I've been checking out a bunch of the posts here, getting ideas on what to aim for with my home theater room, but my starting situation is a little different than most of what I've been finding.
Goal is to have a decent and impressive theater setup, keeping the electronics budget under the $3000 range when I start upgrading. The AV Surround sound system can come later though, I have an Onkyo HT-S7409 system for temporary use.
Here are the specs:
- Basement layout, 14' wide room, length can be in the 20' range, or a little more if needed.
- No windows in this area at all, 14' wide front wall where the screen will be, concrete with 2x4 insulated and sheet rocked.
- Left wall is concrete, planning for a flat stud wall to maximize room width, foam board in between studs, and drywall cover.
- Right wall is a 2x4 wall, insulated with dry wall on both sides. This wall runs down the center of the house. (Ranch 28x52)
- Ceiling height is about 8'8", but I have duct work on the right side that will be drywalled in, lowering that section 10-12"
There is no rear wall at all right now, so containing the sound is an issue. We have an open stair case running upstairs, opposite side of the basement from this room, but it's still open.
I will have the room wired for a full 7.1 surround system with the ability to upgrade easily. I'd really like to do in wall speakers, so I need some good info on installing those properly. According to directions on some I have looked at, cutting a hole in the drywall and popping them in doesn't sound very professional.
Construction wise, I can do everything myself easily, but I want to make sure the planning and layout are moving in the right direction. I'd like to do an elevated 2nd row of seating as well, I have plenty of depth for it.
Main issues are -
1. Ceiling - Drywall with 1 1/2" insulation or acoustic tiles?
2. Rear wall, and quality with an open layout?
3. Room size, rectangle layout?
4. Dare I turn the room around and have the concrete wall in the back, and build a center wall for the TV with open sides as an entrance? I'd think this would allow 45 deg rear corners, and a better feel to the 2nd row of seating.
If I'm way off in my approach, please feel free to straighten out my ideas. There are a bunch of ways to go about this I'm sure, but I just want something I can finally start moving forward to.
