my journey building a custom home theater

[randomuser]

Hello Everyone!!

Glad to be here and excited to share my journey in building a home theater.

My name is Srisha, and I am currently based in Orlando, Florida. We moved to the US in August last year from Singapore. My work has taken me to different places and hence have experienced different cultures and places. We lived in Singapore for over 12 years, in Germany for a few years and now to the United States of America. Hopefully to stay here for many years to come.

I have been an audiophile for over 20 years now and have always loved great speakers, music and movies. Whether it is listening in the car or at home, or at work, I have always enjoyed good equipment.

My journey with dedicated home theater started in 2007, when I built my first dedicated home theater, that was a great learning experience with humble beginnings…. My set up then just included a simple Wharfedale 9.6 diamond series and a Yamaha received, including a Optoma HD65 projector. This was my set up in Bangalore, India

I moved to Singapore in 2011, due to lack of space, I had to settle with a living set up that included SVS ultra towers, center, surrounds and Atmos speakers, powered by Marantz 8012 AVR and Cyrus monobloc firing the LCR speakers, and XTZ A2 300 firing the surrounds, and a SVS SB 3000 sub-woofer.

I recently purchased a home in Orlando, and I have a loft area which is 20ft x 15, which I am planning to build a home theater. It has walls on 3 sides and on the other side it has stairs that are not going to be fully closed, I don’t like to completely close this but keep it open, so that it looks spacious and not cluttered with walls on all sides.

I have to now decide on the acoustic panels, bass traps, dampeners and other treatment to make it sound nice, and also aesthetically look. The following design elements are considered –

• Darker shade for the front wall, where the fixed screen is going to be placed
• Darker shade and some elements for the ceiling, including a starry sky (fiber optics?)
• Acoustic panels on the sides, and rear to diffuse sound deflections.
• Flooring will be carpeted.
• Seating – haven’t decided yet whether recliners or just some cozy couches.
• Riser for the second-row seating, this will be 5 ft from the rear wall
• Choice of Audio and Video equipment are yet to be finalized; however, the following is considered and I would seek your advice on the right choice of equipment-
• Loft area is already pre-wired for 5.2.4, I might add side surrounds later, all speaker wires and video cables are going to terminate in a separate room for the media center, I plan to use this to control and house all the equipment’s for the home theater and living room speakers

Equipments

• LCR – yet to decide if I am going to have a in-wall speakers or tower speakers – I am considering JBL Synthesis, Revel, Paradigm or KEF speakers as some options.
• Subwoofers are going to be SVS Ultra PB16s
• Projector & screen – yet to decide, I am going to look for a decent 4K laser projector. Would appreciate any recommendations for the projector and screen. I would also love to get a fixed screen size of 150”, how would you measure the size based on my room size of 20x15 ft? Ceiling height being 9-10 ft. How big can I go with the screen?
• AVR Processor – I am keen on getting separates, and not an integrated receiver. Since I am going to be using some powerful speakers, I would definitely power them us with 250-300 watts power amps, especially for the LCR and some minimal power for the surrounds and Atmos speakers.

Happy to be here and looking forward to engaging with the forum members to learn and avoid some pitfalls, from your experience….

Finally, some pictures of the loft area, where the theater is going to be….

PS: I would appreciate if you had any recommendations for custom home theater builders in Orlando area, I would need some help with design elements and installation.

Cheers!! Srisha

 

[Eppie]

@gene who owns Audioholics is in Florida and does consulting. He may know of installers in the Orlando area.

 

[nicoleise]

Loft area is already pre-wired for 5.2.4, I might add side surrounds later

Hi Srisha,

If I recall correctly, the placement/direction of the surround speakers change when you go from 5 to 7 or more channels. So you're likely best of deciding on the format to use now.

In 5.x.x, the surround speakers are typically slightly behind (110° from the center, approximately). In 7.x.x the side surrounds are typically more forward (90°/directly to the side of the MLP) and the rears are more behind (typically 135°, sometimes even more).

At 90/135° in the 7 Ch setup, the surround speakers are at 45° intervals, which is good. But as you probably note, there's no speaker at the typical 110° you'd typically see in a 5.x.x setup. So going from 5ch to 7ch is often not just done by adding two speakers, but rather by also moving two existing speakers.

Since you mention the wiring being integrated, it's going to require some work for a nice looking solution.

Depending on the amount of work (access, wall construction and finish), I would personally just use the existing layout for 5.x.x, I think. I've had 7.1 solve probably 2005 or so, and while it is definitely more immersive than 5.1, the extra channels didn't really see a lot of use in movie mixes. Back then, specifications called for the rear surrounds to also be mounted above the listener, and this effect can be done by the Atmos/height speakers now.

So the only thing you'd be missing out on is the effects that are meant to be directly behind you. Sometimes these can seem very worth it (Pearl Harbor planes overhead scene has you literally ducking, The Signs has you very immersed as you hear the rows of corns "closing" and hitting eachother behind you, as "you" walk through the rows of corn), but at least back then, even when you found movies utilising the format properly, it was a periodic effect that I personally wouldn't consider worth a great deal of effort. On the other hand if your walls are workable and the project is somewhat easy, I'd definitely do it.

hope it helps,
Nicolai

 

[mono-bloc]

I am currently based in Orlando, Florida

Go talk to Mike at Suncoast

https://www.suncoastaudio.com/

 

[Wardog555]

If you want laser projector you'd be looking at jvc nz7 or nz8.

I hope you placed the speakers properly vs just guess and randomly placed them.

 

[randomuser]

Hi Srisha,

If I recall correctly, the placement/direction of the surround speakers change when you go from 5 to 7 or more channels. So you're likely best of deciding on the format to use now.

In 5.x.x, the surround speakers are typically slightly behind (110° from the center, approximately). In 7.x.x the side surrounds are typically more forward (90°/directly to the side of the MLP) and the rears are more behind (typically 135°, sometimes even more).

At 90/135° in the 7 Ch setup, the surround speakers are at 45° intervals, which is good. But as you probably note, there's no speaker at the typical 110° you'd typically see in a 5.x.x setup. So going from 5ch to 7ch is often not just done by adding two speakers, but rather by also moving two existing speakers.

Since you mention the wiring being integrated, it's going to require some work for a nice looking solution.

Depending on the amount of work (access, wall construction and finish), I would personally just use the existing layout for 5.x.x, I think. I've had 7.1 solve probably 2005 or so, and while it is definitely more immersive than 5.1, the extra channels didn't really see a lot of use in movie mixes. Back then, specifications called for the rear surrounds to also be mounted above the listener, and this effect can be done by the Atmos/height speakers now.

So the only thing you'd be missing out on is the effects that are meant to be directly behind you. Sometimes these can seem very worth it (Pearl Harbor planes overhead scene has you literally ducking, The Signs has you very immersed as you hear the rows of corns "closing" and hitting eachother behind you, as "you" walk through the rows of corn), but at least back then, even when you found movies utilising the format properly, it was a periodic effect that I personally wouldn't consider worth a great deal of effort. On the other hand if your walls are workable and the project is somewhat easy, I'd definitely do it.

hope it helps,
Nicolai

Nicolai, appreciate your feedback.

The challenge that I have currently is with the walls, I don’t have walls on all 4 sides, since it is a loft area, I have walls on 3 sides and the other side is just some railings as you walk up the stairs. I don’t intend to close this side and would like to keep it open so that it looks bigger and better.

hence using side surrounds is a challenge, and I went in with rear surrounds only. I can possibly use side speakers with speaker stands as a later addition. I hope this photo of the loft can give you an idea

 

[randomuser]

If you want laser projector you'd be looking at jvc nz7 or nz8.

I hope you placed the speakers properly vs just guess and randomly placed them.

Somewhat measured and positioned. Have left enough speaker wire to later measure and place them correctly. What I have right now is only a conduit to run them, wires will be drawn later to exact point where I need them

 

[randomuser]

Hi Srisha,

If I recall correctly, the placement/direction of the surround speakers change when you go from 5 to 7 or more channels. So you're likely best of deciding on the format to use now.

In 5.x.x, the surround speakers are typically slightly behind (110° from the center, approximately). In 7.x.x the side surrounds are typically more forward (90°/directly to the side of the MLP) and the rears are more behind (typically 135°, sometimes even more).

At 90/135° in the 7 Ch setup, the surround speakers are at 45° intervals, which is good. But as you probably note, there's no speaker at the typical 110° you'd typically see in a 5.x.x setup. So going from 5ch to 7ch is often not just done by adding two speakers, but rather by also moving two existing speakers.

Since you mention the wiring being integrated, it's going to require some work for a nice looking solution.

Depending on the amount of work (access, wall construction and finish), I would personally just use the existing layout for 5.x.x, I think. I've had 7.1 solve probably 2005 or so, and while it is definitely more immersive than 5.1, the extra channels didn't really see a lot of use in movie mixes. Back then, specifications called for the rear surrounds to also be mounted above the listener, and this effect can be done by the Atmos/height speakers now.

So the only thing you'd be missing out on is the effects that are meant to be directly behind you. Sometimes these can seem very worth it (Pearl Harbor planes overhead scene has you literally ducking, The Signs has you very immersed as you hear the rows of corns "closing" and hitting eachother behind you, as "you" walk through the rows of corn), but at least back then, even when you found movies utilising the format properly, it was a periodic effect that I personally wouldn't consider worth a great deal of effort. On the other hand if your walls are workable and the project is somewhat easy, I'd definitely do it.

hope it helps,
Nicolai

On the other side of the wall, I have this huge window, which is going remain as-is but use some acoustic material to block and not permanently closed. The other 2 smaller windows you see will also stay but have motorized blinds to cover them. Haven’t researched yet on the acoustic material that could be used on them to block the sound rebounding from the glass windows

 

[nicoleise]

Nicolai, appreciate your feedback.

The challenge that I have currently is with the walls, I don’t have walls on all 4 sides, since it is a loft area, I have walls on 3 sides and the other side is just some railings as you walk up the stairs. I don’t intend to close this side and would like to keep it open so that it looks bigger and better.

hence using side surrounds is a challenge, and I went in with rear surrounds only. I can possibly use side speakers with speaker stands as a later addition. I hope this photo of the loft can give you an idea

I don't entirely understand the layout you'd like in the room. Could you sketch up a simple floor plan?

Just to be clear, you don't necessarily need to put the rear speakers in the back wall. The speakers should be placed by degrees and depending on the dimensions of the room, 135° could be in your side walls or corners.

For example, I am planning a 9.4.4 layout in a room with no back wall either. (The side and rear speakers will be the same as 7.x.x)

My rear surrounds will be located (far back) in the side walls.


But also note that I am not suggesting you should do 5.x.x or 7.x.x. I'm not advocating for either per say. All I'm saying is that you should look at Dolby Atmos Studio guidelines/specs, as this version deals properly with speaker placement in degrees, and set your speakers up according to the recommended layout for the format you choose.

You could consider, since your walls are open, to run speaker wire for correct placement of 7 Ch surround, and just leave these on the wall (note the measurements on a floor plan) and build a 5 Ch layout now. That way, if you want to upgrade later, you can place the speakers in the correct spots with minimal damage.

 

[Eppie]

Since you have access to open studs, one thing that is highly recommended is that you run conduit to all speaker, TV and/or projector locations. Running wire inside conduit makes future upgrades a much simpler process that won't require cutting holes in your finished drywall.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I’m wondering if the PB16’s are the choice due to already owning an SB3000? IMO for the money spent on the ultras, you can get better performance. However if the svs app and ecosystem are valuable then it can make sense to stay with svs.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

First big question is the budget.

A lot of guys ask about JVC and then after they find out how much these PJ cost, they would cross them off the list.

If your budget is mere mortal like most of us, then the topic of diminishing returns becomes very important.

"Home Theater" is a big subject. I also think it can be divided into smaller individual topics/thread. For example, the subwoofer is a big enough discussion to have it's own thread.

 

[mono-bloc]

If your budget is mere mortal like most of us, then the topic of diminishing returns becomes very important.

I think your comments are on the money, many people go into the thoughts of a high-end home theatre , with all the bells and whistles, Then when they learn the costs involved they quickly change there minds and buy a low budget set-up at "Best Buy" Really if your just starting out on a Home Theatre project, forget the stars in your eye's and do a bit of research first, on what's available and at what cost. Ask around your local area and try and look at other peoples set-up's. It's easy to imagine a two hundred thousand dollar install , but harder to pay for it. And more importantly do you really need a multitude of in-wall speakers. Just remember speakers here, there and everywhere , also need amplification, which can be costly

 

[randomuser]

I’m wondering if the PB16’s are the choice due to already owning an SB3000? IMO for the money spent on the ultras, you can get better performance. However if the svs app and ecosystem are valuable then it can make sense to stay with svs.

I used to own the SVS SB300 while I was in Singapore, but since I moved to US, I sold amd I only have the SVS Ultra towers and center speaker. I dont intend to use them in my new set up but looking for better speakers such as Revel, Focal, JBL Synthesis.

 

[randomuser]

Since you have access to open studs, one thing that is highly recommended is that you run conduit to all speaker, TV and/or projector locations. Running wire inside conduit makes future upgrades a much simpler process that won't require cutting holes in your finished drywall.

yes, this is already taken care off, the loft area is prepped for projector, TV and a 5.2.4 speaker wiring

 

[BMXTRIX]

Not sure where you intend to put your equipment, but the front of the room, under the screen, tends to be one of the worst location in a home theater. If you've already run wiring, then it may be too late to pick a better location, but that's up to you.

As well, while you mentioned that wiring is in place, I would emphasize that you MUST run 1.25" conduit or larger between the equipment location (head end) and the projector. HDMI didn't exist 20 years ago, and it won't be the same in another 10 years. So, being able to upgrade that cabling is of significant importance, unless you want to rip your walls open. If you have conduit in place, and I'm just not seeing it, then that's fine. Just plan for this now while the walls are open.

I'm not as pushy about needing speaker wiring conduit runs. Speaker wiring is the same today as it was 20 or 30 years ago. 14 gauge or larger to all speaker locations are you are likely good to go. As well, with the attic space above, you can likely get down the walls if some new wiring is needed for that. Not easily, but it's not the end of the world to go from the attic downward.

For a projector, I would call a minimum model the Epson LS11000. The LS12000 from Epson would be better, but I'd prefer to see something like the JVC models in this room if budget allows for it. Frankly, I might start with an Epson LS12000, use it for 3-4 years, then switch up to the latest JVC. The fact that JVC maintains a lamp-based model at $6,000 while both Sony and Epson are using lasers at that price point is just JVC asking people to spend more and is kind of ridiculous. I expect in a few years you could sell the Epson for a fair price and there will be a new laser-based JVC near that $6,000 price point. At least, that's my expectation.

Lots of good screens out there worth considering. Even lesser expensive ones can look quite good in a proper theater space that is treated dark without any ambient light.

 

[Eppie]

Speaker choice is a tricky one. If you are looking at Revel, Focal and JBL Synthesis then you must have a healthy budget. You might want to add KEF and RBH to that list. Depends upon what your installer has available. Be very careful choosing in-walls. We have had members purchase expensive in-walls from Focal (for example, not just picking on them) only to learn that they had a nasty impedance curve that made them difficult to drive. Some sound plain bad even though the manufacturer has a good reputation. All five of those companies make great free standing speakers, but for in-walls I would look at JBL, RBH and KEF and use back boxes. Paradigm made great in-walls but I'm not familiar with their current line except for their in-ceiling speakers (which are quite good). I imagine their Elite and Pro series would compare well with the other brands. Try and listen to them in a demo room if at all possible as speaker preference can be a personal choice.

 

[randomuser]

First big question is the budget.

A lot of guys ask about JVC and then after they find out how much these PJ cost, they would cross them off the list.

If your budget is mere mortal like most of us, then the topic of diminishing returns becomes very important.

"Home Theater" is a big subject. I also think it can be divided into smaller individual topics/thread. For example, the subwoofer is a big enough discussion to have it's own thread.

I know, been there before and experienced

right now, I am budgeting around 4-5k for the projector, whatever I can manage to find in that budget and doesn’t matter if it is a brand new one and slightly used.

 

[randomuser]

Not sure where you intend to put your equipment, but the front of the room, under the screen, tends to be one of the worst location in a home theater. If you've already run wiring, then it may be too late to pick a better location, but that's up to you.

As well, while you mentioned that wiring is in place, I would emphasize that you MUST run 1.25" conduit or larger between the equipment location (head end) and the projector. HDMI didn't exist 20 years ago, and it won't be the same in another 10 years. So, being able to upgrade that cabling is of significant importance, unless you want to rip your walls open. If you have conduit in place, and I'm just not seeing it, then that's fine. Just plan for this now while the walls are open.

I'm not as pushy about needing speaker wiring conduit runs. Speaker wiring is the same today as it was 20 or 30 years ago. 14 gauge or larger to all speaker locations are you are likely good to go. As well, with the attic space above, you can likely get down the walls if some new wiring is needed for that. Not easily, but it's not the end of the world to go from the attic downward.

For a projector, I would call a minimum model the Epson LS11000. The LS12000 from Epson would be better, but I'd prefer to see something like the JVC models in this room if budget allows for it. Frankly, I might start with an Epson LS12000, use it for 3-4 years, then switch up to the latest JVC. The fact that JVC maintains a lamp-based model at $6,000 while both Sony and Epson are using lasers at that price point is just JVC asking people to spend more and is kind of ridiculous. I expect in a few years you could sell the Epson for a fair price and there will be a new laser-based JVC near that $6,000 price point. At least, that's my expectation.

Lots of good screens out there worth considering. Even lesser expensive ones can look quite good in a proper theater space that is treated dark without any ambient light.

yes, the equipment will not look nice if they are placed in the front or the sides, hence the plan is to house them in a adjacent room, a room that is just behind the rear wall, I have a unused closet in the room that I plan to use for housing all AV equipments, wiring is set up to terminate here.

that’s a good suggestion on the epson and Sony laser compared to JVC, I am going to research before buying any of them.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I know, been there before and experienced

right now, I am budgeting around 4-5k for the projector, whatever I can manage to find in that budget and doesn’t matter if it is a brand new one and slightly used.

For this budget, I would say the Epson LS 12000 4K Laser 2700 Lumens PJ is hard to beat. For 150” screen, lumen is very important.