Audio Artistry CBT36K kit

[GranteedEV]

Not that it reallly matters but... dual 14 awg. Dual just in case you ever want to switch to bi-amped surrounds in the future, and 14awg because it's easier to work with than 12 awg. You can always use them simultaneously as a larger gauge (effectively ~11 awg).

XLR cables are nice too especially because of they way they click. If using RCA cables make sure they have half-decent shielding.

[annunaki]

Lots of runs of Cat-5e or Cat-6 from your tv/projector locations to you main equipment areas. You can run nearly any signal over Cat-5e/Cat-6 these days and the more runs you have the better, especially when thinking toward the future.

I like the recommendation of dual 14 ga runs as well.

Plan for how things will be when finished an work your way backward from there to best prepare from a wiring standpoint. Remember that extra wire runs are cheap now compared to a costly retro wiring job in the future.

I also recommend dedicated circuits for your HT lighting and dedicated circuits for your gear. 20A circuits (2) for your gear are usually my recommendation.

[GO-NAD!]

And, after you run the cabling, check it all for continuity! Might not be that important for heavy gauge speaker wire, but Cat-5E/6 is more fragile. I had a run that was DOA - which I discovered after the wallboard was put up. I was able to hide another run, but it was a PITA.

The room is 15'8" wide

Well, depending on the size of your screen, that should give you room to place the L/R outboard of the screen, leaving them fully visible.

I would only put the Center behind the AT screen, woth the LR to its sides and a few feet into the room ;D

What I was thinking as well. Still want to see that new center of theirs though. I wonder if he will let me order just one of the CBT's by itself if I get impatient.

If you go that route, I would definitely build a partial false wall, the same width as the screen, to fill in above and below and support the screen. The bottom of a speaker visible below the screen would look odd to me. Unless, of course, you go with a powered screen that is only lowered when watching something. A fixed screen would be quite a bit less expensive though.

[GranteedEV]

The bottom of a speaker visible below the screen would look odd to me.

You could cover the gap with some black AT grill-cloth.

[GO-NAD!]

You could cover the gap with some black AT grill-cloth.

That's why I suggested in the sentence before:

...I would definitely build a partial false wall, the same width as the screen, to fill in above and below and support the screen.

[benbodtke]

I like the look of the false wall, but done like the wasted space. I like a more open look but well see how it looks when I get in there. I am going to ask the builder to not finish the room and just let me do it all. That is if he is willing to take an X amount off the total price.

[GO-NAD!]

I like the look of the false wall, but done like the wasted space. I like a more open look but well see how it looks when I get in there. I am going to ask the builder to not finish the room and just let me do it all. That is if he is willing to take an X amount off the total price.

Well, you need to pull your speakers away from the front wall anyway, right? An AT screen plunked in front of the centre speaker need only take a couple more inches of floor space - 5" or 6" at the very most. The space on either side of the screen doesn't need to be filled in by the false wall at all. So personally, I wouldn't be too concerned about wasting space.

[agarwalro]

Putting a partial false wall blocks out the lower portion of the array and critically, the ground reflection. It therefore destroys the speaker's theoretical benefits and completely changes the FR since the equalization is no longer appropriate.

Black AT grill cloth is the way to go.

If you want to go radical, you could hang the center speaker from the ceiling. Someone somewhere is doing a modified version of the CBT arrary for surrounds in such a manner.

[benbodtke]

Still waiting to hear back from the builder on leaving that room unfinished. If that will be ok, then I will just start building a soundstage for the theater. Still not sure what to do about the center but a ton of ideas floating around. I might even try and build it into the soundstage somehow.

[GranteedEV]

That's why I suggested in the sentence before:

As has been mentioned by agarwalro (hey man that sounds like a last name, would you prefer to be called by your first? ) you'd be blocking off half the speaker. This speaker is meant to be standing (or hanging) above (or below) the floor (or ceiling) in order to act as a line source. If you block off half the speaker's output with drywall, then you're effectively messing with the design.

Line sources are best when vertical, as they minimize offensive vertical reflections while maximizing desirable horizontal reflections. That is why we want it be behind an AT screen, as flipping it on its side would probably have ill effects on the perceived multichannel soundstage (though probably not the timbre, luckily).

BTW, Ben, I would try to avoid having any 90 degree corners if you do end up with a falsewall. Try to have large format 45 degree bevels where possible.

Don't discount the possibility that maybe you don't even need a center. Perhaps stereo is perfect for your needs. Build the speakers first and then decide on the rest. I know I don't particularily care for center speakers, at least until I can do the whole AT screen thing myself.