# Dedicated Home theater Room Build



## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

The time has come to finally start on my dedicated home theater room. Rather than learn from my mistakes I thought I would post my build on here so the experts can chime in. I have a excellent space to do IB subwoofers but decided against it due to the affect on resale value, the same goes for in-wall speakers. The room is 11'x21' and has two outside walls. I plan on insulating the roof and interior walls with rockwool insulation. I plan on doing bass traps in all four corners and treatments on the first reflection points. The flooring will be carpet.

My first job is to wire my room for both electricity and A/V gear. I want to do my best to futureproof my room so I will be running extra runs of cable. Seating for now will be a single row of 3 seats with the focus being on maximum quality for the center seat. I may build a riser down the road and add a second row of seating.

Attached is my initial mockup of the room, I decided to go with a 7.2.4 setup for now but may add two additional subwoofers at a later point in time. I realize that many, myself included, are not sold on Atmos but I figured I would add the ceiling speakers in now in case it does catch on in the future.

Before I start to run cable, what does everyone think?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Listening row centered in the length dimension puts you squarely in the length modes which are the lowest and hardest to deal with. Move back to about 33-38% from your head to the wall behind you or if screen size becomes an issue, that far from the front wall.


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

Thanks for the input. I was using the REW Room simulation to model the room. With 5 listening positions, center and 2' out in each direction, I got the flattest response below 80hz with two subwoofers at the wall midpoints. I don't have any idea about the math being used for the REW room simulation model so maybe I shouldn't have taken it as gospel. I will be time aligning and EQing the subs with a MiniDSP so I doing mind dealing with peaks but of course I want to avoid any nulls.

If you are referring to >80hz frequencies I did not do any modeling. I could move the main listening position back to 2/3 from the front wall but I am worried about the viewing distance from the screen, I have been shooting for the 40 degree field of view that THX recommendation.

If you don't mind explaining the center of the room issue further I would really appreciate it. In the past I have never had control over the listening position, only the subwoofer position so I am still learning.

Found this...

http://realtraps.com/art_room-setup.htm



> In all rectangular rooms the bass response is most lacking at the halfway points - halfway between the front and rear walls, halfway between the left and right sides, and halfway between the floor and ceiling. Therefore, the worst place to sit is exactly halfway back in the room, with your ears halfway between the floor and ceiling, or halfway between the left and right walls. You shouldn't put loudspeakers in those places either.
> 
> Loudspeaker tweeters should be at ear level, but you should raise or lower them a few inches if needed to avoid having the woofer exactly halfway between the floor and ceiling. Likewise, while left-right symmetry is important for proper imaging, you could optionally offset your listening position a few inches to either side to avoid being exactly halfway between the left and right side walls.
> 
> Note that the tweeters in the rear surround speakers should also be at ear height. Some people recommend placing the surround speakers high up on the side or rear walls, mimicking the setup of some commercial movie theaters. But that's a throwback to years past, when a single rear channel contained the surround information rather than separate channels as in today's 5.1 soundtracks. Back then, some movie theaters placed one or more speakers high up on the rear wall to increase ambience by including the room's natural reverb. But that was long ago, and in theaters much larger than anyone's living room.


This answers my question. Lots to learn still.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

If you can do 2 midwall subs then you can probably get away with that seating location. Most people and rooms don't afford that luxury.


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

I did some rearranging and it looks like moving the main listening position back 2.5' so it is 8' or 38% from the rear wall is possible. This allows me to add a second row of seating in front of the main listening position in the future. I think I will be happy with a viewing distance of 13' for a 106" 16:9 screen.

The 38% from the back wall seems like a good starting point and will allow me to move the listening position forward to fine tune things once everything installed. I think I will wire the side surrounds to be at 90 degrees to the listening position when sitting 8 ft from the rear wall. That way if I decide to shift the listing position forward slightly the side surrounds will still be properly placed.

I ordered a roll of 12 gauge Monoprice speaker wire. I am hoping to pick up the supplies to run a dedicated 20 amp circuit to the media closet this weekend.


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

Run two while your pulling wire. Future proof!


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## Talley (Dec 8, 2010)

Eh... too small of a screen. For that distance 140" would be perfect


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

Bmxer241 said:


> Eh... too small of a screen. For that distance 140" would be perfect


I agree it is a bit on the small size but it was the biggest I could fit on my wall while having the corner traps. Plus I already own the screen

I will look into an acoustically transparent screen but it will cut into my budget. I may go this route down the road though. Pull the screen about 3' from the front wall and place the speakers behind. I would likely go with a 120"-140".


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## Medi0gre (Oct 30, 2012)

Sub'd, I have almost identical dimensions. 
So this room is gonna be great!!


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

So have have been thinking about the screen situation. I think that I may regret not going with a bigger screen now. My first thought was doing a DIY acoustically transparent screen with the Seymour material. This is something that fits into my current budget. I would likely attach the screen from the roof about 3' from the front wall where I have a bulkhead on the roof. This allows lots of space behind the screen for speaker placement, which is a huge bonus. My only gripe with this plan is that I would like to be able to raise the screen for 2-channel listening. I could do a fixed frame screen on a hinge but it may make things much more complicated. 

Option two is to get a commercially available pull down screen. It does what I want but cost more than my current budget allows. I am in Canada and the screen selection and prices are terrible. If anyone has a suggestion on a sub $1000 130-150" acoustically transparent pull down screen please let me know. 

I also decided to abandon the Atmos setup for now. I will still be running speaker cable to the ceiling but I have no plans to install speakers anytime soon. I will have to hold out upgrading my source until the HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 issues are sorted out. 

On a positive note my Monoprice arrived Friday afternoon so I can run my speaker wire and subwoofer cables. I still need to frame in some walls and doors so I don't know if I will get around to it this weekend though. I will try to get some pictures up soon but honestly I am embarrassed of the mess in my work area right now.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

AT would be OK. Just remember it's not just the treatments but the bigger the screen, the more you corner load the speakers which you really don't want to do.


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

bpape said:


> AT would be OK. Just remember it's not just the treatments but the bigger the screen, the more you corner load the speakers which you really don't want to do.


Yes I completely agree about not corner loading the speakers. It seems like an AT screen is the best way to go. I will look into designing a fixed frame screen that is on a hinge that will allow the screen to fold up towards the ceiling and lock in place when not in use. The problem as I see it is going to be making a 138" screen frame rigid enough to be raised and lowered without flexing or breaking.


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## Talley (Dec 8, 2010)

don't be embarrassed. it's all part of the project. My room was a disaster for two weeks until I got done with the wiring. Now it's coming together nicely.

The pull down is what is the hard part for cost but in the end I think you'll be better off with 140". I find it perfect with my 13' viewing distance.


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

You might consider square aluminum tubing for the frame. Light, easy to cut & fasten together. Use plenty of cross braces & it should be fine.


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

For screen size I am thinking something between 120"-130". By going with an AT screen I will be moving my screen forward 3-4' thereby reducing my viewing distance to about 9.5-10'. If I decide to with the Seymour XD, on my current shortlist, will I notice the perforations at 9.5'? 

I am starting to rethink the moving screen idea due to the engineering involved. The reason why I wanted to be able to move the screen is because I want to put my Acoustat speakers for 2 channel listening in the same room. I don't know how an electrostatic speaker will perform being tucked behind the screen. Not a deal breaker but it would be nice to have them tucked away since they need to be a minimum of 3' away from the front wall. 

As for an update, I spend the weekend framing the adjacent room and entryway. I closed up access to the crawlspace while I dreamt of adding four 18" IB subs. I fixed up some of the electrical but still need to run my dedicated 20 amp line. My equipment will be going into the space above the crawl space. 

I still need to extend the bulkhead across the room for symmetry and deal with the furnace vent in the ceiling.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

Jdiesel87 said:


> For screen size I am thinking something between 120"-130". By going with an AT screen I will be moving my screen forward 3-4' thereby reducing my viewing distance to about 9.5-10'. If I decide to with the Seymour XD, on my current shortlist, will I notice the perforations at 9.5'?


I sit at 9'6" from my 106" XD screen..I don't see any perforations at that distance..
If you have 20/20 vision then you might..


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

Prof. said:


> I sit at 9'6" from my 106" XD screen..I don't see any perforations at that distance..
> If you have 20/20 vision then you might..


How do you like the screen size at that viewing distance? I am consider ordering some of the XD material and using the entire width of the roll and the width of my screen which should equate to a 112". I think that a 112" screen at a viewing distance of 10' should be quite good and I can always move forward another foot at the expense of a slight decrease in room acoustics if needed. I have a few ideas about how to mount the screen but I will deal with it when the time comes. 

When I run my speaker wire should I run each cable independent from each other? I know not to run the speaker or subwoofer cables parallel with the AC lines and to only cross the AC lines at 90 degree angles if completely necessary but I am not sure about how the speaker wires should be run relative to each other. I will be doing double runs of cable for future proofing and in case of cable failure.


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

I find the movies very immersive at that distance..
10'-10' 6" should be fine for that width screen..

Oh!..wait a minute..I just realised that you're using a 16:9 screen..I'm basing my figures on a 2.39:1 screen..

If you're using a scope screen (as I am) you can afford to sit closer..But with a 16:9 screen of that size i would be more inclined to sit further back..11'6" - 12'6"..

You can run all your audio cables and video cables side by side with no interference..Just keep all power cables away from them, or if you can't avoid it, cross them at 90 degrees..


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

I have no problems sitting 12' away from 151" (16x9), or 185" (2.40)... I do not see the weaves at all and I have 20/25 vision.


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

My room has similar dimensions to yours & I have 140 inch AT 2.35 screen. The screen is 13 feet from my MLP. It is ideal. I put my Triton Ones behind the screen. If the screen was not AT the speakers would be stuck in the corners against the side walls. Not good acoustically. I listen to allot of 2 channel music & the audio is very good just leaving the fixed screen in place.

My screen is Elunevision & I am very happy with it. Take a look at Eastporters in Hamilton Ontario Canada. They are competitively priced. Given the value of Cdn $ these days it gives you a domestic option so you don't take a hit on foreign exchange.


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

Dwight Angus said:


> My room has similar dimensions to yours & I have 140 inch AT 2.35 screen. The screen is 13 feet from my MLP. It is ideal. I put my Triton Ones behind the screen. If the screen was not AT the speakers would be stuck in the corners against the side walls. Not good acoustically. I listen to allot of 2 channel music & the audio is very good just leaving the fixed screen in place.
> 
> My screen is Elunevision & I am very happy with it. Take a look at Eastporters in Hamilton Ontario Canada. They are competitively priced. Given the value of Cdn $ these days it gives you a domestic option so you don't take a hit on foreign exchange.


What model did you get? The 4K audioweave screens are a little out of my current price range.


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

Quick question to anyone who has a DYI Seymour AT screen, does it need to be stretched in four directions or is securing two sides and stretching the other two fine?


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## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

There is not much stretch in the Seymour XD AT screens and if you're wrapping it around a frame you'll need to tension it around the perimeter as much as possible..
If it's not really tight, you'll get wrinkles with changes in temperatures..as I found out!

The better arrangement it to have eyelets put in and tension it with rubbers..


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

Prof. said:


> There is not much stretch in the Seymour XD AT screens and if you're wrapping it around a frame you'll need to tension it around the perimeter as much as possible..
> If it's not really tight, you'll get wrinkles with changes in temperatures..as I found out!
> 
> The better arrangement it to have eyelets put in and tension it with rubbers..


That is a great idea. Looks like I will going going the DIY route for the screen. I will work on it once the room is nearing completion.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

Prof. said:


> There is not much stretch in the Seymour XD AT screens and if you're wrapping it around a frame you'll need to tension it around the perimeter as much as possible..
> If it's not really tight, you'll get wrinkles with changes in temperatures..as I found out!
> 
> The better arrangement it to have eyelets put in and tension it with rubbers..


That is what we did on ours. We had them put the grommets in and purchased the silicon rings from them too. We then made the frame out of I Channel. Went together like a dream!:T


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

Its in my signature


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

Just wanted to give a quick update. Progress has been slow but I hope to have all the wiring finished by the weekend. I am hoping to maybe even start on the drywalling this weekend if everything goes as planned. 

As for my screen, I ordered some matte white millskin spandex. The price was right and I can always change the material down the road if I don't like it.


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

Wiring is done. Dedicated 20 amp circuit for the amplifiers, redundant 12 gauge speaker wire ran for the 7 speaker, 14 gauge for the 4 ceiling speakers and coax cable for the subwoofers at the 4 wall midpoints. Spandex fabric will be here on Monday but I won't have a chance to work on the screen for a few weeks. 

Just need to put new vapor barrier up and I am ready to start drywalling. I have decided to go with a suspended ceiling. I am hoping to get the drywall delivered early next week so I can start working on it.


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## Serenity Now (Mar 28, 2014)

Hey, great work so far.  Probably a good idea to have someone check over your electrical. I can see a couple of issues where code is not met. Looks like too few receptacles and no vapour boots on device boxes on external walls. If you are a DIY guy for electrical, its easy to miss something that could lead to issues down the road. Not always safety issues, but rendering the room impaired for future uses.


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## Jdiesel87 (Oct 30, 2013)

Serenity Now said:


> Hey, great work so far.  Probably a good idea to have someone check over your electrical. I can see a couple of issues where code is not met. Looks like too few receptacles and no vapour boots on device boxes on external walls. If you are a DIY guy for electrical, its easy to miss something that could lead to issues down the road. Not always safety issues, but rendering the room impaired for future uses.


Good eye, and politely put. Yes I will need to add the vapour barrier boots behind the device boxes on the exterior walls. I will add and separate the outlets on the front wall giving me an outlet every 6'. I will have my electrician friend have a look and the electrical before I start drywalling. Thanks for the input.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

Jdiesel87 said:


> Good eye, and politely put. Yes I will need to add the vapour barrier boots behind the device boxes on the exterior walls. I will add and separate the outlets on the front wall giving me an outlet every 6'. I will have my electrician friend have a look and the electrical before I start drywalling. Thanks for the input.


You might want to get clay pads for the backs of all your outlet, and switch boxes to stop drafts, and noise.


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## Serenity Now (Mar 28, 2014)

You post good pics. :T


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## muzz (Nov 30, 2006)

Have you made any more progress on the room?
I'm purposely perusing all the build threads, so it will motivate me to have 1 of my side by side ducts relocated to the other side of the room, so my soffits will be equal size when I finally get started.
Looking over the progress of other builds get's me going!


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## sulliyan80 (Apr 16, 2015)

thanks for info


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