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25K views 159 replies 35 participants last post by  Endream 
#1 ·
I might as well start a home theater build threat.


Right now, there's only a Concrete Bunker.


Equipment:


JTR Noesis 212 - LCR

JTR Slanted 8s - Surround Back and Surround Sides

Orbit Shifter (Bass)

Onkyo 5010 Receiver

Centerstage XD Screen (Probably 10 feet across, or 120inches across)

Sony HW50ES (maybe.. still haven't gotten it yet)



Ok, here are some preliminary pics of the Concrete Bunker (House still under construction).













Here's the PLAN of the Bunker (drawn by hand because I am not good with Interior Design Softwares)

 
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#5 ·
Hey Coolgeek, looking forward to your build. Let me know if I can help out any?
 
#6 ·
i have a friend currently running the HW50ES and it's a really good projector.

if you still haven't bought the receiver, do take a look at the newer pioneer LX series or the onkyo processor with a dedicated power amp.
 
#8 ·
14 ft 1s a really long viewing distance for a 120 inch wide screen, cut it to 11 and move the back row up a bit off the back wall. Or get a 130 and mount it just ahead of the jog in the foundation, your theater will look more symmetrical
 
#9 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23556660


14 ft 1s a really long viewing distance for a 120 inch wide screen, cut it to 11 and move the back row up a bit off the back wall. Or get a 130 and mount it just ahead of the jog in the foundation, your theater will look more symmetrical

+1


My front row is 10.5' from 10' wide screen and not too close - imo.
 
#10 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by JapanDave  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23554479


Hey Coolgeek, looking forward to your build. Let me know if I can help out any?

PMed you. Possibly some advice in general on how to do acoustics for my room. What I'll need to buy, install, etc?

Quote:
Originally Posted by BllDo  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23555886


Is that door going to be a little tricky or is that just the photo?

LOL! I'll be opening the door all the way to the ground later. Right now, the outside of the basement is not dug yet. Once I dig that, the door opening will be 7 feet high. Just nice.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23556660


14 ft 1s a really long viewing distance for a 120 inch wide screen, cut it to 11 and move the back row up a bit off the back wall. Or get a 130 and mount it just ahead of the jog in the foundation, your theater will look more symmetrical

Quote:
Originally Posted by GoCaboNow  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23556861


+1


My front row is 10.5' from 10' wide screen and not too close - imo.

I might have to play with the distance. Not sure how far I'll like to sit. I thought the recommended distance is about 1.5 screen width?
 
#11 ·
Question:


I am thinking of putting the screen as low as possible, perhaps 6 inches or 1 feet from the ground. (I like to see right into the picture and not have to look up or anything)....


How high should I put the Riser for the second row? I mean, so that they can still have full view of the entire screen and not blocked by the first row? Should it be 1 feet higher? 2 feet? even 3 feet high?
 
#12 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by coolgeek  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23558176


Question:


I am thinking of putting the screen as low as possible, perhaps 6 inches or 1 feet from the ground. (I like to see right into the picture and not have to look up or anything)....


How high should I put the Riser for the second row? I mean, so that they can still have full view of the entire screen and not blocked by the first row? Should it be 1 feet higher? 2 feet? even 3 feet high?



Hi cool, depends on a few things. Ceiling height and relation to the projectors position. Two feet would be realistic , a foot is just too low unless there is no other way to work it.







PeterV
 
#13 ·
Have you considered cleaning up the front of the room by deepening the AT space to 60" deep?

The concrete support beam would be the front soffit then.


The av rack also could be two side by side racks, and put the vertical space above the slab, to work.
 
#15 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by dragonleepenn  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23558205


Hi cool, depends on a few things. Ceiling height and relation to the projectors position. Two feet would be realistic , a foot is just too low unless there is no other way to work it.

I have seen Projector screens at about 1 feet high or lower and loved it at showrooms. It makes you feel more 'in the picture' than ever before. You feel like you're looking directly in the eye of the actors. I am not sure if there's a 'rule' on screen height compared to your eye level or not. Some say your eye level should be 1/3rd of the screen.


Here's my thought:


For a 10 feet wide screen (16:9)


At 16/9 ratio: Picture height would be: 67.7 inches

At 21/9 ratio: Picture height would be: 51.6 inches


So, if my screen is 1 feet from the ground up, and on a conventional couch meaning my eye level would be about 42 inches high, when watching:


1. 16/9: I'll be staring 1/3rd directly into the screen.

2. 21/9: I'll be staring 2/5th directly into the screen.


Sounds about right to me.


What do you think?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedd  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23558217


Have you considered cleaning up the front of the room by deepening the AT space to 60" deep?

The concrete support beam would be the front soffit then.


The av rack also could be two side by side racks, and put the vertical space above the slab, to work.

Actually if you look at the left side, it's about 4 feet to the back, and the right side, it's about 5 feet to the back. I wanted to put the screen 3 feet from the back wall, so i have more space in front of the screen to comfortably put 2 rows of seats. If i move the screen 5 feet to the front, I may be left with the front row too close to the screen.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dragonleepenn  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23558219


In my room the riser is 12"high and no issues seeing the entire screen. The seats are about six feet behind each other (seperatioń). PeterV

How high is your screen from the floor and how near is the front row? I am thinking of 5 feet separation between front and second row.
 
#16 ·
Another thing I am playing in my mind is between a 10 feet wide screen (which would fit nicely into the front recess which is 10 ft 7 inches), or go for broke and get an 11 feet wide screen, move it 1 feet to the front, ie, 4 feet from the front wall, so it can use up some of the 15 inches of space on the left. But then, seating might be a problem, since everything needs to be pushed back.


Also, not sure how much space (thickness), i'll use up with acoustics of the room.
 
#17 ·
My screen is 21" from the ground and I wouldn't want it any lower because when I'm fully reclined my feet would block some of the bottom of the screen if the screen were lower. I don't block any now, but it's close.


I agree with some of the other guys that you will either want to be closer or have a bigger screen. I now sit 11 feet (head from screen) from my screen which is 124" in 16:9 and 158" in 2:35:1. The 158 inches for movies doesn't even seem too big so don't be surprised if you can go closer/bigger than you think.


A local friend and avs member Mrsmithers is going to have the same size screen as me in 16:9 and he will be 9 feet away


My back row my head is 17' 6" from the screen and it's great and all since the whole family can fit but I prefer the view from the front row for sure.



All that said, just make sure you buy the projector and play around with sizes on your wall before you get a screen so you will know what size/seating distance you prefer.



Awesome bunker btw, the bass in there should be unreal!!
 
#18 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by carp  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23559286


My screen is 21" from the ground and I wouldn't want it any lower because when I'm fully reclined my feet would block some of the bottom of the screen if the screen were lower. I don't block any now, but it's close.


I agree with some of the other guys that you will either want to be closer or have a bigger screen. I now sit 11 feet (head from screen) from my screen which is 124" in 16:9 and 158" in 2:35:1. The 158 inches for movies doesn't even seem too big so don't be surprised if you can go closer/bigger than you think.


A local friend and avs member Mrsmithers is going to have the same size screen as me in 16:9 and he will be 9 feet away


My back row my head is 17' 6" from the screen and it's great and all since the whole family can fit but I prefer the view from the front row for sure.



All that said, just make sure you buy the projector and play around with sizes on your wall before you get a screen so you will know what size/seating distance you prefer.



Awesome bunker btw, the bass in there should be unreal!!

Is that 124 inches diagonal or width?


I'll definitely take your advice on the height from the ground. First, I'll see if I am getting a recliner or just a comfy couch. I sort of prefer couch because i can lie down and sleep like a bed (sideways). Or, maybe a couch with a pull out bed?


BTW: from 11 feet first row to 17.5 feet second row seems like you have over 6 feet between them. I am thinking between 4-5 feet max (to save space since i don't have much length in my basement).
 
#19 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by coolgeek  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23559361


Is that 124 inches diagonal or width?


I'll definitely take your advice on the height from the ground. First, I'll see if I am getting a recliner or just a comfy couch. I sort of prefer couch because i can lie down and sleep like a bed (sideways). Or, maybe a couch with a pull out bed?


BTW: from 11 feet first row to 17.5 feet second row seems like you have over 6 feet between them. I am thinking between 4-5 feet max (to save space since i don't have much length in my basement).

124" is diagonal


Yeah, it's surprising how much distance you need between the rows if you plan on reclining in the second row.

http://s232.photobucket.com/user/carlhungus2/media/047_zpsba6248f6.jpg.html


http://s232.photobucket.com/user/carlhungus2/media/046-2_zpsbbfb32fc.jpg.html


So to sum it up, my head in row 1 is 11 feet, row 2 is 17' 6" and length of the room is 22 feet. How deep is your room subtracting the space for your screen? I couldn't tell from the diagram. Unlike my room you won't have to have room to walk behind the back couch right? In that case you can subtract the space behind my back couch and the back if the room could have been 18 feet.


If you don't have 18 feet to work with, I could go a foot closer and put the couches a foot closer together so 16 feet would be needed in that case. However, you wouldn't be able to fully recline/feet up in the back row.
 
#20 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by carp  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23560154


124" is diagonal


So to sum it up, my head in row 1 is 11 feet, row 2 is 17' 6" and length of the room is 22 feet. How deep is your room subtracting the space for your screen? I couldn't tell from the diagram. Unlike my room you won't have to have room to walk behind the back couch right? In that case you can subtract the space behind my back couch and the back if the room could have been 18 feet.


If you don't have 18 feet to work with, I could go a foot closer and put the couches a foot closer together so 16 feet would be needed in that case. However, you wouldn't be able to fully recline/feet up in the back row.

My screen would be about 138 inch diagonal (120 inch wide), so i'll have to sit a bit further than your 11 feet for sure.


I don't think my backseat would be reclinable.


Depending on where I put my screen, the length of my room from screen to back could be 18-19 feet. (Total would be 22 feet). So, if I recess my screen 3 feet from the wall, then 1'll have 19 feet, if 4 feet, then i'll have 18 feet. Since my screen is 138 inch diagonal / 120 inch wide, I think the nearest i can place my front row would be 12-13 feet. And if my backrow is 5 feet away, then it'll be 17-18 feet away (if it's 18 feet, it'll be leaning against the backwall, so won't really have good back surround sound).


Your Home Theater looks good.. and all the chairs reclined looks real lazy and fun...... hahahha
 
#22 ·
JTR Speakers has arrived...


These speakers are HUGE!!!


The SUB is like your typical CLOTHES cabinet...


So, far, I have experimented with one of the Noesis as center channel... the sub is my HSU 15 inch.. .which was quickly left behind.


I am not sure how to test them out without hooking up the OS... the OS is too big/heavy to carry up to my room. Also, I don' t have an XLR to RCA converter.. anyone knows where i can get one of those?
 
#24 ·
The JTR Speakers.. some preliminary pictures.


I have set up the LCR right now, with 2 of my HSU's 15 inch sealed subs. (You can see how tiny the HSU's look)... and they definitely can't keep up with the Noesis.


BTW: For size comparison, the TV is 60 inches, and the table is 6 feet long.






 
#26 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gorilla83  /t/1482805/coolgeeks-concrete-bunker-home-theater-build#post_23577665


Nice gear, coolgeek! You've got to get the OS hooked up and report back ASAP.


I also agree with Carp's recommendations around seating arrangements. I actually have my rows just under 7' apart right now to accommodate reclining in both rows.

I am not sure I have that much 'length' to have the back row 7 feet away.


Ok, let's say my screen is either 10 feet across or 11 feet across.. the minimum distance the front row would be is 10-11 feet right? Then I'll only have 18 feet all the way to the back... so, unless i want my back couch to be touching the backwall, i'll not have 7 feet...


As for the OS, i have 2 problems now..


1. I can't find xla/rca converters here.. tried a few shops.. I will have to order it on amazon..

2. Can't get any of my buddies to volunteer to help me get it up to my room.. LOL... they fear that they might break their backbones..


Right now, I am playing it with my dual HSU 15 inchers... (I can hardly hear any bass now... the speakers are so much louder.. i have to set them at -10 db at my receiver level.. and my sub at +10....


I was just listening to Ray Lynch.. man, i am laying there... and the music just go right thru my bones... i feel chill all over.. i can't imagine what it'll feel like with the OS turned on...
 
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