At the very beginning of building a home theater.

[Matt Cook]

I'm at the very beginning of building a home theater system. Research.


While reading here I became apparent that the room size and the materials the floors and walls are made from makes a difference. Makes sense. My room is a 20' X 40' (6m x 12m roughly) garage converted to a den. 10' (3m) ceiling. with the television on the 20' wall. The walls are drywall. It is dedicated to being a theater. Minimal furniture.

While researching televisions I learned that my current input was way behind in what I have coming in vs. the technology of the television. Sad part is with the exception of the Blu-Ray player and a few streaming services it may be that way for a while. I'm curious is that holds true for the audio portion of it?

I recently visited my local Best Buy and looked around i really liked the sound of the Sonos and Klispch systems. Do I need to be shopping somewhere else?

Speaker placement: Does having speakers behind you really make a difference? Does the room size and materials make a difference on speaker placement?

What terms/specs do I need to be concerned with?

 

[2channel lover]

I'm at the very beginning of building a home theater system. Research.


While reading here I became apparent that the room size and the materials the floors and walls are made from makes a difference. Makes sense. My room is a 20' X 40' (6m x 12m roughly) garage converted to a den. 10' (3m) ceiling. with the television on the 20' wall. The walls are drywall. It is dedicated to being a theater. Minimal furniture.

While researching televisions I learned that my current input was way behind in what I have coming in vs. the technology of the television. Sad part is with the exception of the Blu-Ray player and a few streaming services it may be that way for a while. I'm curious is that holds true for the audio portion of it?

I recently visited my local Best Buy and looked around i really liked the sound of the Sonos and Klispch systems. Do I need to be shopping somewhere else?

Speaker placement: Does having speakers behind you really make a difference? Does the room size and materials make a difference on speaker placement?

What terms/specs do I need to be concerned with?

Room...you have roughly 8000 cu ft...pretty large room.

Yes, the room has a huge impact on sound quality...without really knowing your budget it's difficult to make any kind of recommendations.

Speakers...obviously the main 3 across the front are the most important, but at least one set of surrounds should be in play (side surrounds 1st priority imo), but depending on the seating arrangement, you might have plenty of room to do 4 surround speakers for a 7.1 system.

For a dedicated HT space, I would probably be looking for a 7.2 system...5.2 at the very least.

Speaker brands...there are a lot of options out there. Klipsch makes very good speakers...Sonos, I'm not too sure about their speakers.

 

[lovinthehd]

Big room at 8000 cuft, you'll need some significant subwoofage.

Where is seating in relation to the television wall? Floor is concrete? Surfaces reflect, they matter, as well as your furnishings...

As far as video content personally I'm sticking with 1080p/bluray for my needs for now, little content in HDR/4k, will wait until it is more widespread or perhaps just skip it for the 8k/16k or whatever's next . You staying with a tv or going with a projector?

Are you wanting to do the ceiling surround speaker thing for the latest immersive audio experiences (Atmos, Auro, DTS:X etc)? Speakers behind you in a room that large would likely be a good thing, you usually want 4-5 ft between your seat and rear surrounds. Need to know your seating plans, tho.

Sonos is more about wireless needs, not HT so much. Klipsch can be okay, personally does little for me but supposedly the RP series is nice, I like some of their old large legacy stuff. BestBuy isn't as good as the internet IMO, altho BestBuy or Fry's (and other big boxes) can be good on sale, not for knowledge so much.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Welcome, Matt.

What are your goals for that room and a home theater.

Do you want to feel the special effects in a movie?
How many seats are you aiming for?
Will other activities be concurrent in that room like pool table?(certainly not when watching a movie)
Newer technology as Dolby Atmos and the super HD(4K)?
And how much to invest in that huge space.

ps. don't rush your planning stage and don't start construction before you know what you really want and can afford or you will be remodeling for a while as things change.

 

[MrBoat]

That's a large room as has been noted. Would be a shame to outfit that whole area if you don't entertain a lot of people. If just say, 4-5 people max, I'd be tempted to partition it. 9 out of 10 people I have known who started out with grand plans for large entertainment spaces, hardly entertained at all and then maybe just a few people at most.

Not that this is the case here, but thought I would mention it just incase.

 

[Mitchibo]

Matt, everything matters. All the things you asked in your questions matter, albeit corresponding to the degree of your budget and end goal. Klipsch will do fine for HT, but if you intend to use the room for 2 channel listening as well, go with higher end Klipsch or others.

 

[Matt Cook]

The room is 800 sf. I wish my whole house was 8000 sf.

The entire max budget is $10,000. I'm looking at a Sony 85" (XBR85X850D) That'll get $6k of it. That's part of my dilemma. Do I back off on the television because the mass of my input will be not be truly 4K and go with very much upper end audio? Or is the audio on the same boat as the video and I can outrun what will actually be coming in and waste money on that too? I want a truly theater sound if possible.

My current plans are
Dish Network but possibly switching to DirecTV.
Amazon Fire TV for Netflix because it offers the most 4K programming at this point (I already own it)
PS4 (I already own it)
4K UHD Blu-ray but I see it as being the least used. I'll try the PS4 as a player first.
I had put seating at the very bottom of the list as far as priorities go. I currently have a large leather sectional sofa and 2 recliners that I can use for now. All three are super comfortable. Probably max of 6 for entertaining but the majority will be just me and the wife.

I hadn't thought of recessed speakers. It's entirely possible. Seems like it would be the way to go to hide wires. Can I gain quality that way?


Atmos, Auro, DTS:X ? As best as I can figure out it'll only be on the Netflix that I current have? Is that correct?

 

[shadyJ]

Really good in-wall speakers don't appear to be in your budget.

You say your room is dedicated, any reason why you are not considering a projector system? How is the light control in the room, ie are there lots of windows and light coming into the room? any permanent openings to the room?

Speakers don't change dramatically over time, and a good design is pretty much timeless, so they don't go obsolete like televisions or computers. AVR's, on the other hand, do change, which makes for a good argument for outboard amplifiers.

An 800 square foot room is not very small. You will need some good speakers and subwoofers. You will want at least two subs. They should be some beefy 15"s. Three 12"s might also do the trick. How far will you be seated from the screen?

 

[2channel lover]

The room is 800 sf. I wish my whole house was 8000 sf.

The entire max budget is $10,000. I'm looking at a Sony 85" (XBR85X850D) That'll get $6k of it. That's part of my dilemma. Do I back off on the television because the mass of my input will be not be truly 4K and go with very much upper end audio? Or is the audio on the same boat as the video and I can outrun what will actually be coming in and waste money on that too? I want a truly theater sound if possible.

My current plans are
Dish Network but possibly switching to DirecTV.
Amazon Fire TV for Netflix because it offers the most 4K programming at this point (I already own it)
PS4 (I already own it)
4K UHD Blu-ray but I see it as being the least used. I'll try the PS4 as a player first.
I had put seating at the very bottom of the list as far as priorities go. I currently have a large leather sectional sofa and 2 recliners that I can use for now. All three are super comfortable. Probably max of 6 for entertaining but the majority will be just me and the wife.

I hadn't thought of recessed speakers. It's entirely possible. Seems like it would be the way to go to hide wires. Can I gain quality that way?


Atmos, Auro, DTS:X ? As best as I can figure out it'll only be on the Netflix that I current have? Is that correct?

8000 cu ft vs 800 sf...lol...either way it's a large space....the sub looks at all of the space (including ceiling space so that's where the 8000 cu ft comes from...20x40x10.

Video...85" is a lot of TV, but I really like your thinking. (I have the 55" version of the 850D in my bedroom)...nice. I'm wondering if a projector might work out better (and cheaper) for you. 4k...I would seriously doubt that many 4k TV owners are really loading up on 4k content...that said, the upscaling of those TVs make 1080p content look a bit better than it does on a 1080 set....keep the 4k TV, if anything look at a 75" screen or a 4k projector...in general I think you can do better than $6k for video.

If you want true theater audio, 2 good subs and maybe the klipsch RF-82ii / RC-64ii is not a bad place to start. If your Bestbuy location has a Magnolia section, give a listen to the Martin Logan Motion 40. If there is a Golden Ear dealer near you...look at the Triton 2+ and 3+.

 

[Pogre]

The room is 800 sf. I wish my whole house was 8000 sf.

The entire max budget is $10,000. I'm looking at a Sony 85" (XBR85X850D) That'll get $6k of it. That's part of my dilemma. Do I back off on the television because the mass of my input will be not be truly 4K and go with very much upper end audio? Or is the audio on the same boat as the video and I can outrun what will actually be coming in and waste money on that too? I want a truly theater sound if possible.

My current plans are
Dish Network but possibly switching to DirecTV.
Amazon Fire TV for Netflix because it offers the most 4K programming at this point (I already own it)
PS4 (I already own it)
4K UHD Blu-ray but I see it as being the least used. I'll try the PS4 as a player first.
I had put seating at the very bottom of the list as far as priorities go. I currently have a large leather sectional sofa and 2 recliners that I can use for now. All three are super comfortable. Probably max of 6 for entertaining but the majority will be just me and the wife.

I hadn't thought of recessed speakers. It's entirely possible. Seems like it would be the way to go to hide wires. Can I gain quality that way?


Atmos, Auro, DTS:X ? As best as I can figure out it'll only be on the Netflix that I current have? Is that correct?

HD said cu ft, not square ft. You do have a very large area to pressurize and you're going to need some serious subwoofage. You can expect a good portion of your budget to go there. my space is ~6000^3 and I'm using 2 Hsu VTF-3 MK5's (price is for 2). I wouldn't want to go with any less. I would even consider going with 4 in your room.

 

[lovinthehd]

As has been mentioned, volume counts for sub frequencies. Try this article http://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/subwoofer-room-size.

Still need to know where you plan to place the seats; distance from your speakers affects both the speakers and amplification.

Is video the prime focus or is audio? For me $6 of the $10k budget on the tv is too much.

I don't keep track of what you can stream audio-wise as the higher quality audio/video streams simply are beyond the capability of the internet where I live; I'd look to bluray discs for the best of both.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I'm thinking the same thing. Why not a JVC projector and a fixed frame screen? You can get a 120" image that will be amazing for less money than the Sony and still have $5,000 left for the audio. It creates a nice 50/50 split between audio and video and delivers a screen size which is appropriate to the space you are in.

Then throw in a couple of decent subs and some decent speakers all around.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I feel the same as BMX. An 85" TV on a 20 ft wide wall? It will be lost in that space.

Still don't have a feel how serious of an HT space this will be.
A garage conversion to a good acoustic space is not cheap. That space could use 4 subs
for serious movie listening and enjoyment.
Then the speakers and components.
Will it be 5.1, 7.1? Dolby Atmos in the future? Now is the time to plan to run wires, etc.

 

[fayew]

Here are few things you should keep in mind when positioning the speaker.

-If you have a surround sound system in mind, then you have to place the chair and sofa furniture in the middle of the room and should not to be close to the wall.

-Don’t place anything in front of the speakers

-Leave some space between the wall and the speaker

-Keep subwoofers to absorb the unnecessary echo and reflection.


You should keep in mind that the room’s acoustics play a crucial role. The main purpose of the acoustic treatment is to prevent the echoes. A home theater room needs 60-70% of the surface to be covered with acoustic absorption materials.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Another vote for Projector. I've been using projectors for 25 years. Can't beat a 150" screen.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Another vote for Projector. I've been using projectors for 25 years. Can't beat a 150" screen.

Sure you can. The next size larger.

But, all that is larger than mine and too big for my space.

 

[Matt Cook]

Projector it will be!

Went to a local audio/video specialty store and watched a JVC 4k on a 123" screen. Freaking amazing.
Haven't decided on a model yet. Saving that until I figure out what I want to do about audio.

Distance from the screen....I sat at about 12' today and would guess that's about what I would do at home. That would be off of center. An issue?

The floors are concrete covered with carpet. The walls are drywall. They need an acoustical covering?

Where is content on actually having Atmos, Auro, DTS:X etc?

Receiver? A friend is trying to steer me to Yamaha because it can be repaired locally. Is potentially using 4 subs going to affect that?

Brand of speaker? Is one better than others? I know it seems to me that in the smaller Bose stuff seems to be better. I have an affection for Klispch because I am a Hope, AR native. The birthplace of Klispch speakers. Mix and match the brand depending on which speaker?

 

[Mitchibo]

Invest in a SPL meter. That will help you with finding reflections. Use your ears and move around the room with a signal generator playing. You will find your peaks and nulls. But first get some good speakers. Don't bother to treat the room till you have your speakers setup.

I wouldn't buy a receiver based on repair status. Just buy a top brand, Denon, Marantz.

Atmos content is hit or miss.

Yes there are speaker brands that are better than others but $$ is a big factor. If you spend $50,000 bucks you'll probably get outstanding speakers. If you only pay $50 bucks then...

I have a butt load of Klipsch but their lower line is average. However if you invest in their mid-tier or their Heritage series you will find some great sound. Hope this helps.

 

[Mitchibo]

PS: small speakers are OK for ancillary sound such as back surround, book shelf sides, Atmos. Don't be fooled by those bitchin' little Bose all around. Get some man sized mains. Same with the subs.

 

[Pogre]

Invest in a SPL meter. That will help you with finding reflections. Use your ears and move around the room with a signal generator playing. You will find your peaks and nulls. But first get some good speakers. Don't bother to treat the room till you have your speakers setup.

I wouldn't buy a receiver based on repair status. Just buy a top brand, Denon, Marantz.

Atmos content is hit or miss.

Yes there are speaker brands that are better than others but $$ is a big factor. If you spend $50,000 bucks you'll probably get outstanding speakers. If you only pay $50 bucks then...

I have a butt load of Klipsch but their lower line is average. However if you invest in their mid-tier or their Heritage series you will find some great sound. Hope this helps.

Fifty thousand bucks? Jeez, don't scare the guy off!

I do agree. Money is a factor. When it comes to speakers it matters how much you're willing to spend. I think you reach a point of diminishing returns pretty fast tho and I'd say 50k well exceeds it, lol.