Help me with my home theater build

[Worthington]

Finally getting around to finishing my open air basement, and of course it needs to be a theater room. Just looking for some input and/or suggestions on how to handle it. More-so on the actual build out and not so much on the audio equipment (although I'll definitely take suggestions there as well) I want to leave the back 10' or so open for some other stuff (game table and squat rack) but pretty much the rest of the room is free to do what I want with.

Right now it's just dry-walled (not taped or mudded though so it can come down easy enough). It's a pretty straight forward 20x30 rectangular room. No center supports or walls. I'll attach a pic here so you can get a better idea. Originally I wanted a 4k projector but seeing how the prices of them are still way up there thinking maybe a decent 1080p projecter which I'll upgrade in a few years ($15k on a 4k/HDR projector is a little more than I want to spend). Pair that with a 120" screen or there abouts.

For the audio, I'm shooting for a 7.1.4 build if that makes sense? Does framing the screen out and putting the L/C/R speakers behind it make that much of a difference? I can do so if it's worth it, but I was just going to put the front speakers to the side of the screen (at 120" there should be room). There is a window on one wall right about where an ear level side surround speaker would go. Not sure how much that effects things? Then maybe a nice couch up front, then a slightly raised platform with 3 or 4 chairs. I'd like to have the floor some sort of non-carpet (engineered hardwood or something) but I'll throw down a large area rug for the screen/seating area.

I have Polk speakers all throughout my living room set up, but thinking about trying some Klipsch atmos reference speakers for the theater just for a change.

Seem to make sense? I'm i missing anything obvious (yeah, probably. lol).

Edit.. ceiling is 10'. Should have mentioned that.

http://imgur.com/DbQPXYq

 

[Worthington]

Couldn't get the floor plan to embed so added a link

 

[Anubis]

if you have the ability and space to do it doing an acoustically transparent screen with the speakers behind it is better. just build a false wall 2-3 feet out from the actual wall and hang the screen there - it needes to be removable so the LCR + subs can fit behind it and be gotten to if needed. AT screens do generally cost more however

give you the ability to run towers for a center and not a horiz center, also gets the center and the LR at the same level as you don't need to put it under or above the screen - results in a better sound stage

 

[mdram]

4k hdr projectors are under 13k, actually under 3k

here is one thread

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/68-di...ficial-epson-5040ub-6040ub-owners-thread.html

 

[giantpandaman2]

I'd say that a 7.2 build would be better for the money. Atmos generates a lot of buzz...but in reality it's barely used for most movies. How many scenes have things going on overhead? Getting 2 subs is worth it since it will even out the bass in the room and subs will be running a lot more often than the extra overhead speakers. If money is no object...I guess there's nothing wrong with going 7.2.4. just know you're spending an extra say $800 dollars for in ceiling speakers and the power to run them...for speakers that are on maybe 5% of the time during a typical movie.

I'm not a big fan of Klipsch. At any given price point I've always found a speaker that just flat sounds better than a Klipsch. There are just much better values out there. The Aperion Verus II's, ELAC Uni-Fi series, Golden-Ear's...

The projector linked by mdram isn't true 4k. It's using pixel shifting which gives half the resolution of 4k. It will look good, but not as good as the Sony true 4K projectors. The OP was correct. Still, if I was in the market for a projector at the moment, I'd give the new Epsons a good hard look.

You didn't mention amplification. I'm guessing you're getting separates? Or at least getting a receiver + amp for the LCR?

 

[Worthington]

Thanks Anubis, that's what I had been reading (building out a small false wall). Not sure how it'll effect seating in relation to where i can mound the sides and highs but if possible I'll go that route.

@mdram, I looked at those Epsons but they aren't truly 4k. They use some sort of proprietary pixel shifting to simulate 4k. From what I've read (not seen in person yet) it works but compared to a native 4k projector the difference is noticeable.

 

[Worthington]

Thanks for the feedback Giant, yeah i was planning on just going with an amp for the LCR and let the reciever feed the sides and highs. As for Atmos, i figured with the expense of all new gear and building out the room itself I'm not going to feel the extra $1k that decent in ceiling speakers would set me back (maybe RSLs instead of the Klipsch).

 

[giantpandaman2]

Sounds like you got a good plan. I'd make sure to get everything prewired. I'd say put in conduit for the projector run since then you can run new wires later should you have to put a new HDMI cable or what not. In general, I'd put surrounds above ear height. Sound will carry over seats and furniture then. (Go to any theater and all the surround speakers are above the audience.)

I'm not sure how crazy you plan on going with the power to run this...but you might thinking about getting a dedicated circuit put in for the amps and what not.

 

[Worthington]

Funny you mention the conduit. When I originally bought the house (new construction) I had an electrician come in and install some lights down there, and an outdoor light with a switch in the basement. While he was in there, before the dry wall was even up I had him run a conduit to the center of the ceiling and drop a few outlets spaced long the ceiling as well. So good on that front.

 

[Exterous]

How much do you care about sound going upstairs? There are some things you can do to greatly minimize sound transmission but it would be a lot of work (taking down drywall, modifying the wall frames etc). A solid core door with weather stripping can make a decent difference if you notice a lot of noise coming from the basement doorway

Are you planning for any acoustical treatments? If not you might want to look into wall panels or corner super chunks esp if you are wanting solid surface flooring

I'd say that a 7.2 build would be better for the money. Atmos generates a lot of buzz...but in reality it's barely used for most movies. How many scenes have things going on overhead? Getting 2 subs is worth it since it will even out the bass in the room and subs will be running a lot more often than the extra overhead speakers. If money is no object...I guess there's nothing wrong with going 7.2.4. just know you're spending an extra say $800 dollars for in ceiling speakers and the power to run them...for speakers that are on maybe 5% of the time during a typical movie.

I'd lean slightly towards the other side depending on overall budget. If hes doing construction now it seems like it would be the better time to do atmos rather than down the road. It would be easier to add a second sub than to add atmos.

 

[WhiteNoise]

4k hdr projectors are under 13k, actually under 3k

here is one thread

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/68-di...ficial-epson-5040ub-6040ub-owners-thread.html

Not a true 4K projector though but will allow the playing of 4K blurays and streaming. That projector is 1080p native with 4k enhancements.
A true 4k projector is sooo much more money. I wish they would release some cheaper models already.

 

[Worthington]

How much do you care about sound going upstairs? There are some things you can do to greatly minimize sound transmission but it would be a lot of work (taking down drywall, modifying the wall frames etc). A solid core door with weather stripping can make a decent difference if you notice a lot of noise coming from the basement doorway

Are you planning for any acoustical treatments? If not you might want to look into wall panels or corner super chunks esp if you are wanting solid surface flooring

I was planning on adding some wall panels, and maybe some on the ceilings (not inside, just attached).

 

[Worthington]

Appreciate all the the input. This will be my first dedicated theater room, as opposed to a TV/surround set up in a living room.

 

[Exterous]

I was planning on adding some wall panels, and maybe some on the ceilings (not inside, just attached).

Try and put those at your 1st and 2nd reflection points. Also I'd consider some bass traps in the corner. Bass really likes to build up in the corners so treatments there really tends to even out the response in the room and, overall, elevate the level of bass without needing to feed the sub more power

 

[Worthington]

I hadn't thought of that, I'll definitely look into them.

 

[giantpandaman2]

On room treatments, I'd start with this video. Not against them at all, but don't go overboard! I'd also suggest watching their other videos on common mistakes, etc.

 

[Exterous]

On room treatments, I'd start with this video. Not against them at all, but don't go overboard! I'd also suggest watching their other videos on common mistakes, etc.

For some clarity - the 'first reflection point' I was referring to is the point at which a wall reflection reaches the listener's ear after the direct sound. Sound reaching the listener before hand will likely be interpreted as increasing the sound state although that may not matter depending on the addition of ambient information already added to the audio by the sound engineer. Its been a while since I've read much on the subject but I believe one of the considerations for Tool's book (used in that video) is that it assumes 1 listening point in an ideal position in a room with parallel walls. Thus the time it takes the sound to reach each ear is the same. In a home theater room you will likely have multiple listening positions with different distances between each wall and\or have a lack of parallel walls. With that in mind treating reflection points lower than 50ms in delay is often recommended although there is a fair bit of debate on the subject.

The good news is that folding up some towels and taping them to the wall with painter's tape is a relatively decent way to determine if you see a benefit. This would allow you to put up quite a few 'panels' (assuming you have enough towels) and move them around without too much effort.

One last thing to consider - the video uses 'expensive' when referring to bass traps, which can be true. However, I was able to make mine on my own for less than a second subwoofer would have cost me. I can't seem to locate the measurements atm but there was a noticeable improvement in the peaks\nulls from the low frequencies.

 

[Worthington]

I'll probably wait till after the new year to get a contractor in here to take a look but once it's all finished I'll post some before and after pics.

 

[soulcougher73]

I like the false wall idea to put all your equipment behind it. AVR, speakers etc and use a transparent screen. Would look clean and let you hide all the ugly wires from all the equipment etc. Id go 7.2 if it were me with a blank canvas as you have.

 

[Kini1000]

Wire it for 7.2.4. There may not be a lot of Atmos or DTS-X movies right now but any movie can take advantage of Dolby Surround Up mix which "creates" the overhead sounds. From what I've read the results are pretty good.

Since the room is considered "extreme" in volume get the biggest ported subs you can. Something like the JTR Cap 1400 or HT218, PSA V3600 or the like. Wire for 4 sub locations.

Since you can do an AT screen get some high efficiency, high output designs like JTR, PSA, JBL pro, or Klipsch THX.

 

[purbeast0]

Few things that I learned prior to setting up my HT.

1. Plan EVERYTHING out. Use photoshop or a tool to actually plan it out with accurate measurements. Plan exactly where you will have faceplates in the wall, where the seats will be where the projector will be mounted, how the wiring will run through the walls, everything. Then measure it again. And again. And double check it again and again.

2. If you have the space/time/skils, go for false walls. I didn't really have room for it nor the skills to set it all up, but if I did I probably would have done it. It looks cooler for sure and you can get the best sound stage because you have 3 matching LCR speakers all in the upright position.

3. Wherever your AV closet is going to be, make sure you have a ventilation plan. I did not realize how hot mine would get and it had no ventilation. I just keep the door ajar when watching movies or using the HT and it seems to be just fine. My amp for my subs is pretty loud but it isn't noticeable when watching movies really because of all the sound going on.

4. Take your time on your equipment. I nearly rushed in after a month of research but decided to take some more time researching the more non-brand name equipment. I had heard a full Klipsch setup (RF7-II), full B&M setup, and a few others. I almost rushed in and got the B&M but then took a step back. Long story short I ended up buying speakers I had never heard in person due to people's feedback, including the guy who had the Klipsch setup that let me in his house to demo. Even he said if he could do it all over again, he would have gone with the JTR speakers that I ended up getting. Which leads me into #5...

5. You will probably go over your budget. And that's okay. Just remember how much use and enjoyment you will get out of it. If you have to, just piece it together as you go, but don't slouch on equipment if you can truly afford it. I was SUPER SUPER happy with the results I got with the JTR over the Klipsch/B&M that I nearly purchased, even if it cost me a few thousand more. In the end it is worth it and my HT sounds better than most movie theaters I have ever been to.

6. Things will rattle that you didn't expect. Light fixtures, wall panels, basically anything. If you are doing this before finishing up the room, if there are pipes or things behind the walls you think may rattle, try to handle it before putting the walls up. I don't have stuff rattling in walls but my damn electrical panel handle thing will rattle and it is annoying. I had some rubber stuff around it but it's not working anymore. Some of my can lights rattled too and I ended up taking 1 of them out since it wasn't of use anyways.