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Dedicated Theater Costs Questions

1383 Views 12 Replies 10 Participants Last post by cw5billwade, Feb 21, 2014

Xanadu376

Discussion Starter · Feb 11, 2014

Hello All,

I'm very new to AVSForum and would first like to say that I have become addicted to going through all the build threads.. I love how helpful everyone is here. I am so inspired by all of you, and can't wait until the day I get to start my own!

Now on to my question. The wife and I will hopefully be able to build our own house in the next year or two and am very lucky in having a wife that is all for building a dedicated home theater. So I've been trying to come up with a budget to start saving for, and the proper dimensions for the room.

First of all, I currently have almost all of the speakers for my system that I will want in the theater. I'll probably just want to put some upgraded rear speakers into the budget. I have a 7.2 setup in my living room right now that just begs for a better setting. Also another note, is that I don't want to skimp on the projector to fit the budget. So my plan right now is to purchase the JVC DLA-X500R and then set aside about $5000 for everything else. I would like to have two rows, seating about 8, and for the screen to be 120" to 150". My wife would also like to be able to put a very simple counter behind the back row just for basic use. No cabinets or anything fancy. Just a counter top and room for a popcorn machine tucked behind it. I would also like to build a "stage" for the screen wall because those are just awesome! And lastly I should be able to handle building it all myself. Maybe hire someone for electrical but aside from that, I can handle the rest. So... How far will that $5000 get me? Oh one last thing, I am willing to wait and save for really nice seating. So if that puts me way out of budget for something like berkline then I can throw some cheaper couches in there and wait it out.

Thanks in advance for any help! Again I love it here and am learning so much just from going through the build threads!

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pkvanOger

· #2 · Feb 11, 2014

I have only been on here officially for one day myself.

That being said, I have already started my dedicated home theater, so I thought I would throw a few things out if that helps at all.

What I have found so far is that the actual framing has been relatively cheap. I am building a 20 by 14.5 theater, with 8 foot ceiling. That is all the room I have to work with. I don't plan on spending tons of money on my theater, as I am finishing an entire basement at the same time, so the theater is just part of my expense.

There are some thing that will factor into your pricing considerably, For example.

Are you going to use double layers of sheetrock?

Are you going to use offset framing?

Are you going to have a riser in the back?

Are you going to use acoustic treatments on the walls?

Are you going to buy a $250 screen or a $2500 screen?

What kind of theater seats are you thinking about? 8 Seats (the ones I priced) are $3200. Those were the cheapest ones I saw.

I have about 95% of the framing done in my theater, and I am probably going to end up with about $500 in framing costs, and that is really a rough estimate. I could try to add it all up and then give you an actual cost if that helps. Again, what I have is not too fancy. I do have an 8 inch riser in the back for elevated seating, and I am going to have a small stage in the front. My riser is curved and my stage will be as well. I am going to have a soffit with crown and rope lighting.

Unlike you, I am starting from scratch on the Audio/Video, so I can't speak to that yet. Good luck in your project one day.

Paul

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Xanadu376

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 11, 2014

That is very helpful information! Thanks Paul!

To answer those questions:

I'm not sure on the double layer sheetrock. Will it make a huge difference? Is that more for keeping the sound from leaking, or for better sound in the room? I wouldn't call myself an audiofile just yet but I think I'm turning into one..

Unfortunately I'm not to clear on what offset framing is..

Yes I will have a riser in the back. Maybe 8" to 12" depending on opinions I get from people here.

Yes I will be making acoustic treatments for the walls.

With the screen, I'm not sure yet. I dont want to skimp on it but I also don't need the best ever.

And as for seats, if that's going to put me over budget then so be it. I can also just wait and get them later on so I can get exactly what I want.

Also I would like to be able to put my front speakers behind the screen/AT wall.

Thanks again for your reply.

Tony

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dhendriksen

· #4 · Feb 11, 2014

I have a cousin in A/V business and he offers home theaters starting at $3,000. That includes a basic 5.1 setup, basic projector, cheap screen and an inexpensive remote. One day of labor and the wiring for install is also included. So, getting the A/V gear for that is certainly possible.

That said, putting in 8 DECENT chairs will zap most of your $5,000 budget. I should say decent... You can get nice chairs for that, but the basic model.

I finished my theater as part of my entire basement so I don't know what all the exact costs are. I can tell you though that the carpet alone was more than $1,500. The door to the theater was $800. Add my projector in and I'm over your budget on carpet, door and projector alone. Then you still have to factor in the wiring, screen, source gear, framing, trim, etc... You said you've already got audio so that helps.

If I had to estimate, at street prices (I can buy all the A/V stuff at cost through my cousin) my room cost in the neighborhood of $16,000. That's factoring in that I already had an extensive automation system to control it, and factoring no labor. It does factor about $400 for video sources though.

My room is nice, but nothing too fancy. I do have a stage, a riser and seating for 9. 7.2 audio setup and a 110" acoustically transparent screen. I didn't do a good job on my build thread, but there are some pictures in there of the 95% completed project. I need to get some proper photos.

Sent from my Droid MAXX via Tapatalk.

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BIGmouthinDC

· #5 · Feb 11, 2014

The extra cost for soundproofing materials of a modest size theater.

Green Glue

Isolation clips and channel

Putty pads

Acoustical caulk

Backer boxes

Heavy door

Flex duct connections for the HVAC

Two layers of 5/8 firecode drywall instead of the crap 1/2 inch lightweight they are shoving down our throats because it is cheaper to ship from the plant.

Insulation all walls and ceiling

all together will run about $3000-3500 over a cheaply built standard residential construction

It will make a difference between waking the kids or the wife while you are in the theater or not. Hearing the neighbors lawnmower/dog or not.

If you don't know what these are read the articles at soundproofingcompany.com

Sound proofing starts at the framing stag so to do your research early in the process.

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meyer64

· #6 · Feb 12, 2014

If you're on a budget, it pays to keep an eye on craigslist. I got my seating (6 seats) for about 1300. My total expenditure, including equipment, is under 11k and I feel that I have a pretty nice room with some unique features. I didn't do much of anything for sound proofing though and all labor was completed by myself or friends/family.

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megdagooch

· #7 · Feb 12, 2014

I bought my chairs for $120 on Craigslist. My projector here for $1000 ish. I got my popcorn machine for $75 and my cabinets for free. We got everything at an amazing deal because we didn't NEED to buy it right away. We took our time. And still are.

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jeffm13

· #8 · Feb 12, 2014

I'm in the late stages of a build project--my first project, so I don't have nearly as much experience as many others on the forum. I'm finishing 1000 sq ft, with an open theater that seats 4 with a bar behind and overflow seating for 4. To seat 8, plus a bar at the back, I'd guess you should plan for a room that's about 18x30 to make room for a false wall for the screen, two rows of four with room for aisles at either side, maybe room for a bar at the back (although I might be wrong on the length needed to make room for the bar). Based on what I spent, here's what I'd probably budget for that size of room:

Framing: 500-1000

Drywall: 1000

Insulation: 500

Lighting & Electrical: 1000-2000 (probably more if you hire an electrician)

Low-voltage wiring: 500

Trim: 500-1000

Paint: 200-500

Soundproofing: 3000 - 3500

Carpet/Flooring: 1500

Acoustical Treatments: 2000

Screen: 200-700

Seating: 3000-5000+

Bar: 1000

This is a rough guess, but I'd budget 12k to 20k. Could you bring it in cheaper? I'm sure many folks have. But assuming you are starting from scratch and do everything yourself, I think 12k might be able to get you pretty close without seating or any equipment purchases. However, that's a pretty big room. Filling it with reference level sound might be a challenge, depending of course on the capabilities of your existing equipment. Also, material and building costs can vary quite a bit regionally. You can do a lot of planning and get pretty close to a reasonably accurate estimate by just looking at online suppliers.

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granroth

· #9 · Feb 13, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xanadu376 /t/1517158/dedicated-theater-costs-questions/0_100#post_24341828

I'm not sure on the double layer sheetrock. Will it make a huge difference? Is that more for keeping the sound from leaking, or for better sound in the room? I wouldn't call myself an audiofile just yet but I think I'm turning into one..

Unfortunately I'm not to clear on what offset framing is.

Double layer sheetrock with Green Glue in between will make a huge difference. And it's for BOTH keeping sound in and keeping it out. Soundproofing is often thought of mostly in terms of sound escaping the theater, but it's arguably just as important to control the sound coming in. Basically, any noise coming into the room will require you to raise the volume for the entire movie to hear the quietest scenes... and you'll do it a lot more than you think. I can't say it better than this:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis Erskine /t/1460114/need-help-with-soundproofing-my-new-ht/#post_23021671

The softest sound on a sound track is 22dB. The typical noise floor in a quiet home in a quiet area is 33dB to 35dB. That is in the range of 6 to 7 times louder than the bottom of the sound track. Ok, so for whispers, and other low dB cues and voices on the sound track, that's no big deal...turn up the volume. But, now you run into problems. Normal speech is now 6-7 times louder ... talking is now yelling on the sound track. Next comes the louder sounds ... traffic, bombs, gun fire, etc. They are now 6-7 times louder as well ... too loud for comfort (or realistic listening). With the top of the dynamic range in a sound track at 105dB, that now must be 6-8 times louder. The problem is the vast majority of consumer equipment (amps/speakers) cannot handle that increase on the top end ... blowing out tweeters, clipping the amps, or amplifier distortion as you reach those levels.

Soundproofing is typically part of any dedicated theater, especially if built from scratch. To start, read these two articles. They aren't very long; are jam-packed with good info; and are very readable:

Advice from Anthony Grimani (PMI) - Soundproofing 101: How to Keep Your Home Theater Quiet

Advice from Ted White (Soundproofing Company) - 4 Elements of Soundproofing

Also, I created a post in the Soundproofing Master thread that tried to clear up some basic questions. It has a FAQ and some high level thoughts and essential links: Soundproofing FAQ

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panino

· #10 · Feb 19, 2014

Big, pardon my ignorance but what is the difference between firecode 5/8 drywall and just plain regular 5/8 stuff aside from the obvious... maybe fire protection? Does this drywall offer any additional mass or sound insulation? Does it cost more?

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BIGmouthinDC

· #11 · Feb 19, 2014

I'm just used to calling it that. You can use regular 5/8 as long as it is not the lightweight. For reference, the stuff we are now forced it accept as 1/2 is 39 lbs a 4x8 sheet. Regular old style 5/8 is 70lbs.

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panino

· #12 · Feb 20, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC /t/1517158/dedicated-theater-costs-questions#post_24381277

I'm just used to calling it that. You can use regular 5/8 as long as it is not the lightweight. For reference, the stuff we are now forced it accept as 1/2 is 39 lbs a 4x8 sheet. Regular old style 5/8 is 70lbs.

39lbs! That is light. Might as well just put some brown craft paper on the walls, probably the same level of insulation.

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cw5billwade

· #13 · Feb 21, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGmouthinDC /t/1517158/dedicated-theater-costs-questions#post_24341878

The extra cost for soundproofing materials of a modest size theater.

Green Glue

Isolation clips and channel

Putty pads

Acoustical caulk

Backer boxes

Heavy door

Flex duct connections for the HVAC

Two layers of 5/8 firecode drywall instead of the crap 1/2 inch lightweight they are shoving down our throats because it is cheaper to ship from the plant.

Insulation all walls and ceiling

all together will run about $3000-3500 over a cheaply built standard residential construction

It will make a difference between waking the kids or the wife while you are in the theater or not. Hearing the neighbors lawnmower/dog or not.

If you don't know what these are read the articles at soundproofingcompany.com

Sound proofing starts at the framing stag so to do your research early in the process.

I did a lot of research here on AVS and other forums as well. There are a lot of knowledgeable folks here that are more than willing to help. The AVS community keeps things civil as well just good ole fashion discussion and no in fighting or fan boy stuff. That being said the best thing that I did was to follow every ones advice on sound proofing. Like Big said the soundproofing products for my 19’x23’ room came to around $3500 for the clips, green glue, hat channel, putty pads, insulation, and flex duct for the HVAC. Instead of two layers of 5/8” dry wall I used a layer of 19/32” OSB and a layer of 5/8” dry wall (with Green Glue) I also added an additional layer of3/4” tong and grove on the floor (with green glue) and other framing materiel for another $3000-$5000. I also did a lot of acoustical treatments recommended on many builds on this site for around $1000-$1500. There is a difference between sound proofing and acoustical treatments in case you were wondering! I can play a movie at or near reference and not disturb any one except for the occasional explosions. It is hard to keep the really loud lower frequency contained. Once I put a seal on the bottom of my door that will be gone.

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