The Elite Screens Aeon CineWhite A8K is an acoustically transparent screen system, and it is available in six sizes ranging from 103” to 150”. The 123-inch unit that I reviewed retails for just $1128.50. This screen targets home theater enthusiasts who care about sound as much as video quality. Compared to other high-quality acoustically transparent screens, the Aeon CineWhite A8K is quite affordable.
A screen is an important part of a projection system, so we're always looking for opportunities to review them. While setting up such large screens can be challenging due to their size, my work in designing and building projection systems often provides the perfect opportunity to test new models.
For example, I was asked to help design and build a projection system for an In-wall speaker demonstration room. I opted for a projection system because it allowed us to maximize the amount of speakers we could install in the space. In fact, it allowed us to install six different multi-channel surround sound systems in this one room.
Epson was gracious enough to provide an EpiqVision Ultra LS800 ultra short throw projector. I contacted Jaime at Elite Screens to see if they had an acoustically transparent screen that would fit this application. Elite Screens is a leading manufacturer of projection screens, and they offer a wide range of options to suit the needs of different customers.
Due to its color accuracy and excellent sound transparency, Jaime recommended the Aeon CineWhite A8K screen, and he shipped me a 123-inch unit. The screen system is available in sizes ranging from 103 to 150-inch diagonal, with an aspect ratio of 16x9. The Aeon CineWhite A8K is an edge-free fixed frame screen with an ultrafine, acoustically transparent front projection screen material.
Elite Screens Aeon CineWhite A8K Video Review
The material is matte white with a gain of 1.1, and it offers a 170-degree viewing angle. Since this is not an ambient light-rejecting material, it is designed for light-controlled rooms. It is an ISF-certified material that delivers accurate color reproduction in a dark room. The ultra-fine knitted weave of this material minimizes the moiré effect, so it works well with high-resolution projectors, whether 4K or 8K.
Its bonded black backing also eliminates light loss while reducing light reflection. The screen's edge-free design maximizes this viewing area while minimizing the frame's footprint. The ultra-thin black aluminum bezel also provides a polished, modern look. It looks pretty much like a large flat-panel television. If you want to enhance your screen's appearance further, there's an optional LED backlighting kit, though it is sold separately.
Acoustically transparent screens are designed to allow sound to pass through the screen material without significant interference. These screens come in two main types: woven and perforated, each with advantages and disadvantages depending on the user's needs and the specifics of their home theater setup.
Woven acoustically transparent screen materials like the CineWhite A8K are made of tightly knit fabric that allows sound to pass through the tiny gaps in the weave. One of their primary advantages is their high degree of sound transparency, as the woven structure minimizes sound attenuation and preserves audio fidelity. Woven screen materials also minimize the moiré effect, a visual distortion that can occur when the screen interacts with a high-resolution projector's pixel grid. Additionally, woven materials often provide a smoother and more uniform surface, contributing to excellent image quality when paired with 4K or 8K projectors. However, woven screen materials do not have ambient light-rejecting properties.
In contrast, perforated acoustically transparent screens use a solid material with numerous small holes punched into it to allow sound to pass through. This design often results in better light reflectivity than woven screens, producing brighter. Companies like Elite Screen also offer ambient light-rejecting perforated acoustically transparent screens.
However, the perforated design could result in more sound attenuation. The holes can also interfere with specific frequencies, causing slight degradation in audio quality. Additionally, perforations can increase the likelihood of moiré effects, especially when used with high-resolution projectors. To mitigate this, precise projector and screen alignment is often required, which can make the installation process more complex.
To meet the needs of different customers, Elite Screens manufactures several different acoustically transparent perforated and woven screen materials. Below is a chart showing the difference.
Compared to some of the other acoustic transparent materials offered by elite screens such as CineGrey 4D AT, the Aeon CineWhite A*K is not equipped with ambient light-rejecting capabilities, but it is more acoustically transparent and offers a wider viewing angle. The CineWhite A8K material is currently only available in Aeon fixed screens. Elite Screens recommends a perforated material called the AcousticPro UHD for those looking for a motorized acoustically transparent screen.
Assembly/Disassembly
Since the horizontal frame sections are cut in half, the packaging is compact for a 123" inch screen
The package contains the screen, frame, and hardware
To assemble the screen, first layout the frame
Use the center joint connectors to join the two halves of the horizontal frame sections
The horizontal and vertical sections are connected using elbow joints.
Insert rods through the holes along the edge of the screen
Wrap the screen material around the frame and secured to the frame utilizing the springs
Adding the black aluminum edge trim cleans up the appearance of the edges
The entire assembly process about an hour
The screen assembly was straightforward. One person can do it, but having a second set of hands would definitely be helpful. The screen is packaged in a fairly compact box, reducing shipping costs and simplifying transportation. To minimize the length of the box, the top and bottom horizontal frame pieces are cut in half. The horizontal frame sections are joined using center joint connectors, and the horizontal and vertical sections are connected using elbow joints.
The CineWhite A8K material is tensioned to the frame using springs to ensure a flat, taut projection surface. First, rods are inserted through the holes along the edge of the screen. The screen material is then wrapped around the frame and secured to the frame utilizing the springs. A central support bar reinforces the frame and enhances its rigidity.
Adding the black aluminum edge trim cleans up the appearance of the edges and makes the screen look like a giant flat-panel television. If you want to dress up the screen more, elite offers an optional LED light kit, which is sold separately and available on their website. While one person can assemble the screen due to its size, two people are required to move it and hang it.
Several speakers were installed behind the screen
You can slide the screen horizontally on the wall mounts, and they offer about 1/2 inch vertical adjustment
Due to its size, two people are required to mount the screen
The 123-inch screen fit the opening in the cabinet perfectly
Once the Aeon CineWhite A8K screen was installed, it looked great
Since the black aluminum bezel was thin, the projector must be carefully aligned with the screen to minimize image overspill; we utilized a ceiling-mounted Epson Ultra short through a projector in the space, which required careful setup. Once the projector and screen are mounted, you can slide the screen horizontally on the wall mounts to make fine adjustments. There are also holes in the wall mount brackets, which are slotted, which allow the screen to be moved up and down about half an inch.
Since we carefully measured both the position of the screen and the projector and utilized the adjustability of the projector's ceiling mount, we were able to get the image to fit the screen with minimal digital keystone correction. As you can see, the Aeon CineWhite A8K screen blended seamlessly into this space. Once installed, the picture quality was excellent and on par with other premium Elite Screens systems that I have reviewed in the past.
Performance
There was no discernible difference in audio quality with and without the screen in place
Regarding performance, the Aeon CineWhite A8K screen delivers excellent picture quality and great audio reproduction. Its acoustically transparent material allows sound that pass through it with minimal sound attenuation. According to Elite Screens, the loss is just 2.96 dB when measured from eight K to 20,000kHz. This makes the screen ideal for setups where two speakers are positioned behind the screen, and it ensures your audio fidelity is uncompromised.
The goal of this space is to demonstrate the sound quality differences between several different in-wall sound systems, and as you can see in the images above, there are a ton of speakers behind the screen. During testing, I compared audio quality with and without the screen in place and found no discernible difference.
While the sound quality is what we are demonstrating in the space, I wanted to ensure that the picture quality lived up to the audio experience. The bright, ultra-short throw LS800 projector delivered a colorful image, especially when the lights were switched off. Since the screen is matte white, having the lights on does wash out the image, so you need to ensure good lighting control.
The 1.1 gain matte white screen is compatible with both standard and ultra-short throw projectors. We thought about several different types of projectors for this space. We considered using a long throw projector in the back of the room or an ultra-short throw projector sitting on a cabinet. But in the end, we decided to go with a ceiling-mounted ultra-short throw projector.
The nice thing about this material was we had the flexibility of choosing any type of projector we wanted to utilize while using an ultra-short throw projector in this space. I also tried to screen out utilizing an 8K projector and a couple of 4K LCOS projectors, and the picture looked great, and there was no visible moiré.
Conclusion
There are a couple of reasons why I like acoustically transparent screens. First, putting your center channel directly behind a screen means that the dialog comes from the screen instead of above or above, which is beneficial as the screens get larger and larger. You can also fit a larger screen in your room because you can put left, center, and right loudspeakers and subwoofers behind a screen instead of leaving space around the screen to place them.
The Elite Screens team has worked hard to minimize common drawbacks of acoustically transparent materials, such as sound attenuation and moiré. The bonded black backing effectively reduces light leakage and reflections, enhancing image quality. However, this feature also prevents backlighting to showcase speakers behind the screen.
Overall, I was impressed with this Elite screen's build quality and performance. I recommend it to anyone looking for a matte white screen in one of its available sizes and aspect ratios. So, the Aeon CineWhite A8k screen system is highly recommended.
To explore more about the Aeon CineWhite A8K screen, visit the Elite Screens website. Stay tuned for more reviews of projection screens and related accessories to enhance your home theater experience.
