New Member Here - Sharing My Current HT Build

[dcookatx]

Hey everyone,

I’m David—after years of following Audioholics mostly through YouTube, I’m finally jumping in and joining the forum community. I’m currently in the early-to-mid stages of building my first dedicated home theater, and I wanted to introduce myself and share a bit about the project so far.

Current Status
I just finished the full demo phase—ripped out all the drywall and carpet myself, no contractors involved (yet). All of the A/V gear has arrived, and I’m now moving into the next phase: wiring, installing sound isolation (HushFrame), then cement board and drywall, followed by a pair of communicating IsoDoors (HD + standard) at the entrance.

Room & Build Details

• Dimensions: ~21' x 13' x 9'
• Layout: Single row with 3 seats
• Soundproofing Plan:
  • HushFrame decoupling (floor, walls, and ceiling)
  • Double-layer cement board and drywall
  • Communicating IsoDoors (HD + standard)
• Acoustic Treatment:
  • Sonitus mid-tier package (absorption, diffusion, bass traps)
• Power:
  • Dedicated 20-amp circuits to the A/V rack and theater room
• Design:
  • All layout and design done in SketchUp to optimize speaker placement, sightlines, and sound isolation

Audio Setup

• Speaker Layout: 7.4.4 Atmos (pre-wired for future wides)
• LCR: Perlisten R5i In-Walls
• Surrounds: Perlisten R4i
• Atmos: Perlisten R3ic (×4)
• Subwoofers: 4× 15" Hsu Research VTF-TN1 4 corners--thank you Mr. Welti
• Amplification:
  • Buckeye 8-channel Hypex NC502MP (bed layer)
  • Buckeye 6-channel Hypex NC252MP (heights)
• Processor: Marantz AV10

Video Setup

• Projector: JVC NZ800
• Screen:
  • Currently have a 150" Stewart Filmscreen Harmony G3
  • Planning to upgrade to a 150" StudioTek 130 G4 UltraPerf for improved gain and HDR performance
• Throw Distance: Estimated 15'–17'

Rack & Control

• Sources:
  • Apple TV
  • PS5
  • Panasonic DP-UB420-K UHD Blu-ray
  • Kaleidescape (planned)
• Rack: Strong 27U with Wattbox power management and AC Infinity cooling
• Control: AVA Cinema Remote

This build is really the culmination of everything I’ve picked up over the years from places like this forum, the Audioholics YouTube channel, and other YouTube channels such as Matthew Poes’, as well as fundamentals from Floyd Toole’s Sound Reproduction book.

I'm looking forward to asking questions (and hopefully helping others) as I keep moving forward!

– David (Dallas, Texas)

 

[TLS Guy]

Hey everyone,

I’m David—after years of following Audioholics mostly through YouTube, I’m finally jumping in and joining the forum community. I’m currently in the early-to-mid stages of building my first dedicated home theater, and I wanted to introduce myself and share a bit about the project so far.

Current Status
I just finished the full demo phase—ripped out all the drywall and carpet myself, no contractors involved (yet). All of the A/V gear has arrived, and I’m now moving into the next phase: wiring, installing sound isolation (HushFrame), then cement board and drywall, followed by a pair of communicating IsoDoors (HD + standard) at the entrance.

Room & Build Details

• Dimensions: ~21' x 13' x 9'
• Layout: Single row with 3 seats
• Soundproofing Plan:
  • HushFrame decoupling (floor, walls, and ceiling)
  • Double-layer cement board and drywall
  • Communicating IsoDoors (HD + standard)
• Acoustic Treatment:
  • Sonitus mid-tier package (absorption, diffusion, bass traps)
• Power:
  • Dedicated 20-amp circuits to the A/V rack and theater room
• Design:
  • All layout and design done in SketchUp to optimize speaker placement, sightlines, and sound isolation

Audio Setup

• Speaker Layout: 7.4.4 Atmos (pre-wired for future wides)
• LCR: Perlisten R5i In-Walls
• Surrounds: Perlisten R4i
• Atmos: Perlisten R3ic (×4)
• Subwoofers: 4× 15" Hsu Research VTF-TN1 4 corners--thank you Mr. Welti
• Amplification:
  • Buckeye 8-channel Hypex NC502MP (bed layer)
  • Buckeye 6-channel Hypex NC252MP (heights)
• Processor: Marantz AV10

Video Setup

• Projector: JVC NZ800
• Screen:
  • Currently have a 150" Stewart Filmscreen Harmony G3
  • Planning to upgrade to a 150" StudioTek 130 G4 UltraPerf for improved gain and HDR performance
• Throw Distance: Estimated 15'–17'

Rack & Control

• Sources:
  • Apple TV
  • PS5
  • Panasonic DP-UB420-K UHD Blu-ray
  • Kaleidescape (planned)
• Rack: Strong 27U with Wattbox power management and AC Infinity cooling
• Control: AVA Cinema Remote

This build is really the culmination of everything I’ve picked up over the years from places like this forum, the Audioholics YouTube channel, and other YouTube channels such as Matthew Poes’, as well as fundamentals from Floyd Toole’s Sound Reproduction book.

I'm looking forward to asking questions (and hopefully helping others) as I keep moving forward!

– David (Dallas, Texas)

Welcome. I can see why you went with in walls as the room is very narrow.

My only suggestion is to hold on the room treatments, like the bass traps. You really have to see how the room sounds before applying acoustics treatments. You often don't need any, and what you do can make it worse without knowing how it sounds without the treatments. I don't use them and have never found a need to use them. One thing I do know is that if not used with care, they will make matters worse, and often a lot worse. You have a room longer than it is wide, by a significant margin and that is usually a good start. My experience is that if you have a room with poor dimension ratios, it will be pig, no matter what you do.

 

[Wardog555]

Did you use the protractor tool for sketchup?
I find people often just blindly guess and doesn't do this critical step.

 

[Eppie]

Hi and welcome. Sounds like you've done your homework which is a good start. All too often people ask for opinions after the install and it's too late to make changes. Remember to run the cabling inside conduit to allow wiring upgrades and future proof the system. This is especially true for the wiring from the projector to the AVR.

 

[Trell]

Welcome. I can see why you went with in walls as the room is very narrow.

My only suggestion is to hold on the room treatments, like the bass traps. You really have to see how the room sounds before applying acoustics treatments. You often don't need any, and what you do can make it worse without knowing how it sounds without the treatments. I don't use them and have never found a need to use them. One thing I do know is that if not used with care, they will make matters worse, and often a lot worse. You have a room longer than it is wide, by a significant margin and that is usually a good start. My experience is that if you have a room with poor dimension ratios, it will be pig, no matter what you do.

For the OP: He designed his own house for best possible audio, and that includes the dimensions of the rooms as well as construction materials which essentially are "bass traps" in the walls. All of this requires much money as well as knowledge. Really expensive. Please chime in @TLS Guy if this is an overly simplification of what you've written in your many posts.

For the rest he is pretty much spot on what he did not write that you should measure as best as you can and adjust along with listening. He did not mention placement of speakers and listening position, but this is really important.

Adding bass traps will dampen high frequencies possibly making the room dead sounding, so the ones I have have plates on it to avoid that (reflecting high frequencies). And you'll need to cover a large portion of your walls of "bass traps" to have any great, unless you put them inside the wall like TLS making them bass traps.

 

[TLS Guy]

For the OP: He designed his own house for best possible audio, and that includes the dimensions of the rooms as well as construction materials which essentially are "bass traps" in the walls. All of this requires much money as well as knowledge. Really expensive. Please chime in @TLS Guy if this is an overly simplification of what you've written in your many posts.

For the rest he is pretty much spot on what he did not write that you should measure as best as you can and adjust along with listening. He did not mention placement of speakers and listening position, but this is really important.

Adding bass traps will dampen high frequencies possibly making the room dead sounding, so the ones I have have plates on it to avoid that (reflecting high frequencies). And you'll need to cover a large portion of your walls of "bass traps" to have any great, unless you put them inside the wall like TLS making them bass traps.

You have it basically correct. It is a total concept, where layout, speakers, room dimensions, interior design and construction and all part of an integrated total system approach.

It was not as costly as you think, as that space had to be built out anyway. It otherwise would have been bedrooms, and we have enough. As far as the room, the only new equipment was the AVP 7705, the four ceiling Atmos drivers and the LG 77" OLED. I had everything else for that room, and the equipment in the family room. The inwall system in the great room was a new build, but I had the TV, that AVP and the power amps. I, one of my grandsons, and a son in law, did the vast majority of the construction. Over 70 odd years I have collected a lot of legacy equipment, and I look after it. Most really good equipment does not go out of date, and works better than a lot of gear made last week.

The trick is to make it look and sound as if it cost an absolute fortune, when in fact it didn't. The whole cost was not out of the ordinary, and added I think, little to the actual construction costs of the home. But building a new home, which is our "nursing home prevention project", was going to be built anyway, as a hedge against residential care cost, or modifications later for adaptation to disabilities. The house is all on grade, and no steps anywhere in or out, and the ground floor is built to ADA specs, and the upstairs also, except the shower in that bathroom is not on grade and would not take a shower chair, like the one downstairs.

The biggest extravagance was the hydraulic elevator between the floors. That cost significantly more then this AV room. However, that was a good move, as both me and my wife have had issues from time and we have friends who could not now come upstairs.

So, over all we think we made the right decisions and choices and have no regrets. Careful planning is a gift that keeps giving.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hey everyone,

I’m David—after years of following Audioholics mostly through YouTube, I’m finally jumping in and joining the forum community. I’m currently in the early-to-mid stages of building my first dedicated home theater, and I wanted to introduce myself and share a bit about the project so far.

Current Status
I just finished the full demo phase—ripped out all the drywall and carpet myself, no contractors involved (yet). All of the A/V gear has arrived, and I’m now moving into the next phase: wiring, installing sound isolation (HushFrame), then cement board and drywall, followed by a pair of communicating IsoDoors (HD + standard) at the entrance.

Room & Build Details

• Dimensions: ~21' x 13' x 9'
• Layout: Single row with 3 seats
• Soundproofing Plan:
  • HushFrame decoupling (floor, walls, and ceiling)
  • Double-layer cement board and drywall
  • Communicating IsoDoors (HD + standard)
• Acoustic Treatment:
  • Sonitus mid-tier package (absorption, diffusion, bass traps)
• Power:
  • Dedicated 20-amp circuits to the A/V rack and theater room
• Design:
  • All layout and design done in SketchUp to optimize speaker placement, sightlines, and sound isolation

Audio Setup

• Speaker Layout: 7.4.4 Atmos (pre-wired for future wides)
• LCR: Perlisten R5i In-Walls
• Surrounds: Perlisten R4i
• Atmos: Perlisten R3ic (×4)
• Subwoofers: 4× 15" Hsu Research VTF-TN1 4 corners--thank you Mr. Welti
• Amplification:
  • Buckeye 8-channel Hypex NC502MP (bed layer)
  • Buckeye 6-channel Hypex NC252MP (heights)
• Processor: Marantz AV10

Video Setup

• Projector: JVC NZ800
• Screen:
  • Currently have a 150" Stewart Filmscreen Harmony G3
  • Planning to upgrade to a 150" StudioTek 130 G4 UltraPerf for improved gain and HDR performance
• Throw Distance: Estimated 15'–17'

Rack & Control

• Sources:
  • Apple TV
  • PS5
  • Panasonic DP-UB420-K UHD Blu-ray
  • Kaleidescape (planned)
• Rack: Strong 27U with Wattbox power management and AC Infinity cooling
• Control: AVA Cinema Remote

This build is really the culmination of everything I’ve picked up over the years from places like this forum, the Audioholics YouTube channel, and other YouTube channels such as Matthew Poes’, as well as fundamentals from Floyd Toole’s Sound Reproduction book.

I'm looking forward to asking questions (and hopefully helping others) as I keep moving forward!

– David (Dallas, Texas)

Eppie's advice is very important. Don't put any, and I mean any AV cable behind a wall not in conduit. Make sure the conduit is big enough, otherwise you will damage it pulling it through.

You might find the thread I started on my build helpful.

Please feel free to ask all the questions you want. Mistakes are costly, so don't be afraid to pose any questions you want.

 

[dcookatx]

Welcome. I can see why you went with in walls as the room is very narrow.

My only suggestion is to hold on the room treatments, like the bass traps. You really have to see how the room sounds before applying acoustics treatments. You often don't need any, and what you do can make it worse without knowing how it sounds without the treatments. I don't use them and have never found a need to use them. One thing I do know is that if not used with care, they will make matters worse, and often a lot worse. You have a room longer than it is wide, by a significant margin and that is usually a good start. My experience is that if you have a room with poor dimension ratios, it will be pig, no matter what you do.

Thanks--I agree, the room is definitely on the narrow side.

I totally get your caution around over-treating. But in small rooms like this, I’ve learned that some targeted absorption and diffusion can go a long way. Reflections arrive within milliseconds and can smear detail and imaging. Treatments help reduce early reflection energy and manage modal buildup--especially in the bass.

Before I tore down the drywall, my REW measurements showed decay times pushing 1.5 seconds--way too long for a small theater. While the ears don’t lie, I tend to rely on science and measurements to guide decisions like this. For home cinema, the target is typically around 0.3 to 0.6 seconds. Acoustic treatment helps bring things into that range, creating a clearer and more balanced sound without making the room feel dead.

I'm keeping things modest--just aiming for around 15% absorption and 15-20% diffusion on the walls and ceiling. Even small improvements here can make a noticeable difference in clarity and spaciousness.

Also, some of the photos in your signature are really cool.

 

[dcookatx]

Did you use the protractor tool for sketchup?
I find people often just blindly guess and doesn't do this critical step.

Absolutely. I have a background in GIS and a bit of CAD, so I really appreciate the measurement tools in SketchUp. The protractor and tape measure tools make it easy to measure angles, check distances, and square everything up accurately. Fantastic tool--and free, which is a bonus!

 

[dcookatx]

Hi and welcome. Sounds like you've done your homework which is a good start. All too often people ask for opinions after the install and it's too late to make changes. Remember to run the cabling inside conduit to allow wiring upgrades and future proof the system. This is especially true for the wiring from the projector to the AVR.

Thank you--great tip! I’ve definitely heard that running conduit can be a lifesaver down the road. I'm planning to pre-wire for potential future expansions, like adding wides, just in case I decide to go that route later. Better to do it now while the walls are open!

 

[dcookatx]

Eppie's advice is very important. Don't put any, and I mean any AV cable behind a wall not in conduit. Make sure the conduit is big enough, otherwise you will damage it pulling it through.

You might find the thread I started on my build helpful.

Please feel free to ask all the questions you want. Mistakes are costly, so don't be afraid to pose any questions you want.

Agreed--great advice.

Thanks, I’ll definitely check out your build thread.

And will do--I really appreciate it! Definitely trying to catch any mistakes now before they turn into $$ down the drain.