Please critique my setup!

[AcuDefTechGuy]

@Trebdp83 @j_garcia @AcuDefTechGuy @-Jim-

So I'm definitely over the idea that an overly large TV could dominate the room; that was just a weird hang-up I had, and now that I see the outline of an 85" TV on the actual wall, I don't think it would be problem. @afterlife2 Would love to setup an acoustically transparent screen, but unfortunately Mrs TheRealOC is set on the TV option I wouldn't be against moving the sofa closer to the TV either; the reason the sofa is right up against the wall is because this TV Size to Distance Calculator recommended sitting 9.1 feet (2.77 metres) away from a 65" TV, and in this room, that's almost as far away from the TV as it's possible to sit.

Interested in how far everyone thinks the sofa should be moved forward, and whether this would affect the decision on whether or not to have rear surrounds?

@j_garcia @AcuDefTechGuy Also interested in whether going with a 5.1.2 or a 5.1.4 is compatible with @-Jim- 's suggestion of five bed level speakers? Are Atmos speakers normally considered "bed level"? Currently, the two Atmos speakers are positioned halfway along the length of the room - If I added a second pair of Atmos speakers, would the front Atmos pair be positioned 1/4 way along the length, and the back pair 3/4 of the way along?

For a small room, I would just do 5.1.2 and put the 2 in-ceiling speakers directly above the couch.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Hi @mono-bloc

No need to apologise; I have no problem with bluntness. I freely admit I have zero hands-on experience in this area, but I'm not just taking advice from one person (hence this post ) and it was actually @gene dellasalla who recommended the 7.2.4 setup in the first place - although that was a long time ago, and it was only on the basis of this architect's blueprint - if we had the conversation when I actually knew the final studded-out dimensions and shape of the room, it might have been a different story. But I'm definitely open to hearing different perspectives and trying to make an informed decision.

View attachment 60842

Regarding the in-wall speakers, I am aware that they require research and proper installation to achieve optimal sound quality. And I also understand that this room size/shape is not ideal for a home theatre setup, but I am just trying to make the best of what I have.

Also appreciate your concern for the cost and practicality of the setup, but I assure you that I am taking those factors into consideration as well. The AVR I own currently is an oldie - it's a first-generation Atmos receiver from Yamaha (RX-A2040), but I am researching different amplification and source options, and I am open to making adjustments.

Thank you for your input; hope to hear more feedback in the future

I’ve heard in-wall speakers, in-wall subs, and in-ceiling subs that sounded great and just as great as many in-room speakers. All depends on the quality of the speakers.

Just get good quality components. Go for Quality over quantity especially for smaller rooms.

The Truth About In-Wall Speakers

This article will explore the pros and cons of in-wall vs in-room speakers. Assuming that we’re talking about comparably-priced and similar products that differ only in that one is set in the wall.

www.audioholics.com

 

[Eppie]

It’s fun to have an everyday system you can enjoy that is compatible with being with your loved ones. My living room has a wood stove and of course more windows than my dedicated 5.1.4 theater room. The angles are not ideal for every speaker in the living room, but it’s a good 5.1 setup with dual subs. This allows for great sound in both rooms that I spend time in.

Outside on the back patio or when I travel, I just use my JBL Bluetooth speaker and my iPhone. LOL

I have doorways and windows in the worst locations in our living room. There is a doorway where the left front should go and if I flip the room around there is a double window there. Had to go high and wide with in-walls to accommodate the room layout but we enjoy the room all the same. My wife tends to use the Google Mini more any way. Don't have any subs in there yet but I have a couple of Cantons that look nice in white. We're shopping for a new audio cabinet for the components so I'm hoping to flank the cabinet with the subs and keep a clean look. She spends more time in there than I do so it's only fair that she gets a say in the layout.

 

[-Jim-]

Hey Gents, you are beating a Dead Horse here. @TheRealOC has made his decision, and other than very minor adjustments, isn't listening to very solid advice that will not only make the system sound better, but be cheaper and easier to install.

It's his house, money, and time. Hopefully @TheRealOC & his wife enjoy it however it turns out, and loves it for decades. So just leave it be and let him get on with it; and hopefully post photos as it comes along.

As my Mom used to say, you can lead a horse to water...

 

[Kingnoob]

I really struggle with this room.

WHAT IS IT?

Is this a room in your basement? I don't see any windows in this room at all. This doesn't seem like a living room to me in any way. It seems FAR more like a home theater space. So, that begs the question: Is this a library? A living room? Or is it a home theater?

If it is intended to be a home theater, then stop calling it a living room. It's a home theater. Then approach it like it is a home theater. The living room gets treated and designed like a living room. A theater gets designed and treated like a theater.

Get the fucking interior decorator the hell out of your home theater. If that interior decorator is your wife, then do it politely.

By all accounts of your photos, this room BEGS for a front projector with an acoustically transparent screen. I absolutely would NOT do ultra short throw if you're in the pre-drywall stages. If I was stuck with a TV, then I would absolutely go with a 85" TV, or a 77" OLED as my display. But, at 10 or 11 feet eyes to screen, I'd do a projector with a 110"-120" diagonal screen.

I just don't know what the plans are for this room other than watching TV and how much of a TV person your wife is. If this room really has a significant other purpose than looking pretty for other interior decorators, then it's a useless room. If the purpose is to watch TV, then make that purpose to watch TV. If the purpose is to be able to read a book, then figure out how a large TV impairs the ability to read a book.

We have a family room in our home. It's got large windows, a fair bit of seating for guests, and a large TV. We have a living room without any TV where my wife reads and the kids play their instruments. Then, in the basement, with no windows, we have a theater with surround sound and a 161" projection screen. Don't build every room to be another family room or living room, it's the most useless thing people can do in their homes. It would be like putting a couch in your bedroom because someone decides it looks better than a bed. It's just the wrong way of doing things.

Yeah that pretty much sums this thread up . Go. All in for home theater or it’s simply another living room with a few speakers added in. I’m curious if the op built this theater yet??
And in wall subs probably suck but they are better than zero subs. I’ve not heard them so no comment ..

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Hey Gents, you are beating a Dead Horse here. @TheRealOC has made his decision, and other than very minor adjustments, isn't listening to very solid advice that will not only make the system sound better, but be cheaper and easier to install.

It's his house, money, and time. Hopefully @TheRealOC & his wife enjoy it however it turns out, and loves it for decades. So just leave it be and let him get on with it; and hopefully post photos as it comes along.

As my Mom used to say, you can lead a horse to water...

I agree Jim. It’s gonna be what it’s gonna be. Admittedly my advice was half a$$ed. What I and I think others, including you, were trying to drive home, is that we’ve been here, and done this before. It’s not that his proposal won’t “work”, it’s just that it could work better, and for possibly less expense and complication. Maybe ignorance will be bliss and they’ll never hear a better setup the rest of their lives lol. But the other day I thought of this thread when doing some testing. I was watching chapter 4 of Master and Commander(full band dvd, not neutered BD). I’ve watched that chapter on numerous systems, and you just can’t do the track justice with certain equipment. it’s an exemplary track all the way around with punishing bass down into the single digits. It’s badass even today. Those monitor subs will not do justice.
I think we all just want people to get the best system they can right off the bat. . Speaking for myself at least, I would love to have skipped middling systems knowing there were better options(not that my current one is be all end all). But maybe that’s just part of the journey? Anyway, I hope they love it. Because even though I would do it much differently, at least they’re building something, and not carrying a Fukkin soundbar home from Costco and thinking it’s a real cinema experience. Even though it kinda says so on the box lol.

 

[mono-bloc]

My thinking is the same as you guy's. But some people can't or won't except advice, even when they ask for it. In this case our mate is trying to justify his choices of sound amplification even though there is probably a better way to do it. Which at the moment is unknown to him... He might wake up, when the credit cards max'ed out. And nothing works the way the book tells him it should. OK so I'm an idiot, But all I can see is a lounge room, with a few unused speakers in the walls and the room filling up with all the normal junk, a lounge room collects While we are on the subject of dead horses, drinking or dry.. I grew up in the land of hard knocks, Do the wrong thing and Mum, would hit you with what ever was handy. While saying "" hold still while I hit you"" But at the end of the day it did me know harm, I learned respect, something which is lacking to-day. But having said all that I also wait to see that splendid pink Lounge, taking pride of place in his finished home theatre, pictures please..

 

[snakeeyes]

Deleted.

 

[Trebdp83]

For f#%k’s sake, somebody lock this thread up already. While @TheRealOC puts his room together, perhaps some of you can take the same amount of time to put your miserable f#%kin’ lives back together. It's just a f#%kin’ living room in somebody else’s f#%kin’ house!

 

[Kingnoob]

For f#%k’s sake, somebody lock this thread up already. While @TheRealOC puts his room together, perhaps some of you can take the same amount of time to put your miserable f#%kin’ lives back together. It's just a f#%kin’ living room in somebody else’s f#%kin’ house!

Yeah I’m curious we’re the op went 1-2-3 Cancun , turned this thread into a dumpster fire until op returns lol

 

[mono-bloc]

For f#%k’s sake, somebody lock this thread up already. While @TheRealOC puts his room together, perhaps some of you can take the same amount of time to put your miserable f#%kin’ lives back together. It's just a f#%kin’ living room in somebody else’s f#%kin’ house!

Your up-set aren't you, never mind. Take the dog for a walk and relax..

 

[Trebdp83]

No dog to walk. That liitle f#%ker’s pushing up daisies in the backyard. Bite me once, shame on you. Bite me twice, well…

 

[TheRealOC]

Hi all,

Sorry didn't mean to be disrespectful either by

a) Not following a particular given piece of advice, or b) Ignoring the thread since my last post

Regarding a), I am actually incorporating a bunch of advice from the thread, although admittedly not the layout configuration. I did have a chat with @gene a few weeks ago and decided to prewire for 7.4.4 - had to make to make the best decision we could - we haven't hired a dedicated A/V integrator (hell, we haven't even hired a foreman, we're 100% self-build), and individual carpenters/electricians unfortunately won't wait around for me to be 100% confident in the speaker layout.

Regarding b), I'm pleading exhaustion on that one - wife went back to work after maternity leave recently, and I'm splitting my own time between work and managing the site, and I genuinely didn't think there'd be much interest after my last post, so I haven't checked in in a while. Again, no disrespect intended.

I did manage to make one pretty big mistake, which I just posted about

Made a pretty stupid mistake in the home theatre setup

Hi everyone, Last month, I posted about setting up a dedicated home theatre in the living room of an old Irish stone cottage ("Please critique my setup!") The room is approximately - 3.95 metres (just under 13 feet) wide and, - 3.8 metres long (12.5 feet), and, - 2.45 metres (8 feet) high...

forums.audioholics.com

 

[TheRealOC]

Quick update - all the pre-wiring is finished and just finished installing the subwoofer back boxes, which is pretty cool

Room update - subwoofer backboxes installed

youtube.com

Two at the front, two at the rear, both as low down on the wall as possible, back pair facing perpendicularly to the front pair