New Semi Dedicated Home theater room setup help!

[AudioMike]

I am currently finishing a building that we have that is beside our house. It is technically going to be split into an office and home school room. However, this guy likes to seize opportunities when he sees it. I want to set up a decent home theater in this building as well, because...why not? My living room sucks for audio with a whole wall missing going into the rest of the house, plus a vaulted ceiling. I have several obstacles to overcome including speaker placement, budget, and type of setup. I need help from some pros.

The building internals will be 19ft x 13.5ft x 8ft. The hard part of this is overcoming a ceiling fan in the middle for the projector, and the fact that I have to leave the bottom sections of the walls open to use for shelves and desks. I can supply a crude drawing if it is needed.

I have the top half of one of the 13.5ft walls to use, with the bottom being left for a table or desk. I am going to reuse my Klipsch Reference Bookshelves, Center, dual horn surrounds, and Bic sub in this building. I have some Jamo towers I’ll use for tv watching I’ll put back in the living room. I am also looking at a 92-100” project screen which should fit on the wall. To keep the sound image, and everything up high I plan to mount the front speakers near the top of the wall a few inches from the ceiling angled down. Thoughts on this? I was told elsewhere that it is ok to do that with the rear ported bookshelves as long as they are off the wall a few inches.

I have also been reading up on Atmos, and I need some advice here as well. Is it going to be better to just use the 5.1 setup I have now, add two speakers for 7.1, or put in a 2 / 4 speaker atmos setup? I don’t have a receiver for this yet, and the walls are still open to wire in. I can do this however would be best, as long as it doesn’t break the bank. I have heard mixed reviews on if atmos is really worth it. Some people went from 7.1 to 5.1.2 and thought about going back. Has anybody used atmos, and think it is worth the trouble?

Thanks!

 

[tyhjaarpa]

Imo 5.1 will offer best sound for money. 7.1 isn't that big improvement over 5.1, will it be worth it, it's up to you. As for atmos, save your money and upgrade something else for better improvements.

As for speaker placement I know many install their speakers like you plan to do, but I wouldn't suggest that for rear ported speakers, unless you can get them like 8-10 inches from wall. I also prefer to install speakers so that the elements are on ear level, but I don't know would that matter in your situation.

 

[AudioMike]

Thanks for the reply. So your saying it isn't worth the money to add speakers, or worry with Atmos? If it isn't going to add a noticeable improvement, then no it isn't worth the money. From what I've been able to gather Atmos is great, but only if setup properly and only in some movies.

The ideal thing would be to mount everything mid wall, but that is part of my problem. Since this isn't a home theater room first, I have to work around the office part. I guess I'm looking for the best solution given my limitations. I was hoping to keep them about 6 inches off the wall at most. They are already nearly a foot deep. I thought it would look bad having them come off the wall that far. My goal was to at least keep the three speakers level with each other. I went to a home theater store yesterday,and their in wall setup had the center below a big tv, and the LR on the sides. I didn't pay attention to the sound since it wasn't really playing very loud, but I thought that was odd for a "pro" store to do that. I thought that was a no-no.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

My living room sucks for audio with a whole wall missing going into the rest of the house, plus a vaulted ceiling.

Actually, rooms like that are excellent for audio, IMO. They are less prone to having room modes in the bass frequencies, and typically have more uniform bass distribution throughout the room (meaning the bass sounds similar from one seating location to the next). By contrast, symmetrical rectangular rooms like you’re considering have a something of a “bass hole” in the dead center of the room, and bass levels increase as you move from there towards any boundary. So obviously the bass sounds different from seat to seat. In addition, vaulted ceilings better disperse ceiling reflections, which improves imaging.

To keep the sound image, and everything up high I plan to mount the front speakers near the top of the wall a few inches from the ceiling angled down.

It will sound best with the front speakers at ear level. That said, most people aren’t able to get their center speaker at ear level but have it above or below the TV angled at the listening position, and it doesn’t take long to get used to it, so it might be the same thing with the side two speakers as well. If you do mount the L/R speakers up high, they should be inverted (tweeter down).

Has anybody used atmos, and think it is worth the trouble?

Atmos is still new, so very few users at this point. I don't know of it's true or not, but a buddy of mine told me a week or so ago that so far there has been only two Atmos releases in the theaters. AFAIK most people will be using in-ceiling speakers, and the best systems will have four of them. You could easily run speaker wire in the ceiling for possible future use and leave it there. Be sure and check Dolby’s web site for recommended locations before you do.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[TheWarrior]

I didn't pay attention to the sound since it wasn't really playing very loud, but I thought that was odd for a "pro" store to do that. I thought that was a no-no.

Centers can go wherever they are not being blocked by furniture. They 'ideal' would to have it located behind an acoustically transparent screen, and never see it again...

I voted 5.1, most available movies are set in that format, your 7th channels will only receive occasional usage, and Atmos... buy better speakers! And to that end, if you need a receiver, look for older models on Amazon that do NOT have Atmos. Audioholics just did an article about trading amp quality for features. That headline is really all you need to know.

Post pics before/during/after install!

 

[AudioMike]

Actually, rooms like that are excellent for audio, IMO.

Well, the issue with my living room setup is that my rear speakers are on the back wall, and my sofa is too. lol Due to this and the missing wall, my rear speakers are nearly worthless. Also, my bookshelves are in a home theater cabinet. This is why I actually want my towers back. They SUCK in there. I even cut a whole in the back to help them breath, but they are still muddy sounding because of this. I can't put them on floor stands due to an almost crawling baby that could knock them over and get hurt. This is actually why the towers were taken out, but I guess those would be better than a stand.

If you do mount the L/R speakers up high, they should be inverted (tweeter down).

I wasn't aware that this would work better. That's good to know. Thanks!

I don't know of it's true or not, but a buddy of mine told me a week or so ago that so far there has been only two Atmos releases in the theaters.

I have read a lot of recent blockbuster movies have Atmos, but again not sure if the money is worth it now. Based on what what you guys keep saying, I think wiring for it in the future is good enough for the time being. I'll wait tell the technology matures a little more, which makes things cheaper and usually more fine tuned.

The 'ideal' would to have it located behind an acoustically transparent screen, and never see it again...

I would love to do an AT screen, but again budget.

And to that end, if you need a receiver, look for older models on Amazon that do NOT have Atmos. Audioholics just did an article about trading amp quality for features. That headline is really all you need to know.

I believe I read up on that some about the receivers. That's awesome news actually. That way I can get a higher end receiver used, and save big money to get a better receiver.

What about a good budget 3D projector? Any options that might be reasonable used, or ones to stay away from? I'm looking for the 500-600$ range. I live in a 1300 sq ft home, with three kids on a single income. I can't go high end or my wife will shoot me. I'm blessed to not really know better, so I won't think it's a bad projector lol.