Jonno Fraser
Home Cinema & Custom Install Editor
Based in Brisbane, QLD
G'day, Jonno here. I spent the better part of twelve years as a custom installer building theatres — everything from a media room squeezed into a Queenslander to a fully blacked-out, acoustically-treated cinema with a hundred grand of gear behind the screen. The thing nobody tells you is that the room matters more than the boxes, and I'll bang on about acoustics until you're sick of me. If you're planning a theatre, talk to me before you spend a cent on speakers.
40 published articles · most recent October 19, 2026
G'day, Jonno here. I spent the better part of twelve years as a custom installer building theatres — everything from a media room squeezed into a Queenslander to a fully blacked-out, acoustically-treated cinema with a hundred grand of gear behind the screen.
The thing nobody tells you is that the room matters more than the boxes — and I'll bang on about acoustics until you're sick of me.
If you're planning a theatre, talk to me before you spend a cent on speakers.
Articles by Jonno Fraser
Guest Wi-Fi and audio: why visitor networks break multiroomGuest Wi-Fi networks isolate devices by design, which quietly breaks multiroom audio. Here's why it happens and how to fix it properly.
Ceiling speakers vs upfiring Atmos modules: what actually worksCeiling speakers vs upfiring Atmos modules compared for real rooms: when in-ceiling wins, when upfiring is the better call, and why.- Why your home cinema amp runs hotter on movies than musicFilm soundtracks push amplifier channels harder and longer than stereo music ever does. Here's why that matters for topology, power supplies and what actually fails.
- Screen-wall speaker placement: building around a UST projector properlyUltra short throw projectors sit right where your centre channel wants to be. Here's how I actually solve that in real theatre builds, not in theory.
Headphone isolation vs room noise: why your desk setup fights youOpen-back headphones and a noisy home office don't mix. Here's how to actually diagnose room noise before you blame the gear.
Toe-in and rake: the free speaker tuning most owners never touchToe-in angle and cabinet rake cost nothing but change tonal balance and imaging more than most upgrades. Here's how I set both on site.- Multiroom ecosystems compared: what actually happens when you leave the appSonos, AirPlay 2, Chromecast and open-standard multiroom all promise the same thing. Here's what breaks when you mix brands, rooms and speakers in a real Australian house.
- Standmount or floorstander: matching the speaker to the room, not the egoBigger speakers don't automatically mean bigger sound. Here's how to actually match standmount vs floorstander to your room, your amp and your listening seat.
- One sub or two: when a second subwoofer actually earns its keepAdding a second subwoofer isn't about more bass — it's about fixing the seat-to-seat mess a single sub can't. Here's how to tell if you need one.
- Anti-vibration mats and platters: what actually isolates a turntableCork, felt, acrylic, rubber or nothing at all — I pulled apart what turntable mats and isolation feet genuinely fix versus what's marketing.
- Open-back headphones at your desk: when the room actually mattersOpen-back headphones leak sound and let room noise in. Here's how to work out if your desk, your flatmates and your walls can actually cope.
- Network switches and audio: does a "hi-fi" switch actually do anything?A client once asked me to fit a $1,200 network switch into his rack. Here's what a switch can and can't change about digital audio, and where the money's better spent.
- Speaker footprint versus room footprint: matching size to the space, not the budgetBigger speakers don't mean bigger sound. Here's how to match cabinet volume, driver size and placement to your actual room, not your budget.
- Multiroom volume mismatch: why zone two never sounds rightEvery multiroom install has a zone that never quite matches the others for loudness. Here's what actually causes it and the fixes that hold.
- HDMI eARC and a separate DAC: why your home cinema digital source is a compromiseeARC is convenient but it's not neutral. Here's what actually happens to your two-channel sound when the AVR's HDMI board becomes your DAC.
Damping factor and low-impedance speakers: when your amp actually strugglesDamping factor gets thrown around a lot, but it only matters in specific, measurable situations. Here's when it actually changes what you hear.- Why a home cinema installer ended up building a desktop headphone rigA CEDIA installer's take on desktop headphone rigs: why the room habits from cinema jobs apply at the desk, and where to actually spend.
- IEM cable and tip rolling: which upgrades actually change the soundSwapping IEM cables and tips is cheap fun, but only one of them reliably changes what you hear. I'll walk through why, and where your money should actually go.
- Headphone amps and the "why bother" question: when your desktop actually needs oneNot every pair of headphones needs a dedicated amp. Here's how to tell whether you're actually current-starved or just chasing a placebo.
- Levelling a turntable properly: the ten-minute job most people skipA turntable that isn't level throws off tracking force, anti-skate and bearing wear. Here's how to check and fix it properly, not with a marble.
- Closed-back headphones for late-night mixing: do they actually help?Closed-back cans promise isolation for late-night listening, but the seal that blocks noise also changes the bass you hear. Here's the real trade-off.
- Building a home cinema budget: the spending order that actually pays offWhere to put the first dollar in a home cinema build, and why most people spend it on the wrong box first. A spending order from twelve years of installs.
- Desktop headphone setups: getting the desk itself right firstBefore you chase another DAC or amp, sort the desk. Reflections, cable strain and monitor height quietly wreck more desktop headphone rigs than gear ever does.
- Open-back headphones and a shared house: when the leak actually mattersOpen-back headphones leak sound both ways. Here's how much, when it genuinely matters in a share house or apartment, and when it's a non-issue.
Subwoofer crawl vs measurement: how to actually find the right spotThe subwoofer crawl is a good starting point, not a finish line. Here's how I actually locate sub placement on real jobs, and when to trust the numbers instead.- Headphone listening rooms: why the space around your head still mattersHeadphones bypass room acoustics for the direct sound, but the room you sit in still shapes fatigue, focus and what you hear. Here's why.
Speaker format by room: when standmounts beat floorstanders (and vice versa)Choosing between standmounts and floorstanders isn't about budget or looks. It's a room-shape and listening-distance decision, and I've watched it wreck good systems.
Clock sources and jitter in home cinema: what actually mattersJitter gets blamed for everything from harsh treble to flat soundstages. Here's what clock sources actually do in an AV receiver and where the worry is misplaced.- Room modes explained: why your bass sounds wrong and how to fix itRoom modes cause boomy, uneven bass in almost every listening room. Jonno Fraser explains what they are, how to find them, and what actually fixes the problem.
- Desktop headphone rigs: how to build a serious listening station around a laptop or PCBuilding a desktop headphone rig that actually performs means more than buying good cans. Jonno Fraser walks through the chain from source to ear.
- DAC output stages: what voltage, impedance and topology actually do to your soundThe DAC chip is only half the story. What the output stage does to that signal — and how it interacts with your amp — matters just as much.
- Headphone amp topology explained: what the circuit actually does to your soundDiscrete Class A, op-amp, tube hybrid or pure valve — Jonno Fraser breaks down what headphone amp topologies actually do and how to choose the right one.
- Clock sources and jitter in home cinema: what actually matters for AV digital audioJitter, clocking and word-clock inputs: do they matter in a home cinema system, or is it audiophile folklore? Jonno Fraser cuts through the noise.
- Where to spend on cables, racks and power: what actually moves the needleCables, equipment racks and power conditioning: Jonno Fraser cuts through the folklore to explain where your dollars genuinely improve a home cinema or hi-fi system.
- Atmos speaker placement: position every channel correctlyAtmos speaker placement made simple: angles, heights and trade-offs for every channel, from the LCR front stage to overhead speakers in a real home cinema.
AWOL Vision Aetherion Max and Pro: A UST Projector ChallengeThe AWOL Vision Aetherion Max and Pro bring tri-laser DLP, Dolby Vision Gaming and 240Hz to the UST fight. Here is what Australian buyers should know.
Hisense XR10 and PX4-Pro: 6,000-lumen tri-laser at CES 2026The Hisense XR10 long-throw and PX4-Pro UST arrived at CES 2026 with TriChroma RGB laser tech and LPU 3.0. Here is what Australian buyers need to know.
BenQ W5850 Review: Laser Phosphor 4K for Cinema RoomsThe BenQ W5850 adds laser phosphor to the W5800 formula at US$6,999. Is the step up worth it for serious Australian cinema rooms? Our verdict.
XGIMI TITAN Noir Max: dual-iris contrast at CES 2026XGIMI's TITAN Noir Max brings an RGB triple-laser and dual-iris contrast system to CES 2026. Here is what Australian home cinema buyers should know.
Epson QB1000 review: the sub-$12k laser cinema benchmarkThe Epson QB1000 laser projector lands in Australia at AUD $11,900. Here's what the QZX processor and 3,300 lumens deliver, and who should buy it.