Harman Updates Eargle Theater to Reflect Modern Performance Capabilities

The Eargle Theater at HARMAN’s Northridge campus has long served as a benchmark for reference-grade audio performance. Recently, the theater underwent a comprehensive electronics upgrade that elevates its capabilities to showcase the full potential of JBL Synthesis, HARMAN’s flagship line of high-performance home cinema solutions.

JBL Synthesis Processor at Heart of Eargle Theater Upgrades

The upgrade, according to HARMAN, was a reimagining of the theater’s signal path, amplification, and calibration workflow, designed to deliver improved dynamics, imaging, and immersive soundscapes that meet the highest standards of audiophile and professional expectations.

At the heart of the Eargle Theater upgrade is the replacement of the SDP-75 processor with the JBL Synthesis SDP-80, a state-of-the-art AV preamp/processor that supports advanced room correction, immersive formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and integrates Sound Field Management (SFM) for precision bass control.

HARMAN points out the Eargle Theater’s amplification was also completely modernized. The legacy SDA amplifiers were replaced with SMA-series for their high efficiency, low distortion, and robust DSP capabilities:

• SMA-4750: Used for bi-amping the flagship SCL-1 loudspeakers and the SSW-1 and SSW-3 subwoofers
• SMA-8300: Drives the remaining full-range SCL-series loudspeakers

The Comprehensive Upgrade List

For those curious as to the new hardware, Harman stated it has added:

• One SPD-80 preamplifier/processor
• Six SMA-4750 amplifiers
• Three SMA-8300 amplifiers
• Three SCL-1 loudspeakers
• Eight SCL-2 loudspeakers
• Nine SCL-3 loudspeakers
• Four SCL-4 loudspeakers
• Two S4HC loudspeakers
• Two SSW-1 subwoofers
• Eight SSW-3 subwoofers

Theater Gets Full Day of Calibration to Achieve Modern Setup

Updating the theater’s infrastructure, HARMAN notes that all line-level cabling was reterminated from Phoenix connectors to XLR, ensuring optimal signal integrity and compatibility with the new gear. Ethernet cabling was also reterminated to support networked control and monitoring of the SMA amplifiers.

The Eargle Theater installation was followed by a full day of programming and acoustic calibration, a critical step, HARMAN asserts, in realizing the system’s full potential. As part of the calibration process, the luxury manufacturer says it performed steps that include:

• Subwoofer Calibration with Sound Field Management: Calibration began with the subwoofers, using Sound Field Management, a proprietary HARMAN technology that ensures smooth, consistent bass response across all seating positions. This process minimizes modal resonances and phase issues, laying a solid foundation for the rest of the system.
• Loudspeaker Tuning and Room Optimization: The home audio company stresses the JBL Synthesis loudspeaker tunings were loaded directly into the SMA amplifiers. HARMAN emphasizes these tunings are the result of extensive anechoic loudspeaker measurements, optimizing each speaker’s performance using anechoic equalization (AEQ).

Final calibration for the Eargle Theater was performed using the Optimizer in the SDP-80, following the Harman In-Room Target Curve, a scientifically derived EQ target that balances clarity, warmth, and realism. With the speaker tuning already applied, the calibration process could focus primarily on room interactions, streamlining the workflow and improving accuracy.

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