LONDON, United Kingdom – 24th October 2023 – Cinch Technology recently partnered with Lenbrook Hi Res Audio Solutions on an exciting residential project in the vibrant neighbourhood of Vauxhall, London. The project involved a Grade II listed property, which has recently undergone a comprehensive refurbishment, including the addition of a modern basement, and an open plan living arrangement.
Cinch Director, Werner Weber told us “The homeowners are passionate music lovers and wanted to elevate their everyday home listening experiences with a superior audio system that sounded great and had a convenient way to stream their favourite content. We ensured that the large open-plan kitchen dining area has the best system in the house, as this is where entertainment is centred in the home. Most other rooms and the outdoor spaces also feature BluOS streaming capability too. We had already completed another project for this client in a different property using BluOS Enabled products and were thrilled with the results. They love the simplicity of being able to use Apple Airplay 2 or Spotify Connect to stream their favourite music from their phones in any room they want. They also love the hi-fi quality of the sound, and the ability to turn it up for entertainment!”
Werner continued: “As system designers, what we like about working with Lenbrook’s range of products, aside from their build quality, performance and hi-res audio support, is that there are multiple solutions for the different scenarios you come across when tailoring a system to a home. The backbone of this system is NAD’s range of rack mount streamers and amplifiers, and we like the fact that these are developed purely for installers, while one of the rooms, where we couldn’t install speakers fed from the rack we used a Bluesound PULSE 2i wireless speaker, and we have the option to add more Bluesound Players if we need to expand the system down the line. In the media room, we used an NAD AV receiver, which was also based in the rack. All of the products use the same BluOS streaming platform, so the ecosystem can be controlled via the same BluOS app, or the client can cast directly to each zone.”
Central to the setup is the NAD CI580 V2, a four-zone network music player, used as the backbone of the whole home music system. Powered by BluOS and fitting into a 1U rack space, this device served as a versatile and reliable hub for the family’s music. The four audio streams are fed into an NAD CI16-60 DSP Multi-Channel Network Amplifier, which provides 60 watts of NAD’s Hybrid Digital™ amplification into 16 channels, delivering reference quality, low distortion audio from the rack.
The project posed unique challenges, mainly because the Grade II listing of the property limited integrated speaker use in some areas. Moreover, the family sought a service that was not only user-friendly but also subtly powerful, catering to their daily music needs and social gatherings.
In response to these challenges, a K-Array discrete speaker system was selected and paired with an NAD DSP amplifier to ensure optimal performance. The K-Array speakers required comprehensive DSP and electronic crossover adjustments. The entire system was centralised in a rack, delivering an unparalleled audio experience throughout the home.
Where architectural speakers are used, and no DSP required, Cinch deployed an NAD CI980 Eight-channel amplifier, also connected to the CI580 V2 BluOS Network Music Player, as a simple, high performance and cost-effective solution for those zones.
These strategic selections not only guaranteed a compelling sound resonating throughout the property, but also brilliantly optimised rack space efficiency. This thoughtful decision embodied the perfect fusion of performance and practicality.
In the media room, an NAD T 758 V3i AV Receiver drives an immersive Dolby Surround sound system Werner commented: “The NAD powered media room system has transformed home TV watching for them, they find streaming video services so much more engaging now. The surround sound system integrates seamlessly into the BluOS experience – the clients can play music directly from the BluOS Controller App in the Media room, without having to turn the receiver on or set it to an input – it’s seamless and automated! The NAD T 758 V3i also offers Dirac Room correction, which is transformative in achieving the optimal setup within media rooms.”
Wrapping up this successful project, the family expressed their satisfaction with the NAD and Bluesound system, a sentiment that echoes their previous experience. “This is our second time working with NAD and Bluesound through this team. We were blown away by the quality of the system they installed in our holiday home in Switzerland last year, and we’re equally thrilled with what they’ve achieved in our London home. The simplicity of playing our favourite music from our phones in any room we choose, coupled with the hi-fi quality sound and the ability to turn it up for entertainment, has truly enhanced our home experience.”
The family also spoke highly of the impact the NAD powered media room system has had on their TV watching experience commenting: “Streaming video services have taken on a whole new level of engagement. Our home entertainment has been utterly transformed. It’s like having a personal cinema at home.”
This project exemplifies the power of technology in enhancing everyday experiences and creating homes that are not just places to live, but spaces to enjoy and entertain.
NAD equipment list:
| Make | Model | Description | Qty |
| NAD | CI580V2 | 1-U Four Zone BluOS Network Music Player | 2 |
| NAD | CI 16-60 | 2-U 16-Channel Power Amplifier with DSP 16x60W | 1 |
| NAD | CI 980 | 2-U Eight-Channel Power Amplifier | 1 |
| Bluesound | PULSE 2i | Premium Wireless Multi-Room Music Streaming Speaker | 1 |
| NAD | T758 V3i | A/V Surround Sound Receiver with 4K and BluOS | 1 |
About Lenbrook Hi-Res Audio Solutions:
Lenbrook Hi-Res Audio Solutions is a renowned global leader in the field of audio innovation, representing all of Lenbrook’s owned and distributed brands in the residential and commercial markets including NAD Electronics, Bluesound, DALI and more. Its exclusive technologies, such as BluOS, Hybrid Digital, and MDC, in conjunction with strategic partnerships with industry giants namely Dolby, Dirac, DTS, and MQA, ensure the provision of highly flexible and dependable AV solutions for custom installation professionals. Many brands represented by Lenbrook Hi-Res Audio Solutions are based on the BluOS platform and offer seamless integration with leading smart home control systems.
