I'm about to embark on the dedicated home theater/music room build.

Hi guys,

A while back someone pointed me to Ascend and being in SoCal, the moment I narrowed it down I drove over and picked up Sierra's and have been very pleased.

I'm about to hire an Architect to assist with an upcoming room addition. I'm stuck with 8' ceilings and it will be 21' long and the width is tbd.

This will be a dedicated theater/music room space. I'll prewire for ATMOS (or whatever comes out next, in a 5.2.4 config) and thinking of using RAAL Towers, Sierra Horizon, and Sierra-2's for all surround speakers (haven't decided on the subs just yet.

Has any of you done this?

Being that we haven't broken ground yet it will be quite some time and slow going. I'll keep you updated but also being an audio newb I'll have lots of questions.

First though is in trying to nail down the equipment list. What would you consider as an example of the bare minimum I'd need to drive all of this. I simply have a Yamaha Receiver, OPPO blue ray, Sierra 1's, Xbox One etc. but that's all. I have no experience in higher end equipment. I don't want to spend too much but I also need it to sound good and fill the room. I have never really turned up the volume too much but look forward to retreating to this new space and just taking it all in. I suppose the first question is the budget. I haven't decided yet. This is why I'll start with the minimum list and modify from there.

Back to the speakers, I'm really happy I found Ascend. I posted something similar on AVS Forum but I expect home theater biased replies. My thought is that if I nail the musicality I'm ok wherever that leaves the home theater side of things. So bouncing this off you guys is just what I need.


Drew

I'm building a house right now as well, hopefully my budget holds out and I can get my room together the way I want it. I already have 90% of my equipment and I have to say that I've been incredibly happy with my Emotiva XPA-5 Gen 2 amp. They make incredible stuff. I would highly recommend going with a surround processor. I bought one refurbished from Accessories 4 Less, a Marantz AV7701 that I'm also really happy with, but it is not an Atmos model. The new Atmos models are much more expensive, but you can get the Emotiva XMC-1 for around $3k with the upgrades for Atmos, or one of the Marantz models for around the same. Keep in mind that you can use the analog pre-outs from the Oppo straight to an amp if you don't want Atmos yet.

The XPA or BasX series will do just fine as far as amplification. I'd get an XPA-5 Gen 3 for your fronts and surrounds and then get two BasX stereo amps for the four Atmos speakers, at least that's what I plan on doing.

For the surrounds I would go with the Sierra Satellite speakers that are due to come out some time towards the end of this year (hopefully if the next prototype is up to snuff) instead of the Sierra 2. They are front slot ported instead of rear ported, and they are much smaller. They'll be much easier to use for surround duties.

If you want In-Ceiling speakers you can either mount the Ascend HTM 200 SE in the ceiling as one forum member has done (tknice) or you can get an In-Ceiling speaker from JBL or GoldenEar or some other company. I've heard that matching Atmos speakers to your fronts and surrounds isn't entirely necessary, but I'm certainly going to stay with Ascend when I go that route.

Most of us are using Rythmik subs here since that is what Dave recommends and they are solidly engineered. I have two F12 subs in my setup and they're fantastic. Insanely deep and tight bass. I'd say buy two of whatever version you can afford and fits your tastes. Two of their big ported subs might be the trick for that room. The servo technology really makes sense for subs, I don't get why there aren't more of them out there, probably because the engineering isn't straightforward. It allows for much tighter and deeper bass to my ears, especially when you turn the rumble filter on. It makes every other sub sound terrible to me now.

For cabling I can't recommend Blue Jeans Cable highly enough. Their cables are very reasonably priced and are the highest build quality you can hope to find. They're made in Seattle and come in plain fed ex boxes instead of hundreds of dollars in packaging and marketing materials. Solid engineering to back it all up, just like Dave does with Ascend.

Finally, and most importantly, you need to treat your room with acoustic treatments. Go to GIK Acoustics and fill out their form. They'll recommend what you need and from everything I've read it'll make a drastic difference in your room. It'll likely cost in the $1k to $2k region, but you can do the basics and add on more treatments later. It's important to at least treat the first reflections and any major bass problems you might have. http://www.gikacoustics.com/acoustic-advice-form/

I will throw in a newcomer to the amp market: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=14566

Got a really good write up. No personal experience with it.

I had an opportunity to audition an Atmos setup which used the latest Marantz flagship prepro, 8000-something. Very impressive!

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Originally Posted by Mag_Neato

I will throw in a newcomer to the amp market: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=14566

Got a really good write up. No personal experience with it.

I had an opportunity to audition an Atmos setup which used the latest Marantz flagship prepro, 8000-something. Very impressive!

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I have heard that this amp is a clone of another design by ATI, which is apparently a very well respected design. I've only heard incredible things about it so far. Looks like a great option. I went with balanced connections to my amp, because I could, and I really love how the connections are so solid. I've had so many problems with bad RCA cables and connections and noise I just didn't want to deal with it anymore, and now if I'm paying that much for an amp I almost expect it to come with balanced connections. I know, I'm weird. Still, looks like a fantastic amp.

I very badly want to pick up either one of the new Marantz 8000 series processors or an Emotiva XPA-1. They're both extremely impressive. One day I'll have the space and the money...

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Originally Posted by Mag_Neato

I will throw in a newcomer to the amp market: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?p_id=14566

Got a really good write up. No personal experience with it.

I had an opportunity to audition an Atmos setup which used the latest Marantz flagship prepro, 8000-something. Very impressive!

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I think this is a solid choice.

I use an ATI amp...an older 1505. Bullet proof.

Almost pulled the trigger on this last week when Monoprice had one day 20% off sale on all Monoprice branded products.

Emotiva has created a network of dealers recently, one of them being in Gardena, CA.
Reference Audio Video
Gardena, CA 90248
Phone: 310.517.1700
Email: ken@reference-av.com
Website: www.referenceaudiovideo.com

You could audition the XPA amp without having to buy one, however, having it drive your system in your space is best to evaluate it.

The Monoprice(ATI clone) is a beefy MoFo @ 93lbs. with those two big toroidal transformers. The Emotiva is a "new" technology with less weight/heat. One advantage of the Emotiva is that if you only need 5 channels then you would only purchase the 5 channel configuration with the ability to add additional amp channel modules as your needs grow.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mag_Neato

Emotiva has created a network of dealers recently, one of them being in Gardena, CA.
Reference Audio Video
Gardena, CA 90248
Phone: 310.517.1700
Email: ken@reference-av.com
Website: www.referenceaudiovideo.com

You could audition the XPA amp without having to buy one, however, having it drive your system in your space is best to evaluate it.

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That place looks shady. No real storefront. Address is a residential area.

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Originally Posted by curtis

That place looks shady. No real storefront. Address is a residential area.

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And all of the images on the whole site are broken. Does not usually make me confident in a business.

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Originally Posted by sludgeogre

And all of the images on the whole site are broken. Does not usually make me confident in a business.

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Makes you wonder if Emotiva vetted them out first.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sludgeogre

And all of the images on the whole site are broken. Does not usually make me confident in a business.

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Hmm, interesting. Does not give one warm and fuzzy feelings.

Thank you for your replies. I had mentioned this will be a long road but grasping just how long is becoming more of a reality. I haven't yet spent hours/days demoing or reading up on the subject. I currently have a simple space and my first thought before jumping online was only to run conduit to each speaker location and to use better drywall and insolation to keep the higher volumes in check.

I am ok with the 10k in will need on speakers but I wasn't prepared for the expense of the amps. There was a time for all of you when your systems were this modest. At what point did you decide to make the jump to dedicated amps? I'm curious if you can quantify the difference. Then you have later upgraded your speakers (my guess is you did this first) then something drove you to upgrade your amps. Is there an AVR that could do the trick alone?

Once the equipment list is nailed down it's back to room design. Thanks, all.

I was looking at Emotiva's site and what are your thoughts of the XPA Gen 3 5 or 7ch?

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Originally Posted by Drew888

I was looking at Emotiva's site and what are your thoughts of the XPA Gen 3 5 or 7ch?

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It's a beast of an amp, it'll drive anything you throw at it. I love my Gen 2 and the Gen 3 has been reported to sound even better. If you have the cash I say go for it. Pair it with an Oppo BDP-105 or a Marantz processor or an Outlaw or even an Emotiva XMC-1, though they are pricey.

Sludgeogre mentions room treatment, which is very important. Before breaking ground, you may want to do some research regarding room design.

Spend some time here: http://www.johnlsayers.com/phpBB2/index.php
And here: http://forum.studiotips.com/index.ph...71d2421f23889c
Rod Gervais is a known expert and I would recommend his book : https://www.amazon.com/Home-Recordin...+like+the+pros

Now all this stuff is oriented toward recording studios, but much / most of the principles apply to any space where you will do critical listening (audio or video).

I did all this research, then worked with my contractor to convert a 3rd car garage (also 8 foot ceilings) originally for recording. As I don't do as much recording anymore, it has transitioned to my listening space and would work well as a home theater.

Thanks for the info. I had an architect come by last Saturday and my simple room addition now has a California room above it with a French door to it from the master and a spiral staircase down to the back yard and covered hot tub. Hmmm... is this normal, lol.

Anyway, he says it's three months to get all the engineering drawings done and past the city. I have time to read up. I have a feeling it will be a simple/standard family room with just better insulation/drywall with some acoustic treatments.

Before I pay this guy I'd like to draw up a simple plan for your review so searching for free software to do a basic layout. I have to install one side window and in the rear will need to be glass sliders to the backyard patio. I need an equipment space and only have the end behind the screen or the outside wall (if facing the screen it's the left wall) can be 3ft thick (or more) to house all of it and then some.

Drew

P.S. Oh and curious, is it reasonable to have all speakers be Sierra 2's?

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Originally Posted by Jaybeez

Now all this stuff is oriented toward recording studios, but much / most of the principles apply to any space where you will do critical listening (audio or video).

I did all this research, then worked with my contractor to convert a 3rd car garage (also 8 foot ceilings) originally for recording. As I don't do as much recording anymore, it has transitioned to my listening space and would work well as a home theater.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Drew888

P.S. Oh and curious, is it reasonable to have all speakers be Sierra 2's?

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Yes, that is completely reasonable for what it sounds like what the room size is going to be. The only thing you might want to consider is going with a Horizon center, as it really pumps out perfectly focused voices and the deep bass capability makes it so that deep and throaty voices sound incredibly realistic. I haven't heard the S2 center, but man, I really love my Horizon.

Hey there guys,

So the Architect has provided as builts (sp). I am providing links to 5 drawings. 1) Existing, 2) Existing cleaned up for use as a template, 3) The architects first sketch idea, and the last two is what I put together trying to figure out what to do.

This is a tough one. I like the flow I have now quite a bit but I don't have a downstairs guest room and would like one. in the Ex. Family space I have the 67" TV on the far right wall and I can be cooking in the kitchen and watch as it's all wide open. If I create a new guest room I'll build in a media niche to house a TV.
From the Ex. Nook you'll go through a door to the new addition. From here I would love your ideas of how you might go about building it out. With the template pic it can easily be printed out to draw on. The focus is on not only great sound but enough room for me in a central chair (or center seat) and my daughter and a bunch of her friends in chairs/couch/beanbags. Do I want the door and slider to the backyard on the side or rear of the space? I have a convenient A/V space next to the new closet but it's only 2' deep. Will that be enough? Can you see it moved somewhere else? Lastly I'd love ATMOS but only using Ascend and an 8' ceiling I'll bounce it but without dedicated ATMOS speakers.

If you enjoy the design phase I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks!

Drew

1st Architect sketch

Existing

Template

Option 2

Option 3

Ok, so I just heard from the Architect and the below is the current downstairs plan.

The New Media rm/Theater is just that, all new. I've converted the existing HT space (open great room-67" TV seen from the kitchen) into a needed downstairs guest rm. I'll be building in a media niche to cover TV watching duty from the kitchen/nook area.

Any comments on the size or TV placement? I've struggled with dimensions and on which wall the TV should be on and considered that we still have to go through the space to get to the backyard patio. It seemed the only way to do it. I also took into consideration speaker placement and 7.1 should work out just fine. There is speaker mounting space between the windows and just behind the couch/entry door for the rears.

There should be enough room in the a/v equipment closet and I hope a 2' depth will be ok.

I decided on a multi-purpose room just to give me options with the space and more options if I ever decided to sell.

Most important is your feedback. Would you do anything different? Is there anything I don't seem to have considered?

Once I give the OK, the engineering drawings are next then they'll take them to the city for permits.

Thanks,

Drew

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...psg2r3er7j.jpg

Hey Drew, I think the new media room looks pretty good. For that size room, I'd go with a 75" TV from Samsung or Sony. LG OLEDs are may favorite, but you'd be looking at $$$$$ for that size. Run HDMI to the TV along with a couple of CAT6 for future proofing.

The AV closet is a bit small, but it should be OK as long as your have some sort of cooling implemented. Active AC would be best, but if that's not possible, at least put an exhaust fan in there. Make sure your electrical outlet in the AV closet is a dedicated circuit.

I would pre-wire for atmos (even if you're not doing atmos right now) and a subwoofer in each corner of the room. I would go with at least 2 subwoofers, but with the way the room is setup, you could easily do 4.

And one last thing, what are your acoustic treatments like? Carpet? Rug? Anything on the walls? At minimum, you should put in a few treatments from someone like GIK Acoustics.

I appreciate the input. Quality of picture is extremely important so I was leaning TV over projector (there is a difference however close). So many go projector I was having my doubts. The only dimension that can still change is the 21' outside wall. I can make the room wider. I've considered that it may give guests more room to maneuver but I believe the acoustics would be better as is.
On the subject of the A/V closet, this is my first go-around with this and don't really know how much room I'll need. I was going to research racks prior to signing off on the drawing. I could move out the wall but only the section behind the closet by a foot maybe. Hmmm, would I then compensate and move the back wall out accordingly?

I've read that with 8'ceilings bouncing off the roof is best but using Ascend speakers I was going to forgo it. I can easily prewire and build boxes just in case, easy enough to do, exact placement...more to read up on.

Being a multipurpose room I was only going to use Roxul AFB, green glue, hang the drywall (still searching-Resilient channels or the like), and still looking at drywall types or maybe doubling up. The room will be carpeted and I'm expecting bass traps. I don't yet know what to do for the interior walls. I'll have windows on the one side and rear. I'll have to look into a heavy curtain that I may run the full length on both sides. Ceiling is also something I'm not sure what to do with.

Lots of reading still. Finding the time to do it is the thing.

Imagine if you moved into the space as is. What would you do?

Considering the size and config of your AV closet, I would recommend a rack that can slide out on rails, such as the AXS series from Middle Atlantic. This will make it a lot easier for yourself or anyone else to pull out the rack and work on it, especially with carpet.

http://www.middleatlantic.com/produc...ck/axs-25.aspx

TV is a good way to go since this is a multipurpose room. PJ is great but only if you watch at night or if you have some way to block out all of the light.

You're probably going to have first reflections right by the front left window and the AV closet door. That will negatively affect your sound quality, unless you're willing to put some acoustic treatments in front of them.

I'm not a huge advocate of Atmos, but it's a lot easier and cheaper to run wires pre-construction, than after.