Located in the Sundhara district of the capital Kathmandu is QFX Civil Mall, the country's largest shopping area, covering a total of 25,000sq.ft.This houses a new three-screen multiplex cinema, the QFX Cinemas, which are capable of seating up to 939 viewers at any one time. This is Nepal's first truly world-class Cineplex and is one of a trio of cinemas owned by QFX in the city.
QFX is the brand name of Quest Entertainment (QE), which was launched in Nepal a decade ago with the QFX Jai Nepal Cinema. The company is also involved in film distribution and production and as such has a thorough understanding of how important high quality sound is to modern cinema audiences.
Installed by Indian audio company Balaji Sound, the Alcons systems at QFX Civil Mall feature CR2 and CR4 systems, CB362 subwoofers, CCS8 high-power surround speakers, all of which have been specifically designed for the cinema market, and ALC2-ST amplifier-controllers.
"We identified a need for a consistent cinema experience in Nepal," says Bhaskar Dhungana, who along with partners Rajesh Siddhi and Nakim Uddin owns QE and has developed the QFX brand. "We did a lot of planning and research and have built a brand that provides the Nepali market with an experience that everyone can enjoy. Central to that was making sure that we had the right equipment, which we've sourced from around the world.
"Part of that requirement was a top of the range digital sound system and for that we went to Alcons in The Netherlands. Alcons' technology has been extensively used in Japan and Malaysia, but Nepal is the first country in the South Asia region to benefit from it."
"Many of our customers have mentioned that the Alcons systems sound better than those used by our competitors," says Sunita Rana, office executive at Quest Entertainment. "They feel that it sounds more sophisticated and modern, which perfectly complements our aims. We are very happy with the performance of the Alcons loudspeakers."
"I am very pleased that high profile cinema operators in an ever-increasing number of countries are recognising the many advantages that our systems bring," says Alcons Audio co-founder Tom Back. "In providing a superior experience for the audience, they also reflect the quality and aims of the operators, which brings further benefits to the cinema companies."
(Jim Evans)
