Anyone who has ever dipped a toe into the AV market will know that there is a bewildering range of kit available, from the inexpensive off-the-shelf stuff to multi-million pound bespoke systems. While some production builders are content to fit marinised automotive systems to their boats, most superyacht owners will be looking for something a little more in keeping with their yacht.
Getting the right sound
Superyachts present a problem for the audio purist. Although most big yachts are well insulated from vibration and noise, the mix of interior finishes and furnishings means getting a crisp, clean sound is a challenge. The acoustic performance of soft furnishings is very different from the acoustic performance of glass, high-gloss veneers and wooden floors.
The obsessives might create a bespoke ‘listening room’ where furnishings and finishes are specified for their acoustic performance, and the perfect audio environment is created. But most people don’t go that far. It is, however, possible to create a truly memorable listening experience in the saloon or master suite, and many top-end suppliers have systems that compensate for the different materials in the room to produce a rich, balanced sound.
Custom manufacturing of high-end sound components can overcome problems with contrasting room finishes, and the application of custom sound can range in price from tens of thousands of pounds up to more than £1 million for serious audio aficionados.
The best of the best
According to Peter Bouman at Lantic Systems, supplier of top-end audio equipment to the superyacht market: ‘There will always be owners who want to keep their turntables and £100,000 speakers. Lantic Systems are able to accommodate such enthusiasts by allowing their specialist equipment to be integrated into the network via a high-quality sound board.’
In terms of top-end audio, there are a number of companies that you might consider. Living Voice has built an enviable reputation in the high-end audio world, and is bringing that to the superyacht market with some stunning products.
‘There is something splendid about a dedicated two-channel high-performance music system,’ explains Kevin Scott, founder of Living Voice. ‘We try to create a transcendent musical experience and will do whatever it takes to achieve that.
‘We consider audio and AV to be two distinct disciplines. It is our ambition to get people to realise there is a world out there more profound than the rather visceral experience you get from a 7.1 AV surround sound system.’
Sharing the music
Perhaps surprisingly, Scott likes to work on superyachts despite the challenges.
‘With a reliable power supply, and a level of soundproofing you rarely find in domestic situations, a superyacht can make a wonderful blank canvas onto which you “paint” beautiful music. The difficulty comes with integrating good audio with the interior design, and a lot of designers would prefer you to spec a dedicated listening room. But music shouldn’t be a solitary, furtive experience in a small darkened room; you should have that beautiful musical experience in the saloon, shared with friends, with sea and the mountains as your backdrop.
‘High-end audio is traditional. It’s not about compactness, or efficient data storage, it’s about human experience and passion. In that respect, high-end audio has changed very little since the 1960s and has not been driven on by the digital revolution. What audiophiles are looking for is dynamic range, resolution, tonal colour, the sense of humanity and body, the intimacy, the depth of expression.’
Speakers
Yes, Kevin Scott is a passionate man when it comes to audio, and Living Voice’s products confirm that. The extraordinary Vox Olympian speakers are a case in point. These ultra-high-end speakers are a synthesis of fine cabinet making, fine art, and cutting-edge acoustic science. The cabinets are hand-built as identical pairs by Struik & Hamerslag, one of the world’s most celebrated cabinet-makers. Each pair stands at 1.6 metres high, weighs 150 kilos and takes 2,400 man-hours for the cabinets alone. Built to order, they cost between £250,000 and £400,000 a pair. People who know about this stuff rate them as some of the finest speakers available.
Veritais, another leading supplier of bespoke audio and AV systems to the luxury yacht market, has just launched an unusual speaker range from SOEE Soundesign. The design of these handmade speakers enables them to deliver 360 degree sound from a ceiling-mounted or free-standing position. Aside from their unusual appearance and flexibility of positioning, they can be supplied in almost any finish, be it paint, leather, gold leaf or exotic materials such as crocodile and ostrich skin. For the ultimate impact, the Crystal Rain loudspeaker uses 500 Swarovski Elements crystals.
Another system to consider, if you’re serious about audio, is the Steinway Lyngdorf range. As well as some truly outstanding speakers, its RoomPerfect system is claimed to be the most advanced room-adaptation technology available. Rather than adapting the room to the sound system with expensive acoustic treatment, Steinway Lyngdorf adapts the sound system to the room.
RoomPerfect uses a true 3D measuring technique and ‘unique target response calculation’ to analyse and optimise sound performance, tailoring it to the room. The technology ensures any audio system produces rich and pure sound, almost irrespective of furniture, room size, loudspeaker location and listening position.
The components used are also extraordinary.
‘When we started the Steinway project with Steinway and Sons,’ explains Peter Lyngdorf, ‘I made a promise to Steinway that we could reproduce the sound of a Steinway piano so the Steinway pianist could not tell the difference between a good CD and the actual piano. It worked, and that’s why we can put the Steinway name on our products today.’
Worth the emotion
Top-end audio for superyachts is a highly specialised serviice, and while some owners may doubt the necessity of spending £500,000 on an audio system, a surprising number of big yachts feature very unsuitable audio systems.
If you doubt the wisdom of investing in audio, listen to O Soave Fanciulla from Puccini’s La Bohème . If it doesn’t make you cry, you need a better audio system…