SAION
Delivering the High Levels of Output and Response
Needed for Even Large-Scale Live Performances
SAION reproduces every sound in high fidelity, with loud sounds remaining free of distortion and quiet sounds remaining clear. The speaker systems are custom-made in reflection of the theaters’ designs. And their outstanding potential ensures they’re suitable for even large-scale live music shows.
Cutting-Edge Audio Technology Vividly
Brings Out the Beauty of Each Work
Complete control over the audio balance results from Q-sys, an advanced sound processor.
By delivering audio that is perfectly tuned to each work, SAION faithfully reproduces the moviemakers’ intention and enables the audience to experience the beauty of each work at the finest levels.
Breathtaking Atmosphere,
Stunning Immediacy
SAION delivers an aural atmosphere so real that the audience feels as though it is watching the actors perform live on stage, yet it also delivers immediacy that enables the audience to share the immersive sounds experienced by raving concertgoers at a live performance. It vividly brings out the true value of even screened content whose diversifying nature puts it outside the realm of traditional movies.
SAION -SR EDITION-
Theater’s Acoustics to Be Optimized Under the Direction of Musician Ryuichi Sakamoto
SAION SR EDITION is an audio system that was created under the supervision of world-renowned musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, while retaining the excellence of SAION. Also, Mr. Sakamoto composed several of the musical works that will be played in 109CINEMAS PREMIUM Shinjuku.
Pursuing Super Real Sound to Extreme Ends
The audio system delivers sound so natural and realistic that the speakers and movie screen seemingly disappears. Its components include custom speakers selected and made with attention to the smallest of details and an amplifier of the highest quality.
The Sound System selected and made with attention to the smallest of details
Custom Speakers That Deliver Pristine,
High-Definition Sound
- Ultimate three-way main speaker system with beryllium high-range speakers, carbon fiber mid-range speakers, and low-range speakers that have special paper cones.
- Ultimate hybrid subwoofer system with bandpass designed with backload method.
- Ultimate coaxial two-way surround-sound speaker system that positions eight high-range, silk-dome speakers in a line array and uses low-range speakers that have special paper cones.
Linea Research’s Premium Power
Amplifiers Fitted for the First Time in Japan
- A currently available power amp that delivers audio performance beyond the limits of Class-D amplifiers and that delivers the best possible sound was selected. Its epic amplification performance and ability to process unparalleled volumes of audio information maximize the speakers’ potential.
Custom Speaker Cables
- The highest level of attention was paid to the cables that connect the power amp to the speakers. Special cables resulted after an exhaustive study of the material for the cables, their thickness, and the number of cores, each optimized for delivering the power amp’s amplified audio information in the cleanest state possible to the speakers.
Profile
坂本 龍一Ryuichi Sakamoto
Born in 1952 in Tokyo, Ryuichi Sakamoto debuted as a solo artist in 1978 with the release of The Thousand Knives of Ryuichi Sakamoto. He co-founded Yellow Magic Orchestra the same year and has remained active on multiple fronts after branching out from the group. His score for the movie Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence won a BAFTA Award for Best Film Music, while his score for The Last Emperor won an Academy Award for Best Original Score, a Grammy Award, and other accolades. His desire to constantly explore innovative sounds and music has earned him worldwide acclaim.
Mr. Sakamoto frequently shares his concern for environmental issues and his interest in peace initiatives. He established “More Trees,” an organization dedicated to the preservation of woodlands. He also aids the victims of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami through musical initiatives, such as the creation of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra.
His major film scores include The Sheltering Sky (1990), High Heels (1990), The Little Buddha (1993), Femme Fatale (2002), Tony Takitani (2005), Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011), The Revenant (2015), Rage (2016), The Fortress (2017), Your Face (2018), and Minamata (2020).
Passed away on March 28, 2023.
Ryuichi Sakamoto's Comments
Reminiscences of Movie Theaters, SHINJUKU MILANO-ZA, and Shinjuku
“I went to high school in Shinjuku during the late sixties. As of my first days at the school, I began visiting every spot in Shinjuku, driven as I was by great curiosity. In my first April, essentially my first month at the school and the first month of the school year, I visited several jazz cafes in Shinjuku. I’d even singled out several favorites, which I immediately began going to on a regular basis while still dressed in my high school cap and uniform. I then began checking out the movie theaters in Shinjuku and looking for patterns in what they played. It was my high school years when I watched that many movies in my life.
“What I learned in Shinjuku fundamentally changed me. The end of the sixties was a period of monumental shifts in music, theater, cinema, literature, academia, and more, and Shinjuku was at the center of it all in Japan.”
Reasons for Participating in This Project
“A friend of mine runs a company that supplies audio systems, one that I personally trust, and he asked me to join this project. I felt that, with them, it would be possible to create a movie theater that offers really high-quality sound. Consequently, I decided to participate as a supervisor. Moreover, I found myself sharing 109CINEMAS’ vision. After all, 109CINEMAS chose individuals whom I know are committed to producing acoustics of the highest level. With this sound system, speakers are set up behind the screen, yet we’ve set out to engineer “crystal-clear sound” that seemingly makes the screen disappear through the use of a high-performance audio system and advanced tuning technology. While we were naturally particular about the speakers, we were also particular about the audio cables, the amp, and other details. I take pride in the fact that we’ve been able to make a movie theater that offers the finest in sound.”
Thoughts on Movie Culture and Film Projectors
“I made a proposal when we were throwing ideas around with the people of 109CINEMAS. I said, ‘With almost no movie theaters still capable of screening films in Japan, now of all times is when I’d like to see the creation of movie theaters capable of screening films.’ To their credit, the 109CINEMAS team took my proposal seriously and immediately procured a 35-mm projector.
This theater complex has a theater that’s capable of screening films, which is essential for continuing the culture of movies on film. It’s a theater that was made by people who exude genuine love of movies.”