FAQ: Converting a Room to a Home Theater

[gene]

This month's FAQ comes from a new subscriber to Audioholics and he asks how best to convert a regular room to a home theater listening space. We discuss running 20A dedicated lines for power amplifiers and subwoofers and if they are really needed, passing cables through walls, as well as types of passive room treatments (if any) needed for bass frequencies.

Read: FAQ: Converting a Room to a Home Theater

Share your tips and solutions here.

 

[Skylinestar]

If not for the bass trap, how are you gonna reduce the bass decay time if you have a fully concrete room?

 

[TheWarrior]

If not for the bass trap, how are you gonna reduce the bass decay time if you have a fully concrete room?

Bass decay isn't your only problem with concrete, you need to trap all of that sound inside the room as concrete almost serves as a 'conductor' and will pass that sound through to other living spaces.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

This line from the FAQ is problematic:

If you're having an electrician come in to run cable for the 20 amp circuit, they can simply use 12/3 with ground and run two circuits at the same time to cut down on your installation cost.

It’s generally recommended to keep all HT dedicated circuits on the same phase, to minimize the potential for ground loops. However, electrical codes require the two circuits on a 12/3 line to be on opposite phases.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt