will a 11 foot by 50 ft room work for a theater. I do not want to close off the room. I have a desginated bar space & pool table and bath room. I would like to keep it open for entertaining. There is room at the end of the space that measures 11 by 20 with access to a bathroom. I was thinking of placing a projection screen that can be visible to all areas of the basement. What type of sound proofing do you recommend and what type of built in audio rack do you suggest that can be accessed from the back ?
I would use blue tape on the floor to lay it out. Your speakers and seating should be placed to make the theater space work and not moved. How big the screen is will be determined by the distance to the screen and the ceiling height. For that width, I thing a 103" should work well but even a 92" should be good. You need to realize that the projector will probably end up right over the seating location, though. The fan noise may be distracting.
That space will work fine, though. Use two subs to minimize the room mode just under 100Hz and have some absorptive materials to keep the response smooth.
Carpeting, rigid fiberglass insulation with whatever material looks good to cover for absorbing the first reflections. If you use acoustical ceiling tiles, painting them will reduce their effectiveness.
As far as the rack, that can be set up away from the seating area, so any noise won't be an issue. I would probably do a built-in with a locking door on the back, or hinged on one side, with a way to secure the opposite side to the wall. With fans and proper ventilation, heat won't build up. Run a separate circuit for all of the equipment in the system.
