# The Epic Home Theater Photo Critique Thread



## Todd Anderson

After years of running the Facebook feed, I've gathered hundreds of home theater photos...I've kept a lot of them. I thought it would be fun to start posting them here – one at a time – to start a running critique thread.

I wish I had gear notes on them... I don't... so hopefully some of you will recognize the gear and chime in... but also chime in with comments/critiques about the design and execution! Some are going to be wicked awesome...some are going to be...uh... questionable. :R 

The pictures are numbered (starting with picture #3)...so if you'd like to add a picture of your own, please do! Just make sure you check the numbers and mark it appropriately! ;-)


So Critique Away!

Let's kick it off with this one:



http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=125233&thumb=1


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## tripplej

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

I am not one to critique since the picture looks good to me but on top of the front left speaker, is that a globe? I can't tell from the picture if it is on the wall or if it is on top of the speaker.


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## Todd Anderson

Did you see the center channel?

And that front right chair... Weird placement.


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## tripplej

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

I barely saw the center channel. It is very well hidden on the floor. lol. 

If someone was sitting on either chair on the right side, it would be kind of hard to see correctly the screen. Obviously, the sofa would be the best spot.


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## Tonto

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

Yeah, it must be a multipurpose room. I like the side walls, I bet they are good for diffusion. And they just look cool. It would have been a great Star Trek room if it was painted in those colors (Enterprise).

If you hold your control key down & start pressing the + key, it will zoom in with every stroke. The globe in on the speaker! When your done, press the control key & hit the number 0 & it goes back to regular size.

If I got the chairs, I would pull them out into the floor to watch the movie. That would make them the best seats in the house I bet, aside from comfort.


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## theJman

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

Cool thread Todd! :thumb:


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## Todd Anderson

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*



Tonto said:


> Yeah, it must be a multipurpose room. I like the side walls, I bet they are good for diffusion. And they just look cool. It would have been a great Star Trek room if it was painted in those colors (Enterprise).
> 
> If you hold your control key down & start pressing the + key, it will zoom in with every stroke. The globe in on the speaker! When your done, press the control key & hit the number 0 & it goes back to regular size.
> 
> If I got the chairs, I would pull them out into the floor to watch the movie. That would make them the best seats in the house I bet, aside from comfort.


Ha! Globe on the speaker... and it looks like Bongo drums on the left wall?

I like your idea of transforming the space into a space theme...the slanted walls definitely have that kind of space cabin feeling... good call!


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## Todd Anderson

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

Let's try this one:


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## Todd Anderson

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

By the way... if anyone comes across a unique, interesting, crazy...whatever... Home Theater photo...post it here! The pictures are numbered, starting with photo #3...so just make sure you mark your photo. :T


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## theJman

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*



Todd Anderson said:


> Let's try this one:


Certainly beautiful to look at, but functional? Not so much.


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## NBPk402

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

I like the coffered ceiling, but it needs a bigger screen IMO.


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## tripplej

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

I agree bigger screen also the folks sitting in the front row, isn't that chair too low? Their eye level will be near the bottom of the screen? The room does look nice thou. Nice colors.


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## Todd Anderson

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

Let's be honest... the front sound stage is a total mess... checkout the left main. It's firing at the feet of the rear row. And that center channel is not that far away from the front row!

The room looks really shallow for that kind of design implementation.... Might work if it was way deeper?


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## Todd Anderson

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

And the color of the walls.... I'll admit, the color looks nice, but it's a big no-no for projection screens!:nono: Too much light reflection!


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## Tonto

*Re: The Epic Theater Critique Thread*

+1, that sound stage has to be non-existent! But with the limited space and oriented that way, he did the best he could (minus angling those mains in, which would help). Had he rotated the screen to the adjacent wall, he would have been better off. Maybe could of got some distance behind that second row. It is beautiful to look at though.


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## willis7469

Soundstage might not be that bad. If you're in the left cup holder of the front right chair....
I feel like this is a test. Like, what's wrong with this room lol. Too bad it probably cost 50 grand. +Ron. The ceiling is great. And I like the sconces too. 


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## Todd Anderson

willis7469 said:


> I feel like this is a test. Like, what's wrong with this room lol.


LOL... pass or fail. ;-)

That's what fun about these photos... some will look amazing at first glance. Then you'll start to see little things that look slightly off (or completely wrong)... or, possibly, the more you look the better the room becomes! I think I might start labeling the photos with numbers so we can keep track of what we're talking about.

I've helped quite a few friends over the years (probably like a lot of you have) and I always find that my idea of a perfect room (which tries to put optimal conditions first, visual appeal/desires second... within the constraints of the room, of course) never fits with what they are looking for. Being an HT owner (like all of you), I know that it is really hard to create an optimal room... so many constraints (budget, room size, you name it...) steer us in non-optimal directions all of the time. But, if I had to guess, I'd say that fewer than 2% of gear owners are willing to completely design for optimal. Could be wrong about that...just a gut guess.

You are right about one thing... the room in photo #2 probably cost several bags of gold and it's far from optimal. I'd love a chance to sit in there and hear/see what's really going on.


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## willis7469

Room#1 I'm thinking "maybe" the singers voice might appear to come out of her feet. I'm guess a difference of 6' from her head to the floor. The room looks cool. Kind of makes me think of a "pod" that will launch from a space ship. Lol. Like the bongos!

Todd, you mentioned sitting and listening to system 2. I think it would be fun to be blindfolded and walked into a room, listen blindfolded and make as many mental notes as possible and then see if the experience matches the room. That may work better with music, but I'll sometimes listen to a movie track with my display off just to see how good my system tracks sound.(no I can't just shut my eyes. I cheat and look lol). 
You're right too about the 2% who would forego some beauty for performance, but these 2rooms have to be a large investment. IMO it seems they got very close, but blew it up at the finish line. 


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## Todd Anderson

#3


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## tripplej

For the third picture, it looks very nice. I see two subs and both are in the front next to the center speaker.. Isn't that just wrong placement? Should be at different locations, I believe. Maybe in the back instead of in the front? Also the left and right speakers are way to close to the other speakers.. Nice speakers, though.


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## Todd Anderson

Pic 3

Fantastic choice of color for a projector based room (walls and carpet)....seating looks killer...treatments look nice too!

Camera angle makes it hard to tell if the mains are too squished together... TrippleJ makes a good point about the subs, but that could be okay for that room. But, what do I know! ;-)

Would love to spend a few hours in three to find out!


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## theJman

tripplej said:


> For the third picture, it looks very nice. I see two subs and both are in the front next to the center speaker.. Isn't that just wrong placement? Should be at different locations, I believe. Maybe in the back instead of in the front? Also the left and right speakers are way to close to the other speakers.. Nice speakers, though.


Symmetrically perfect, acoustically probably not so much.


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## willis7469

I see lots of potential here. I agree that speaker placement has probably not been optimized. Seems like they were placed for visual effect more than audio presentation. A run through with REW would be a must. Love the black and silver. The tan wall color has to go.(maybe a different tone of tan. No pun lol) Is that a surround speaker on the right, in front of the seats?(horizontal plane)


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## Todd Anderson

I will say, I ran REW for my dual sub setup...and the best sound across the seating space came from two subs in the front...

I know every room is different and that certainly breaks the norm...but, it is possible!


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## willis7469

Todd Anderson said:


> I will say, I ran REW for my dual sub setup...and the best sound across the seating space came from two subs in the front...
> 
> 
> 
> I know every room is different and that certainly breaks the norm...but, it is possible!




I think it's totally possible for this configuration to yield great results, and many times it surely does. I just feel like the photo appears to reveal a system which was set up conveniently to look great more than sound great. Who knows, it could have been measured and setup accordingly or maybe even by ear sound awesome. We'll never know for sure. I do like it though!
Fun thread too btw. 


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## fschris

in pic 3...what kind of mains are those? anyone know?


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## Todd Anderson

I'm going to take a stab at it: Adam Audio Tensor Gamma??


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## Tonto

I think we all agree that the room looks great. I would move that most forward wall treatment to the front wall behind the mains. Don't see any useful purpose where it is. Then I would move the surrounds back to beside the seats. I'm thinking it is the only row of seating due to the photographers angle. I could be wrong. I suspect it doesn't have very good SS&I for 2 channel.


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## Todd Anderson

Theater 4!


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## tripplej

It is a very nice theater. The screen looks great. Picture 3 and Picture 4 are very similar in that all the speakers (including subs) are all in the front.


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## theJman

KEF speakers and XTZ subs? Somebody likes companies that use 3 capital letters...


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## BD55

I'm sure on a lot of these we can't get the full look at what's been done, for all we know they could have subs in the back as well. 3 and 4 look really nice though - I like the colors a lot.


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## Tonto

It looks as if these two were designed by the same person! Great looking room, but light on treatments. That floor is probably pretty reflective, probably decay problems if I had to guess. Would be nice to see the backs of these theaters as well.


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## Todd Anderson

Agreed... AWESOME looking front-end (would love to see the back, too). So much right going on here... agree with Quenten on the floor. 

The big question: What's up with the door and where does it go? ;-)


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## Blacklightning

The only room I really do not like is #2.
#1 is a typical multi use room. This room will change all the time and chairs will be moved around. The only "problem is the center channel. I would be happy to have this room.
#2 looks like a room that a home builder would do just to say the home has a theater. I would not like to have this room.
#3 and #4 are great rooms I would be happy to have those rooms.
...





Edit: And I was right about #2. http://olsencustomhomes.com/designs/villa-della-dolce-vita/


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## willis7469

I like #4 as well. Looks like maybe a DTS-X setup? Or just plain height channels above the screen? Sidewall treatments look effective,(is that picture an acoustic panel?) and but the wood floor would need at least a huge rug on it. Speaker placement may or may not be optimal but again REW would be a must. 


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## Todd Anderson

Blacklightning said:


> Edit: And I was right about #2. http://olsencustomhomes.com/designs/villa-della-dolce-vita/




Nice Call!:T


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## PTAaron

The second one definitely looks like they tried to fit too much in too small of a space! If the plans on that builder website are accurate that's a 13'8" x13'8" room with 12' ceilings... that's kind of crazy.


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## Crisss22

Pic 3 and 4 are very similar; the position of the sub could help them blend better with the mains but the freq response will suffer for sure.
For a better FR near to the corners or mid-way front and rear walls would be perfect. 
Also the center channel is to low positioned in my opinion.
Other than that everything looks very nice, great fun rooms.


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## Todd Anderson

theJman said:


> KEF speakers and XTZ subs? Somebody likes companies that use 3 capital letters...


Now that would be a weird requirement to carry through your electronics life.

"I will only buy equipment made by companies that use 3 capital letters" :rofl:


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## Todd Anderson

Hmm... this should be interesting.


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## tripplej

Number 5 looks very nice and comfy. I do like the colors and of course that bull statue!  

I wonder if that clock tick tock loudly.. That would be a distraction for me. 

Screen is nice and the in wall speakers give it a clean look and feel. 

I suspect it looks better when all the lights are turned off.


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## tonyvdb

#5 would drive me nuts because the sofa is right against the wall and the room layout is wrong (using the long wall for the screen). That poor projector looks like its going to overheat in that cubby hole its placed in.
Agree though, the colors are nice and warm and I love the fireplace.


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## Todd Anderson

tonyvdb said:


> #5 would drive me nuts because the sofa is right against the wall and the room layout is wrong (using the long wall for the screen). That poor projector looks like its going to overheat in that cubby hole its placed in.
> Agree though, the colors are nice and warm and I love the fireplace.



This echoes my sentiments... Wall behind couch and the PJ cubby would be big concerns.

The bull statue is certainly interesting!


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## Lumen

Agree with all the nice things said Well done for a setup designed to impress the uninitiated (or maybe their spouse moved at light speed ). :wink2:


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## Tonto

Agreed! WAF is spot on as well as for the sonically impaired. I bet there are many people that would go nuts when they see it. The problem is going to be the expense involved to fix it once they figure out why it just doesn't sound right.


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## tripplej

Guys, there is a fine line when creating these "home theaters" between AV quality and Wife Acceptance Factor (WAF). 

Compromise has to be made not only for financial decisions but also for aesthetics!

As the saying goes.. A happy wife is a happy home! lol.


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## Blacklightning

Number 5 is a typical setup I see with the couch right against the wall. I did this myself in my first HT even though I have over 20ft to work with. MAF (Mom Approval factor) was at play as you always place the couch against the wall. Who wants to see the back of the couch. The only thing I would do differently is lower the left and right channel to ear height. It also seems like the center channel has smaller bass drivers than the L/R.

This looks like a great Canadian HT with the warm fireplace and hot projector air warming the room. 
Teenage me would get a lot of action "watching" movies in this room. 
I would still rather have this one than #2.


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## willis7469

I would also rather have this room than 2. Or 1. For me, the in walls are a fail but in room speakers might be too hard to place with the shallow seating depth. That left surround looks like a small def dech bipoles pointed at the screen instead of the LP. Surround performance will be terrible as well as super boomy bass(already mentioned). I would leave the LR at the height they are since this is obviously not a music system and panning off screen will be smoother. Is that bull on a subwoofer? And why is he pointed backwards? Lol
I would personally try to set this room up 90deg left and defeat the fireplace or use a mount that drops the display down for use. It looks narrow but I think the long way would be better for this space. Visually pleasing room however. 


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## Todd Anderson

#6...super eye catching...but I see a lot of issues. What do you see?


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## theJman

That one is sterile enough to be in the movie Tron!


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## Todd Anderson

theJman said:


> That one is sterile enough to be in the movie Tron!


Paging Dr. Jim...Paging Dr. Jim...You're wanted in the Home Theater room!


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## Todd Anderson

Look at the air vent right in front of the projector... wow. Talk about huge mistake.


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## willis7469

This must be an ad for screen manufacturer. 


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## Todd Anderson

Caption: "What not to do when building a home theater."


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## JBrax

Number 6 is very clean looking. I see lots of reflective surfaces and the speakers way to close to the wall. That center channel also looks very small compared to that screen. All of these have faults but so far I like number 5 the best.


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## NBPk402

#6
Horrible color for a HT room as it needs to be a darker color to limit reflections.


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## Todd Anderson

#6

Speakers need to get off that front wall!


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## Tonto

Looks like mismatched subs, + the open wall...? sound pressure levels. He could put the center on a stand to get it closer to ear height. Not much compromise in that room...He put *everything* in "*Black & White*."


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## willis7469

Tonto mentioned mismatched subs. I think(pics aren't super clear) the one on the left is a mini fridge/beverage center. Top right front corner looks like a hinge. Maybe enough booze will have that room sounding good?


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## tripplej

Todd Anderson said:


> Look at the air vent right in front of the projector... wow. Talk about huge mistake.


I agree. I suspect having that vent right next to the projector will cause lot of issues. Wonder if they selected that location due to the distance needed for the projector to the screen? Either way, it has to be fixed.


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## thrillcat

I like #6...it reminds me a lot of my sunroom except I have a UHD set instead of a projector and screen. And my sunroom is my secondary room. That's where I watch the news, Wheel of Fortune, American Ninja Warrior, stuff like that. I have my primary theater room downstairs, and it's not white like this.

But overall I love the minimalist style. Could use a single splash of color somewhere, but I wouldn't complain.


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## Todd Anderson

That's definitely a wine fridge on the left... with all of that white carpet (I think it's carpet), I hope they're drinking white – not red – wine!


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## Todd Anderson

thrillcat said:


> I like #6...it reminds me a lot of my sunroom except I have a UHD set instead of a projector and screen. And my sunroom is my secondary room. That's where I watch the news, Wheel of Fortune, American Ninja Warrior, stuff like that. I have my primary theater room downstairs, and it's not white like this.
> 
> But overall I love the minimalist style. Could use a single splash of color somewhere, but I wouldn't complain.


I like your perspective!


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## Todd Anderson

#7


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## theJman

Now you're talking.


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## Todd Anderson

#7 is part of an underground bunker complex/shelter.

Dooms day would be survived in comfort!


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## thrillcat

the ONLY thing I would say about #7 is that there's no seat in the sweet spot. With 6 seats in each of the 2 first rows, there's an arm rest in the sweet spot. But that's also the case in my theater, sometimes it can't be avoided.


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## Blacklightning

https://youtu.be/cLy6AXjwQK8?t=2m47s


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## tonyvdb

Probably already mentioned but #6 is far too white and almost no sound absorption. even with all the lights out there would be so much light reflected off those white surfaces.
I also see that the centre channel is way to small and placed to far back on the shelf.

#7 looks good, a little large for a "home theater" but given its Bunker purpose I guess there were many people who would use it? Sitting in the rear seats would be a bit far back from that small a screen. Looks like it may not be much bigger than 120"


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## tripplej

I do like number 7 the best so far. Now, that is a "theater" in a "home theater". Very nice, clean, and organized. Also, I like the steps. Plenty of space for a movie night or a superbowl watch. 

I can't criticize that one.


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## Blacklightning

tripplej said:


> I do like number 7 the best so far. Now, that is a "theater" in a "home theater". Very nice, clean, and organized. Also, I like the steps. Plenty of space for a movie night or a superbowl watch.
> 
> I can't criticize that one.


Really, I would say the front channel is too low. The second and third row do not have a direct line of sight to the front speakers. And room this size needs more side and rear channels.


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## Todd Anderson

Blacklightning said:


> Really, I would say the front channel is too low. The second and third row do not have a direct line of sight to the front speakers. And room this size needs more side and rear channels.


This room really should have a large AT screen with speakers behind it...


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## tripplej

The thing with all of these setups is that we only see one dimensional look. If someone was able to sit there and give their audio and visual review that would be something else. Who knows, what we think is wrong maybe right in their environment.. Just hard to tell from the picture but this is a fun game of critiquing regardless.


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## willis7469

Screen's too small. Cool for a bunker though. 
Cool thread. 

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## Todd Anderson

Here's one to chew on...

Drool away!


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## theJman

Todd Anderson said:


> Here's one to chew on...
> 
> Drool away!


:surprise:


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## tripplej

Now, number 8 here looks very nice. Of course it maybe the most costly. lol. 

The colors are nice and I am assuming the projector is above the photographer or behind him since we can't see it in the picture. 

The only critique is that it looks like there is a hallway approaching the room. No Door? Lights in that hallway have to be turned down when something is playing on the screen.

And if there is no Door to enclose this room, sound will leak in and out.


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## Todd Anderson

I would *love* to have a bar/eating area like the one behind the seats...

Would change the wall color to a darker neutral grey... but aside from that... this room is look pretty awesome.


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## Talley

Todd Anderson said:


> I would *love* to have a bar/eating area like the one behind the seats...
> 
> Would change the wall color to a darker neutral grey... but aside from that... this room is look pretty awesome.


Skip the bar behind the seats... I'd rather have a stripper pole in the back for those special movies when you just gotta have the real thing


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## willis7469

Talley said:


> Skip the bar behind the seats... I'd rather have a stripper pole in the back for those special movies when you just gotta have the real thing




If you get on that thing you better put up pics!!! Lol


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## theJman

willis7469 said:


> If you get on that thing you better put up pics!!! Lol


All things being equal, I'd rather he didn't... :surprise:


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## Tonto

So that looks like stone bricks from the chair rail to the floor. Looks pretty & pretty reflective. Don't know what the wall-ceiling panels do, I would expect them to reflect the front stage back at he PLP a few miliseconds behind the side walls (whether it is a significant delay, I don't know). But maybe they are absorptive.


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## willis7469

theJman said:


> All things being equal, I'd rather he didn't... :surprise:




Hahahahahaha. 


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## willis7469

Tonto said:


> So that looks like stone bricks from the chair rail to the floor. Looks pretty & pretty reflective. Don't know what the wall-ceiling panels do, I would expect them to reflect the front stage back at he PLP a few miliseconds behind the side walls (whether it is a significant delay, I don't know). But maybe they are absorptive.




I'm just guessing but I think the stacked stone would be more diffusive/diffractive than reflective. Maybe not too. 
Fwiw, I love stacked stone. I agree with Todd, wall color is blek. I wonder about all the openings on the sides too. I think they would be better off to address those. 


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## lesmor

Great thread
Who am I to critique when I have so many issues of my own

But why not No 8 
I don't like the shiny ceiling 
With all the false beams and wide side openings it looks like it located in a British pub.
I also don't like in ceiling surrounds.

What is it with having a bar in a theatre.
There's nothing worse then going to a commercial cinema and people slurping drinks eating chips and it gets worse as they now sell nachos which stink to high heaven.
Not to mention the place lit up with mobile phones. 
I now refuse to go.


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## Todd Anderson

lesmor said:


> Great thread
> Who am I to critique when I have so many issues of my own


Join the club! ;-)


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## Todd Anderson

See anything you like?  (the challenge is finding something you don't like!)


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## thrillcat

Todd Anderson said:


> See anything you like?  (the challenge is finding something you don't like!)


A room with a ton of high quality gear, masterfully treated, I'd love to visit, but honestly there's nothing about this room as a full project that I'd want in my home. I'd cherry pick some of the equipment and create a room with a completely different look and feel.


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## theJman

To be honest, that setup strikes me as overdone. The speaker placement, for example, seems to have been designed by someone with OCD tendencies, as opposed to what might work best for acoustic accuracy. One thing is for sure, somebody has a _lot_ of disposable.


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## Todd Anderson

theJman said:


> To be honest, that setup strikes me as overdone. The speaker placement, for example, seems to have been designed by someone with OCD tendencies, as opposed to what might work best for acoustic accuracy. One thing is for sure, somebody has a _lot_ of disposable.


I believe this room cost several million. I'll see if I can dig up the source


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## theJman

Several million?!  I knew it was expensive, but I didn't figure it was _that_ expensive.


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## Tonto

Looks like it must be a commercial venue! We should do an eval on it. I volunteer! 

With the option to move in of course!


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## lesmor

sorry it looks naff you are welcome to it.
mind you could always just sell the hardware and start again


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## Blacklightning

View of the back











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> 
> 
> In addition to being owner, engineer and producer of his own high-end classical and jazz label, Epiphany Recording Ltd., (est. 1994, now in its 18th year), Kipnis has created albums for many labels including Capital, Chesky, EMI, London, RCA / BMG, SONY, and Warner Brothers. His understanding and knowledge of what makes great sound spans over 43 years of study, and he owns an immense library of over 300,000 Albums (78s, 45s, LP, CD, RTR, SACD, DVD, LaserDIsc, etc.) giving him unparalelled access to music, film, technology, and architecture with acoustics most of us can only dream of.
> 
> http://www.kipnis-studios.com/The_Kipnis_Studio_Standard/Robb_Report_-_11_09.html
> 
> As you will see from this article (above), his passion for cinema grew as a child when he became close with several of his family’s friends, including audio / video innovator and Hall of Famer, Henry Kloss: the pioneer behind the first home theater projection systems, at ADVENT in 1971, also creator of the Bookshelf Speaker (Acoustic Research in 1954). Kipnis himself now boasts 4 consecutive Guinness World Record Wins (2009 – 2012) for being the “Most Technically Advanced Home Theater & Video Gaming Setup in the World!”, and countless international awards for both his pioneering audio and video work.
> 
> Kipnis considers the KSS TRINITY Theater a laboratory, a place to review new technologys on a daily basis. He is currently designing and creating several different sized versions of his KSS Media Room designs for new clients in the US, Canada, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia; providing an ultimate AV experience that is way beyond merely going to the movies or listening to an album. One day he hopes to create a truly self-powered wireless speaker that can produce “You Are There” sound from within any room type and size, while blending invisibly into the interior decour — a true No Compromise High-End afforadble speaker system.
> 
> 
> 
> Kipnis’s long list of testimonials from avid listeners and viewers speaks for itself. Steve Guttenberg (Home Theater Magazine, CNET, Stereophile, The Absolute Sound, The Robb Report, Engadget and A/V Interiors, and a projectionist for Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola) states “ I thought I had seen and heard everything, but nothing comes close to this!”
> 
> And Academy Award winning film resortation producer, Robert Harris (Godfather, Rear Window, Sparticus, Vertigo) uses Kipnis Studios to evaluate the quality of his work, “The facililty is World Class — a Screening Room that itself defines the “Standards” for our industry!
> 
> Kipnis has been recently featured on the HGTV show “Million Dollar Rooms”. Check out the full segment at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KptVIB1KYpk
> 
> For more information about Kipnis and his unique home theater system and the company that designs them (as well as Kipnis’ Record Label and Audio / Video Calibration Company) visit: The Kipnis World: Kipnis-Studios.com or go directly www.UltimateHomeTheaterDesign.com .


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## willis7469

Seems like talleys uncle built a theater!
For some reason in my memory this room was built by dts or someone like that. I think it was in S/V? 


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## lesmor

Blacklightning said:


> View of the back


Couch in the centre of the room??????????
Worst position for room modes


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## willis7469

lesmor said:


> Couch in the centre of the room??????????
> 
> Worst position for room modes




Hard to tell for sure without knowing measurements...


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## Blacklightning

lesmor said:


> Couch in the centre of the room??????????
> Worst position for room modes


Looks closer to the back. I think the position looks great.


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## willis7469

Blacklightning said:


> Looks closer to the back. I think the position looks great.




Agreed. I see a couch in the center of a circle. Not necessarily in the center of the room. 


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## Todd Anderson

I don't know gentlemen... room looks pretty awesome. I'd like to hang there for an evening!


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## tonyvdb

Todd, the problem with a room like that is I would be so distracted by all the gear I wouldn't even hear how god/bad it sounds LOL


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## willis7469

Todd Anderson said:


> I don't know gentlemen... room looks pretty awesome. I'd like to hang there for an evening!




+10!!! And if I could afford this room, I could afford to have it be its own part of the house. Where WAF need not apply. Except Willis approval factor... To me this room has taken practicality and crushed it like a bug. I love it. 


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## lesmor

Cant see any kind of display?


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## Tonto

https://coltmonday.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/home-theatre-10.jpg


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## Blacklightning

lesmor said:


> Cant see any kind of display?


Sorry, I think my photo of the rear of the room caused some confusion.


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## Tonto

Post moved to Cartoon Thread.


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## lesmor

God i'm dumb of course there was, I forgot he first picture you posted,sorry


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## Todd Anderson

tonyvdb said:


> Todd, the problem with a room like that is I would be so distracted by all the gear I wouldn't even hear how god/bad it sounds LOL


Good point. Once the sound came on, though, I think you might have a new found focus!


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## Todd Anderson

Here's #10.

I'm curious to see if someone can dig up something interesting for #11 and #12. Maybe some cool DIY?


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## Tonto

Not really my style, but it's not my theater! I'm sure they are really proud of it. If all those surfaces are absorbent, it could be too much. Looks like it could be a be a bit dead in the top end. Would love to sit it and see, or at least see some FR measurements.


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## lesmor

#10
Like this one but as noted a lot of panels but nicely done 
Looks more commercial than a home theatre I would love to see and hear it.


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## Blacklightning

The last few have been good setups. Bring back the junk. I want to complain and not be jealous.


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## willis7469

10 seems a little busy but nice. Mostly it looks like any of the front row seats wouldn't be good at all. 


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## JBrax

Blacklightning said:


> The last few have been good setups. Bring back the junk. I want to complain and not be jealous.


I second this!


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## Spidacat

lesmor said:


> #10
> Like this one but as noted a lot of panels but nicely done
> Looks more commercial than a home theatre I would love to see and hear it.


I agree with this. Also with willis7469. The front row looks awful close to the screen. I think my neck would be at an uncomfortable angle for long term viewing. Also, it looks like the front row would have a tough time with the front stage - too many seats would be either left-center or right-center dominant.


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## Todd Anderson

#11

Discuss


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## willis7469

Lololololololololololololololol........
I feel like the rear soundstage would be incredible. 


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## lesmor

#11
Walls could do with a lick of paint but they might provide some diffusion which is good
No ceiling SBIR which is also good perhaps a rug on the concrete a first reflection points
Nice bar area


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## Tonto

I think it's great for the kids...adults...not so much. Anything is better than routine trips to the cinemaplex though! If he could only work on those wrinkles! That's got to be distracting.


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## tripplej

For number eleven, I suspect it is for a kids birthday party or kids event at the house. They will not mind the wrinkles on the screen and any other distractions (birds, heat, etc.). To be young and carefree and happy to see an "outdoor" movie like in the drive in's from long time ago is all they want. lol.


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## theJman

Well, at least they won't need to worry adding any sound absorption panels...


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## DqMcClain

#11 has an obscenely expensive electronics rack, considering the rest of the system.


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## willis7469

DqMcClain said:


> #11 has an obscenely expensive electronics rack, considering the rest of the system.




Rofl...


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## Todd Anderson

Let's get this rolling again... back from vacation!

#12!


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## tripplej

For number 12, the picture is dark most likely due to the room lighting turned off but the lights on the wall next to the tv show a lot of reflection. I hope they turn them off when viewing.


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## lesmor

#12
The whole room looks very reflective, from the front wall (which might diffuse slightly???) to the hard floor.
Also the glass from the window at the right side.
Restricted front view of the whole room doesn't help deciding if its good or bad.


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## theJman

From what little I can see of #12 that's a sharp looking setup. Probably is a bit too reflective, but it surely looks nice.


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## Spidacat

#12 looks like something more attainable for the average enthusiast. The screen could be a little bigger, and I'm not sure why you would want lighting sconces right next to the screen (especially when watching a movie like when the picture was taken). Obviously can't see seating, subs, or surrounds, but looks like a pretty sharp setup in general.


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## Todd Anderson

#12's front wall looks like it would make a great rear wall... wonder what the rear looks like?

Aesthetically speaking, it looks like a pretty killer space. Hope the sound matches the look!


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## Todd Anderson

Spidacat said:


> #12 looks like something more attainable for the average enthusiast. The screen could be a little bigger, and I'm not sure why you would want lighting sconces right next to the screen (especially when watching a movie like when the picture was taken). Obviously can't see seating, subs, or surrounds, but looks like a pretty sharp setup in general.


Hopefully those sconces are only on when the movie is off (or when taking pictures) :devil:


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## Todd Anderson

#13

Lots going on here. :hsd:


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## thrillcat

Todd Anderson said:


> #13


I hate that the screen is set so far back from the front plane of the speakers.

Those KEF towers are pretty nice.

I'm not that big of a bass-head. That to me looks like overkill.

Obviously this system is more about bass than the entire movie enjoyment experience.


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## lesmor

#13
Unlucky for some especially his neighbours
Don't think they are KEF towers
Poor little centre speaker doesn't stand a chance and the owner doesn't have a clue


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## theJman

Four S2's, four of them! :surprise: Somebody _really_ likes bass...



lesmor said:


> Don't think they are KEF towers


Agreed; they look more like GoldenEar speakers to me, or perhaps DefTech.


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## Blacklightning

#13 needs to get another tower for a center and go with a projector and screen setup. My only fear would be the screen shacking from all that air going around the room.


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## willis7469

Pretty sure those are def tech mythos. 
I agree, the screen is too far back and the center seems like a ford escort pulling a 53' semi trailer next to those subs. However, the four S2's don't seem to overtake the room as much as the screen. That makes me think the room is probably really long, and if it's in half of a basement, and the subs are level matched, they probably aren't that nasty. Unless the MV knob gets twisted up to "11"!!!!! 
On the other hand, it makes me think of younger days, when friends would load the trunk with subs, and run all the front speakers off of the head unit. Lol...


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## Tonto

I don't know...if the curtains are all the way around, might sound a little dead in the upper frequencies. I only see a tiny bit of foam in the corner...if he's only using that (pretty worthless) for bass absorption, he could have big problems. Agree he doesn't seem to be very knowledgeable when it comes to acoustics. Still, I would love to hear it at least once!


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## thrillcat

They could be the Mythos I guess. I just immediately think vintage KEF when I see those oval drivers.


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## Todd Anderson

#14

Dissect ;-)


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## tonyvdb

#14
So many things that would bug me about this room. Where do I start...
1) no screen just projecting on a white wall with no boarder. 
2) Ceiling/walls are too white and all the light reflecting off of it. 
3) If you like sitting on/in pillows I guess its ok but I like a real seat. 
4) Where are the speakers? those little round vent like openings in the upper corners had better not be them "as I shake my head"
5) A fireplace directly under the screen and the opening to the Left just allow to much distraction because of the light.

just to name the most obvious things I dont like.


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## Blacklightning

Looks like someone brought over there projector to someone else's home to have a movie night. Maybe I would have more friends in High school if I did this more often???


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## Tonto

I don't know...what's happening on the pillows during the movie might be the better show!


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## thrillcat

#14...I've gotta say, I don't HATE it.

Yes, I'd add a screen border. Yes, I'd do something to tame the light reflections, but honestly, if I had the space, my dream seating layout would be:

• Back row bar
• Second row traditional theater seats
• Front row super cozy U-shaped sectional
• In front of that, pillows on the floor like shown here


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## lesmor

#14
I like the vaulted ceiling but that's about it
Might as well not bother on the audio front as you can see everyone lying down so their ears are vertical not horizontal.
The sound of people snoring would be a distraction along with the light reflecting off the walls ,that door front left, and window at the right side which is also reflecting the screen image.
A pretty poor attempt on all fronts


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## tripplej

I echo what everybody else says.. Lots of negatives in that post number 14. I also must add that the fireplace light as well as the hallway light will be distracting. 

I suspect it must be for a quick movie night at someone's house and someone brought the portable projector. 

On the plus side, I am sure those pillows are comfy.. lol.


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## Todd Anderson

#14 definitely has SERIOUS issues!

Concern #1: Not enough pillows! :blink:


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## Todd Anderson

#15


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## lesmor

#15
Nice and modern lounge set up 
Yeah maybe drop the centre speaker down and I could live with that.


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## theJman

Light paint, bright surfaces that are reflective, a center that shoots about 3 feet above your ears and (potentially) no subwoofer. What's not to like?

Did anyone notice the speakers aren't connected? Was this strictly for a photo shoot, or is it actually someone's setup?


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## tripplej

Number 15 is very clean look. It does look like it is for a photo shoot. As mentioned, the speakers are not plugged in. I can't tell from the angle of the picture the size of the TV. It looks small but I suspect, it must be a big one if you look at it straight on. Agree with others about the placement of the center speaker. I do like the clean room.


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## willis7469

Looks like shark week is on, who cares. Lol


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## PoTee

After looking at the entire thread I can only say that I'm envious of most of the rooms as I have a very modest 5.2 system in a pretty small room. But seeing as we both like action movies we do get some pretty good sound. 
Stay posted though because after I win the LOTTO I'll need your inputs with the new room in the house built for it. Ah! life and its many dreams.


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## PoTee

Just noticed 100Th post not many for 6 years. Guess I'm just a much bigger reader.


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## Todd Anderson

PoTee said:


> Just noticed 100Th post not many for 6 years. Guess I'm just a much bigger reader.


Glad you're popping in! ;-)


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## Todd Anderson

#16

Nice looking space... what do you like? What would you change?


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## Blacklightning

I like this room, seen many like it, the owner should be proud.

The two things that I saw right away was the smaller then the mains center channel which will work because of x-over. And the thing that I would change (check) is the stacked subs. I would use REW and find the best spot for the subs. 

Maybe that is the best spot for them or WAF is at play.


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## tonyvdb

All in all not a bad space. The open space to the left might be an issue for acoustics/imaging and I also agree those two subs are very different from each other and may not play well together. The cylinder is an SVS not sure what the other one is.


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## theJman

Other than the left channel potentially blocking the screen - which may be an optical illusion due to how the picture was taken - the only thing I would change is that tan couch. Doesn't look as nice as the rest of the room, and it appears as though it would be less than comfy.


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## Blacklightning

theJman said:


> the only thing I would change is that tan couch..


WHAT!!!! You of all people have nothing to say about those subs??? >


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## willis7469

Blacklightning said:


> WHAT!!!! You of all people have nothing to say about those subs??? >




Rofl


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## theJman

Blacklightning said:


> WHAT!!!! You of all people have nothing to say about those subs??? >


What's not to like? Both subs are blasting output directly into the couches. Isn't that what a buttkicker does? :wink2:


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## willis7469

theJman said:


> What's not to like? Both subs are blasting output directly into the couches. Isn't that what a buttkicker does? :wink2:




'cept buttkickers are cheatin!

Nice to see another room with a PC(not computer) in it. 


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## tripplej

Number 16 looks nice and clean. With those huge subs, they must make not only the room shake but the house as well. I also like the poster and the wall colors are good.


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## theJman

willis7469 said:


> 'cept buttkickers are cheatin!


Agreed. I'm not a fan of those personally.


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## willis7469

I'd like to see the subs properly located.(if that's not the best location already lol). I'd also like to see the center channel off the wall. I think that might make vocals tubby, and give audyssey and the like some trouble. I also agree the left side opening would probably mess up imaging. Treat the right side? I'd also like the surrounds higher. Unless of course this would be upgrade to atmos, etc. that's all I got for now. Looks nice. Warm and inviting. 


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## willis7469

tonyvdb said:


> All in all not a bad space. The open space to the left might be an issue for acoustics/imaging and I also agree those two subs are very different from each other and may not play well together. The cylinder is an SVS not sure what the other one is.




The "other" to me looks like a klipsch. I agree, they might not play nice, but it's possible they could. I'd use the SVS first and then try to incorporate the klipsch(if not sell it for another cylinder). 


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## Crisss22

#16 looks good, nice big towers on front (a 3rd tower for center channel would be nice), or at least a bigger one.
As for the subwoofers…maybe in that spot he measured the best results and decides to place them both (but I don’t think so :smile


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## Todd Anderson

#17!!!

Thoughts? Looks like a nice use of space... but that couch might be a tad too close to the screen (given the screen size?)


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## Blacklightning

Nice use of space. You can never be too close to the screen, this way he will notice 4k. 0
I understand why he did the surround speakers so high up and I guess I could live with that. On the plus side this owner could add surround speakers at close to ear height and keep the ceiling speakers for atmos.

And again what is up with the center channel. I'm starting to hate center channels even more. Also I have no clue what is up with the speakers on top of the speakers. My guess is the small speakers match the center and he upgraded to towers. In any case the owner could use those as sides and do a "nice" 5.1.4 system.

This room will be very live, but since it looks like neighbors will be on the other side of the wall, I don't imagine movies will be played too loud.


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## tonyvdb

Ya, #17 should be turned so the long wall is the screen wall but I guess it depends on what is behind the camera if that would even work.
The bookshelf behind the couch would be bad for reflection points. The window to the left of the room is also going to be hard to black out and lastly the rear surround speakers are shooting into the top of the shelving unit so cancellation would be an issue.


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## Blacklightning

tonyvdb said:


> The window to the left of the room is also going to be hard to black out


LOL, it looks like his black out shades are down for the picture... did not notice that.


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## tripplej

Number seventeen looks like an apartment room setting. I do like the fact that the main room there is the home theater room. Great use of space. Hopefully he closes the blinds or curtain or whatever he has for the window when watching on the projector.


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## willis7469

I would look for a better solution to the surround speaker setup. They won't perform very good there. Those speakers on the mains look like the leftovers of package deal. I find it interesting how people place speakers that they don't know what do with. A rug would probably help with the liveliness a little. Good to see the couch away from the wall, though the experience would benefit from it being out farther, but that might cause trouble in setting up the front speakers. The angle almost makes the screen look 4:3. Lol


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## Spidacat

The room "looks" nice, but they need to get a real center channel, ditch the glass top table in front of the couch and with that tile floor, they really need an area rug. , they might need a double set of black out curtains.


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## Tonto

It's a bad situation from the getgo. But we have to live with what we have. The window wall, tile floors, glass top coffee table (nice catch Spidacat). I think it looks as good as it can get. I would advise some free standing absorptive panels, a retractable curtain for the entire window wall (acoustic as well). As already said, a large area rug (would add some acoustical carpet padding under it) & I would just move the coffee table out of the way during movie time.


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## Todd Anderson

#18 - The Bat Cave!

What do you make of this? Desirable? Trash?


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## Blacklightning

Those batman shaped speakers look really nice, I little over kill having tower (full body) speakers on the sides. That Bat-mobile subwoofer looks sick, would love to see the DIY write-up on that one.


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## willis7469

Love...


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## tripplej

For number eighteen, it is way over the top of course! But, I would love to have it. The drawback would be how expensive it will be to build that room! 
I am sure high end speakers and projector are being used here so I suspect the home theater experience will be excellent.


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## thrillcat

#18-

I wouldn't want to own it, but I'd love to know the owner so I could visit every now and then for a movie. It's way overkill for my tastes, but I have to give credit to anyone with the passion and the means to pull something like this off. Like I said, it's not for me, but it is executed to a T. It is perfectly done, and looks amazing.


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## theJman

Astonishing amount of time, thought and money invested to create an almost surreal experience. Very well done, for the individual who is _really_ into Batman of course. For me personally it's excessive and way over the top, but I applaud the creativity and execution of the theme.


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## Todd Anderson

The only question is: what do you do if you want to watch Superman? ;-). You certainly can't watch it in there!

I think that themed rooms are really cool. I would love to see the numbers on what something like this costs (, I'd love to see the rest of the house)!


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## willis7469

Probably looks like Wayne manor!
This room looks exquisitely done, and like Jim said, you'd have to LOVE batman. I think themes are cool too, Todd, but if I had enough money what would it be? The inside of U-571, or syndromes lair, a WWII era battle scene recreated in the house? Or maybe inside lighting McQueens trailer? Ah hah! Frankensteins lab! Guess I'll never know. Still enjoying this thread. 


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## Todd Anderson

That's a thread we need to start: Dream theme home theater room!


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## willis7469

Dream theater!
Sorry, couldn't resist. Lol


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## Todd Anderson

#19


What's missing here? Anything?


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## tripplej

Number 19 looks good to me but why put the refreshments area in the room? Lot of light from that area and would be distracting, I would think.


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## Andre

I hope its a perforated screen with speakers behind because if they are stuck in those corners the imaging wouldn't be optimum. I am hoping that controller in the second row would be able to turn off all the lights, including those at the refreshment stand.


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## willis7469

I feel like 19 is built for the overall vibe more than actual performance. It feels like a theater, but I wonder how it performs on the audio front. My guess is the home owner wanted a theater in the house that gave the overall experience, with the focus on feeling like you drove down to the cineplex. It is beautiful, and probably a lot of fun. I love "Robots" too. 


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## Todd Anderson

#20!!

What do you make of this? Good, bad, and ugly... let's hear it! ;-)


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## theJman

The panels on the walls look to be a bit on the light side, but other then that it seems like it might be a real nice place to watch a movie.


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## Blacklightning

I like the fact that it have a center seat. Too many setups only have 2, 4 or 6 seats per row.


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## tripplej

Number 20 looks very nice and clean. I like the ceiling all black and there are plenty of seats. I can't tell from the picture where the speakers are. If they are in the front (blended with the wall color) or if they are in ceiling (blended with the ceiling color).. Either way, looks like a great room.


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## Spidacat

#20 - Are the door to the right glass? - possible vibration source - although everything looks treated. Other than that, the first row of seats looks a little far away and it's a shame that the screen isn't 50% bigger for that space.


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## Tonto

Nice room, could accommodate a scope screen which would really bring the room together. Would make it look 10 x better. I think I would have used some diffusion in lieu of that much absorption. Hopefully he used it on the back wall. Like a Leanfuser™. I can't imagine that door is not a problem. I would get ride of that sliding door, and put a cloud on the ceiling.


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## willis7469

Looks pretty ok. I doubt the door is an afterthought and is probably fine. I don't like how shiny the ceiling is, and I think the room is too narrow for 5 wide seating. I wonder if the yellow walls would be distracting too. I wish I knew where the speakers were placed...


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## Andre

I would have went with a less reflective color for panel, floor and seating but other than that its a very nice room. I don't think the door is glass, looks more like they replaced the glass with a panel.


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## kenreau

Todd Anderson said:


> #20!!
> 
> What do you make of this? Good, bad, and ugly... let's hear it! ;-)


Beautiful room, but too much light reflection from the ceiling and light reflecting surfaces adjacent to the screen. Suggest adding flat black velvet the first 2~3 meters on the ceiling in front of the screen and some black clad sound absorption panels at the first acoustical reflection point.

Kenreau


----------



## Todd Anderson

kenreau said:


> Beautiful room, but too much light reflection from the ceiling and light reflecting surfaces adjacent to the screen. Suggest adding flat black velvet the first 2~3 meters on the ceiling in front of the screen and some black clad sound absorption panels at the first acoustical reflection point.
> 
> Kenreau


That's exactly what my eye was drawn to, Kenreau. Those surfaces look way too reflective (light-wise, for sure). Very hey catching room, tho!


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## Todd Anderson

#21

Likes? Dislikes?

I like that they went with a projector set up.... not so psyched about the ceiling mount light in the center of the room!


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## willis7469

I agree. Projector right over head would not be great. Can't tell what the mains are. They kinda remind me of axioms 1/2 in wall. Anyway, I'd guess they're horrible, as is bass performance since the sub looks like it was placed as a matter of convenience. Maybe it works anyway? Where's the center? I feel like the scale of the screen would outweigh the scale of audio capability. Themes is kinda fun but IMO execution is not good. 


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## Spidacat

Yeah, it's a nice looking room, but looks like they skimped on the audio. Maybe it's not a big priority for them. Also, it looks like a theater room, not a living room - ditch the coffee table.


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## Andre

No center. I don't see any surrounds, looks like a little 8"sub. 2.1 HT??:scratch::huh::rolleyesno:


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## Blacklightning

WAF is high for this one. I'm sure this HT will see lots of romantic comedies so in that case this HT is overkill. :laugh2:


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## Andre

Vase with flowers, embroidered cushions and Tulip wall sconces. I think the guy (if there is one involved) probably got to pick the screen size and that's about it.:unbelievable::crying2:


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## Todd Anderson

It almost looks like the center channel is in the middle cabinet???


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## willis7469

Todd Anderson said:


> It almost looks like the center channel is in the middle cabinet???




I can't see it, but I hope not cause I think it has a glass door. 
Also, what's in the top right corner of the photo? Is that an hvac vent, or an in wall speaker grill? What?!


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## JBrax

Like others have said WAF is high in that room. The image on screen looks spectacular but I'd guess the audio side is lacking. That ceiling mounted light in the center of the room definitely needs to go. I like the earthy colors of the room.


----------



## tripplej

The room is well decorated and I do agree that the WAF is there. 
I also don't like the center light in the room. I suspect it was there prior to the room becoming a home theater. 
I also was wondering about the center channel. 

I am sure with all the lights turned off, the picture will be great.. Sound as well as long as there is a center channel somewhere in there.


----------



## Todd Anderson

willis7469 said:


> I can't see it, but I hope not cause I think it has a glass door.
> Also, what's in the top right corner of the photo? Is that an hvac vent, or an in wall speaker grill? What?!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Not sure...but it looks like a vent?


----------



## Todd Anderson

#22. Real world!


----------



## tripplej

Now, number 22 is more realistic aka real world that is for sure. Simple and clean look. I like it. Just a great setup for an apartment I am assuming. Can't see the projector but I suspect the picture and sound will be great in that room.


----------



## theJman

My guess is that LF and center are going to have some SQ challenges; the former is shoved way too much into a corner, and the latter is pushed too far back on that cabinet. Early reflections, and probably a lot of them.


----------



## thrillcat

Sometimes you can do what you can do, and #22 seems to have done that. If this is truly the only space they could fit the screen, they've done it about as well as can be expected. Unfortunately they are facing the challenges, with that left front so close to the side wall and firing somewhat into their curtain and not enough height to do an identical center channel.

But they do have the tweeters at the same level across the front, so that's good.

Again, a good job doing the best with what's available.


----------



## Gdaddy

I'd be curious to see the floor plan of the room to see if there were any other options/wall were the TV could be placed.


----------



## Gdaddy

Todd Anderson said:


> #21
> 
> Likes? Dislikes?
> 
> I like that they went with a projector set up.... not so psyched about the ceiling mount light in the center of the room!


Subwoofer looks tiny for that size room. Maybe there's another one.

The color of the carpet could be better matched to the wall color. Me no like.


----------



## Todd Anderson

I'd be inclined to get rid of the console, replace the center channel with a matching bookshelf, and pull the mains in just a tad...

But, all things being equal, this is decent use of a small space.


----------



## Todd Anderson

#23

Bedroom system. :gulp:


----------



## tripplej

For number 23 bedroom setup, wow, that is a lot of big speakers in a small room. Sound will be very loud and good. I would like to have a bigger screen. lol. But, overall, I am sure the room is just right for the user.


----------



## theJman

Todd Anderson said:


> #23
> 
> Bedroom system. :gulp:


Attachments, not embedded pictures?


----------



## Spidacat

The TV is already blocking part of the window, why not raise up the right speaker to match the left? Or better yet, just lower the left, unless the sound would get blocked out by something? Maybe they should just ignore the window and center everything, especially if you're going to bother with all that equipment in a bedroom of that size.


----------



## Todd Anderson

IMO, they need to ditch that center channel and go two-channel with a phantom center. And get those tweeters leveled on the left and right channels!


----------



## Gdaddy

Did they cut the bottom off the right speaker?

It seems the center channel was placed for optimum COB listening pleasure. (center of bed)


----------



## thrillcat

#23

Each speaker is at a different level. The center is off-center. The three front speakers are close enough together that they won't get much separation.

I can't imagine this being better than a decent soundbar/subwoofer setup, which is probably a better solution in this space.


----------



## Todd Anderson

Yeah... something doesn't feel right here. Ferrari on a cobblestone street! ;-)


----------



## willis7469

#23 looks like the speaker configuration could be optimized for laying on your right side. While listening to nelly...
#22 For me, the biggest offense is the mains being so far below the center horizontal plane of the display. The left front has an uphill battle too. Overall, looks pretty typical. 


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## Gdaddy

Many people just don't care about or realize the effect of proper speaker placement. They just don't get it.

Both my son and my son-in-law couldn't care less. As long as it's loud enough is what matters to them.

I set up a very nice 5.1 system for my son-in-law and as soon as I leave the house and he turns on the sound so it's coming out of all the speakers at once. "I want to hear what I paid for" he says as he turns it up. Doesn't even bother to turn on the subwoofer.

My son has a projector with a 15' screen. Like a movie theatre. He has fronts and rear surrounds both mounted in the ceiling. He had the front channel coming out the rear speakers so they could hear the dialogue better and the rear surround coming out the front ceiling speakers. He didn't think he needed a subwoofer because he could turn it up loud enough on the existing speakers. I gave him a subwoofer but now he turns that all the way up and it's gotten even worse. Nothing is balanced or makes sense and they won't take the time to understand. The sound is just not important to them.

"Never try to teach a pig to sing. You'll only get frustrated and it annoys the pig."


----------



## willis7469

Gdaddy, if those were my family members, I would revoke their HT cards and confiscate their gear. To each his own. Singing pigs...


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## Tonto

> "Never try to teach a pig to sing. You'll only get frustrated and it annoys the pig."


I don't know, I taught my first girlfriend to sing pretty good!


----------



## Savjac

Number 23 just cannot work and I can say nothing more than that. I tend to agree that a solid sound bar would truly do well in here and that's just my feeling.


----------



## Todd Anderson

Gdaddy said:


> Many people just don't care about or realize the effect of proper speaker placement. They just don't get it.
> 
> Both my son and my son-in-law couldn't care less. As long as it's loud enough is what matters to them.
> 
> I set up a very nice 5.1 system for my son-in-law and as soon as I leave the house and he turns on the sound so it's coming out of all the speakers at once. "I want to hear what I paid for" he says as he turns it up. Doesn't even bother to turn on the subwoofer.
> 
> My son has a projector with a 15' screen. Like a movie theatre. He has fronts and rear surrounds both mounted in the ceiling. He had the front channel coming out the rear speakers so they could hear the dialogue better and the rear surround coming out the front ceiling speakers. He didn't think he needed a subwoofer because he could turn it up loud enough on the existing speakers. I gave him a subwoofer but now he turns that all the way up and it's gotten even worse. Nothing is balanced or makes sense and they won't take the time to understand. The sound is just not important to them.
> 
> "Never try to teach a pig to sing. You'll only get frustrated and it annoys the pig."



Speechless :yikes:

You have your work cut out for you! ;-)


----------



## Andre

#23 is a total wash, in a case like this I would just get some headphones.


----------



## Todd Anderson

#24


----------



## thrillcat

#24 I love the aesthetic, I love the furniture, I love the style.

Obviously this is not a "theater" room. This is a surround sound system in a living area. Critiquing this as a theater is like critiquing a motorcycle on its 4WD capability. It doesn't have 4 wheels, it wasn't meant to.

I have a room similar to this that does not yet have any surround system. The only thing I would change in this room is the lighting that looks to be shining on the screen.


----------



## Gdaddy

#24

I would imagine the photo is taken from a chair or another sofa aimed at the TV as the sweet spot. Too far away.

The little love seat on the left makes no sense. Who would want to sit there? Get rid of that and pull the sitting area closer to the tv for proper distance to picture and sound. (subwoofers anywhere?)

I like the clean look of the room but would have opted for a larger TV. 

One more thing... I love the look and the color of the sofa but it looks very uncomfortable to sit for any length of time and watch a full length movie.


----------



## tripplej

Number 24 does look very nice and is very clean. I do agree that the love seat to the left of the tv makes no sense. Not for watching TV that is for sure. 
I also agree that a bigger TV would have been a better option.


----------



## Andre

With that seating arrangement I would say "why bother with surround sound". The picture looks more like a room design showcase where the designer is saying "look I can put a home theater in a room and make it looks like it belongs there" Art before function.


----------



## willis7469

Looks like an ad for metro-"something " magazine lol. There's no way on earth someone uses that room for movies. It's probably just fake gear used for "staging" complete with photoshopped image just for the "mag shoot". Just look at the magazines on the table. Their aligned with laser precision. Now what audio nerd would care about that? It is nice to look at, so well done there. 


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## Tonto

Looks like a model unit. I'm sure there are plenty of people that have set up their room worse, but it looks like money is not the object here. Aesthetics rule this roost, like some open house's that new subdivisions host to sell properties. Doesn't look lived in at all. One piece of art, fresh paint, nothing scratched, and no apparent wear path on the rub. No kids in that house!


----------



## Spidacat

#24

Is that an on wall subwoofer to the left of the left speaker, or some sort of heater?


----------



## willis7469

I'm thinking heater...


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## Tedd

How about this room?

The one seat home theater.

Would you, could you?






Not sure I could get my head around a single seat at this level, but at three seats I could.
(I personally love the room.)


----------



## thrillcat

I love the detail taken for sound, but there's nothing visually appealing about that room to me until the lights are out and the movie rolls. I despise all these "blue light" theaters. What is it about blue light that people think it's required for that "high tech" look and feel. 

Like I said, I wish I could take that care in the acoustic treatment of the room, but give me a cozy room when the lights are on over this any day. 


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## theJman

Tedd said:


> How about this room?


"sterile" is the first thought that jumped into my head - seems rather lonely and lifeless. It's probably an audio and video treat for the senses, but too barren and uninspired for my tastes.


----------



## Gdaddy

I love this futurist look. The room has no compromises in quality with a very exciting look. A few more chairs is not a problem.


----------



## Tedd

I hear you... But after being in a few very hard core type viewing rooms, I found I actually prefer a lack of detailing 
with very dark finishes, over stages, fancy trim/woodwork, and exposed speakers.

I also find some fancy lighting and a lighting controller to offset the "plainness", in rooms such as this. My next room will 
feature a small lobby to bring in some more wow factor, to what will be a simply finished out room. Hopefully something 
like a feature wall, and some standoff off lettering, marble floor, fancy lights, a built in av rack, and a digital movie poster 
light box project will give me just enough wow factor, to keep me happy.


----------



## Todd Anderson

Wow. That's quite a room. Would need to have more seats for my liking, but I could handle it. ;-))


----------



## Tedd

Kind of close to a single seating row version of Josk1's room...

One thing I really like about these angled fabric framed rooms is 
by building into the room, those fabric framed walls could hide the 
side surrounds, and wiring could be surface run, in conduit.


----------



## Tonto

This looks like the theater by the gentleman from France that posted his build thread with us a while back. I would love to hear it!


----------



## Todd Anderson

Tedd said:


> Kind of close to a single seating row version of Josk1's room...
> 
> One thing I really like about these angled fabric framed rooms is
> by building into the room, those fabric framed walls could hide the
> side surrounds, and wiring could be surface run, in conduit.


Assuming the purple lights dim-out, I think this would be a good one to hang out in. Love the length of the room!


----------



## Tedd

Tonto said:


> This looks like the theater by the gentleman from France that posted his build thread with us a while back. I would love to hear it!


Home Theater Shack is where I came across that home theater.

I expect the RGB lighting dims and goes off completely. I also expect it could be any color. It's kind of a cool feature that can be done 
very affordably these days.


----------



## Tedd

Anyone ever see Art Install and some of their unique 2-3 seat rooms? 

http://www.artinstall.ru/en/projects/loft

http://www.artinstall.ru/en/projects/bauhaus

http://www.artinstall.ru/en/projects/crystal


----------



## Gdaddy

Those rooms are amazing. The lighting and textures create such an exciting ambiance.


----------



## theJman

Gdaddy said:


> Those rooms are amazing. The lighting and textures create such an exciting ambiance.


+1

Those are very nicely done.


----------



## Todd Anderson

Love the brick! WOW. Simply gorgeous!


----------



## willis7469

I sure like the look of the artinstall room, but I feel like they're trying to pull one on me with the cg imposed speakers and gear rack on the brick. Lame. 


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## willis7469

puukorva said:


> You need to take anything coming out of russia with a grain of salt. And a shot of vodka.




Rofl! Vodka can help many things!


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## Tedd

Might very well be brick veneer, and not a solid brick wall. That would be very affordable DIY option to embed an av 
rack in a "brick" wall.

I expect the cg imposed speakers are just to show off in wall surround speakers, or shallow on wall, surround speakers.


----------



## Tedd

JBL demo room:


----------



## Todd Anderson

Alright #26.

Perhaps I'm biased (Go Skins!), but THIS is a room to behold.

Can you say rotating seating stage.

Touchdown!


----------



## Gdaddy

No photo here.


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## Todd Anderson

Let's try that again... (not sure why it's only showing as an attachment)


----------



## Gdaddy

Looks like a copy of Duffy's sports bar or many others for that matter. These are like therapy rooms for people with ADD.

Who gets to control the remote for the rotating platform? Why change the channel when you can simply use a rotating stage to see the instant replay off yet another TV behind you? Pure genius. 

Here's an idea...set up the platform so it has a 'high speed' setting. Fill everybody up with chicken wangs and Budweiser and then put on the spin cycle. This is like that spinning wheel on the kids playground. Spin it faster and faster until they all fly off. Watching your drunk friends fly across the room as they spew out foaming beer. Now that's entertainment! Not to worry, the plastic artificial turf won't stain and is easily cleaned up with your Black and Decker shop vac.


----------



## NBPk402

That theater just needs a 360 degree screen!


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## tripplej

I agree with all that number twenty-six is very nice due to all the luxury that it has. Who ever owns that room has plenty of money to spend. 
I especially like the center rotating seat stage. Wow!


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## willis7469

26 looks like fun. I, like Todd, am a skins fan, but I enjoy 2 ball sports, so this wouldn't work in my house, but I'd love to visit this room. I'd like to know more about the gear and implementation, but as is cant make a guess on performance. 


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## Todd Anderson

willis7469 said:


> 26 looks like fun. I, like Todd, am a skins fan, but I enjoy 2 ball sports, so this wouldn't work in my house, but I'd love to visit this room. I'd like to know more about the gear and implementation, but as is cant make a guess on performance.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I just knew there was something about you....:sn:


----------



## willis7469

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Todd Anderson

#20 something...


----------



## Savjac

This looks like a very fun room but I have to wonder how well in wall speakers work and a proper home theater at all five channels. I have been walls in the side channel and I think it works pretty well but I just don't believe they would have enough power drive or bottom end to actually perform well.
Although if the patrons are really stuffed animals that I don't think that my opinion really matters much.:laugh2:


----------



## tripplej

That is a nice room, which I suspect is being used by the kids for the holiday! lol. 

The lights on the xmas tree will cause some issues, I suspect. But, as mentioned above, if the room is for the stuffed animals, well, i suspect they will have a great time!


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## willis7469

puukorva said:


> In-wall installation maximises the boundary effect so the bottom end is extended compared to a regular speaker. There are also other design advantages when going in-wall. But this setup should obviously have a subwoofer hidden somewhere.




Also extended is the potential for muddy and boomy bottom end. Double edged sword. IMO the only advantage IS design. And higher WAF. 


The speakers in this room would not be able to bolster a screen/room that size. Not without sounding stressed. Looks super festive and fun for now and my kids would dig it. Should have painted the grills and trims too. Seems like a builder special... Wish the lights were on so I could see it better. 


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## RTS100x5

I just installed a room with Monitor Audio and its one of the best Media Room systems I have heard .... obviously some very expensive in-walls but you get what you pay for.... as well Ive heard some in walls that sound very inept and I wouldnt sell those or even give them away in my business...

Get what you pay for ....


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## theJman

I'm not sure you can eliminate the shortcomings inherent to in-wall speakers. Having a front baffle measured in feet - or even yards, depending upon the size of the wall - will impact SQ. I don't see a way you can engineer around the effects of physics. Potentially mitigate them to a certain extent, but the negative influence seems unavoidable to me.


----------



## willis7469

For me, the potential advantages of in wall speakers are outweighed by the potential of in room speakers. I find that the ability to properly place speakers in a room outweighs the advantage that an IB(for short) can add. Once you place a speaker in a wall, the only thing you can move is the LP. That's not always practical, and also doesn't count for toe in, and not being able to set the width apart, or room modes etc. Amiable tweeters help, but it's much better to have the whole alignment on the same axis. Not to mention the added distance from the LP. Also edge diffraction can be addressed by the speaker designer by way of crossover, driver specs, and baffle design. The majority of in walls usually compromise by having smaller, or lesser amounts of drivers, that struggle for impact and dynamics. I'm not saying that in walls can't produce a great experience, it's just that many of the installations out in the wild don't. In my mind, it would take a baffle wall behind an AT screen full of triads built specially for that room. The room that started this discussion has none of the things that a valuable in wall install has, only that they may have solved a diffraction issue. In the end, IMO, it just depends on the room and its overall design goal. A custom home theater is one thing, but practical home theater is what most of us have to deal with. 


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## willis7469

Don't forget there are also plenty of truths about them. Good and bad both. Like all things in audio, there isn't a golden buzzer option that fixes all things equally, and for me, in wall designs check fewer boxes. Fwiw, I do have both in my house. 


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## willis7469

Sure. Their intended purpose was a casual 2ch listening experience. I modeled an enclosure size and built one for them to be installed in and dampened the inside. They do sound really nice for being fairly pedestrian(Polk rc85i, not exactly builder specials either) compared to triad or speaker craft etc.but despite sounding good they'll never afford me the same experience and/or flexibility of my main rooms' system. I'm also a believe the same holds true for surrounds, in that they yield the best experience when they can be aimed to LP in the best way. So yes, I do like them, but I know what they can/can't do. 


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## Savjac

What I have found with mine is that there is no bass extension, in fact the bass out of the speakers is quite limited and imo they would never work as mains.
Being that they are essentially infinite baffle speakers, I find they stay clean and roll off pretty nicely.

I agree with this statement "The speakers in this room would not be able to bolster a screen/room that size. Not without sounding stressed." whole heartedly.
There is more than one advantage however, they keep me from hitting my head on surround speakers, and they do rock out giving me a good surround field during movies. 



willis7469 said:


> Also extended is the potential for muddy and boomy bottom end. Double edged sword. IMO the only advantage IS design. And higher WAF.
> 
> 
> The speakers in this room would not be able to bolster a screen/room that size. Not without sounding stressed. Looks super festive and fun for now and my kids would dig it. Should have painted the grills and trims too. Seems like a builder special... Wish the lights were on so I could see it better.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Todd Anderson

#28


----------



## theJman

#28 is a pretty sharp looking room. Center will probably be an issue though; it's too small and not positioned correctly, but the room has a nice subtle look to it.


----------



## willis7469

I agree, that center would likely be a problem. Too small, and I wonder if the whole speaker suite is too small.(hard to judge the scope) The room is clean, but I don't like the mixture of warm and cool colors(brown and grey). The loungers look comfy but mine would be right where that little table is. Lights are nice too. 


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## Gdaddy

#28

The chaise lounges with pillow backs add to the uniqueness of this room, however, IMO they are not comfortable at all and can be difficult for most people to get positioned. These were selected for a 'look' instead of a practical seating solution. Form follows function.


----------



## willis7469

Gdaddy said:


> #28
> 
> 
> 
> The chaise lounges with pillow backs add to the uniqueness of this room, however, IMO they are not comfortable at all and can be difficult for most people to get positioned. These were selected for a 'look' instead of a practical seating solution. Form follows function.




It almost seems like an ad for a furniture companies lounge chair theater seating to me. 


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## Gdaddy

Would you rather have that chaise or this?


----------



## willis7469

The color is terrible but I like the idea better 


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## JBrax

I'm liking the color scheme of #28 but that center channel looks TINY! That big screen deserves some big sound. I just don't see the audio experience matching the video experience.


----------



## willis7469

JBrax said:


> I'm liking the color scheme of #28 but that center channel looks TINY! That big screen deserves some big sound. I just don't see the audio experience matching the video experience.




Yep. This...


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## JBrax

I would also prefer the seating to be more centered to the screen. Maybe bring the chairs in and end tables on the outside.


----------



## thrillcat

#28 is just my style, but I would use an acoustically transparent screen and matching LCRs behind it.

I also agree that the seating, while it can be comfortable for lounging, it's not great for watching a movie. I'd move them in to the center and use something with a touch more back support.


----------



## Todd Anderson

#29.

This is real world (for someone)... equipment includes:


12 Aragon & James power amplifiers 
GTL Sound Labs AP Platinum main speakers
Four side, two rear and four ceiling AE963 in-wall surround speakers
Four Bay Audio subwoofers —​ two PMT+12 s for "impact" and two PMT+15s for "rumble."
Sony VW-1100ES 4K projector
Oppo BDP-105 Blu-ray
170 inch screen

Yup... those side walls have acoustic panels built-in.


WOW


----------



## willis7469

Now we talkin!!! Looks like a ride I was in at Disney world. Lol


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## JBrax

Yes please!


----------



## willis7469

Well, it is a critique thread so I'll add that the back row of seat is probably too wide for the outside seats to have a great experience. Looks like a sweet spot in the front row though. 


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## theJman

#29 looks like it was taken directly form Tron, but I kinda like it. For sure, somebody has a job that pays way better than mine does...


----------



## willis7469

theJman said:


> #29 looks like it was taken directly form Tron, but I kinda like it. For sure, somebody has a job that pays way better than mine does...




Lol. That makes two of us. At least...
One more thing is it seems a little on the small side to me. 


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## tripplej

The star wars theme home theater does look very nice and very expensive. I wonder if the lights are on all the time even with the movie playing? Either way, I am sure the owners will enjoy watching in that theater room.


----------



## Todd Anderson

#30

A little Christmas action, here... photo is low-res, but you get the point! What's going on here?


----------



## willis7469

Todd Anderson said:


> #30
> 
> 
> 
> What's going on here?




A demo for how not to build a home theater? Looks like it's in a convention center or a break room at a business. Ho ho ho? Or ha ha ha!


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## Todd Anderson

Those rears have some issues!


----------



## willis7469

Todd Anderson said:


> Those rears have some issues!




To say the least. They could build a speaker in to the projector for the VOG speaker in auro. Hope there's some egg nog in there somewhere. 


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## DqMcClain

Todd Anderson said:


> Those rears have some issues!



That's what delay lines are for...


----------



## willis7469

DqMcClain said:


> That's what delay lines are for...




Lol


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## Todd Anderson

How about #31...


----------



## willis7469

Uuuummmmmm......


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## JBrax

Center channel sitting on top of sub? Interesting?


----------



## Gdaddy

#31

First...You're killing me with the mix of two tone green with the orange rug and pillows!

Everything is as big as you can possibly fit in the room. Get a smaller square cocktail table to properly fit the space. 

Floor standing speakers... too big. Replace with bookshelf speakers on stands and away from the left wall.

equipment rack.... somewhere else toward the left rear.

Sub left front corner.


----------



## willis7469

The rack definitely has to be moved or broken down into an entertainment center/ tv stand or something. Move the sub(can't even imagine all the issues that center channel has). Keep the towers, get a round table. 
Or, rotate the setup counterclockwise 90deg and use one of those wall mounts that lowers the tv in front of the fireplace. Really hard to say too much without seeing the whole room. And whoever chose the color pallet must be color blind. 


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## Lumen

You guys are gettin' it all wrong! Isn't it obvious how much time was spent straightening the front wall decoration? In all fairness, this system is worlds better than just a TV alone. But then, this wouldn't be a critique thread, now would it?


----------



## Blackdevil77

I'll play. Anybody here have Seaton Sound speakers?


----------



## Lumen

Love how the speaker's wood grain compliments the serenity of the carpet's subdued earth-tone.
One potential problem I see has to do with shifting of the mains' toe-in as they're subjected to vibration of the subs they sit on.


----------



## Blackdevil77

Lumen said:


> Love how the speaker's wood grain compliments the serenity of the carpet's subdued earth-tone.
> One potential problem I see has to do with shifting of the mains' toe-in as they're subjected to vibration of the subs they sit on.


Luckily that's not a problem with these. The subs are a dual opposing driver design. Each sub as 2 15" drivers on opposite ends of the cabinet. The result is a completely inert cabinet characteristics. The subs cabinets are virtually vibration free due to this design. You can balance a coin on it's side on the top of the sub while it's playing and it won't fall over. There's a video on youtube of this demonstration.


----------



## Lumen

Cool! That's precision engineering! :flex:


----------



## phillihp23

Todd Anderson said:


> After years of running the Facebook feed, I've gathered hundreds of home theater photos...I've kept a lot of them. I thought it would be fun to start posting them here – one at a time – to start a running critique thread.
> 
> I wish I had gear notes on them... I don't... so hopefully some of you will recognize the gear and chime in... but also chime in with comments/critiques about the design and execution! Some are going to be wicked awesome...some are going to be...uh... questionable. :R
> 
> The pictures are numbered (starting with picture #3)...so if you'd like to add a picture of your own, please do! Just make sure you check the numbers and mark it appropriately! ;-)
> 
> 
> So Critique Away!
> 
> Let's kick it off with this one:
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=125233&thumb=1


Not sure about the purple fluffy pillows on the couch:surprise:


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## phillihp23

Theater #4

Needs carpet or something in between the seats and screen...probably some sound echo.


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## phillihp23

#5 seems to lack side and rear speakers. So acoustical wise it probably isn't great. But does look nice on the eyes and comfy.
#6 Uh, is this a horror film! It looks like a hospital room:laugh2:


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## phillihp23

#7 Move over....I'm moving in. Space was surely a luxury for this build.


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## phillihp23

#10 carpet and sound treatments on walls....not a fan of color scheme.. otherwise nice.


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## phillihp23

#13 Screen too small for such a larger speaker arrangement.
#14 Room looks really reflective..white. Seating looks comfy. Noticed they have the window shutters open, fireplace going, and room to the left of screen has lights on...not best movie watching conditions. Also, not sure where all the speakers are...maybe those small circles in the top corners of the room?


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## willis7469

Blackdevil77 said:


> I'll play. Anybody here have Seaton Sound speakers?




I guess this is #32?
Only thing wrong with this room are those awesome speakers. They should be in my room. I'd love to drop into the LP in front of those babies! The wall and carpet colors can stay there. Lol.


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## Blackdevil77

willis7469 said:


> I guess this is #32?
> Only thing wrong with this room are those awesome speakers. They should be in my room. I'd love to drop into the LP in front of those babies! The wall and carpet colors can stay there. Lol.


The wall and carpet are the least of this rooms problems. Planning on moving in a few years so I plan on starting with a clean slate soon. The speakers are for sale actually, that could be arranged lol.


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## willis7469

Blackdevil77 said:


> The wall and carpet are the least of this rooms problems. Planning on moving in a few years so I plan on starting with a clean slate soon. The speakers are for sale actually, that could be arranged lol.




Lol. I don't doubt the room has other issues, (every room has issues lol) but all I could see was speakers and screen with a little color peeking out.(maybe it's my phone resizing them?) Had to critique something! I've been window shopping. Where you at?


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## scotts2014se

#33 I think... I know the center isnt in the ideal spot, but I couldnt stand it below the screen.


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## Blackdevil77

willis7469 said:


> Lol. I don't doubt the room has other issues, (every room has issues lol) but all I could see was speakers and screen with a little color peeking out.(maybe it's my phone resizing them?) Had to critique something! I've been window shopping. Where you at?


lol I'll refrain from showing the rest of the room then, it gets worse in the back (ceilings get ridiculously low). 

I'm on Long Island, NY.


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## willis7469

Always wanted to travel to New York. It would be nice if I could double up and bring home some speakers. Hmmmm. I'm am currently squirreling for upgrades but I'm like isn't growing as fast as I'd like. 
Btw, is black devil in reference to corvette?


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## Lumen

scotts2014se said:


> #33 I think... I know the center isnt in the ideal spot, but I couldnt stand it below the screen.]


Are those foundation blocks under the mains? I'm guessing you need them to get tweeter height where it belongs. What didn't you like about the center near the floor?


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## scotts2014se

They are landscape blocks, and yes, they are to get the tweeters to ear level. I didn't like the stand I had for the center and I was more aware of the sound coming from below the screen than from above. Kinda wishing I went with the accoustic screen.


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## Lumen

Well, if ya did that you wouldn't have anything to upgrade! Anyway, back to the center: did you make your own ceiling/wall mount? Looks like a clean installation. And how about those curved panels - are they DIY, too?


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## scotts2014se

That's true. I used l brackets to hang the center, height and surrounds. The hard part was drilling into them. The panels are made from flourescent fixture diffusers wrapped with fabric. If I can do it myself, I do. It has saved me alot of money that I can spend on the equipment. I can say, it wouldn't be where it is today if it weren't for this site.


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## Lumen

scotts2014se said:


> That's true. I used l brackets to hang the center, height and surrounds. The hard part was drilling into them.


In more ways than one! Not only do you have to worry about drilling through a critical component, but you're also then faced with unsightly holes in the cabinet.


scotts2014se said:


> The panels are made from flourescent fixture diffusers wrapped with fabric.


What?! Not Himalayan Golden Teak Burl rubbed in Polynesian coconut oil by village elders under a half-moon? For shame! :rolleyesno:
Just kidding, of course. Was that one of the ideas you got off this site?


scotts2014se said:


> I can say, it wouldn't be where it is today if it weren't for this site.


It's grand, is it not? One of my favorite happy-places! :hail:

Now having covered the pros, here are some cons. I don't mean to pull a bait-n-switch on you, but this IS a critique thread, so here's my 2cents:

Too many distracting lights/reflections (my room has similar problem, but doesn't look as nice)
Main speakers look unstable and may shift on blocks when playing long-n-loud
Subs appear to be placed for looks rather than function.

Defend yourself! Ready... Set.... Go!


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## scotts2014se

Lumen said:


> Now having covered the pros, here are some cons. I don't mean to pull a bait-n-switch on you, but this IS a critique thread, so here's my 2cents:
> 
> Too many distracting lights/reflections (my room has similar problem, but doesn't look as nice)
> Main speakers look unstable and may shift on blocks when playing long-n-loud
> Subs appear to be placed for looks rather than function.
> 
> Defend yourself! Ready... Set.... Go!


This is true. Building a home theater was an after thought when building my main cave.
The lights are dimmable and the movie posters are off when watching movies.
The mains actually sit on a wider block that I wrapped in black felt and seem pretty sturdy.
The subs have been moved around so much looking for their home that they probably have more miles on them than my car. I tried the crawl technique but wasn't happy with where it was and also notice that the sweet spot was very small. So I continue to play with them.


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## Lumen

scotts2014se said:


> This is true. Building a home theater was an after thought when building my main cave.
> The lights are dimmable and the movie posters are off when watching movies.
> The mains actually sit on a wider block that I wrapped in black felt and seem pretty sturdy.
> The subs have been moved around so much looking for their home that they probably have more miles on them than my car. I tried the crawl technique but wasn't happy with where it was and also notice that the sweet spot was very small. So I continue to play with them.


I really have no room to talk, "no room" - get it?! Have you seen my HT? 10lbs in 5lb bag. I kind of figured you'd turn off the decorative lights for movies, but I had to pick on _something_! At the risk of being swamped with rolling eyes and shaking heads, I'll say I actually like what you've done (especially the purple). I care more about sound than picture, but that's changing quickly as I learn. Great idea finding non-slip padding for the blocks. And lol about your subs' mileage. Kudos on experimenting! :T


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## willis7469

It is a nice room Lou! But what about the projector? Looks like it's right overhead. Distraction?
Sorry, Lou started it! :neener:


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## scotts2014se

willis7469 said:


> It is a nice room Lou! But what about the projector? Looks like it's right overhead. Distraction?
> Sorry, Lou started it! :neener:


LOL! The projector sits about a foot behind the seating, but so far the fan has been pretty quiet. I dont really have the option of moving it back further without disrupting the area behind the seating. This isnt a dedicated theater, I have a card table, pool table, dart board and bar area behind the view you are seeing in the picture. Looking for ways to improve without compromising everything else.


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## Spidacat

#33 - The main critique I have is that you own a movie poster for Skyline! :coocoo: Man, that was movie I flat out hated. It was like the world's longest trailer for Skyline 2.


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## scotts2014se

Spidacat said:


> #33 - The main critique I have is that you own a movie poster for Skyline! :coocoo: Man, that was movie I flat out hated. It was like the world's longest trailer for Skyline 2.


LOL!!! Yeah the movie sucked! The poster is pretty cool though and gets the most compliments, however, I ordered The Cable Guy to replace it which should be showing up anytime now. You're probably thinking that's not much of an improvement but it looks like it will be pretty neat backlit and I happen to work for the cable company, so it fits.


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## willis7469

scotts2014se said:


> LOL! The projector sits about a foot behind the seating, but so far the fan has been pretty quiet. I dont really have the option of moving it back further without disrupting the area behind the seating. This isnt a dedicated theater, I have a card table, pool table, dart board and bar area behind the view you are seeing in the picture. Looking for ways to improve without compromising everything else.




You've done a good job. Every room has its compromises. Mine's shared with a LR, kitchen, dining area. Foyer too I guess. Pretty sure I wouldn't mind throwing some darts and havin a beer in your space.


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## Lumen

So to keep the ball rollin' - Ready.... Set.... GO!
*Here's HT #34.*


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## tripplej

Number 34 is obviously a great room for a millionaire!  It would just seem strange to watch a non batman movie there thou. With the price they spent, I am sure the sound and picture will be awesome!


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## Lumen

tripplej said:


> It would just seem strange to watch a non batman movie there thou.


Just what I was thinking!! Let's watch in *#35* instead:


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## theJman

Lumen said:


> Just what I was thinking!! Let's watch in *#35* instead:


Curious arrangement; projector and seats facing one way, and TV's along the back wall behind everyone? And with no seating for them to boot?


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## Lumen

Are the seats on a turnstile of sorts? Strange! Looks like it might rotate between the drop-down screen on the left and the TV's you mentioned on the back wall. Still, why would you take a picture with the seats facing the wrong way?


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## willis7469

What's with that Louie? That pic no work?


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## Lumen

I meant "watch a movie." What was I thinking?!


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## Gdaddy

Here's a more creative home theater with many new innovations...


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