"A triumph!": Habitech showroom 2021 reviewed

Leading value-added distributor Habitech is throwing open the doors to its new showroom this month, and Inside CI was invited to have a sneak peek. Habitech have always had cutting-edge showrooms at its Basingstoke HQ, but this new fitout has taken it to a whole new level.

So what can integrators expect to see when they visit?

The showroom splits into five distinct rooms. The main reception leads onto the kitchen and the spectacular Samsung Wall living room. Samsung has been at the forefront of display technology for many years, but nothing quite prepares you for The Wall. This customisable Micro-LED screen can be made to any size between 115 - 297-inches and in any format.

It rivals a projection screen set-up, but without any need to black-out the room. The Wall is just 30mm deep and boasts a 100,000-hour lifetime. The screen does generate some heat, but nothing different to what plasma screens used to emit! MicroLED modules (also referred to as Micro-LED, mLED, and µLED), or block, are comprised of micro-LED bulbs, and are self-immersive.

In terms of audio, The Wall uses something Samsung calls Arena Sound. This makes use of centre-speakers behind the screen, rather than beneath it, allowing for front-firing audio.

In the Habitech showroom it’s coupled with Wisdom Sage front left and right channels. Looking at the images being demoed, there’s no doubt that this is a fantastic screen. I have already seen some residential installations of The Wall, and it’s a genuine rival to projector installations for media and family rooms that cannot be blacked out. Reviewing the screen, while gaming from an Xbox, had me transfixed! It was as if I was actually in the game.

Next to The Wall is the invisible speaker room. Here I had a chance to audition the new Sonance range of invisible speakers with Timmy Thorsen. Habitech has set up a convenient controller to switch between different models in the range, and even compare the plaster-in speakers to traditional cabinet models.

The Sonance IS10 speakers that were playing demonstrated massive depth and totally filled the room. The all-new Motion Flex Invisible Series incorporates new breakthroughs in installation and audio quality, and I think firmly position Sonance as the unrivalled leader in discreet performance audio.

The Wisdom Cinema room is next up on our tour. This is very much designed to be a dedicated cinema room, complete with multiple channels of sound and a JVC DLA NX9 native 4k projector serving images to a 21:9 screen. Here overall brightness has been increased by a Panamorph lens bolted to the front of the projector - and it’s a standout.

If this room is a little too expensive for your client’s budget, there’s a second cinema room you can audition. It’s evident that there’s been a lot of effort put in, not only in terms of the kit choice, but also the interior design. A lot of the credit can go to Sophie Graham, Marketing and Comms Manager at Habitech. Graham was given the job of coming up with the interior design to this massive upgrade to the showrooms, and clearly did a phenomenal job.

My fifth and final destination had a pair of Wisdom LS4 Reference Line Source speakers in situ, and I have to tell you these go loud! They are massive, towering pedestals with a backdrop of wood and material behind them, cleverly lit up with small pendant lights.

Habitech’s 2021 showroom upgrade is a triumph. I find the way the rooms are set up allows the dealer to be comfortable with the idea of bringing in their client to secure the lead to a sale. Yes, there is some expensive kit in here, but there is also a full range of more affordable kit on show. The design work is also amazing and shows just what the client could have with a good installer fitting out his house.

It’s a massive effort by all the team at Habitech, who deserve to be applauded for pulling off a great facility. The good news is the new demo rooms are opening for business this month, but be quick, as space is limited.

For more news stories about Habitech's product portfolio and services, visit our Habitech resource page here.