Building my Home Theatre Room - Please guide me

santhosh

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Hi A/V Enthusiasts,

As you may have read in my recent introduction message, I am building a dedicated entertainment Room. The size of the room is about 15x12 feet in size and has a height of about 8.5 feet.

Since this is a dedicated entertaiment room, I intend to get it treated for acoustics (both sound proofing and sound improvement). So, I need your suggestions on how I should proceed with acoustic treatment for this room.

Currently, the civil work is still going on and the structure has just been completed. Yesterday, I took a day off from work to get the electrical conduits laid. Here are some pictures that I shot yesterday with my mobile camera (please excuse the quality of pics):

Front Wall (seperate electrical conduits laid for electrical and A/V cabling)
Image383.jpg


Left Wall (There is a window to the left of the picture)
Image372.jpg


Right Wall (Has one more window which cannot be seen in this pic. There are so many windows here as the area below used to be a garden)
Image382.jpg


Right Wall (This is the third window)
Image384.jpg


Back Wall (Opening behind ladder is the entrance to the room)
Image386.jpg


Ceiling (Used to be a pergola before)
Image381.jpg
 
hi santhosh!

your ht room has too many windows. it will be wise not to use them and instead cover them up with acoustic material.
you have sort of pre-built structure for your ceiling. the acoustic work can be easily carried out on that.

regards,
abhishek@audiodynamics.
 
hi santhosh!

your ht room has too many windows. it will be wise not to use them and instead cover them up with acoustic material.
you have sort of pre-built structure for your ceiling. the acoustic work can be easily carried out on that.

Thanks for your advise Abhishek. I agree about the 'too many windows' bit. I intend to cover them by building a cupboard lining the entire RHS (Right Hand Side) wall. Regarding the pre-built structure, I was thinking about packing it with some sound-proofing material like glasswool or polyfill and sealing it with plywood first. Once I do this, I will have a flat ceiling on which I was thinking about going in for Armstrong Acoustic tiles. What do you think about this?

I have two AV setups (This is just FYI):

a) Stereo Setup: I am a stereo-phile and like to listen to stereo the old fashioned way. So I wanted everything from pre-digital era. So, part of my stereo setup is second hand. I picked them up either from abroad or from a family friend in chennai.

Power Amp: Adcom 535 Mark II - bought 'used'. Missed out on a brand new like Adcom 555 Mark II in Singapore as I could not figure how to take it back to India [It was DAMN heavy] with flight starting in 4 hours from then. So, bought the 545.
Pre-Amp: NAD Monitor Series 1300 - bought 'used'. I settled down for the NAD after listening to atleast 5 different pre-amps over two years [losing money each time I exchanged. Anyways, I like it the way it sounds now]. I might get a turn table too some day, but don't have any plates yet.
Speakers: B&W Bookshelf Speakers DM610 that I bought in Australia. These are 'Made in England' speakers and I bought them as NOS from a shop that was closing down for around INR 17k. Super deal me thinks. Transporting them safely was a huge pain though.
Speaker Stands: Custom Made
CD Player: Marantz 63SE - bought 'used'
Speaker Cables: Jamo OFC wires
Interconnects: Vivanco

b) Home Theatre\Movie Setup:
AV Receiver: Sony 6.1 STR-DE598
Speakers: Jamo Floorstanders E570 series
Sub: Jamo Sub from same series
Center Channel: Energy Center Channel
Rear Surrounds: Yet to buy from same series (Timbre-matching + looks ). Was using the above-mentioned B&W speakers as surrounds.
Television: Currently using an old Samsung Wide Vision 30 inch TV. Plan is to go in for a Panasonic 42inch Plasma TV. And a Projector at a later stage.
Speaker Cables: Jamo OFC wires
Interconnects: Vivanco
Digital Component Cable: Designer Audio Cable
 
Folks, I am sharing with you all my WIP 'Home Theatre Room' as it stands this morning. It is now ready for Acoustic Treatment. For sound proofing, I plan to do a "Room within a Room". I am willing to lose atmost 4 inches on all four sides to achieve this. I want to do this myself along with my carpenter and Gypsum worker. So, I am sharing with you all what I have in my mind. Please guide me step by step ideas. The room is mostly for listening as well as watching movies[I have two seperate setups as you can see in my previous post]. Consider this as your project and share with me what you would have done if you were in my place:). Feel free to suggest or correct me with your timely advise. :signthankspin: in advance.

Front Wall - Since half the pillar is seen, I was thinking of hiding it by building an area to hold the screen. Something like this:
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i10/santhoshl/Home Theatre Project/IMG_1501.jpg

DSC06594.jpg


Ceiling - I want to do a DIY Starlight Ceiling using LEDs. I was thinking about packing it with some mass and covering it with Gypsum board so that we get a flat surface to start with. For this purpose, I was thinking of using a material that looks like 'Waste that mechanic use to wipe their hands'. Not sure what it is called and where I can get it. I have seen my car audio chap use it for 'cost-effective' damping. After this I want to do what IndianEars has done here:
http://www.hifivision.com/av-enhanc...suggest-false-ceiling-option-3.html#post61302
DSC06595.jpg


Left Wall with a window at rear corner - Will be concealed.
DSC06599.jpg


Right Wall with three windows - The grey colored windows that are seen on the top will be closed by making shelves [no doors] from inside the adjacent room. The third one will be concealed.
DSC06597.jpg


Backwall with door. I have a spare door which will be installed from inside after adding sound absorbers. There will be an air-column of atleast 4 inches between the two doors. Am I proceeding in the correct lines.
DSC06598.jpg


Area for AV Rack - There are some pipes here that I will conceal. The shortest pipe in the picture is an exhast outlet for the equipment (suggest ideas for silent exhaust). The pipe opens into the garden below.
DSC06600.jpg
 
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The roof in my Home Theatre can be made to look like this. I would not mind losing the 'Star Light' to achieve this. But is it a problem acoustically or would the roof act as a giant diffuser thus benefitting the sound quality?
Home-theater-concert.jpg
 
The roof in my Home Theatre can be made to look like this. I would not mind losing the 'Star Light' to achieve this. But is it a problem acoustically or would the roof act as a giant diffuser thus benefitting the sound quality?

Hi

Couple things I noticed - its a bit late in the game but I wish you had run 3/4 inch PVC piping along the walls and cables through them so there woudl not be an issue if you had run new ones. Typically you could have put end plates at every turn to make sure you could pull new ones when ever you liked.

Re: the roofing, its actually acts as a diffuser. Due to the internal reflections, the sound waves are intended to die amongst the squares.
 
hi, since you wud want the best , why dont u go the professional way , kindly contact mr praveen @ 9845932079 , they have done a lot of theatres in blr including multiplex theatres , i am doing up my room through him , i always thot the prices quoted by the showroom guys to do room acoustics was exorbitant , but this company provides u a lot of help and the rates are very reasonable for all kinds of acoustics boards , i dont know the name of the company ,they are based in indranagar & have thier factory in whitefield area
 
Hi

Couple things I noticed - its a bit late in the game but I wish you had run 3/4 inch PVC piping along the walls and cables through them so there woudl not be an issue if you had run new ones. Typically you could have put end plates at every turn to make sure you could pull new ones when ever you liked.

Thanks Marsilians, I have provided concealed conduits for everything that I could think of. I have also routed the Electrical and A/V conduits seperately so that there is no interference. All the Electrical conduits come from top to down, while the Speaker cable conduits and A/V conduits are laid on the floor and rise to the walls. Although, I have tried to make it future proof as much as possible. For Eg: My AVR can only do 6.1 but I have provided conduits for 8.2. Similary, I have made provisions of 4 conduits of one inch thickness from the AV/Rack to the Screen Area for HDMI, Component etc and "god knows what comes next":). Still if there is something I have missed, I have enough flexibility as I am making the wall panels removable.

Re: the roofing, its actually acts as a diffuser. Due to the internal reflections, the sound waves are intended to die amongst the squares.
The grid in my ceiling is not proportionate and is not aligned to the centre of the room. So, I have dropped that idea. Also, after seeing pictures of star light ceiling, my family likes that better. So, almost decided to go in for a false ceiling made of gypsum on the sides and a starlight ceiling in the middle. This is what I have in mind. Please express your views.
Custom_Home_Theater_5.jpg


Picture Courtesy: Google

Also, while I was thinking of a DIY Starlight Ceiling made of LED, I came across this dealer in Mumbai who deals in Optic Fibre Starlight Ceiling. Not sure how much it costs, I will be calling them up tomorrow. Has anybody installed this in their home?
Star Ceiling Light - Exporter, Importer, Manufacturer, Supplier, Trading Company, Mumbai, India

hi, since you wud want the best , why dont u go the professional way , kindly contact mr praveen @ 9845932079 , they have done a lot of theatres in blr including multiplex theatres , i am doing up my room through him , i always thot the prices quoted by the showroom guys to do room acoustics was exorbitant , but this company provides u a lot of help and the rates are very reasonable for all kinds of acoustics boards , i dont know the name of the company ,they are based in indranagar & have thier factory in whitefield area

Thanks a lot Subhash, you are a god send:signthankspin:. I was looking for wood wool boards that were manufactures\available in Bangalore itself. Fibretex makes these but they do not have a dealer in Bangalore and I was a little hesitant to spend on shipping (almost 8k including insurance). I called up Praveen and may visit his factory tomorrow. He manufactures wood-wool boards, wood-wool boards covered with fabric, acoustic ceiling, acoustic tiles etc amongst other acoustic products. I will post a detailed review with pics after visiting his factory.

i am doing up my room through him
Thats great buddy. From my conversation with Praveen, I am of the impression that you are in good hands. I would like to have a look at your HT/Listening Room. Let me know a suitable time via PM and we'll catch up.
 
Nice to see you here Santosh, let me know if you need any help from me, other than whatever I have already given.

Good luck

Srisha
 
It is great to know that you too are making a av dedicated room, congratulations.

The sound proofing how much ever you may do, sound will still travel outside, indeed the best we can minimize it. Among the things which come to my mind are :

- Look for the areas from where sound could travel out, seal them with acoustic glass, with best rubber sealings.

- Acoustic tiles for the ceiling.

- The door should be of thick quality, use only hinges and not the floor stander.

- Walls should have glass wool, spunch, covered with fabric.

- Floor should have thick carpet.

The windows which you are having will not serve any purpose to you, it is better that you manage steel nerves and have it sealed with cement, by doing this it will increase the dynamic of your entertainment room in terms of looks and will help on the sound factor too.

In this civil work, please visualize what are the things you may like to add in the coming years, so make a provision for that now only, for example when my work was going on, i had made a provision for concealed cabling, if i ever want to connect the lap top via projector, and now only since last 15 days, i did that, and i am enjoying it, no cables are seen, and i am using my lap top via projector. In event if you require some changes etc to be done with the cables or wires, the area should be very easy to open and close. It is very important to keep a drawing of from where which cable and wire went, so that later on you know where exactly you need to work upon if the need arises.

Vinay.
 
The kind of sealing you have, acoustic tiles could be fitted there-in, and on the square borders you can get some wooden carving done, or still better a spunch type work can be done. I have made my acoustic ceiling a little slanting which is good for the sound.

The electrical points please see to that they are around 25% more then the actual needs with specific mention to future needs, so that you do not have to use extension boards.

Vinay.
 
I think there should be 4 different set of lights, and they should have the dim option like halogen, you can have very options to set them at 25%, 50%, then you can do mix and match among them, a normal tube light or a fan should be a big no for such a theatre room, as it will spoil the grace. These should be controlled via remote control. There should be foot light, which can be used while you are watching a movie.

Vinay.
 
I think it is very important to put all efforts so that the sound leaks to the minimum, as i know the neighbours will start complaining, especially if we are fan of low frequencies, as we tend to increase the volume during action scenes, with such fair complains, we are not able to enjoy the full benefits of our set up, and the worst is if we watch movies in the night, the sound will travel faster to the neighbours.

Vinay.
 
It is important to install a door bell point in the entertainment room, as we may not hear the door bell, once the system is in action.

Vinay.
 
I think that the star lights are quite expensive and to maintain them could be a pain, what if some of them does not work, etc.

On the other hand for whatever you and some members have written are in the right direction, therefore i think there is a zero point to go to a professional, the world is a better place, when we do it ourself with the help of leading forum members.

Vinay.
 
A raised sitting arrangment will be a great idea, with minimum 2 steps.

Most of the av equipments on and of button should be centeralized.

Vinay.
 
Thanks Marsilians, I have provided concealed conduits for everything that I could think of. I have also routed the Electrical and A/V conduits seperately so that there is no interference. All the Electrical conduits come from top to down, while the Speaker cable conduits and A/V conduits are laid on the floor and rise to the walls. Although, I have tried to make it future proof as much as possible. For Eg: My AVR can only do 6.1 but I have provided conduits for 8.2. Similary, I have made provisions of 4 conduits of one inch thickness from the AV/Rack to the Screen Area for HDMI, Component etc and "god knows what comes next":). Still if there is something I have missed, I have enough flexibility as I am making the wall panels removable.


The grid in my ceiling is not proportionate and is not aligned to the centre of the room. So, I have dropped that idea. Also, after seeing pictures of star light ceiling, my family likes that better. So, almost decided to go in for a false ceiling made of gypsum on the sides and a starlight ceiling in the middle. This is what I have in mind. Please express your views.
Custom_Home_Theater_5.jpg


Picture Courtesy: Google

Also, while I was thinking of a DIY Starlight Ceiling made of LED, I came across this dealer in Mumbai who deals in Optic Fibre Starlight Ceiling. Not sure how much it costs, I will be calling them up tomorrow. Has anybody installed this in their home?
Star Ceiling Light - Exporter, Importer, Manufacturer, Supplier, Trading Company, Mumbai, India



Thanks a lot Subhash, you are a god send:signthankspin:. I was looking for wood wool boards that were manufactures\available in Bangalore itself. Fibretex makes these but they do not have a dealer in Bangalore and I was a little hesitant to spend on shipping (almost 8k including insurance). I called up Praveen and may visit his factory tomorrow. He manufactures wood-wool boards, wood-wool boards covered with fabric, acoustic ceiling, acoustic tiles etc amongst other acoustic products. I will post a detailed review with pics after visiting his factory.

Thats great buddy. From my conversation with Praveen, I am of the impression that you are in good hands. I would like to have a look at your HT/Listening Room. Let me know a suitable time via PM and we'll catch up.

definetly lets meet up, am out of town will be back on mon , praveen came over to my place last week and suggested a few things ,as my room is not too big @ my equippments are a overkill for my room, it surely needs some treatment ,like false ceiling with acoustic boards @ also panelling to prevent the extra bass ,as my spkrs are too close to the walls -----this guy appeared to be cool and he quoted very fair prices and dint seem to look like a rip off , thts the reason i suggested u to him
 
It is important to install a door bell point in the entertainment room, as we may not hear the door bell, once the system is in action.

Vinay.

This is actually a must coz when u have a blasting HT and u are immersed in the movies there is no way you hear a bell (all the more true When the room is soundproof)
 
the mechanic thingie is 'cotton-wool' vis-a-vis the costlier but more efficient 'wool'wool'.

best of luck.
Thanks Ashok. I have seen pictures of your Entertainment room and Equipment and they are just too good.

Nice to see you here Santosh, let me know if you need any help from me, other than whatever I have already given.

Good luck

Srisha
Thanks again Srisha for letting me look at your fantastic HTR build while it was WIP. That gave me a lot of knowledge and idea. So, how is it coming up? All the equipment landed? Let me know and I would love to see a demo.

definetly lets meet up, am out of town will be back on mon , praveen came over to my place last week .....very fair prices and dint seem to look like a rip off , thts the reason i suggested u to him

Guess what, the company that Praveen represents is none other than ANUTONE:). It was nice to visit their factory at Whitefield and have a look at how the boards are made. I will be buying woodwool board from them. Lemme know when you are back in town.
 
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