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

  1. #11
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    Aug 2013
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    Default Re: I'm about to embark on the dedicated home theater/music room build.

    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.
    Last edited by Drew888; 09-18-2016 at 10:19 AM.

  2. #12
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    Default Re: I'm about to embark on the dedicated home theater/music room build.

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

  3. #13
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    Feb 2016
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    Default Re: I'm about to embark on the dedicated home theater/music room build.

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew888 View Post
    I was looking at Emotiva's site and what are your thoughts of the XPA Gen 3 5 or 7ch?
    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.
    -Alex
    PS4/Nvidia Shield --> Emotiva XMC-1 --> Emotiva XPA-5 --> Ascend Acoustics Sierra Towers and Horizon Center w/ RAAL tweeters (L/C/R), HTM-200 SE (Surrounds), 2x Rythmik F12 subwoofers

  4. #14
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    Default Re: I'm about to embark on the dedicated home theater/music room build.

    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.

  5. #15
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    Default Re: I'm about to embark on the dedicated home theater/music room build.

    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?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jaybeez View Post
    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.

  6. #16
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    Feb 2016
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    Default Re: I'm about to embark on the dedicated home theater/music room build.

    Quote Originally Posted by Drew888 View Post
    P.S. Oh and curious, is it reasonable to have all speakers be Sierra 2's?
    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.
    -Alex
    PS4/Nvidia Shield --> Emotiva XMC-1 --> Emotiva XPA-5 --> Ascend Acoustics Sierra Towers and Horizon Center w/ RAAL tweeters (L/C/R), HTM-200 SE (Surrounds), 2x Rythmik F12 subwoofers

  7. #17
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    Aug 2013
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    Default Re: I'm about to embark on the dedicated home theater/music room build.

    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

  8. #18
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    Aug 2013
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    Default Re: I'm about to embark on the dedicated home theater/music room build.

    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


  9. #19
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    Dec 2013
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    360

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

    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.

  10. #20
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    Aug 2013
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    Default Re: I'm about to embark on the dedicated home theater/music room build.

    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.

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