Hi, I Have been reading quite a bit trying to make the best choices I can. I have watched DIY Networks how to build a home theatre series. Have read various forum threads as well as searched the web for info. I want to try and build a good theatre, but feel like the more I read, the more complicated and time consuming this is becoming. I have put down some things that I have read, do you think these are needed or am I going overboard with this. I also have a couple of questions.

Questions:
Attached is a diagram of the room. I am going to have a 110 inch screen. JVC DLA-RS1 projector. Speakers are Klipsch system, RF82 Fronts, RS52 Rears (dipole) , RC62 Center and RW12d Sub.

1. Speaker placement:
http://www.thx.com/home/setup/speakers/71.html
http://www.dolby.com/consumer/home_entertainment/roomlayout2.html
Sound and Video recomends on a 5.1 setup to put rears on back wall

I want to wire for 7.1 but only put up 5.1 for right now. I was thinking of following the Thx.com sugestion and putting the surrounds to side of me, and then later putting two direct speakers side by side behind. The brown figures are where I was thinking of putting the spearks but that puts the dipoles 3'9" from back wall which seem to close to the rear speakers. The cubbyhole in back prevents me from equally spacing out rears unless I hang one of them from ceiling. What are you suggestions for speaker placement.

2. I was going to hang the projector center of the room about 15' 8" from the screen. Screen was going to be hung 5' 10" from floor to center of screen (DIY Network suggestion for screen placement) with a 1 ft riser in back. Does this sound ok?

3. Seating: I was going to put one couch against back wall and the 1st row at about 12 feet from screen, but I read in a thread that if I put back row against back wall, this will not be good acoustacally. If this is true, what is the minimum distance I should have back row from wall?


Are these going overboard?

How to build a riser
http://www.audioholics.com/tweaks/do-it-yourself-diy-topics/multifunction-theater-seat-riser

DIY Network
insulating walls by alternating bat insulation with fiberglass board insulation.

88230

Thanks for you help, I have been trying to wire everything up and build columns last couple of days, but when I got ready to run the rear wires, I started having doubts. Thanks again.
Richard

Well, I havent received much feedback here, so I have started looking elsewhere for the answers I need. If some of you are having the same problems, I did find a website that explains alot about Absorbers, diffusors and base traps. I found it very informative and it explained alot for me about sound treatment.

That being said, it does revolve more around a sound studio or music enviroment, but alot of the information is still relevant. I am not sure I would follow all of his advice, but at least I understand the fundamentals now. I think the treament suggestions are a little overboard for a home theatre.

I do like his idea of a corner base trap and will probably implement it. He also gives you some cheaper options for fabric other than GOM (which I never did have a good understanding of what GOM was until reading his article.)

Anyways, the link is
http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html
and I hope you find the information as useful as I did.

Richard,

In reading your first post, I had a hard time figuring out what your questions are. I'm glad you are finding the info posted by Ethan and other that frequent this site useful. Good luck with your build.

1)Yes, but the surrounds on the sides for now and then add the direct speakers to the rear when you expand to 7.1

2) There is a riser height calculator in one of the stickied threads here. Use that to make sure your 1ft riser is what you need.

2b) I'm not sure about the throw distance on that projector so I would go to projectorcentral.com. They have a calculator. Briefly checking the site, you can throw from between 11-22 feet to get a 110" image.

3) Any space you can manage behind the couch is better than nothing. At worst case, just use the fronts as the prime listening/watching seat and the rear for when you have guests.

Due to the nature of how complex this "hobby" can be, you will find that you will get a lot more responses with pictures embedded in your posts so everyone can better visualize your particular plan/theater space.

Read the accoustics thread on here, you will find there are a lot of oppinions some quite vocal it is long long reading.
Put your side speakers in now to the sides of your seating and facing it add the rears later but wire for em now.

I would not pay much attention to what the DIY network said about screen placement there is more to it depending on what aspect screen you go with, how high your riser is distance of seating from screen, same with Projector, do you have your projector yet? if not get it before you finalize on the other placement elements.

There really is a lot to it if you want it to be the best it can be for you. Spend some serious time reading this forum all the pertinent sections of it and the archives.

Also do yourself a favor and check out the CIH chat section and learn about constant image height and anamorphic lens now before you go forward and decide whether this is something you want to do or not, it makes a difference in screen size and aspect 2.35:1 instead of 16:9 etc. many people myself included were well into building their theaters when they found this section and ended up redoing a lot of things.
Also be sure you understand the soundproofing methods etc. which are totally different from room acoustics.
Anyway read as much as you can on here then ask specific questions.

I have been reading tons, it is starting to aggravate the wife. she is ready for me to just finish building it already. I spend more time in front of the computer than I actually do working on the theatre trying to make sure I get everything right.

I looked at the riser calculator and found it pretty interesting, if I have it right, I will need an 8 and 1/8 riser.

I read through the thread on constant height but dont really think it applies to much to me. I have room for and 8 foot wide screen. If I got with a 2.35 format rather than a 1.78 format, I am still only going to have an 8 ft wide screen, but now when watching source in 1.85 or 1.78, I will be viewing a smaller version of the movie (black bars on the sides). With the 1.78 screen, I still see the 2.35 movie 8 ft wide just with black bars above and below.
it will still be the same size as a 2.35 screen i believe.

thanks for the input

Finished wiring.
This is front wall, I will be putting a 16X9 110 inch Brilliant White Screen from Carada. This will leave me about 15 inches on each side of screen for Front Speakers which are 9 inches wide.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee36/logan8246/paint008.jpg

So let me see if I have this straight. I have been reading the accoustics among other things and I realize the entire front wall is suppose to be treated for absorbtion. Do I insulate the wall, Hang my sheetrock, then cover the wall with OC 703 and then cover that with fabric like GOM?

Do I need to treat the columns in some way , say to ear level from floor like the rest of the room, or can I just sheet rock them?