A sign that says "Warning! Extreme Lifelike Sound Levels" is like waving a red cape in front of a bull. Who would be dissuaded from entering a demo room just because you're going to encounter lifelike sound levels? Not me! And are they overstating how loud a sound they're talking about?

This was one of SSI's few home theater demos, by Montreal-area custom installer Eddie Dufour Audio-Design. And the sound was indeed very loud. My iPhone's AudioTools Sound Level Meter app indicated levels as high as 104dB, C-weighted, slow response. The system included a 7.1 channel Klipsch THX Ultra II speakers, including four subs, an Onkyo TXNR-3009 receiver, and Epson Pro Cinema projector. The sound was perhaps not the latest word in finesse (it's hard to tell at those levels), but it was clean as well as loud. The system price, including the electronics, speakers, cables, screen, and setup, was $30,000–$23,000 for the show demo system. Undoubtedly a great buy for someone in the market for this sort of home theater system.