Thijmen - Thursday 26 March 2025

SoundImports DIY Competition 2025: A Father-Son Adventure

This year's SoundImports DIY Competition showcased extraordinary talent!

But Athanasios from Greece captivated our judges with his innovative 5.4.2 home theater system—that's 5 main channels, 4 subwoofers, and 2 height channels for truly immersive audio. Imagine experiencing cinematic sound flowing from completely invisible speakers, in a sleek, clutter-free living space, with a build that father and son completed together in just one month. This remarkable project seamlessly combines technical ingenuity, family bonding, and premium audio engineering. Let's explore the details of this winning creation.

A Bold Idea: Sound Without the Mess

Athanasios had a vision—cinematic audio that didn't compromise his living space. No towering speaker stacks or tangled wires. Instead, he designed a 5.4.2 setup with every speaker hidden inside the walls, creating an audiophile's dream with a minimalist aesthetic. It's bold, practical, and surprisingly budget-friendly—a perfect fit for a DIYer who wants professional results without the professional price tag! This project beautifully demonstrates that with dedication, thoughtful planning, and quality components, you can achieve truly exceptional audio results that rival commercial installations.

Left: Precision wiring infrastructure ensures clean signal paths throughout the system. Right: Custom mounts allow for perfect driver positioning and acoustic isolation from wall vibrations.

The Build: Simple Tech, Stunning Results

The magic lies in Athanasios's thoughtful component selection and meticulous execution. For the left, center, and right channels (plus front height speakers), he chose SB Acoustics SB20FRPC30-8 full-range drivers, which deliver remarkable clarity and dynamic punch without requiring complex crossover networks. The rear channels feature Visaton BG 17 woofers, selected for their warm tonality and wide dispersion pattern that creates an enveloping soundstage. Rather than complicate the design with elaborate crossovers, he let these high-quality drivers perform naturally within their optimal frequency ranges.

For the crucial low-frequency foundation, Athanasios cleverly repurposed a salvaged subwoofer enclosure, breathing new life into it with a powerful GRS 8SW-4 driver. Painted white to seamlessly integrate with the room's aesthetic, this unassuming powerhouse delivers room-filling bass that completes the immersive audio experience. Every component was precisely mounted, meticulously wired, and elegantly concealed behind custom flush grilles, with subtle LED accents adding a contemporary touch to the installation.

Left: Custom-designed speaker grilles provide acoustic transparency while maintaining visual subtlety. Right: The precision-cut mounting system ensures optimal sound dispersion throughout the listening area.

Performance That Exceeds Expectations

According to Athanasios, the system delivers remarkably balanced sound across the entire frequency spectrum. The in-wall mounting actually enhances bass response through boundary reinforcement, while the strategic placement of the height channels creates a convincing three-dimensional soundfield that extends well beyond the physical boundaries of the room. Movie soundtracks with complex spatial effects are reproduced with stunning accuracy, and music playback reveals nuances and details that were previously lost in conventional speaker setups.

A Father-Son Adventure

What elevates this project beyond its technical excellence is the heartwarming story behind its creation. Athanasios didn't build alone—his 5-year-old son was his enthusiastic assistant throughout the process, handing tools, learning how wires connect components, and witnessing firsthand how creativity and technical skill can transform a space. It's more than a home theater; it's a cherished memory forged through collaboration and shared discovery, a legacy of craftsmanship passed from father to son that will resonate far beyond the walls containing their remarkable sound system.

The true reward: Athanasios and his young apprentice sharing a proud moment with their finished creation—a system that will provide entertainment and inspiration for years to come.

A Prize Well-Deserved

The SoundImports judging panel was unanimously impressed by Athanasios' creativity, technical execution, and the inspirational family dimension of his project. His well-earned reward includes a premium Fosi Audio ZA3 amplifier and Fosi Audio ZD3 DAC to further elevate his extraordinary setup. These high-performance components will allow Athanasios to extract even more detail and dynamic range from his meticulously crafted system. Congratulations on a truly outstanding achievement—here's to countless epic movie nights and musical journeys with your young co-engineer!