Well, it's been 8+ years since I built my first theater. While I still enjoy my theater room, I have made several updates over the past years to keep up with technology advances and with equipment upgrades. Add in the design concepts that have changed over the years and the construction materials available now that were not readily available back then, I wanted to do a room remodel. So once again while the wife was out shopping (same way the first build started), drywall was torn down and dust began to fly.
The goal of this theater remodel is to do most of the work myself like I did on the first room. I will be keeping most of my equipment, keeping all of my DIY speakers, and I will be keeping the same room layout. But this time around I plan to focus a lot of time and energy on in-room acoustics and keeping sound inside the room. I also want a very high please look and feel to the room. My first theater didn’t look bad, but I always felt it was very plain jane. I want something that wows me every time I open the theater doors.
The past room had double drywall, but no green glue or clips since they were near impossible to find at a semi-reasonable cost all those years ago. Lighting was very general and until recently controlled by basic dimmers. Several years after I completed my first build, I created this build thread to document the build. To give you an idea of where I am starting from here are a few before demolition pictures of the first build.
Which after a few upgrades turned into...
Anyone looking for detailed plans of this room remodel will be sadly disappointed. I have notes written on my phone of things I want to include and ideas in my head of what I want the room to look like, but that is it. But here are the major ideas….
I will be adding clips, hat channel, and Roxul to the ceiling to prevent sound from transferring to the upstairs. The rear wall is already staggred stud and will have insulation to limit the sound transfer to the basement living room area. However, the weak point of that wall is the double door with glass inserts. I haven’t decided yet if I want to address that weakness. But door replacement can happen at any time. The other three walls of the theater are either exterior or lead to an unfinished area, so I am not worried much about sound transferring there. But all three of those walls will still be stuffed with insulation and possible DD and GG.
My first room sounded good, but I always felt it may have been over dampened. While most Home Theaters are treated with a good amount of absorption, I will be using diffusers and absorbers in this remodel. 2D diffusers at the first reflection points instead of absorbers. 3D diffusers on the ceiling behind the main seating row. Thick carpet on the floor between the main seating and the speakers as well as absorbers on the ceiling at the first reflection point. Behind the main seating area the floor will turn to a wood laminate to help increase diffusion. Two bass absorbers in the back corners and two more diffusers on the back walls on the outside of the double door.
Lighting. I plan on having at least three light zones to help create different moods when watching TV, watching a movie, or listening to music. Accent lighting will hopefully also be added to media store areas.
Lastly, my equipment rack. My previous rack was a DIY project. And while it worked well, with my move to separate and very heavy amps, I wanted something more stable and something I knew could handle the weight. So I have been slowly piecing together a metal equipment rack.
This build will not be rushed and will only be worked on during my free time between my other hobbies and sports. But I hope to have it completed by late spring of 2014. I will be adding photos and commentary as I complete the build. If you have any questions or suggestions, I would love to hear them.
Thanks!
EDIT: Pictures of the room in it's current state....
EQUIPMENT:
Processor: Emotiva XMC-1
Projector: JVC RS-4910
BluRay Player: Oppo 103D
Network Player: Mede8er 600X3D
Amps: Emotiva XPR-2 and Emotiva XPA-5
Speakers: Custom DIY Statements (front and center)
Paradigm Millenia LP (side and rear surrounds)
Pardigm UltraCube 12 (subwoofer)
Battery Backups: APC UPC J10 and APC UPC S15
Screen: Screen Innovations 100" Pure Gray 0.8 Gain with LED kit
Remote Control: iRule via iPad
Room Product Details:
Rock wall - NovikStone Stacked stone
Acoustic walls - Custom built panels with GOM Asteroid colored fabric
Seating: Fusion Escape 1019
The goal of this theater remodel is to do most of the work myself like I did on the first room. I will be keeping most of my equipment, keeping all of my DIY speakers, and I will be keeping the same room layout. But this time around I plan to focus a lot of time and energy on in-room acoustics and keeping sound inside the room. I also want a very high please look and feel to the room. My first theater didn’t look bad, but I always felt it was very plain jane. I want something that wows me every time I open the theater doors.
The past room had double drywall, but no green glue or clips since they were near impossible to find at a semi-reasonable cost all those years ago. Lighting was very general and until recently controlled by basic dimmers. Several years after I completed my first build, I created this build thread to document the build. To give you an idea of where I am starting from here are a few before demolition pictures of the first build.
Which after a few upgrades turned into...
Anyone looking for detailed plans of this room remodel will be sadly disappointed. I have notes written on my phone of things I want to include and ideas in my head of what I want the room to look like, but that is it. But here are the major ideas….
I will be adding clips, hat channel, and Roxul to the ceiling to prevent sound from transferring to the upstairs. The rear wall is already staggred stud and will have insulation to limit the sound transfer to the basement living room area. However, the weak point of that wall is the double door with glass inserts. I haven’t decided yet if I want to address that weakness. But door replacement can happen at any time. The other three walls of the theater are either exterior or lead to an unfinished area, so I am not worried much about sound transferring there. But all three of those walls will still be stuffed with insulation and possible DD and GG.
My first room sounded good, but I always felt it may have been over dampened. While most Home Theaters are treated with a good amount of absorption, I will be using diffusers and absorbers in this remodel. 2D diffusers at the first reflection points instead of absorbers. 3D diffusers on the ceiling behind the main seating row. Thick carpet on the floor between the main seating and the speakers as well as absorbers on the ceiling at the first reflection point. Behind the main seating area the floor will turn to a wood laminate to help increase diffusion. Two bass absorbers in the back corners and two more diffusers on the back walls on the outside of the double door.
Lighting. I plan on having at least three light zones to help create different moods when watching TV, watching a movie, or listening to music. Accent lighting will hopefully also be added to media store areas.
Lastly, my equipment rack. My previous rack was a DIY project. And while it worked well, with my move to separate and very heavy amps, I wanted something more stable and something I knew could handle the weight. So I have been slowly piecing together a metal equipment rack.
This build will not be rushed and will only be worked on during my free time between my other hobbies and sports. But I hope to have it completed by late spring of 2014. I will be adding photos and commentary as I complete the build. If you have any questions or suggestions, I would love to hear them.
Thanks!
EDIT: Pictures of the room in it's current state....
EQUIPMENT:
Processor: Emotiva XMC-1
Projector: JVC RS-4910
BluRay Player: Oppo 103D
Network Player: Mede8er 600X3D
Amps: Emotiva XPR-2 and Emotiva XPA-5
Speakers: Custom DIY Statements (front and center)
Paradigm Millenia LP (side and rear surrounds)
Pardigm UltraCube 12 (subwoofer)
Battery Backups: APC UPC J10 and APC UPC S15
Screen: Screen Innovations 100" Pure Gray 0.8 Gain with LED kit
Remote Control: iRule via iPad
Room Product Details:
Rock wall - NovikStone Stacked stone
Acoustic walls - Custom built panels with GOM Asteroid colored fabric
Seating: Fusion Escape 1019