# Component selection recommendations- Full home theater



## Aculous (Aug 8, 2014)

would like to get some opinions on a home theater I am building for my father and mother. They just moved into this monstrosity of the house (they just retired) and instead of putting a bar in the basement...as they don't drink, I recommended a home theater, and so got a greenlight. 

Budget: $3k-10K all included. (components, I realized the build-out and sound treatment will be more than this of course)

Focus: DIY speaker kits and a dedicated projector/av room with AV closet (3'x15'). 

Currently wrestling with controlling all of this stuff. I may have to go with a different solution for AVR/AMP/Source just for that fact. Plan on using a logitech universal remote but have no idea how to wire remote triggers or ir triggers...currently researching. 

Speakers:
DIYSoundGroup-http://www.diysoundgroup.com/
(2) Cinema-8 (L,R)
(1) Fusion-8 (C)
(2) Fusion-8 (LR,RR)

or

Chane Loudspeakers-http://www.chanemusiccinema.com/chane-loudspeakers
A5rx-c, A2rx-c, A1rx-c 

or

Recommendations? Looking specifically for recommendations on large driver speakers 6"-8" mid/midbass as its going in a large room 15'x30' minimum. I would like to look for in-wall speakers as well but have no experience with them so brands/reviews of in walls would be highly appreciated. 

Subwoofer:
Creative Sound Solutions- http://www.creativesound.ca/
the Trio SDX10A or SDX10
or
Stereo Integrity HT15" with a 500w bash plate amp or icepower module

Sources blu-ray/record player:
Oppo BDP-103
Marantz TT42p or Dual (circa 1960s/70s) basically need a fully automatic turntable, would love recomendations

AVR:
Denon AVR-X2000
Denon AVR-X4000
Marantz SR5007
Marantz SR7007

Amps:
Used Emotiva XPA series, Adcom 5 series, conrad-johnson? 
ATI 1807 
ICEpower 170w models, I would be running 5 of them on custom heatsinks and enclosures

Projectors:
Optoma HD141x
Infocus IN118HDa 
Benq W1070
Panansonic PT-AE800U

Screens:
Dunno yet, looking at Jamestown screens and Accuscreens. Although for 600$-1000 I feel like a nice painted surface would be better...the only issue is in this room the wall that I would putting this on is textured plaster but I was contemplating doing a 3x15' front and rear access area so I could place the speakers in there and hide wiring as well as build out the screen. I plan to run a screen that is acoustically transparent with a center behind it or figure out a tuneable center where I can play with the angle a bit. 

Obligatory as well I have a UMIK and REW as well as speaker modeling software if I really wanna get crazy. 

:sweat::sweathew that was a lot. Sorry about that! :help::help:

Recomendations or suggestions on the above or different directions to move are are extremely apprecaited! This will be my first built out home theater that I have done. I have built a tone of home theaters with individual pieces but not the whole shabang.

Also as a side not I will be working with family members (architect and contractor respectively) and my buddy from way back who is a acoustics engineer to get it nice and silent in the room. The room will be treated with most likely a ton of mass loaded vinyl and diffusers as well as some roxul or denin insulation. I am just leaving that up to him to figure out! component selection is my wheelhouse at the moment.


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

The Chane and DIYSG speakers would all probably work quite well, but I'd definitely skip a subwoofer with a 10" driver. Assuming 8' ceilings your room is 3600ft^3, which would render a 10" sub mute. The SI is a great platform to build off of, so you might want to consider that instead. In a ported alignment too - more output that way.


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## Aculous (Aug 8, 2014)

that makes sense, I want to give DIYSG a call and see what they recommend. I was thinking of doing a ported enclosure for the SI 15" anyway or I could run it IB into the rest of the basement. 

its like a octogon with a rectangle attached...really weird setup but leaves plenty of airspace. 

Also curious why a 10 would be mute in that size room? (because this is the internet I feel like I need to say I am not trying to be argumenative but genuinely wondering rationale) Also I would be open to other plans too. I had thought about a Dual 15 setup in front below the center channel. The reason I was thinking the 10 was because my parents are ridiculously sensitive about bass...which makes no sense at all...they are both graduate or doctoral level music majors you would think have a full frequency spectrum would be a good thing!


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Maybe their sensitive to poor bass, and not the amount of it? I'm sensitive to lousy bass myself.

A subwoofer will try and pressurize all the space it 'sees', which is essentially the entire open area. The more space the more subwoofer required, be it larger drivers or more smaller ones. You could use the SDX10 in a room that size, but you would need several of them. That would create the necessary output but not the depth I'm afraid; the SDX10 will only play so low, regardless of how many you have. If you want deep bass you need big drivers.

Be cautious of settling on a place for the subs before you try them. They're placement specific and ultimately your room will dictate where they sound the best (or your wife maybe ).


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I went from a painted screen to a Jamestown and the difference was very noticeable. Paint is a good starting point but there really is no substitute to a real screen even if they are not high end ones.
Depending on budget SVS as well as HSU have some great options for subs if your not going the DIY route.


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## Aculous (Aug 8, 2014)

I was looking at SVS as well. I may not go the full DIY route because of time. I will most likely only have a week to do this. (rough build out will be done by the time I get there)


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I agree that given your space size your going to need at least one large sub. I would recommend the SVS PB13u but if thats to much then the SVS PB2000 would be an option with a second one down the road. Also the HSU VTF-15H Subwoofer would be another choice


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## Aculous (Aug 8, 2014)

Does anyone have recommendations on in-wall speakers? Not sure of brands and such, I know some of the major companies have them but specifically home theater companies. I was looking at some JBL ones (I love the JBL 43xx series but I doubt its the same  )


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

We generally dont like to recommend in-wall speakers due the if fact that you have to spend more than twice the amount to get anything near the same quality of sound as a decent bookshelf. In-walls also have a big downside as placement is rarely ideal if your looking for great imaging.


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

In-wall speakers can be a great choice but as Tony points out there are some drawbacks. 
I have three manufacturers that I recommend when it comes to in-wall speakers.
Triad
RBH Sound
James Loudspeaker


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## Aculous (Aug 8, 2014)

that makes sense, I was worried also that it would diminish the utility of the speakers as well. If they are in their own enclosures I can move them where I want in the house. 

Thanks for the help so far!


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

If you can make your own frame... A Seymour AV screen shouldn't cost you more than $300.


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