# Speaker choice for dedicated HT



## mactuna (Jun 28, 2008)

Hi all,

So i am finally building my dedicated HT. This will be a dedicated room, below ground, designed from scratch in a new house with about 40m2. Dedicated electrical, isolation and the works.

I have for a long time been a fan of HT so have quite a long list of gear. This includes TAG Mclaren, Proac, Onkyo, B&W, Cyrus, REL and some DIY amps and speakers included in the mix. My system sounds nice but its not in a dedicated room so i have lots of room problems and image.

So main question is...in a dedicated HT..with a IB sub design, would you keep the Proac's and other speakers, or go fully hidden speakers? My main question is i read the perfect centre speaker is the SAME as the mains. 
How on earth can you get a centre speaker in the middle with a 120' screen ? Behind it ? Using AT screen?

What do you feel is the best "sound" solution ? Conventional speakers and a convencional Centre speaker Above or below the screen ? how big ?

I feel my centre speaker is not "wide" or "big" enough. 
When i go to the movie theater i feel the front image sound much Bigger.
I want my HT to feel BIG. That must depend a lot on a centre, correct ?

Does anybody use 2 or more centre channels to increase sense of space?
Cheers all and Thank you !


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## rab-byte (Feb 1, 2011)

I imagin you should be good with the center below the screen. 

Or

I know less about FP screens as I would like but what if you did an acoustically passive screen with an IW center behind the screen dead center?

If you really wanted to get creative you could even place treatments behind the screen to tame the room. 

I don't know it that's sound advice but it makes since in my head.


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## gibroni (Sep 25, 2010)

I'm not a fan of the so called "center channel" speaker. If you're building a dedicated HT then you should have 3 identical speakers across the front. I'm using 3 Klipsch Kg4 speakers and couldn't be happier. I've had 1 pair since 85 and found another pair on eBay in mint condition. The 4th speaker I use as a single rear surround speaker. I have a pair of DIY monitors I use as rear surround. I like the Klipsch for HT because of the sensitivity and soundstage delivered by the horn tweeters. The fact that Klipsch is used in half the commercial theaters around the world helped with my decision.


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## gibroni (Sep 25, 2010)

I should have better read your post. My Kg4's are short floorstanders so they are below the screen. If I could build from scratch I would go with in wall speakers and behind an acoustically transparent screen. Your speakers are definitley hifi but you should look into a system made for HT or PA type speakers.


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## mactuna (Jun 28, 2008)

Thank you all for your inputs.

In my mind, and comparing what i "see" in comercial theaters, the screen ocupies almost 80% of the room horizontally and about 90% vertically. With that in mind there are only 2 places for the "centre" channel in these commercial theaters : Either above the screen next to the ceiling, or behind the screen.

As i believe the transparent screen is not used in theaters....most definitly the sound is coming from the top.
I my mind that also makes sense. I experimented a lot with my centre and my favorite place is FOR SURE above my TV. I should note i have a 56" Rear Projection TV so it is a big box and i can safely place my Proac Centre channel with its 25kg on top . With a plasma....can't do it !!

So...in a dedicated HT, do you guys (the ones that actually built a room) were able to put the centre speaker on top of the screen successfuly ? Does it work ok acoustically?

The thing about in-wall speakers : i can't seem to find "hifi" ones. Dont get me wrong i know there are good brands, and for sure they should sound nice. But i am used to Proac sound. I like it. In fact i love them, and in my HT i want to be able to listen to my music DVD collection ...not losing anything...just gaining !!

So trade my Proac's for some wall speakers...i am almost sure to get disapointed.
I can live with designing the HT specifically to place my Proac's on the sides of the screen. No problem .
My main issue is where the i put the centre channel...i cant have a 1,50m tower in front of the screen!

Experiences anyone? Cheers!


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## rab-byte (Feb 1, 2011)

mactuna said:


> Thank you all for your inputs.
> 
> In my mind, and comparing what i "see" in comercial theaters, the screen ocupies almost 80% of the room horizontally and about 90% vertically. With that in mind there are only 2 places for the "centre" channel in these commercial theaters : Either above the screen next to the ceiling, or behind the screen.
> 
> ...


Yes cinema's screens are transparent. The difference in your home is you're doing 5.1/7.1 not 30.30+speakers. 

If you ever get a chance get a look behind the screen there is scaffolding with speakers all over.



mactuna said:


> The thing about in-wall speakers : i can't seem to find "hifi" ones. Dont get me wrong i know there are good brands, and for sure they should sound nice. But i am used to Proac sound. I like it. In fact i love them, and in my HT i want to be able to listen to my music DVD collection ...not losing anything...just gaining !!
> 
> So trade my Proac's for some wall speakers...i am almost sure to get disapointed.


How big is your room, if it's not an auditorium you may find the room easier to fill then you think.

I ask because there are some very very good IW solutions out there. 

Martin Logan http://www.martinlogan.com/products/voyage speakers are amazing. 

B&W, Pioneer, 

SpeakerCraft [URL="here"l]http://www.speakercraft.com/products/architectural-audio/in-wall/aim-cinema?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_sc.tpl&product_id=81&category_id=48[/url]
all make very good IW speakers. 

It may be an issue with timber matching your towers but all you can do is listen to them and see. 

On a side note have you planned out your room treatment? You said this was a basement are you going to do anything to minimize footsteps from upstairs?


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## mactuna (Jun 28, 2008)

Wasn't aware that cinema's screens were transparent. That is a game changer.
Can one get 90% of picture quality of a normal screen with transparent one ? Or can it be done equally good spending a few more on a more powerful projector?

If i could place the speaker behind the screen, i would place it dead center vertically and horizontally.

About the room i think i have an easy life here.
It is not a basement. I said it was under ground, yes, but its outside the house below the garden.
It will be accessed though the garage but is definitely outside the existent house structure, either vertical pillars or base plate. So....i dont need to worry about noise from adjacent (there is none) rooms or TO adjacent rooms.
I will mainly use isolation inside the room to make it dead, to get good sound distribution. I am thinking of putting a IB sub behind the screen using about 17m3, with 4x 15" drivers.

Size of room is about 8m x 5.5m x 3m. These can change a bit as it is on CAD still  But not much.


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## rab-byte (Feb 1, 2011)

Very cool setup
I'm posting mobil so can't seem to link url's right. 

I know stewart and SI both make acoustically passive screens, don't know about other brands/DIY but they can produce a good pic but you need to be careful with setup as they can produce a more pattern if the projector is not setup properly. 

Be methodical planning your speaker placement. If you plan to put a tower or other conventional speaker behind the screen you need to account for how the speaker's ports are oriented. Just like L/R speakers, rake and toe can affect the sound so if your speaker is rear ported then if it's too close to the wall the sound will be affected.

Edit. 
Sub behind screen can be cool. I've seen some poor execution of this in client's homes. The sub actually shaking screen! You need some breathing room with a sub.


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## eyleron (Dec 31, 2009)

Dedicated theater often means you're free to do things to the room you wouldn't do in living rooms and bedrooms.

You can build a false wall and put screen on that, which leaves room for speakers behind screen. In-wall if you have limited depth of room and can't lose the 2 foot space.space.

Rooms also drastically change the sound you hear, more than amps and as much as speakers. So for a dedicated room, you get the opportunity to fix this by treating the room. Not to keep the sound in, but to fix clarity with first reflection absorbtion treatment and bass traps.

Chase Home Theater speakers can be turned on their sides so you might fit center below screen. They are meant for high output theaters. 

Ideally, yes, put identical speakers behind screen.


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