Ok, so I'm new at constructing a HT in a basement. I've done several basements, but not a HT. I guess the homeowner has 2 choices?
Sound quality with no soundproofing, or Sound quality with soundproofing.

If I construct the interior walls (not facing concrete) via staggered, insul. and double drywall, including double drywall the ceiling- I would be towards having a good sound proofed room and have good sound quality, no?

But if the homeowner doesn't really care too much about soundproofing, how would I construct the room for sound quality?

Not sure If I'm missing something. Please help.:confused::)

if the homeowner doesn't really care too much about soundproofing, how would I construct the room for sound quality?

If sound isolation is not a concern, just use standard single layer sheet rock walls with fluffy fiberglass between the sheet rock. Using two layers of sheet rock improves isolation, but makes the bass response inside the room worse.

--Ethan

It isn't really a soundproofing vs. sound quality proposition. Each of those is a stand alone item. You can have a soundproofed room that has poor sound quality, and you can have a room that has great sound quality but is not sound proofed.

I personally want both out of the room, so I am doing the staggard studs, insulation, putty pads, DD & Green Glue, etc.. But then I am also contacting BPape to design the accoustical treatments to make the room sound good.

It isn't really a soundproofing vs. sound quality proposition. Each of those is a stand alone item.

It depends on how you implement the sound isolation. Walls that are made more rigid and massive due to multiple layers of sheet rock will reflect more and to lower frequencies than walls that can flex. All acoustic problems are caused by reflections. However, your approach of using Green Glue and staggered studs is better in this regard than simply slapping up two or more layers as is often done.

--Ethan

scubaz28. If you are looking for good sound quality within the HT then I would definitely listen to what Ethan has to say.

I agree with Funston as far as I would want both qualities from a HT. The question you may want to ask you client is: "How loud would you like to crank up your movies, and tunes?", and "What is that worth to you?"

I know the last thing any new HT owner wants to hear is "Turn it down!" and if the sound quality in the room is nice, it will be just that much harder to do so.

As we all know the most economical way to accomplish these things is from the start. It always costs more to fix an existing problems, and in some cases just impossible.

Hope this helped. Let us know how it goes.

I personally want both out of the room, so I am doing the staggard studs, insulation, putty pads, DD & Green Glue, etc..

It looks like you are going to have some very nice sound isolation for your HT. Cool!

Achieving good sound quality without sound isolation will make it very difficult to have good sound quality particularily if the ambient noise level in your room is over 21dB. Simple as that. The purpose of sound isolation in a playback space is NOT to avoid distress to the other occupants of the house...it happens to work that way...but, that is not why rooms are sound isolated. They are isolated so you can hear the lowest levels of the sound track without cranking it up to beyond reference level.

^^^^^
As usual, I have to agree with Dennis.
One of the things I like best about my room is that there is no intrusion of noise from outside. The room is so quiet you can hear your internal body noises.
IMO, "soundproofing" a room within an existing structure, with a sound system capable of reference level playback is in practical reality impossible.
Now taming the sound to a manageable level is doable but still takes a ton of material and sweating the details.

Milt, I'm just tired of hearing about your internal body noises...

I have to disagree with Dennis. Although that's a good reason for sound isolation, the sole reason I plan on putting in sound isolation is to be able to watch movies while the baby and/or wife is asleep.

Dennis makes a valid point regarding sound quality of the room for sure, although it's been my experience that most folks look at sound isolation of a HT as Bob does. Being able to watch "War of the Worlds" while others sleep. It does make sense that whichever side of the wall your on, sound isolation does improve the sound quality of the room you're in.

Dennis makes a valid point regarding sound quality of the room for sure, although it's been my experience that most folks look at sound isolation of a HT as Bob does. Being able to watch "War of the Worlds" while others sleep. It does make sense that whichever side of the wall your on, sound isolation does improve the sound quality of the room you're in.

That all depends on what noises sources (if any) you have outside of the room.

My mother in law, there's a noise source:)

You also need to control the noise from stuff you bring into the room ... HVAC diffusors, equipment, etc. (children?) :)

I didn't approach my sound isolation from a "keep the noise in" approach. I guess that just wound up being a beneficial side effect of a well-insulated/isolated room. I actually began the whole theater project trying to keep noise out.

There are a number of distractions around my neighborhood (especially the guy who works on his muscle car in his garage and revs the engine in five-minutes spurts at random times during the day). The main part of my house has a lot of windows which may be great for aesthetics, but is horrible for acoustics. Everytime I'd watch TV and that damn car would start, I said to myself "I am going to have a theater room completely isolated from external distractions so I can watch my movies in peace."

Brian,

I just love those two dogs. Do you train them in the Detroit area, by chance?

Not Schutzhund training, no. They have both been through obedience training at their vet's facility in Waterford. The resident trainer is excellent, and she loves the dogs. There is an agility class starting later this spring, and she is dying to get Hans to do it. Depending on when the classes will be, we will probably enroll him. Roxy is still a little young and immature for obedience. She's not quite two yet. And she's a young two - very immature / puppyish. She might need to wait until next year for any advanced training.

I see. I take my GSD down in that general area 1-2 times a week is why I ask. For some aspects of Schutzhund. I'm not into all of it.

I live in Minneapolis, where you can't swing an SM58 without hitting another musician. A lot of "practicing" happens in basements so therefor we always try to keep noise in due to the 10:PM noise ordinance. (I say pile on the egg crates :D) For some reason we are far more tolerable of noise within the room, than having the cops tell us to stop.

But that's a band practice area which is not a HT, and I would have to agree that when I'm in one watching a movie, I don't want to hear any noise from in or out. At least I never had wanted to in the past. So thanks for the small epiphany. Always learning.

A few basics:
- Goal should be to have room as tight as it can be...no rattles from fixtures or grates
- Strive for a balance between reflective and absorptive surfaces. You don't want the room
to be too dead or too live.
- Break up any potential for standing waves by using defusers, columns, slanting ceiling panels, etc.
- Use base traps in corners where feasible.
- After everything is done -- furniture and equipment are in place -- employ room
correction such as Audyssey to overcome remaining room-related issues.

Milt, I'm just tired of hearing about your internal body noises...Ted,:D:D. Just be glad smell-o-vision doesn't exist.