When it comes to creating a truly exceptional home cinema, there are countless details that need to come together – acoustics, screen size, speaker placement, seating layout, aesthetics, and more. But if you ask our Director, David Moseley, what the single most important element is, the answer is simple: silence.
In the video below, David explains why achieving a low Noise Criteria (NC) rating is absolutely critical to delivering world-class cinematic performance.
Why Silence Matters
We often think of cinema sound in terms of volume, bass, and clarity- but dynamics are where the magic happens. The ability to hear subtle details and shifts in intensity is what makes sound feel alive and immersive. And those details are only revealed in a quiet room.
To deliver that experience, a cinema space needs to hit a Noise Criteria rating of at least NC25, with high-end cinemas pushing to NC20 or even lower. This means stripping away any unwanted noise – from air conditioning hums to footsteps upstairs – to create a perfectly silent canvas for sound.
— David Moseley, Director, Wavetrain Cinemas
The Technical Foundations of a Quiet Room
How do we achieve that level of silence? It depends on the construction method:
Engineering Beyond Aesthetics
While many companies focus on the look and feel of a cinema, Wavetrain takes it further. Our team handles not just acoustic design and A/V integration, but also mechanical engineering, including the design of silent air conditioning systems- something very few cinema companies offer.
We do this because it matters. Without a quiet room, even the best equipment can’t perform to its potential.
Watch the video below to hear David explain why silence is the key to cinema performance—and what it takes to achieve it.
If you’re planning a dedicated cinema and want to make sure you’re getting the fundamentals right, we’d love to talk. Whether you’re building from scratch or renovating an existing space, our team can help you design a room where every detail works in harmony – and where silence truly is golden.
