sound? Are you using old headphones for speakers?

If you have >$6M disposable cash, how you spend it is a simple question of what brings you the most utility. I'm sure there are a few folks who'd gladly spend a few million to improve their experience be 2% if it also gives them bragging rights and gets a feature article in Home Theater Magazine.

[waldolc]

BTW - Most of the equipment he's using is Japanese: Built and/or owned. Yeah whales!

[ematcion]

I wonder how the system sounds given that there doesn't appear to be any wires/cables. Look at the top photo....doesn't look like the amps and the speakers are connected at all.

[aquariumdrinker]

Alright, I love the wall of records, but that is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. I love high end gear but come on. Not to mention it doesn't look like there is any way to reach 80% of those records. Maybe my opinion would be different if I could experience it, but can we say over the top much?

[waldolc]

He chose the Snells 'cause Snell worked with Lucas on developing THX. I think they cost much too much for the sound you get (which is awesome!). The Murata's are incredible products. The Stewart Snowmatte is to die for. Amps and other components are truly interchangeable. You could probably get more for less, but specs on the room and the equipment on paper are mind blowing. The picture and sound must be incredible in person. After reading this guys bio, I understand the madness and why he spent the money; though that's not a choice I would make.

[research1st]

What a convoluted mess.... Sorry... No thanks....
"Fools and their money are soon parted."
Witness the "Super Fool"....

[ematcion]

He also need some acoustic treatment for his room, which looks to be much too live.

$6 million for such a system is just silly. Anyone can put together a good sounding system for much less.

Not impressed at all. "The World's #1 Audiophile" over at Absolute Sound is much more impressive, both in terms of software and hardware.

[lyle007]

I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about the price of the system. This guy made the system because he's using it as advertising and marketing (ex: a post in this blog). Sure, it might be in his house for personal use, but that's just a perk. If he sells just five of these setups to the super wealthy (and you know there are people in Dubai that would buy this in a second), he'll probably have made a profit. It's no different than Toyota building a 50-60 million dollar concept car that will never be produced He's just building the best with what materials are available and stretching the envelope of what can be done.

[Michael Yeo]

It's gorgeous. I won't say that the owner is crazy on spending A$6 million for his sound system. It is to each in-depth passion and affordibility. I think the cost does not include sound and acoustic insulation in the studio.

I have a friend who intentionally built a basement studio in his bungalow where one porton of the wall is built with armour glass where he could see all his fishes swimming in the basement aquarium.

It is in this room that he enjoy watching shows or listening to music with family members or friends from his sound and theatre system that cost several million dollars.

Can one imagine how the atmosphere is like with lights shut off, reaxing on the cozy lounges, listening to music from the costly sound system while watching the fishes swimming and natural light filtering into the room.

[rtan89]

Wow. That's all you can really say. But is it necessary? Haha. I guess.

[The Kipnis Studios]

Hi -

I have just completed a Sony SRX-R220 4k projector review, featured on HomeTheaterReview.com:

http://www.hometheaterreview.com/front_projector_reviews/sony_srx-r220_4k.html

My experience with this projector has been hit and miss (out in the field), but under controlled conditions, it at least lives up to much of what 70 mm film can dispatch - and there is no frame stuttering, dirt, scratches, or reel changes!

Comments?

Or may I offer a full demonstration to anyone interested? Cheers -

Jeremy

Kipnis Studios


www.Kipnis-Studios.com

[The Kipnis Studios]

Let me tell you . . .

If you love movies, television, video games, still photography, music, or you name it, owning a dictated room built from the ground up with your personal choice of interior design and my standards for picture and sound fidelity are . . . PRICELESS!

If you are genuinely curious, why not go to my website and call me up to schedule a complete demonstration?

You will not be sorry!!!

Cheers -

Jeremy

Kipnis Studios

www.Kipnis-Studios.com