dedicated help

[jnelson88]

I currently have a living room set up and I am plaining to go dedicated but have a few questions for those who have dedicated rooms.

1. Did you build your rooms with specific gear in mind (brand, model,and type)
2. Did you guys do most of the work yourselves or did you contract out to get it done?
3. Did you guys use CAD software in designing or did you hire out to do it?

To me I want to do this project myself as much as I can but I just don't know where to get started. I kinda want specific gear but not going into it openly can end in disaster and really limit myself. I have looked at soooo many systems on here and it blows my mind the detail that everyone has payed attention to on their systems. Any help/sugestions would be much appreciated.

 

[highfigh]

I currently have a living room set up and I am plaining to go dedicated but have a few questions for those who have dedicated rooms.

1. Did you build your rooms with specific gear in mind (brand, model,and type)
2. Did you guys do most of the work yourselves or did you contract out to get it done?
3. Did you guys use CAD software in designing or did you hire out to do it?

To me I want to do this project myself as much as I can but I just don't know where to get started. I kinda want specific gear but not going into it openly can end in disaster and really limit myself. I have looked at soooo many systems on here and it blows my mind the detail that everyone has payed attention to on their systems. Any help/sugestions would be much appreciated.

Don't design a room around the equipment. Other than speakers, the electronics won't change the sound very much, although some sonic differences can be heard. The problem is that if a piece of equipment goes bad or is replaced because something else is preferred, trying to find an exact match for the original may end up being impossible.

 

[jnelson88]

Don't design a room around the equipment. Other than speakers, the electronics won't change the sound very much, although some sonic differences can be heard. The problem is that if a piece of equipment goes bad or is replaced because something else is preferred, trying to find an exact match for the original may end up being impossible.

That was exactly my thinking. I the only thing I really want to design the room around is the screen and thats it. The only reason is that I want to put the speakers behind the screen. Which I have to find a screen that won't block the sound.

 

[jostenmeat]

1. Not really
2. Most of it myself, but I had help from friends. Two friends to help me put up very heavy screen, family friend to help with curtains, different friend to help me build riser, yet another friend to help me build sub, a group of different friends altogether to help me move the beast, another friend to help with basic audio/video calibrations, yada yada. There is the family's handyman that I call upon about once a year for whatever, and if there is anything that I sort of want help with in the HT (but not pressing enough where I'm going to call on him just for that), I'll ask him to help me (like ceiling mounting my PJ instead of the old shelf mount, or ceiling mounting my speakers).
3. No software. I used the old eyeballs and ears method.

My HT was created easily; like it can be quickly and easily removed if I wanted it to be. Still looks good.

One of the biggest factors, probably the biggest factor, in how much time this can take is the aesthetics you want. If performance ONLY, that's pretty easy, you go all black. I didn't want rope lighting because it wasn't worth the hassle to me, and after all it would reduce contrast. My riser is very simple, just a huge carpeted box. My front area is simply covered with two very large black IKEA rugs. See, I am simple. But, it's still the greatest theater my friends or family have seen.

I like the eyes and ears method. My advice is to go slowly. Be patient. Get PJ before screen, fire it at wall for a week, until you are absolutely sure of screen size, for instance.

The AT screen you are looking for is the Seymour CenterStageXD. There are several owners of that screen here, and it can be DIY'd, or prebuilt for you. Do it! Here are a few shots of AH member systems using that screen. Sexy!

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=718823&postcount=773

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=651441&postcount=44

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=608330&postcount=39

Back to size vs seating distance, see, you might have to do that all over again, if you find that your seating distance makes for poor audio response there. Rule of thumb is 38% of room length for your ears, either front or back doesn't matter, and that number may drop to 33% if you include other modes. Definitely make your room setup lengthwise. Try to keep any viewers from being too close to any boundary, like the back wall, and if that is unavoidable, look to heavily treat that boundary.

For video, think dark dark dark dark dark. Here is a black hole type of paint product rec:
The blackest, most flat paint. Period.


So, again, building an HT is pretty easy, I think. If it has to look sexy, then that becomes harder.

 

[jnelson88]

ya i have seen that screen a few times and always think "i want one or two..."
I have another set of questions, DIY speakers and subs or brand bought? In wall or just build a baffle? My plan is to stick with my klipsch speakers maybe. Standard AVR or did you guys add an Amp to the mix, if so how many channels and what brand? This is kinda a sticky subject for me since in cars I can tell the diff between A/B, Class D, class D digital. I know its odd but I cant explain it. I have to be careful if a sound system sound bad it actually hurts my ears. If it sounds good I could crank as high as the amp and speakers can take but if the quality is bad it hurts. Thats why I cant watch a movie on bose systems...(brings up bad memories)... anyways whats everyone think?

 

[selden]

One equipment technicality to bear in mind is related to projector choice, room height and screen size.

Some lower cost projectors have fixed lens offsets. They have to be positioned either below the bottom or (preferably) above the top of the screen. This causes problems in rooms (usually in basements) which have a relatively low ceiling or low-hanging joists. Some people find that tilting the projector and using an electronic keystone adjustment is acceptable. Some don't.

 

[selden]

Answering your audio question: that's usually caused by clipping. That happens when you're using an amplifier (or receiver) which isn't powerful enough for your combination of speakers and room size. It simply doesn't have enough headroom, resulting in severe distortion of peaks.