Setting Up Home Theater / Listening Room
- Thread starter ubertrout
- Start date
Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:
What is a gate and gate controller?
Since its next to three cameras, presumably outside, I'm thinking the gate is like:
Homer must have some swank digs!
I live in a typical mid-west split level house, which actually has 4 levels. My Bassment Theater is well, in the basement. Go through the garage, down 5 steps & you enter the 'tronic work shop & utility side. The good stuff is around the corner. But what I'm getting at is I'm just barely seperated from the HVAC stuff by a thin wall & also a slightly noisy full size refrigerator. I've fallen into a habit a friend of mine had: get the house really warm or cool as appropriate & coast a bit with everything off & enjoy the music. I can usually watch Netflix or a movie with out being bothered by it but I like it quit for my music. I also have a Panasonic projector that I usually use on eco-mode that really lowers the fan noise. And ever since I discovered the Oppo phone app (thanks QQ!) I can navigate menus, etc & not use the projector. We all find ways to cope.Just something to consider; I've got one of those split units with the condenser outside (not a problem), but it's the attic blower that's the issue. Of course if you're blasting some high energy Metal music, may not be an issue, but I know you're a very eclectic listener
Great strategy SW for this problem, get a temperature buffer level going and surf that -
Surround wave
surroundwave
I have been playing this morning, went as far as I could go, will revisit in a couple weeks when electrical goes in but for now I put together some rough dimensions to see if I like layout that is in my brain.
This is two seat power recliner, square box is rear right sub, right and left diagonal lines are right and left rear floor standing surrounds, ceiling X marks are rear height ceiling speakers.
Front height ceiling speakers X, front left sub, front L & R towers and AV rack.
AV Rack with Center channel on top and 75" TV. My head will be 9' back from TV. My head in my current situation is 12' back and I have a 65". Calculators say at 9' back I should use 85" for 4K TV, it just seems ridiculously too big. The AV rack is 80" wide by 26.5 tall I want to have for bays instead of 3 which puts the center too tall. I really want to equal out the height in the LCR configuration.
Something like this, see below.
Dimension wise I like this. Be nice to get the center up a little higher. (Note: this is not mine, just an internet picture)
This is two seat power recliner, square box is rear right sub, right and left diagonal lines are right and left rear floor standing surrounds, ceiling X marks are rear height ceiling speakers.
Front height ceiling speakers X, front left sub, front L & R towers and AV rack.
AV Rack with Center channel on top and 75" TV. My head will be 9' back from TV. My head in my current situation is 12' back and I have a 65". Calculators say at 9' back I should use 85" for 4K TV, it just seems ridiculously too big. The AV rack is 80" wide by 26.5 tall I want to have for bays instead of 3 which puts the center too tall. I really want to equal out the height in the LCR configuration.
Something like this, see below.
Dimension wise I like this. Be nice to get the center up a little higher. (Note: this is not mine, just an internet picture)
Your research & planning is amazing. Measure twice, cut once, etc. I'm certainly going to keep watching thread, very interested to see how your & ubertrout projects shape up.
RE: viewing distance. When I sit in the quad sweet spot that puts me about 9' back from an 8' screen. Probably a little closer then most guides would recommend. But I very much prefer the effect of having to just slighlty scan the image to get a full view. Haha makes my screen seem bigger. And right in between the rear ch speakers is a Futon couch which is better for more causal viewing.
RE: power recliners. When I look at most pics of high quality HT installs I am usualy appaled at the type of seating. They are often comfy but huge seats that seem more appropriate for sleeping in than enjoying music & movies. The ones with the high backs block the sound from rear speakers so you might as well be listening to stereo, pffft. Tell me this isn't you.
It‘s just a single wooden gate at the tall front fence. Electronically controlled from a wall mounted screen inside (looks like an iPad). I get to see and/or talk to whoever rings the gate buzzer, and can unlock the gate from screen. Pretty basic system.
Its a nice place but not swank. I’m about to renovate the two bathroom and laundry. That’ll keep me busy fo a while. I plan to do the demolition and floor tiling and a bit of carpentry (a wall being moved and removing studs to install concealed cisterns). After that the place is complete (and maybe a little closer to swank).
Oh, shoot. I thought it was fancy computer talk, you literally mean a gate,
This is the one and I know exactly what you mean, it is a low one and reclined even lower. I researched many and I steered away from real tall backs, power headrests etc. I think it will be OK. My ceiling heights will certainly not be a problem I may need to play with the surrounds a few inches here or there.
In my current listening room, the rear left points directly at the back of the back rest of the couch, on big surround doesn't really matter but lesser surround I actually remove the backrest foam cushion, just throw on floor in front of me for increased sound, so very aware of what your talking about.
Here is the Dynamo Link
Hey Mark. Just my opinion, feel free to ignore.
Those ceiling speakers should come in from the side walls just a bit and moved closer to the seating position a bit too (front and rears still equal distance from seating position). Check the Atmos layout guides on Dolby’s website for their 5.1.4 layout.
Those ceiling speakers should come in from the side walls just a bit and moved closer to the seating position a bit too (front and rears still equal distance from seating position). Check the Atmos layout guides on Dolby’s website for their 5.1.4 layout.
Last edited:
Agreed. But you want comfortable seating. Maybe a compromise in a dedicated room is to raise the rears up, either on a small plinth for floor standers) or mount the rears on a side wall a little higher than ear height?
Yeah, that is the playing/measuring before cutting thing. They are 24" centered from wall right now. What is my real intention is to get actual seat in room and remeasure and cut then remove seat to finish room. The Dolby picture shows the fronts and two heights lined up equal in a row so I kind of guessed where the fronts would go, 24" out centered from wall.
I also felt I have more room to bring the front ceilings a little closer to the listening position.
I think I am pretty good with ceiling joists but as you know, perfect can have a joist in the way.
But thanks for input as it did make me take a note on what you said.
I used these for my ceiling speakers. Tool-less installation and the tweeters can be rotated and tilted toward the listening position (high frequencies are directional, they don’t spread like lows):
https://www.focal.com/us/custom-commercial-integration/300-series/300-icw-8
https://www.focal.com/us/custom-commercial-integration/300-series/300-icw-8
I stayed with B&W and got the CCM7.5S2 I went back and forth with many, trust me. I kept going with the movable tweeters and then I ended up with these not movable but angled woofer and tweeter, this will be something to not take lightly and really get a solid measurement as you don't want to overshoot the listening position, but I have tons of confidence.
https://www.bowerswilkins.com/sites/default/files/2019-08/CCM7.5 S2 Information Sheet.pdfhttps://www.bowerswilkins.com/custom-installation/in-ceiling-speakers
All this stuff is too expensive. Adds up fast.
For sure. I bought 3 pair. Two for my media room (7.1.4) and one for my living area 5.1.
I got one pair as ex demo and another new pair I got a great discount from a car audio place that sold Focal car audio gear that was cheaper than ex-demo pair from a HiFi dealer. That Crutchfield price converted to AU $ is nearly double what I paid. I got them for under AUD500 ea inc tax. (around 300USD)
Tell me your thoughts on two subs. I currently have the REL S5, no issues, but my idea of adding a rear right was based on the idea that two subs opposite of each other take out the null that unfortunately usually hits the middle of room where most people sit, that said the sub frequencies can carry on for many feet. When you are outside of a concert what do you hear mostly, the thump of the low frequencies.
I know you Garry and you are very insightful so you must have a very good reason for one sub.
You’d probably be Ok with a single sub as the room is relatively small and will be fully enclosed. But an extra sub is nice.
Ideally, you’d need to be flexible in 2nd location to get the best performance from a dual setup, concealed wiring might be an issue since you won’t know the best location until post room completion with furniture etc.
If you don’t plan to reuse your existing sub, maybe buying a single high performance sub would be better than two smaller subs?
An option is to pre-wire for the 2nd sub but don’t buy until you’ve listened to your completed room with one sub.
BTW: The B&W DB1 I have has two 12” speakers, front and back firing, kinda of a 2 in 1 unit. I bought one for my previous house where my system was in a huge open living area (nearly 7m x 13m) which lacked umph after my previous much smaller room. I was planning to sell my previous B&W sub but got no offers. Hence me now having 2 subs (The room shakes and I feel the bass).
Ideally, you’d need to be flexible in 2nd location to get the best performance from a dual setup, concealed wiring might be an issue since you won’t know the best location until post room completion with furniture etc.
If you don’t plan to reuse your existing sub, maybe buying a single high performance sub would be better than two smaller subs?
An option is to pre-wire for the 2nd sub but don’t buy until you’ve listened to your completed room with one sub.
BTW: The B&W DB1 I have has two 12” speakers, front and back firing, kinda of a 2 in 1 unit. I bought one for my previous house where my system was in a huge open living area (nearly 7m x 13m) which lacked umph after my previous much smaller room. I was planning to sell my previous B&W sub but got no offers. Hence me now having 2 subs (The room shakes and I feel the bass).
Yes, I understand. I have considered a lot of pre wiring and decided only with the ceiling. Everything now in my living room is pre wired , super clean and functional but not movable.
I figured my fronts, center, two subs and two rears are all going to be shown wiring. This will allow me to experiment in the future. I will be like one of those crazy guys on You Tube that has wires all over the place, just kidding, hopefully not.
I have a switch in my audio gear rack for my Blu-ray, my Roku, and my pre-pro that is fed directly from my router. I have another switch for my computers in another room. My setup works well for me.
Similar threads
