This is my entertainment room/home theater build.
It may be considered quick and dirty compared to some of the elaborate installations undertaken by other users, but I assure you that it serves it purpose well.
I purchased an Epson 8500UB in December to replace an old Dell XGA DLP projector and decided that the room needed some "upgrades" to make a better all around theater room.
I’m an idiot and I didn’t take any "before" picture, so please forgive me.
From flat white walls to a more projector friendly dark brown:


Note that the window to the room is heavily tinted- its high noon in the desert in this photo. In the final build, there are wood blinds and velvet curtains also covering the window and the archway between rooms.

Attached Images

	theaterpaint1_small.jpg (50.6 KB)
	theaterpaint2_small.jpg (31.1 KB)
	theaterpaint3_small.jpg (42.6 KB)

Well I’m finishing up my sub floor after what seems like forever… Half of my room will be carpeted so I didn’t really care about flatness. The other half of the room will have laminate on it so I’ve been mulling over my options. This is an old basement so there’s not much for headroom. I’ve already installed platon over all the walls and floor and now I’m trying to decide on what sub floor to put in that area. The problem is that the floor is by no means flat. The variations are small enough over most of the room though that even a thin osb sub floor (7/16") would be enough to correct it. I was even leaning towards (3/4") osb to be absolutely sure. But here’s the rub… The corners of the basement are raised almost 3/4" or possibly more. I’m sure this made sense when the floor was poured. I mean if there was ever a water problem it would drain to the center of the room and away from the walls. But this now leaves me trying to adjust for this. My first thought is to lay down 3/4" osb sub floor like I was planing and cut the 2′ from the corner. This would make the rest of the sub floor lay flat. Then I could caulk the edges of the triangle I cut out and pour in some kind of leveling compound up to the sub floor level. One problem with this is that since there is platon underneath, normal cement based leveling compounds would crack and break up because of possible movement. Does anyone have any other creative ideas or know of any semi flexible leveling compounds? Thanks! Oh, And here’s a picture of what I was trying to describe with the corner cut:

Attached Images

Floor.JPG (11.5 KB)

I have been reading posts on AVS for about a year now and this is my first time posting. I recently pulled the trigger on a new yamaha 765 and want to design 7.1 in my great room. I have never set up a surround sound system so I would appreciate the advice. The room is really quite large and my wife has limited me to In wall and In ceiling speakers, but I could get a 10-12 inch sub depending on what you recommend. I plan on using monoprice for the 7 speakers and would also like recommendation on size. So the most important thing is in ceiling speaker placement. The ceiling peaks and it raises from 9ft to 11ft at its highest. I would also like to place the sub on a pot shelf in the back of the living room so i can keep it out of sight. That pot shelf is 8ft off the ground. Check out these pictures and any advice would help me out greatly, I am a cable technician so running speaker wire anywhere will not be an issue what so ever. Thanks in Advance.

Attached Images

	House 1.jpg (225.5 KB)
	house 2.jpg (252.9 KB)
	house 3.jpg (176.1 KB)
	house 4.jpg (174.1 KB)
	house 5.jpg (238.1 KB)

I have a “rough draft” of a possible system that I’ve put together based on a huge number of hours spent over the last few months researching products and reading thoughts of others on all things audiophile. I’ve heard Magnepans in stereo before but not these models and never in this combination or environment. However, I love the depth and imaging their design provides and the open spaciousness of the sound. I’ve decided on these models because, they’re wall mountable and can fold flat if necessary, owner satisfaction is first rate, and they fit my budget. I haven’t been able to audition any of the other equipment. (Higher end AV stores are very limited in this area.) I’d like those of you with some experience in the home audio arena to give me any thoughts you might have on whether or not I’m on the right track–and why. The reasoning behind your opinion will help me learn and understand how to make better choices! Thanks in advance! Here we go…

What I’ll use my system for:
Watching SD and HD satellite TV 50%
Watching DVD/Blu Ray movies 25%
Listening to music (radio, CD, SACD, or DVD-Audio) 25%
I’m sure I might find myself doing more of one and less of another after learning my system’s capabilities and what I enjoy most from it.

Room features:
Approximately 16‘X12’ with 8’ ceilings
Side walls are the long walls.
Left wall is has a centered large window (~8’) with PVC blinds and sofa underneath.
Right wall has a centered open doorway (~4’) into the rest of the house.
Front wall has standard window on the left abutted to the side wall and a french door on the right abutted to the side wall (both with PVC blinds) and a 3.5’ tall piano on the wall in between.
The rear wall has the front door about 1’ in from the left side wall.
Floors are hardwood with 4’X7’ rug in center. The room doesn’t seem to be overly “live” acoustically. My main listening position is a chair fairly centered on and close to the rear wall (ears ~2.5’ in from of rear wall) near the door.

Equipment choices:

*TV: Panasonic 54” V10 series plasma mounted and centered on the front wall over the piano between the window and French door. (I realize this is a little high, but much of my watching/listening also will be from a slightly reclined position, so the sight line will be comfortable.)

Speakers:
*Front main speakers: Magnepan MC1’s mounted on side walls about 2’-3’ in from the front wall about 2.5’-3’ off the floor so that they won’t be blocked by the nearby sofa. Does anyone know of any imaging/reflection issues with having a glass window or door with PVC blinds behind these speakers (or Magnepans in general) instead of a solid wall?
*Rear surround speakers: Magnepan MMG-W’s mounted on side walls about 1’-2’ in from rear wall about 2.5’-3’ off the floor. Since I’ll mainly be sitting close to the rear wall, I don’t want the rear speakers too far forward from that wall or I might end up almost behind them. I know MMG-W’s need space behind them, but would 1’-2’ be enough room for them to “breathe”? Also, I’ve never had a system that played multichannel music (SACD/DVD-A), so I don’t know how big a role rear surround speakers play in listening to music like this. With their narrower bandwidth vs. the larger front MC1’s, will I still enjoy them for multichannel music?
*Center channel speaker: I am going to try the MMG-C. But considering its smaller bandwidth compared to the MC1’s, I may end up doing the phantom center configuration with the fronts if that sounds better or just as full. The CC3 is a possibility, but it would have to sound significantly better than the MMG-C or the MC1’s in phantom mode to justify the expense. Has anyone used either of these centers with MC1 or MMG (the next closest thing) fronts or used these fronts in phantom mode instead of a center speaker? Also, a center would be on top of the piano and below the TV, meaning it would be <1’ from the wall. Would a Magnepan center work that close to the wall, and does anyone see any resonance issues from the piano being a problem?
*Sub(s): I have looked at REL, Velodyne, Rythmic, and SVS models that seem like possible good matches. I know that I need something musical, controlled, and tight into the upper range in order to blend smoothly with the Maggies. Any thoughts or suggestions on recommended models? Can I get away with just one in that room, or would two be better? I’ve read that two might work better since they will likely be crossed over in the 80-120Hz range which could localize it. Any experience with this? I’m flexible with location to a point. There are three or four spots I would put one around the room. Whether one or two, I would like to keep the total cost under $1000 if at all possible.

(The following components would go in a small, end table sized custom built cabinet on the left side wall near the front corner under the FL speaker next to the sofa.)
*Satellite: DirecTV HD DVR
Blu Ray/CD/SACD/DVD-Audio player: Oppo BDP-83. I know it does a great job for video, but does anyone have any reason why I shouldn’t use it for music (stereo or multichannel) as well? Would using the onboard DAC or bypassing to a preamp DAC be better for music?
*Preamp/processor: Integra 9.8 or 9.9 (used/demo/refurb based on Audiogon prices). Any better suggestions under $1000-1200? I’ve read great things about its video processor for upconversion. The Anchor Bay chip in the Oppo is also supposed to be great upconversion for DVD’s. Would using the Oppo to upconvert DVD’s be the best option or would the prepro do better? Can the Integra upconvert SD DirecTV signals better than the TV or satellite box? Can 1080i HD satellite be upconverted to 1080p, and if so, is best (or only) method to use the Integra? Will this equipment benefit from a top-notch preamp video processor or will I better off using the Oppo and TV upconversion and getting something cheaper like a more mainstream Onkyo/Yamaha/Denon receiver as a preamp for audio? If other pieces can handle video processing duties just as well, I think my only other primary requirements in a preamp are solid audio signal handling and processing, quality processing of the latest audio codecs, and speaker equalization (Audessey, etc.).
*Amp: Emotiva XPA-5. Reviews and owner comments speak very highly of this unit, and it appears to have the power stability and output to cleanly and effortlessly drive 4 or 5 Maggies, even for extended playing at very high volume. For anywhere near its price, I haven’t seen anything that seems to be more capable and solidly designed and built. Anyone know of a reason why this amp wouldn’t safely and cleanly get the most out of the Maggies without any issues?

Connections:
*Speaker wire: Is there any reason to use anything other than simple in-wall rated 12AWG solid core speaker wire like that available from Monoprice? By that, I’m not talking about reasons based on opinions like “SuperXYZ wire sounds better” but reasons based on physical matters like impedance, inductance, resistance, etc. associated with carrying the signal/power from an amp like this to planar speakers like these Maggies in a safe and stable manner. With this equipment, are there any basic wire attributes that I should reevaluate or further consider (gauge, solid vs. stranded, termination methods, etc.)? The longest run length will be <30’.
*Source interconnects: For the TV/prepro/Oppo/satellite connections, can I just use 3 HDMI cables (two sources to preamp and preamp to TV) or is there a significant reason that I should use the multichannel analog outs on the Oppo as well? What would be the purpose of using both HDMI and analog? Can I (or should I) play SACD/DVD-Audio through HDMI? I’ll have at least one sub and want to use an equalization system like Audessey, and from what I’ve heard, some preamp analog inputs don’t get processed (bass management, Audessey, etc.) like digital/HDMI inputs.
*Prepro/amp interconnects: I want to use something solid and secure that will carry the signal reliably–nothing fancy. That said, is there a benefit to using the XLR connections (if the preamp has them like the above Integra does) over the unbalanced RCA connections even though the cable length will be <3’?
For the HDMI and prepro/amp cables (and analog Oppo to prepro cables if necessary), will standard but well made cables like those from Monoprice work fine, or is there another source I should consider for build quality or specifications concerns? (For any of the cables, I’m only interested in simple yet sturdy cables that can be had for <$10-20 each.) If run lengths might be a factor, the components will all be in the one small cabinet (probably 2’-3’ cables), and I estimate that the HDMI cable run under floor/in wall from prepro to TV will be <25′.

Power:
*Outlets: My house is 50+ years old with mostly original outlets and wiring. I plan on having a 20A dedicated circuit run from my breaker box outside for this equipment. I will need at least two outlets (one for the TV, one for everything else) on the adjoining walls. If I can use one circuit, should anything go on separate outlets on the same circuit for any reason (amp by itself, etc.)? Is there a reason to run more than one dedicated circuit for all of this equipment? If I need more than one dedicated circuit, what items should be separated and why? Also, for the dedicated circuit(s) I’ll be running to the breaker box, what grounding issues/methods should I be aware of?
*Surge protection/line conditioning: I will definitely be using a surge protector for each outlet for all equipment. Are there any features I should look for or avoid for this equipment when purchasing a surge suppressor line conditioner? (I’m looking at simple Panamax/TrippLite type items that retail for <$100.) Will all the equipment run fine plugged into something like these?

Well I’ve caught the home theater bug and have been slowly adding things over the last year but just got serious about it. I finally got my speakers home today and thought I would share. I also just moved out of a condo (where volume was very limited) into a 3 story house with a basement that I’m turning into my theater. So now that I can finally use real speakers, I got them. Here’s some pictures:

The Boxes

DSP-3400 and Def Tech Supercube III

Front Setup

Gear so far:
Panasonic TX-SR605 (hopefully soon to be replaced by the 65")
Onkyo TX-SR605 (soon to be replaced by the NR-807)
2 x MacMini’s I use the new one for plex and as a HTPC older as a file server.
Paradigm Monitor 11’s
Paradigm CC-390
Paradigm DSP-3400
Definitive Technologies SuperCube III
Harmony 880
Sony Bookshelf as rear surrounds for now… (soon to be replaced)

I’ve just placed the speakers where they are for now, waiting for my APC H15 and 20lbs of monoprice wiring to get here and them I’m going to spend all weekend rewiring everything and the equipment is going on a rack on the right hand side and the center channel on the middle shelf of the tv stand.
I was playing around with having both subs tonight and realized that it’s going to take some work getting them both working in the same room and not having them cancel each other out (and advice here would be great). Once the wiring gets here I’m going to try to place the supercube III in the rear of the room and see how that works. Gonna take a few vodka sodas and a few hours to rewire everything this weekend and get it all working nicely.
A few questions…..
1. What is the ideal width to run the front towers at? The CC is so wide that I feel they should probably be spread out a bit but I am limited in width to some degree. Also sub placement is going to be kind of an issue I think as well.
2. Judging by how large the front towers and CC are should I set the crossover to 60 or leave it at 80?
3. Is the auddyssey automated setup worth a damn in the receiver? I’ve heard no but figured I’d ask.

Thanks for the input.

I just started on these home theater stuff about a year ago and had bought some nasty sony Theater in a box before.

After reading this forum, i begin to learn more and more and i really enjoy it. Anyway the setup is actually for my bedroom which is my game and movie room also.

Current:

Samsung: UN46B6000
Yamaha Home Theater YHT-591
PS3
COMCAST HD

I had the YHT-591 for about 6 months and decided to get something better. I went to a local store in San Francisco which is called Harmony. The owner spent a lot of time with me to talk and show me around. He recommended me the B&W CM1. I liked it a lot and I am sure I cannot go wrong with K&W stuff. The price for these speakers are what I am looking for also. Besides the B&W CM1 in rosenut color, I also bought the Denon AVR-4310CI. I read a lot reviews and posts about it. I probably do not need that good of a receiver but i went with it anyway. I want to get a decent one that can last for a while.

I got home right away and installed my receiver and tested it out. I noticed the difference already when I watching the NBA already and I loved it. I think is because of the Audyssey. I cant wait until my CM1 gets here. Later on, I even made the PS3 bit streaming work and thanks to batpig.

I am planning to get the m1 as surround speaker and the CM centre for the center. As for the sub, i probably get the Elemental Designs A2-300 for now.

Or do you guys have any recommendation for the surround and CM centre? I want something that are similar to the m1 in size. As for the Center, I already think the CM centre is kinda big for me. However I read it is better if i pick the center speaker from the same family as the left and right.

Anyway here is a pic of my current setup. In a week or two, i probably will have most of the stuff setup including the UN46B8500.

Enjoy guys!

Hello,
I am in the process of setting up the HT in the open area in the basement. Budget is low and easy setup..

1. going to put the drywall around the wall and setup a small bar area.
2. Was planning to cover the ceiling with a black felt cloth like someone else have done here in the forum
3. Planning for a Panasonic AE4000 and put a couch or 2 rows of recliners
4. The HT/Bar area is around 11′ x 33′. Could you please suggest me what screen size should I need to go in 16:9. The bigger the better.
5. Any low cost suggestion or models for bar setup? I need at least 3 bar stools and a storage display for all the drinks.

Attached is the diagram and couple of pics.

Could you please suggest what best works for this kind of setup? Thank you.

Attached Images

	basementpic1.jpg (54.3 KB)
	PJScreenArea.jpg (82.4 KB)
	Bar area.jpg (79.2 KB)

Hey guys, as you can see from the name and posts, I’m very new to these boards. I’ve been reading the forums to get up to speed but am now in need of specific ideas for my basement HT.

From the pictures you can basically see what I am envisioning. For the most part, everything is going to stay where it is at in that I won’t be putting up any major walls or enclosing the area. Its too widely used for other family stuff and eventually my bar will be opposite the screen in the back of the basement so I want that to remain open. This is a very budget minded build with extra focus being made to more or less leave a lot of it "as is".

More specifics:

The nook where the TV is 126" wide and 48 1/2" deep - this is where I intend to place my screen. I also intend to house my components here in the front via a built in (preferred) or a store bought rack.

The first row is seats is 14′ from the wall and the second row of seats is about 19 1/2′

Here is another picture of the proposed seating positions. I intend to hang the projector right in front of the closest support beam you see in this picture:

The width of the room once you get outside the nook area is 16ft and I have 8′ finished ceilings that are a flat white. The basement has daylight windows in the back but I can easily address that so I’m not overly concerned with ambient lighting. There are a few can lights in the ceiling that I would like to leave as I don’t want this to be a major project that will get me in bad standing with my wife.

My questions -

1. From what I have read, 12" risers seem to be about right for the 2nd row of seats. Is that the case? I intended to build a box out of 2×12’s to elevate the 2nd couch that will be covered with carpet or hardwood and secure the couch to it. Eventually these couches will be upgraded to single seat HT seats.

2. What color would you suggest for the walls? The color of the walls now is awful courtesy of cheap paint before we bought the house I would guess and I want to change that.

3. For a projector, I’m leaning towards an Epson 8100 since our local Best Buy carries them and I can finance it interest free to save my cash on hand for other items.

4. Screen - this is a tough one for me. I’m a bit torn between leaving room on the sides for the speakers thus shrinking the screen or using AT material for the screen. I keep hearing go as big as possible…thoughts?

5. How far can floor standing speakers be elevated off the ground before they start to mess with the sound quality? Should they be raised like 12" or so to get a good blend for the 1st and 2nd row seating?

6. Will the ceiling need to be painted a different color or will the flat-white work?

7. At what height should I mount whichever screen I go with? At what height should the bottom of the screen be?

I’m sure there more that I will think of later but that’s a good start. Any other tips and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

Hi my name is Anthony and i am from the UK
below is some pictures of my apartment and kit, I am 20 years old and have built up my kit over the past 2 years since i moved out of my parents with my girlfriend, i first got into AV when i purchased my first LCD TV when i was 17 since then I built up my equipment and try to upgrade when the funds allow.

Kit List

Living Room/Gadgets
Panasonic TH-50PZ70 50" Full HD 1080p/24 Plasma TV
Yamaha - DSP-AX761 7.1 AMP
Mordaunt short Avants and Kef’s
Joytech AV Control Center
Xbox360-HDMI(Flashed)
Xbox Elite (Standard)
Original PS3-60GB
WII
Iphone 3GB 16GB
Iphone 3GB 8GB
x2 Nintendo DS Lite
x2 Original PSP
Dell D620 Laptop 2.2Ghz 2GB 500GB Laptop
PC
24" Iiyama LCD Full HD 1920×1080
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black-edition,AM3,OC@ 3.8 GHz,
Asus Crosshair III Formula
4GB (2×2GB) Corsair Dominator DDR3, PC3-12800(1600)
1TB Samsung Spinpoint
1GB XFX HD5770
650W Silverstone ST65ZF-GM PSU
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro v2
Lancool K58 Black Advanced Tower

Bedroom
TOSHIBA 32C3030D Regza 32" LCD
Panasonic DVD Sound System SCPT450EBK

Chill out Room
Samsung PS42A456P 42" Plasma TV
Yamaha RXV363 AMP
KEF KHT2005.2’s and Yamaha centre/Sub-woofer
Xbox360(FLASHED)
PS3 - 80GB

Kitchen
Relisys RLT1520 15"

Living Room

Bedroom

Chill Out Room

Kitchen

Hello,

I’m setting up a game room in my basement, mostly for video gaming, but it will also be used for watching TV and playing some movies for friends. There are just so many things to get, and so many choices to be made that I’m a little confused.

I have a tons of old consoles (Sega, Saturn, Intellevision, Collecovision, Nintendo, Snes, N64, etc) that I’m looking to plug in as well, not necessarly on the same TV, but I would like to use the same loudspeakers if possible.

As for the budget, around 1500$ (the TV is already bought and not included in that amount). This is a house we bought, so the room is already done, it’s just empty.

—

TV:

For a while, I wanted to get an LCD since I have been told these were better for gaming, but after investigation, I found out that burn-in issues were almost non-existant on newer plasmas. Furthermore, I strongly disliked the ghosting effect that we can see on LCD to the point that I prefered the SD quality to LCD with ghosting.

I’ve settled on this model: 50" Samsung plasma HDTV (PN50B53) —

Audio/AV Receiver:

There is where I’m getting confused. I’m not someone that necessarly like to play things very loud, however, some power is always nice. However, I want crisp sound, nothing jerky and I’m looking for something that will last a while. Having tons of input ports is not necessary (but nice) as I could always just buy a switch since only one input will be used at a given time.

For the speaker, same problem. I don’t know what to get exactly.

I would like to go in the way of incremental upgrades, so I’m not looking for top of the line stuff, especially since I’ve always lagged behind to get stuff (got a PS2 when PS3 was out, planning to get a PS3 in march).

I don’t mind getting used/new stuff from ebay for a bargain, I’ve bought most of my consoles from there and they work flawlessy.

—-

As for furnitures, I should be ok to figure out that one part on my own.

Thanks for any input !