# CinciJeff's Basement Home Theater



## CinciJeff (Dec 15, 2011)

*Hi!*

I've been planning and working on my finished basement for over a year now, simultaneously framing, wiring, reading the HT forums, and designing the theater. I bet I've read over 5,000 posts covering 20 or so phenomenal home theater builds. Like many of you, I'm approaching Information Overload!

Though I've got a fairly good idea of what I need to do in the theater, there are a lot of unanswered questions and topics needing clarification. I'm hoping to tap into this great knowledge base to provide some much needed direction.


*About Me*
I'm a mechanical engineer and the father of two young boys. My wife and I both work, so family time at home is minimal (making that time all the more valuable). As my kids are now in grade school, we figured this was the right time to finish the basement. It will give them a place to hang out, a space for us to entertain, and of course, a place for us to watch movies together (or by ourselves, as the case may be). I did all the design work and framing, and hired out the electrical and drywall installation. As of today, the drywall is a day away from sanding, so by the time we're back from our Christmas travels I should have a nice blank slate on which to start painting and trimming.


*The Theater*
The heart of it all, at least for me, is the home theater. I've been dreaming of building one for years, so it's very exciting to be at this point. I thought I'd start by listing some design goals. Hopefully this will help steer the discussion(s) further on down the line:

*Maximize acoustic quality for non-audiophiles*. What I mean here is that I want excellent sound quality, but I don't want to make that exponential leap in equipment and $$ to achieve incremental improvements that only "audiophiles" (whatever those are ) can discern. Here's a chart (yeah, I'm that much of a nerd) of where I want to be:







*Prioritize function over "fancy".* There are some incredibly elaborate and detailed works of craftsmanship out there, from accurate theater marquees to intricate woodwork and trim. As much as I appreciate looking at these and reading about the techniques, features like these are a low priority for me. For me, my quality time will be spent with the lights down and a movie on the screen. Honestly I don't expect to be seeing much of the inside of my theater! I will be hearing and seeing though, so I'm aiming to maximize audio and video fidelity before I add a lot of decorative features to the room.
*Front row seating gets priority*. I expect to be watching movies alone or with my wife more that 50% of the time, so if I'm sitting in the front row, I want to optimize the audio and video for that seating location. When the kids sit in the back, I'm sure they'll be more than happy.

*The Details*
Here is a description of the room and the equipment I've already purchased. These are elements I'm unlikely to change.

Finished Room Dimensions: 19' 3.5" Long, 14' 4.25" Wide, 8' 4.5" High
Room has the full "Soundproofing Company" treatment: D5/8D+GG, decoupled walls & ceiling, R19 in ceiling and R13 in walls.
Currently the only cutouts in the room are the framed 36" doorway (for a solid-core door) and a framed-in space for equipment access (smoked glass door, fully-insulated behind). I plan to run all wiring within the soffits and columns to avoid breaching my "sound-proof box".
I purchased my speakers earlier this year from Hsu Research. I'm using 6 HB-1 bookshelf speakers, one HC-1 center channel, and two VTF2 subwoofers.
My receiver is a Onkyo TX-NR3008. I plan to use it to drive all the speakers and upgrade to discreet amplifiers if the performance is not adequate.
My projector is a JVC D-ILA HD250. I wanted a great 2D-only PJ and so far I've been more than satisfied with its performance (projecting onto a white sheet no less!)

*The Plan*
I've used several different software packages to model my basement and theater, the latest being SolidWorks which will allow me to control and adjust dimensions more easily. I've attached a PDF file that shows the majority of the design as it stands now, and I'm also embedding individual views as I describe them. _This design is by no means complete or in any way finalized_, so everything except for the above-listed items is negotiable.


*The top view* is the best place to start:








This layout is based on my requirements combined with all the other theater builds I've followed on the forums. The two elements of acoustic treatments (corner traps and front wall covering) are based on recommendations I got from Bryan Pape several months ago, but aside from those I've not included any additional treatments (yet!). Speaker and seating placement is based on various calculators, spreadsheets and rules of thumb. I'm pretty confident that they're at a good starting point.


*Front wall view:*








Pretty straight-forward. You can see the framing for the screen wall (framing method is still up for grabs) and the vertical locations of the front speakers. I expect to be moving the subs left and right to optimize their performance when the time comes. Screen size is about the biggest I can fit in the room, and will be CIH 2.35:1 with masking (eventually automated).


*Side view:*








Here you can see some details around the soffits, projector placement, and seating arrangement. Two seating rows is a near certainty, but the types of chairs and their final arrangement is still open. For the ceiling, I plan on some sort of rope light uplighting.

*Note*: All lighting, wiring and ventilation is to be mounted in the soffits. I don't have much width to work with, so I won't be using sconces. I also wanted to minimize the number of holes I poked in my expensive DD+GG box!


*The Questions*
Oh boy do I have questions. Thing is, this is already a long post and I'm worried people won't even make it this far. Pretty much all of my questions relate to acoustics. For example, I can find a dozen ways to build a riser, but I need to find the one that will best compliment MY acoustic requirements. Here are some areas I need help with:


Acoustic treatments in general
Ventilation
Construction methods for columns and soffits
Wall finishing: grid of panels vs. paint + hanging panels vs. fabricmate
Riser construction
Necessity of a stage (and if so, construction methods)

So, there you have it. A post months in the making, and hopefully the start of a lot of good dialog and learning. As with all the other build threads out there, I'm hoping my journey and the decisions I make along the way will help others with similar requirements.

Thanks for making it all the way to the end, and thanks for sharing your thoughts, comments and questions!

PS - here's the PDF if you want to see the drawings in more detail:


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## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

Wow, you have spent a lot of time researching this and it shows. :T
There are a lot of people here who can help with your questions on:-
Acoustic treatments in general
Ventilation
Construction methods for columns and soffits
Wall finishing: grid of panels vs. paint + hanging panels vs. fabricmate
Riser construction
Necessity of a stage (and if so, construction methods)

I look forward to seeing the finished project.

All the best,
Bill.


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## patchesj (Jun 17, 2009)

You're starting down the correct path.. plan, plan, then plan some more.

I would get an REW setup going. You don't want to shoot in the dark with treatments.
For ventilation, do some searches on "dead vent". More details out there than I can put in a post.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Ventilation will be the toughest part as that needs to be planned as part of the isolation project. A dead vent can be a good option as long as we keep long runs in the soffits to help with isolation.

A stage is not absolutely necessary. Primary goal is to just get speakers up to the right screen height for a better image lock. That can be accompllished in a variety of ways though.

Riser, Standard floor type construction, fill with insulation, 3/4" MDF on top. You can cut holes in the front to expose the insulation for some additional bass control. Carpet right over the openings and it will still function fine.

Finish - that's really personal preference. Either can work. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Bryan


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## CinciJeff (Dec 15, 2011)

Patchesj,
I've looked into REW a bit and I see another steep learning curve ahead  I do have a Radio Shack SPL meter, so all I need (I think) is an external sound card and I think I'm in business. That said, it seems like I should have a few things in place before I take my first measurements in the room - like a door and some speakers! Unless my understanding is wrong, I would take an initial survey once I had all the speakers in their correct positions and probably the acoustic treatments installed on the front wall (since they're pretty much a given). A lot to learn about this so I'm sure I'll have a bunch of REW questions once the time comes.

Bryan,
Thanks for the comments. Regarding the dead vent, I'm thinking this is the way to go for now. I have an 8'-wide closet next to the theater door from which I can "borrow" some space to install the supply vent. The duct would enter into the HT at the lower back-left corner behind the screen wall. Once inside I could run additional ductwork up and into the soffit, or even under the speakers to a register below the screen.

For a return vent, I see the only logical place to be right behind the projector, perhaps as part of a "hush box". I could route the flexible duct into the equipment closet and then into the HVAC equipment space. Does this ound like a reasonable plan?

re: The stage, with the LCR's on shelves and the subs on the floor (probably on some carpet scraps) I don't see the stage buying me anything besides aesthetics. Depending on how I build the screen wall, it might even be simple to add a stage later if I felt I HAD to have one 

The riser construction sounds pretty straight forward. I remember reading varying opinions on whether to connect it to the back wall or not, and where to have holes, etc. but I'm guessing we're starting to pick nits at that point.

My next step will be the soffit construction but I'm going to put that info into another post to keep things efficient. Thanks again for the insight!


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## CinciJeff (Dec 15, 2011)

*Soffits, Columns and Side Walls*

Since I'm starting with an empty room, I believe my first order of business is to figure out what exactly will be mounted to the walls. This would include the soffits and columns, and also the wall coverings since they all connect together.

My goals for the soffits are as follows:

Provide a chase within the soundproofed walls to run high-voltage wiring, low-voltage cables, and ventilation
Provide a mounting location for all my room lights
Define the "raised ceiling" space that will be uplit via rope light
Provide acoustical benefit where possible

*Questions*:
Based on what I've read, in order to maximize their acoustic benefit the side walls of the soffits should be solid (as in drywall, MDF, or plywood) and the bottom should be framed and covered in fabric. All remaining space should be filled with insulation. This creates a bass trap to absorb low-frequency waves hitting it from below.

Assuming the above is correct, would it be more desirable to cover the bottom of the soffit with GOM-wrapped 1" OC703 panels or to just use fabric-covered frames?
Does the 10" x 24" size seem appropriate for my room? It's hard to tell what it would look like in real life even from looking at the CAD renderings.

My plan for the columns is to build them out of 3/4" MDF, fill them with insulation and screw them to the walls. I would then either cover them with GOM fabric (easy) or GOM-covered frames (harder) depending on what I do with the walls.

Will this cause any acoustics problems or should I cover some (or all) of the column with OC703?

For the side walls, it sounds like the "preferred" method is to have the portion below the ear/eye level covered in bass-absorbing OC703 (in the form of GOM-covered panels) and the upper portion painted or covered in un-insulated panels. Another option I've seen is to simply paint the walls and hang 2" 2'x4' OC703 panels on the wall.

Is there a significant acoustical benefit gained by covering the entire wall surface with panels? It certainly looks nice, but I'd want to be sure the effort level would pay off in terms of increased audio quality. It also seems like it might increase the risk of over-damping the sound.

The back wall is another story, and there are plenty of posts describing various treatment methods. I'll probably take what I learn here and find a complimentary method unless I get other specific recommendations.

Again, thanks for the input!


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

IF (big if) you can rout your HVAC, electrical, etc. effectively and maintaining isolation without using the soffits, then sure, you can use them for bass control as required. Side and bottom can be left open. I would do a facing of some sort on those though so you're not overdoing the upper mid and HF absorption.

No, you really don't want to do the entire side wall surfaces.

Bryan


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## CinciJeff (Dec 15, 2011)

OK, I think I'm getting a clearer picture of what needs to happen. Since I AM running everything through the soffits, I'll plan on building them fairly traditionally - 2x3's covered in plywood (or MDF or drywall). Since my 5" can lights will be mounted in the bottom of the soffit, I'll need to plan ahead if I think I'll need treatments mounted on the underside as well. Is it worth putting anything under there or should I forget about it and concentrate on the walls?

Speaking of walls, I figured out my first reflection points and made a little drawing:








It doesn't take the columns into account, but based on the position of the front two I'm assuming they'll need to be either stuffed or faced with some sort of insulation.

For the rest of the walls, do you think hanging single 2'x4'x2" thick panels will be sufficient? I like the look of a simple chair rail around the perimeter of the room, so maybe I could cover some of the area below the rail with 1" OC703 and leave the top painted and then hang the panels.

I found a good deal locally on 2" Johns Mansville Insul-Sheild (IS300) panels - $5.80 each! So I'm heading out to pick up enough to do the front wall. This will probably be my last hurrah before Christmas since I still need to wrap all my presents!:gulp:

-Jeff


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## CinciJeff (Dec 15, 2011)

Happy Holidays!

While I'm out of town visiting family over the break, I'm spending some down time laying out my soffits and columns and looking at potential seating options. As I read more about calibration with REW I'm wondering what the best development sequence is for my theater. There are some chicken-and-egg type scenarios around building vs. measuring that I could use some help with.

Here's what I am thinking (along with my assumptions):
1. Build and install superchunk corner bass traps on front wall (this is a given)
2. Install shelves for LCR speakers
3. Fill in rest of front wall with JM IS300 2" panels (again, a given)
4. Frame in my soffit using 2x3's and "ladder" style construction with 2x2's. Locate recessed lighting and install blocking in underside of soffit as required. Cover sides (facing inward) of soffit frame with 1/2" MDF or drywall. (I see this as the bare minimum before adding treatments)
5. Build 2x3 "skeleton" columns and temporarily place into position. Two of these will have speaker shelves (or four if I decide to use columns on the back wall)
** Dilemma #1: Do I build the riser now, or wait until I get my first REW measurements? **
6. Place LCR speakers and two subwoofers in position, run wiring through soffit frames, and hook up to AVR (assume I don't need surround speakers working at this point)
7. Take first REW measurements
** Dilemma #2: should I temporarily install 2'x4'x2" IS300 panels at the first reflection points now since they're almost certainly going to be required? What about treating the bottom half of the walls instead of using discreet panels?**
8. Post results here and get help with interpreting and acting on the results
9. Add treatments where required (likely back wall and possibly undersides of soffit)
10. Re-test with REW and repeat until satisfactory.
11. Finish room, adding fabric panels to remaining exposed areas (soffit bottom, columns, screen wall) and installing seating
12. Test again with REW and tweak as necessary

Is this typically how it's done or is there a more structured approach (ie build and test) that should be followed? Some of this gets tricky, like adding the seating or the riser. I don't necessarily know which seats I will be getting or how deep the riser will need to be, but they will both play a significant part in the acoustic response of the room. Basically, I want to proceed in a manner that allows me to make the most "on-the-fly" adjustments possible before committing to a particular treatment or location.

As always, any insights, comments, questions or criticisms are greatly appreciated. Thanks!


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

You need to address the seating first to know where it's going to be, where and how big the riser is, etc. This will also drive the appropriate screen size speaker positions, etc. 

How many seats and how many people will also drive the calculations on how much and what type of treatment will be required.

Bryan


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## CinciJeff (Dec 15, 2011)

I've pretty much decided on my screen size and seating position, but I wouldn't mind a reality check. Here's an older layout showing 4 seats in the front row. Ignore almost everything else (like screen wall, rear seating, PJ location, etc.):









This would be my ideal setup since we have 4 people in the family, but I'm concerned about it being too tight. The picture in my original post shows 3 seats in the first row. This would be a comfortable fit, but 2 or 4 viewers would create a lopsided seating situation. Does 18" or so on either side of the row seem like too small a gap?

Viewing distance is 11 feet for a 140"-wide CIH 2.35:1 screen. I realize this is closer than recommended, but I tested out the screen size and seating location and it looks great to me. Also, I'll likely be watching plenty of 16:9 content, so I'll appreciate the extra height.

Because of this viewing distance and the limited depth of my theater, I'll need to stick with a rather shallow riser - about 69" as it stands now. Riser height will be 14". Based on these dimensions, the second row will be either a sofa or 4-5 rocker-style theater seats.

That's my plan. Am I missing anything obvious? I guess the big open question is between 3 and 4 theater seats in the front row.

Jeff


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

4 seats in front is going to make for a tight walkway to get between rows.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I would stick with the 3 seats across the front..Apart from the limited space for a walkway, the viewers on the outside seats are not going to get a good balanced sound from front to rear, being so close to the surround speakers..


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## CinciJeff (Dec 15, 2011)

During the drive home I talked about this with my wife and she was pretty adamant about the 4 seats in front. She wanted the whole family to be able to have the "good seats" in the front row. That said, I understand the practical limits - both acoustically and spatially.

One option would be to punt and just use a theater sofa in front instead of individual seats. She'd probably go for this but I want to have some arm rests. Another option would be to go with the three theater seats in front and put a sofa in the back. I was going to have to go with a sofa anyhow because of my limited depth (my riser can only be around 65" deep). I could argue that the acoustics in the back row will be nearly as good as the front (which they should be if I set it up properly) and the four of us could all fit on the couch if we wanted to.

I was wondering when the WAF would come in to play... I guess "It's On!" 

On a progress note, the drywall finisher spent 4 hours sanding today, and it looks like he'll be done after tomorrow. As soon as I can get all the dust out of the basement I'm going start framing in the soffit and screen wall. Finally something for me to do other than emptying dehumidifiers and sealing up doorways with plastic!


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## Quijibo (Feb 8, 2011)

What about 2 love seats? Everyone would have one arm rest and it should be narrower than 4 single seats.


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## Quijibo (Feb 8, 2011)

Quijibo said:


> What about 2 love seats? Everyone would have one arm rest and it should be narrower than 4 single seats.


Then again, looking at the seating chart it probably won't be any narrower than what you have drawn in there now.


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## patchesj (Jun 17, 2009)

Yep, 4 in front is way too tight. I ended up with a love seat front row, full couch back row. WAF... She didn't want theater style seats, and I'm glad we went this way. We usually end up sitting in the back and the kids share the love seat up front. Not the "best" seat in the house for us, but honestly my wife doesn't like the wide viewing angle in front. With a screen that large you'll still be in THX recommended angles from the back anyway....


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## ALMFamily (Oct 19, 2011)

Just my 2 cents worth - I agree that 4 might just be too much. Last thing you want to do it purchase the furniture only to discover you don't like the fit. If you do 3, you could compromise by doing one love seat and one chair giving you some arm rests as well as some "snuggle" ability. :bigsmile: Maybe something like |O|OO| is what I was thinking. If you go with 3 and discover that you do indeed have the space, you can always add another seat and go with |O|OO|O|.

Maybe a solution would be to find something cheap on Craigslist that comes close to your proposed dimensions and see how it fits. Just a thought......


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## CinciJeff (Dec 15, 2011)

Good input folks, thanks. We have an old couch that I may end up re-covering and using in the theater. I slid it into the room and placed it so I could check walkway clearance. Four across the front row will definitely be too many, but three should be fine. The idea of a loveseat + 1 is intriguing... I'll have to run that by Dear Leader... er... my wife... and see what she thinks.

The next pressing question will be how to minimize the riser width while still fitting the couch in the best Left-Right position (centered, ideally). I'm laying it out in CAD so I'll post some pix shortly.

Thanks!


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## GregBMFD (Jul 16, 2013)

I am new here and very interested in your HT design. Can't wait to see what's next. Loveland, OH


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## mcascio (Dec 5, 2010)

CinciJeff,

Nice planning on this project. It looks like you are on the right track. 

My design has the 4 seats in the rear and the 3 seats in front. I have a fairly similar sized screen and viewing distance. I've heard from some they actually prefer the back row instead of the front.

I personally like watching in the front row for a more immersive experience.


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## awilcox (Apr 15, 2008)

CinciJeff,

Nice design, any updates since your last post?

I am building a theater in Mason, where did you find the 2" JM?

Keep the updates coming!

Adrian


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## Horrorfan33 (Jun 11, 2013)

Looks like you did your homework!!..Be sure to keep us updated,as I have subbed this thread...and add some pictures


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## Greenster (Mar 2, 2013)

Go with 4 seats in the front. Just go with space saver designs and a double love seat for the front. There are a bunch out there that should be able to give you 2 1/2 feet of clearance on both sides. A little tight but still ok and your wife will get the four that she wants.


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## Tedd (Feb 2, 2007)

Ask the Mrs how she plans to meet code with the door swinging into the room? 
(Maybe the answer is indeed narrower seating.) One of the many things I like with 
your design is the seating tries to be off the walls. (I really like your whole home theater 
philosophy.) 

If you are optimising for the front row, then your side surrounds aren't properly placed, unless they are dipoles. 

Why not extend the riser wall to riser, and leverage it to create a full range bass absorber?


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