์New house, L-shape, multi-purpose room

[Apichai]

Hi,
I'm building a new music room/ home theater/ living room area with quite long room. It will be around 4x8x2.5 meter (13x26x8 ft) with open area in the back.

I plan to setup in 5.0.2 where LCR is box and floorstanding. However, I will have to do all in-ceiling for both Atmos and surround/rear surround speakers. Will this work or should I go for other configuration? I can technically use box speaker on green cabinet for rear surround but it will be very far from listening position and maybe artistically challenged . The system is intended to be primary for music, but occasionally home theater. No subs are allowed (yet).

I haven't got the new AVR yet but I already have a vintage power amp (MC2105) and few vintage NHT speakers, VT2.4 for fronts (which maybe upgraded later), VS2.4 for center, SB1 for surrounds (likely to be replaced by some in-ceiling solution, not decide yet).

Please recommend.

 

[highfigh]

Hi,
I'm building a new music room/ home theater/ living room area with quite long room. It will be around 4x8x2.5 meter (13x26x8 ft) with open area in the back.

I plan to setup in 5.0.2 where LCR is box and floorstanding. However, I will have to do all in-ceiling for both Atmos and surround/rear surround speakers. Will this work or should I go for other configuration? I can technically use box speaker on green cabinet for rear surround but it will be very far from listening position and maybe artistically challenged . The system is intended to be primary for music, but occasionally home theater. No subs are allowed (yet).

I haven't got the new AVR yet but I already have a vintage power amp (MC2105) and few vintage NHT speakers, VT2.4 for fronts (which maybe upgraded later), VS2.4 for center, SB1 for surrounds (likely to be replaced by some in-ceiling solution, not decide yet).

Please recommend.

View attachment 54909

You might want to put painter's tape on a wall in the shape/size of the proposed screen and sit at the position you show- that's a big screen at that distance and it might be too large.

 

[Apichai]

You might want to put painter's tape on a wall in the shape/size of the proposed screen and sit at the position you show- that's a big screen at that distance and it might be too large.

Thanks. The seating position is quite fixed to around 13ft from screen due to the corridor behind it. However, I haven't got the screen yet so I will definitely try to project on wall and will get smaller 90-100 inch screen if we feel it is too big.

What I'm not sure is how much I lose for using in ceiling speakers for both atmos and rear surround...

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi,
I'm building a new music room/ home theater/ living room area with quite long room. It will be around 4x8x2.5 meter (13x26x8 ft) with open area in the back.

I plan to setup in 5.0.2 where LCR is box and floorstanding. However, I will have to do all in-ceiling for both Atmos and surround/rear surround speakers. Will this work or should I go for other configuration? I can technically use box speaker on green cabinet for rear surround but it will be very far from listening position and maybe artistically challenged . The system is intended to be primary for music, but occasionally home theater. No subs are allowed (yet).

I haven't got the new AVR yet but I already have a vintage power amp (MC2105) and few vintage NHT speakers, VT2.4 for fronts (which maybe upgraded later), VS2.4 for center, SB1 for surrounds (likely to be replaced by some in-ceiling solution, not decide yet).

Please recommend.

View attachment 54909

You can not do both in ceiling surrounds and Atmos speakers. You need to put the money into a sub or two instead, and do a 5.1 system.

 

[Apichai]

You can not do both in ceiling surrounds and Atmos speakers. You need to put the money into a sub or two instead, and do a 5.1 system.

Do u mean that I can do 5.0.0 but not 5.0.2 for all ceiling configuration (except LCR)? Subs are later phase.

 

[TLS Guy]

Do u mean that I can do 5.0.0 but not 5.0.2 for all ceiling configuration (except LCR)? Subs are later phase.

Yes, you can do 5.0. You can not do Atmos if the surrounds are in ceiling. So you will be limited to five speakers plus a sub or two.

To tell you the honest truth, those sort of great rooms are better off with just two or three front channels and a sub or two. I would spend the money on better fronts.
A lot of rooms are unsuitable for surround sound systems.

 

[Apichai]

Yes, you can do 5.0. You can not do Atmos if the surrounds are in ceiling. So you will be limited to five speakers plus a sub or two.

To tell you the honest truth, those sort of great rooms are better off with just two or three front channels and a sub or two. I would spend the money on better fronts.
A lot of rooms are unsuitable for surround sound systems.

Thanks. Lemme try other config before giving up Atmos.
1. Put rear surround speakers at near-ear-level on the green cabinet (they will be slightly off-center and will be a bit far from usual seating position).
2. Run 3.0.2 Atmos, while Dolby recognized this configuration, I'm not sure if it's worth over typical 5.0 or not. However, I need different locations for ceiling speakers between those configs.
3. Run 2.0 and forget Atmos. Get better front and maybe new DAC.

What do you think?

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks. Lemme try other config before giving up Atmos.
1. Put rear surround speakers at near-ear-level on the green cabinet (they will be slightly off-center and will be a bit far from usual seating position).
2. Run 3.0.2 Atmos, while Dolby recognized this configuration, I'm not sure if it's worth over typical 5.0 or not. However, I need different locations for ceiling speakers between those configs.
3. Run 2.0 and forget Atmos. Get better front and maybe new DAC.

What do you think?

If you are going to use this room for movies, then I strongly recommend front left right a center with at least one sub. The Low Frequency Effects, (LFE) really do need to got to a speaker designed to take that sort of punishment.

Unless your fronts are robust and quite costly, cinema duty may well destroy your speakers. So I think you need 2.1 at a minimum, and preferably 3.1.

I don't think you will get much benefit from surrounds in the ceiling. You can not do Atmos without properly placed surrounds. For Atmos correct speaker placement is crucial.

If I am correct, that room has windows. Using a projector and screen might not be optimal for you. You need a dark room, or at least one that will get very dark. If that is not possible, then a large TV screen will be far preferable. Cinema screens are not a good solution for multipurpose rooms like I think you will have.

Creating the full cinema experience, really does take a dedicated well planned room.

So what I think here most do, is if we have a dedicated room, then we put a simpler system in the great room. That is what I have done. So I have a 7.2.4 dedicated room, a 3.1 in wall in the great room, and a 2.1 in the family room.

I think you need to really discuss as a family, what your real needs, desires are, and what you can feasibly accomplish in the spaces involved in a sonic and practicable aesthetic design.

These projects are not easy, and require a lot of thought and design. Mistakes are common and costly, with results way less than expectations.

 

[Apichai]

Thanks, I used to have a dedicated room in my previous home, but it got used less and less since members are growing up. After we decided to buy a new place, we agree to have a room where all of us can hang out more.

We built this room as a common, multi-purpose room to get more time together. It will be mostly for music but occasionally movie. The projector is BenQ TK700, so it is a 16:9 high-brightness gaming projector with help of 100% blackout shades. When it is not used, it will be semi-living room with high musical capability to fill the great room.

We are not looking for full immersive experience but rather more AV spice when watching streaming-based movies. So, the projector and surround is serving this purpose.

Subs will be added later if wife agree.

 

[lovinthehd]

Can't imagine a good movie room without subs, but depends what movies you like somewhat. Just because speakers are floorstanders doesn't mean subs won't be better in most respects either. What floorstanders are they?

 

[Apichai]

I currently have very old NHT VT2.4 pairs but looking for upgrades. My shortlist for auditions are Polk R700, SVS Prime Tower/ Prime Pinnacle, Klipsch RP-6000F/8000F or KEF Q550/Q750.
I also own another vintage sub Marantz SW400 MkII which is quite slow for today's standard. We haven't found a good place to put it yet.

 

[Wardog555]

What ever you do do not have surrounds anywhere that is too high. Dolby specifies 1.2 to 1.5 meters off the ground. If your unwilling to do so for the best and most accurate Dolby atmos setup. Find another room.

I have a no tolerance policy towards speakers in the ceiling except for Dolby atmos and dts x height speakers.

Dolby atmos for home theater guidelines pdf is where you start before you decide on placement and it helps to know this before you build a room to place speakers and plan accordingly.

Focus on the angles and not on the diagrams as they can be misleading.

i have given the side surround speaker placement as per 90-110 degrees to the listening area with a diagram with squares to show where they should be placed one is 90 degrees and the other 110 degrees so somewhere within the two is fine.

 

[Apichai]

Thanks! I think I found a good placement based on your recommendation. This should be aligned with Dolby specs.

 

[Golfx]

Thanks! I think I found a good placement based on your recommendation. This should be aligned with Dolby specs.
View attachment 55003

I like your compromises. It will certainly sound better than just fronts. I do think you should get a sub. They MAKE movies real.

 

[Wardog555]

That placement is heaps better. Hope you will get a subwoofer one day!

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Thanks! I think I found a good placement based on your recommendation. This should be aligned with Dolby specs.
View attachment 55003

That definitely looks better.
I know you mentioned it was future plans, but I I’m also gonna bolster the subwoofer idea. I have three in our living room and there’s no way in earth I’d be without. Everyone’s situation is different obviously, but I would definitely push for at least one high quality subwoofer.

 

[Wardog555]

Another thing to note that where it comes to the height speaker placements. You don't want them too close to the walls. It's not a requirement that it lines up with the front speakers as shown as in the diagrams.
I put mine at room width divide by 3 and used that as placement guide. But ceiling batens in the way so I moved them where they could fit.

 

[Apichai]

Thanks

BTW for that kind of room, is it worth to go .4 instead of .2? Given my source is all from streaming services.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Thanks

BTW for that kind of room, is it worth to go .4 instead of .2? Given my source is all from streaming services.

Imo it’s worth going for .4. Where a problem could be, is if the LP is up against the back wall. That doesn’t leave room for 45° behind for height/top speakers, so imo .2 is smarter.
If I read your picture right, I’d go .4.

 

[Apichai]

Imo it’s worth going for .4. Where a problem could be, is if the LP is up against the back wall. That doesn’t leave room for 45° behind for height/top speakers, so imo .2 is smarter.
If I read your picture right, I’d go .4.

Behind listening position is open space. However, the problem is I have no space for push bed surround further back (due to open space on the left and sliding glass door on the right).

So, if I go .4 that means my rear atmos speakers will be behind the bed surround for 45 degree. Otherwise, the rear atmos will be just above listener head.... Not sure if I still can go .4...