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Help newbies build our home theatre

2097 Views 35 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Alan Bernard, 
Alan Bernard
Hi everyone,

We just purchased a home with a decent sized family room in the basement and have decided to take the plunge and build a dedicated home theatre! All we currently have is the projector: JVC DLA-X790R (was on sale and we couldn't resist), but we need everything else: speakers, receiver, subs, media player, screen, acoustic treatments, room design, furniture, etc. We essentially need advice on everything, and we are both very new to this.

The room dimensions are a bit tricky although we more or less have the traditional rectangular shape (roughly 11'9" x 16') with some funny angles and jogs in the back of the room. We also have to deal with ductwork running along one side of the room (1'8" wide, 7" drop), a low dropped ceiling (ceiling is about 6'5" high), and a bump near the back of the room that houses the staircase leading to the basement.

We both love the idea of a seamless viewing area with speakers concealed behind an acoustically transparent screen. A false wall may be overly ambitious for us, but we may still be able to create that effect with clever use of curtains and cabinetry. We'd also like a screen as large as possible to fill the front wall and provide screen immersion (we are fine sitting closer than the THX recommendations), but not so close as to create the "front row of the movie theatre" experience . We are also thinking of doing a 7.2 setup for speakers, or maybe 7.2.2 (with in ceiling speakers) provided that we have enough height to appreciate the ATMOS effect.

Our budget is about 5-7K (not counting furniture). We have not been able to audition many speakers, unfortunately, but a few that have caught our eye based on reviews are the Klipsch RP8000F and the Paradigm Premier 800F. Also interested in KEF, B&W, SVS. For speakers, we want a neutral, natural sound that will easily fill the room with sound for movies and give us very clear, crisp dialogue from the centre channel (not opposed to using another tower here if we go with an AT screen). As for receiver, again, based purely on reviews, the Denon X4500H or X6400H look good.

I've included images that should give you a good sense of the dimensions and shape of the room we are dealing with. Any and all recommendations about any aspect of this project would be most welcome!

Cheers,

Alan and Amanda

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P
I'll go ahead with some of the usual questions that people here will ask:

1) What are your sound isolation goals? Do you want as little sound to escape the room as possible or is it more about the in-room performance?

If you'll be watching when others are sleeping it's wise to look into sound isolation methods - this also works to keep sounds out of the room allowing you to hear the softest part of soundtracks without the volume being up so high that the loud sounds blow your ears out. However, these methods can become quite expensive - doubling your drywall, adding clips and channel, Green Glue, etc. For a primer check out https://www.soundproofingcompany.com/

2) Is the 6'5" ceiling height just under the HVAC? What is the height in the rest of the room?

The HVAC can be integrated into a soffit depending on what the rest of the room is like.

3) A good bit of money can be saved on your receiver by going to Accessories For Less - they have remanufactured items from Denon - and are an authorized dealer.

4) If you are a bit handy (don't have to be anywhere near an expert) then the best bang for your buck is very likely to be DIY Sound Group. You order the speakers and a pre-cut flat pack and put them together yourself. 3 HTM-12's and 7-8 Volt 6's can be had for $1500 or less - and these will sound MUCH better than any Klipsch you'll get from Best Buy. They are also able to be driven to extreme volume by even lightly powered receivers - the Denons you mentioned will easily blow you out of the room attached to these speakers, with very high sound quality.

If you're $1500 in on all your speakers, $1000 at accessories for less on the Denon - that leaves $3000-5000 for subwoofers (again I'd go DIY), a screen, wiring, etc. With those speakers and receiver along with a pair of DIY subwoofers, I guarantee your audio chain would blow anything Best Buy would sell you away.

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html?r=5482f6d5&brand_f[]=DENON

https://www.diysoundgroup.com/home-theater-speaker-kits/home-theater-series/home-theater-monitors.html
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p3bham said:
I'll go ahead with some of the usual questions that people here will ask:

1) What are your sound isolation goals? Do you want as little sound to escape the room as possible or is it more about the in-room performance?

If you'll be watching when others are sleeping it's wise to look into sound isolation methods - this also works to keep sounds out of the room allowing you to hear the softest part of soundtracks without the volume being up so high that the loud sounds blow your ears out. However, these methods can become quite expensive - doubling your drywall, adding clips and channel, Green Glue, etc. For a primer check out https://www.soundproofingcompany.com/

2) Is the 6'5" ceiling height just under the HVAC? What is the height in the rest of the room?

The HVAC can be integrated into a soffit depending on what the rest of the room is like.

3) A good bit of money can be saved on your receiver by going to Accessories For Less - they have remanufactured items from Denon - and are an authorized dealer.

4) If you are a bit handy (don't have to be anywhere near an expert) then the best bang for your buck is very likely to be DIY Sound Group. You order the speakers and a pre-cut flat pack and put them together yourself. 3 HTM-12's and 7-8 Volt 6's can be had for $1500 or less - and these will sound MUCH better than any Klipsch you'll get from Best Buy. They are also able to be driven to extreme volume by even lightly powered receivers - the Denons you mentioned will easily blow you out of the room attached to these speakers, with very high sound quality.

If you're $1500 in on all your speakers, $1000 at accessories for less on the Denon - that leaves $3000-5000 for subwoofers (again I'd go DIY), a screen, wiring, etc. With those speakers and receiver along with a pair of DIY subwoofers, I guarantee your audio chain would blow anything Best Buy would sell you away.

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html?r=5482f6d5&brand_f[]=DENON

https://www.diysoundgroup.com/home-theater-speaker-kits/home-theater-series/home-theater-monitors.html
Click to expand...
I can second this. I was completely in your shoes about 3 months ago, with my mind on Klipsch for several years and now completely switched to DIY. Also ordered 3x HTM-12's and 2x Volt-8's this week, and will be building also 2x 21" subwoofers and a 128" scope screen, with a false wall. All for a lot less money then my Klipsch + SVS plan, with most probably a lot more quality and power. Start reading !!
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MississippiMan
The first priority is to choose the directional layout afforded by the Floor Plan.

Just considering the current layout, and the absolute impossibility of having 2 Rows, I feel the most effective route to consider would be placing the Screen on the Wall opposite the Couch, and expanding the Front Sound Stage to encompass the 16' of width.

Ceiling Tiles will have to get a color treatment, and considerable additional Insulation added to plenum above the Ceiling. Also, if any REAL degree of SPLs are going to be produced (...as many on here will suggest...:p), the Tiles will have to be secured inside the Grid with Flexible Adhesive Caulk.

A 5.2.2 System should be you only really sensible choice if you choose the Long axis for the Screen Wall.

Sitting with eyes at 10', and allowing for the Screen to reside below the Casement Window, a 100" 2.39:1 C.I.H. (constant image height) Spandex Screen is possible. Even 16:9 would still be 106" at center of the Screen. That closer seating amounts to a viewed perception of having a much larger screen.

Now for the big switch-up. That room just simply doesn't require Speakers capable of 115 db. The ultra low ceiling....the material the ceiling is made of...and a few other things just don't add up together to suggest spending any amount of cash for any choice that is not suited for the situation.

If you went with the room situated "length-wise" you'd have to deal with that HVAC Plenum running down one side. Bleah.:( It will be better suited to being over your Heads and slightly behind when seated with you new chairs set at a 1:1 ratio, screen "width" to "Eyes distance". That would be 13' That also will allow the x790 to be mounted directly under the Plenum, to the rear of the seating.

The last part of it is the Tonally matched Speaker system...Plainly put, if judicious choices are make on all other points, there will be enough left to outfit your Room with near esoteric In-Walls such as KEFs. The Right & Left mains need not be contained within the Screen's border. Just the Center. I'm a big proponent of Acoustic Screen Walls and their Construction....but they are not everything to all people, even those wishing for AT Screen set-ups. For instance, if you went "lengthwise and built out the end of the room 36", your "total" usable depth would be just 13'-4". Throw distance is the also affected, resulting in just as small a screen as going with the room on the wider axis.

Acoustic treatments will be / are limited to Wall Surface mounted Panels.

Now if I read the situation wrong and you want true "ear bleed" performance...well again I state that the room itself just isn't suited for db levels exceeding 105-108db.

I don't need any metered measurements to know that of a certain....it's kinda obvious, and should be except for anyone who simply wants you to go out beyond sensible guidelines. In truth, the video presentation is what will make your Theater special. The Sound is just a integral part of the equation....but not No.#1


note: a revision in available throw / screen size was edited in....to avoid abject embarrassment:eek:.
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MississippiMan
Here is a quickly assembled take on what would be my best solution if faced with your circumstances...and budget.


On that subject....$7K will reap you results far exceeding your expectations if the buying choices are chosen.....wisely.

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MississippiMan
Hmmmm...I had the measurements right under my eyes and misread them.:rolleyes:
Re-adjusting the usable Throw distance, since including the area under the Plenum adds 1'-8" to the 11'-9" forward of that point, that's a total of 13'-5" however all of that is not in fact usable Throw.



The x790r is 18.5" deep, and one needs at least 6" space behind it for cabling connections. Adding those figures together is, that leaves us with 24.5" off the rear wall to the Front of the PJ, and a remaining Throw of 11'-4.5" ...............11' if one allows for a slight error in measurement and the 3" depth of a AT Screen.


11' throw allows a maximum screen at 2.39:1 of 39" x 92" (100" diagonal) and a 16:9 image of 52" x 92" (106"diagonal)


Now while those re-adjusted Screen sizes seem small, the Wall Height is somewhat compensatory. and if one follows the 1:1 seating ratio, that would allow one to move the "eye distance to the Screen" up to 9' or even 8'.


Sitting closer to a smaller screen amounts to the same perceived screen immersive factor that sitting further back from a larger screen provides. Image resolution won't be a limiting factor, and if the screen doesn't interject visible artifacts, it will be "all good".



But now we must consider the available depth of going length-wise if In-Walls Speakers were used instead of building out the Wall. Of course there is the Plenum on the Left to allow for, and that is a limiting factor as far as available screen height / width, so any gains in screen size must also consider screen placement. But the ability of having a larger screen would be the offshoot.


@p3bham asked an important question..."Is the 6'5" ceiling height just under the HVAC? What is the height in the rest of the room?"


I'm still preferring the room set to the wider axis, and moving the seating forward to compensate for the reduced Screen size. The room can never accommodate 2 rows of seats, and with just 11" of practical width to use for seating, the highest number of 1st row seating one can have would be a row of five (130" in Sofa config.) or 4 as separate Chairs (120" wide) And those are "Space Saver designs. Anyway it's sliced, 4 Arm Chair style seats would be the very most allowable with any style.



Additional "seating" could be created by building a Bar to be directly behind the row of seats...adding up to 4 more places.


But that is another whole new diagram to make up.:eek:
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BIGmouthinDC
MM, I wonder what might be next door and if they could put a portal in the wall and gain a couple of feet of throw distance?
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MississippiMan
BIGmouthinDC said:
MM, I wonder what might be next door and if they could put a portal in the wall and gain a couple of feet of throw distance?
Click to expand...

That was on my agenda to ask.....and if so that would address several other concerns and considerations. PJ proximity over seating...noise...and it would certainly smack of a custom-look. I would love to restore the potential of the OP having a 140" 2.39:1 image.
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Alan Bernard
p3bham said:
I'll go ahead with some of the usual questions that people here will ask:

1) What are your sound isolation goals? Do you want as little sound to escape the room as possible or is it more about the in-room performance?

Performance, performance, performance. No kids, no pets, no in laws, and the two of us will be watching together 90% of the time 🙂


2) Is the 6'5" ceiling height just under the HVAC? What is the height in the rest of the room?

The room is 6'5", but about 5'10" under the duct work. The ceiling height is already maximized, unfortunately, and the duct work looks like it has to stay.


3) A good bit of money can be saved on your receiver by going to Accessories For Less - they have remanufactured items from Denon - and are an authorized dealer.

Excellent tip! Will be checking it out for sure!

4) If you are a bit handy (don't have to be anywhere near an expert) then the best bang for your buck is very likely to be DIY Sound Group. You order the speakers and a pre-cut flat pack and put them together yourself. 3 HTM-12's and 7-8 Volt 6's can be had for $1500 or less - and these will sound MUCH better than any Klipsch you'll get from Best Buy. They are also able to be driven to extreme volume by even lightly powered receivers - the Denons you mentioned will easily blow you out of the room attached to these speakers, with very high sound quality.

This is a very interesting option. What kind of work is involved, just basic gluing and fitting together components? Do these speakers really sound as good or better than Paradigm Premier 800F, for example? I might feel more confident with this as a solution for the surrounds. But my GF loves DIY projects and I saw her eyes light up when she read this lol
Click to expand...
Great suggestions. Hope this helps to clarify.
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Alan Bernard
MississippiMan said:
The first priority is to choose the directional layout afforded by the Floor Plan.

Ceiling Tiles will have to get a color treatment, and considerable additional Insulation added to plenum above the Ceiling. Also, if any REAL degree of SPLs are going to be produced (...as many on here will suggest...:p), the Tiles will have to be secured inside the Grid with Flexible Adhesive Caulk.

Yeah, we are thinking of either spray painting or replacing them. Is the insulation needed for enhancing performance or sound-proofing? If the latter, we're not too worried as it's just the two of us and the majority of the time we'll be down there together.

A 5.2.2 System should be you only really sensible choice if you choose the Long axis for the Screen Wall.

Sitting with eyes at 10', and allowing for the Screen to reside below the Casement Window, a 100" 2.39:1 C.I.H. (constant image height) Spandex Screen is possible. Even 16:9 would still be 106" at center of the Screen. That closer seating amounts to a viewed perception of having a much larger screen.

I realize that sitting closer to a smaller screen yields the same big screen effect but...we were really hoping for a bigger screen! lol We've leaned into the idea of creating a home cinema "look" to the basement.

Now for the big switch-up. That room just simply doesn't require Speakers capable of 115 db. The ultra low ceiling....the material the ceiling is made of...and a few other things just don't add up together to suggest spending any amount of cash for any choice that is not suited for the situation.

This is helpful - do more powerful speakers in a room this size actually cause problems in terms of audio performance? Or are they simply overkill?


Acoustic treatments will be / are limited to Wall Surface mounted Panels.

Any suggestions in terms of how we should be placing dispersion type materials vs absorption type stuff? We've seen some cool vids about DIY treatments that would be fun to experiment with!


Now if I read the situation wrong and you want true "ear bleed" performance...well again I state that the room itself just isn't suited for db levels exceeding 105-108db.

Naw, we've both passed the ear-bleed age, lol. We are looking for a true cinema experience - sound that is rich, powerful, articulate and room-filling without breaking our ear drums.

I don't need any metered measurements to know that of a certain....it's kinda obvious, and should be except for anyone who simply wants you to go out beyond sensible guidelines. In truth, the video presentation is what will make your Theater special. The Sound is just a integral part of the equation....but not No.#1


note: a revision in available throw / screen size was edited in....to avoid abject embarrassment:eek:.
Click to expand...
ha ha - noted! Many thanks for the time and care put into your message :)
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Alan Bernard
MississippiMan said:
Here is a quickly assembled take on what would be my best solution if faced with your circumstances...and budget.


On that subject....$7K will reap you results far exceeding your expectations if the buying choices are chosen.....wisely.
Click to expand...
Love the visual - thank you! As noted, I realize projecting on the short wall may not be ideal, but we are (perhaps irrationally) really drawn to the idea of a bigger screen.
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Alan Bernard
MississippiMan said:
Hmmmm...I had the measurements right under my eyes and misread them.:rolleyes:
Re-adjusting the usable Throw distance, since including the area under the Plenum adds 1'-8" to the 11'-9" forward of that point, that's a total of 13'-5" however all of that is not in fact usable Throw.

My fault - I threw the diagram together quickly and realize now the dimensions as listed look misleading. The short wall is 11'9", total. The ductwork juts into that space. If we say the lens of the projector starts roughly 24" from the wall it's placed on, that only gives a throw of about 9'9"

But now we must consider the available depth of going length-wise if In-Walls Speakers were used instead of building out the Wall. Of course there is the Plenum on the Left to allow for, and that is a limiting factor as far as available screen height / width, so any gains in screen size must also consider screen placement. But the ability of having a larger screen would be the offshoot.

That plenum is about 7" deep - we are wondering how close the screen can be to the ceiling and the floor and still be a comfortable viewing experience. Not know much about this stuff, we assume that we determine whatever point represents "eye-height" on the wall and that then should be the exact centre of the screen. Are we thinking about it correctly?


@p3bham asked an important question..."Is the 6'5" ceiling height just under the HVAC? What is the height in the rest of the room?"


The height from the floor to the bottom of the plenum is about 70". The ceiling height is 77". We've been told that this is as high as the ceiling can go.

I'm still preferring the room set to the wider axis, and moving the seating forward to compensate for the reduced Screen size. The room can never accommodate 2 rows of seats, and with just 11" of practical width to use for seating, the highest number of 1st row seating one can have would be a row of five (130" in Sofa config.) or 4 as separate Chairs (120" wide) And those are "Space Saver designs. Anyway it's sliced, 4 Arm Chair style seats would be the very most allowable with any style.

As far as seating, we are inclined to go with a small sofa, maybe a chair or two. Cuddling is not optimized in a theatre seat, you see ;-)

Additional "seating" could be created by building a Bar to be directly behind the row of seats...adding up to 4 more places.

My GF also had this idea! She's going to love this comment ha ha


But that is another whole new diagram to make up.:eek:
Click to expand...
See below!

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MississippiMan
Alan Bernard said:
See below!
Click to expand...

Show off. :mad:


:p;):D



That's a slightly different but essentially the same take on the "Center Only" concept.

If the furniture size & placement and PJ location is to actual scale, (...doesn't seem so...) to get that 140" 16:9 the JVC would need to be set so it's Lens is 15'-4"

That would be just into the room over the entry.

I like the idea of a Bar as a 2nd Row. How'd She come up with that? :confused:




:)




Alan Bernard said:
See below!
Click to expand...

I'll respond to each of your "highlighted in bold" responses after bit.....Company just showed.


Alan Bernard said:
Love the visual - thank you! As noted, I realize projecting on the short wall may not be ideal, but we are (perhaps irrationally) really drawn to the idea of a bigger screen.
Click to expand...
Well....as I see things, your gain in size is not going to be enough to outweigh the potential issues that crop up.

As stated previously, if you try to go with a Acoustic Transparent screen that would set out far enough to allow for most Cabinet speakers, the available throw distance will sharply cut into your available Screen size. Viewing down the long & narrow axis would essentially make the room almost identical in respect to available Throw, but you'd lose the dynamic "sweep" of a wider spaced Sound Field. The only solution would be to paint on a Screen by painting the entire front wall, and go with a Non-Restricted Format / Variable Size Screen application...something ideally suited to your circumstances and the abilities of the x790r.



Using a exposed Center Channel (...and R&L Main Speakers...) would make everything more effective toward your optimizing every aspect of the Build, in a room such as yours. But Hey! You still have not related how high the Drop Ceiling is...(...and the Plenum...) and those are very important factoids that will also determine how big your image can be / will be as relates to where it will be positioned on the Short wall or the Long wall.



Ya know.....

It's almost crazy to have someone state that 100"s is to be considered small. Almost. I've been advocating much larger screens a shorter viewing distances for years, and every inch counts. But PJ limitations had to be taken into account, and the Room, and personal preferences...and a lot more people were choosing 100" screens that were choosing 130"ers. Nowadays, it seems that 130" in either Format is the "new normal", and 140"-160" a "move up" choice.


Then there are the 170"+ crazies. God Bless 'em.:p
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MississippiMan
Tossin' this in at the last moment.....


77" high Ceiling? I tell ya, some seriously different ideas will need to be developed if that Root Cellar is to be anything close to a True Theater experience.


Oh...it's doable...and will be done. But only if done right. Example? The Projector will have to be ahead of the Bar....or directly behind thier shoulders, mounted damn near flush against the Ceiling. More on that later...I'm getting the Evil Eye.:eek:
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BIGmouthinDC
I wonder how much of a drop they used for the drop ceiling and if it is purposely lowered to clear an isolated object that is only in a portion of the ceiling. I would investigate the opportunity to raise the ceiling before doing anything else in the room.
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MississippiMan
BIGmouthinDC said:
I wonder how much of a drop they used for the drop ceiling and if it is purposely lowered to clear an isolated object that is only in a portion of the ceiling. I would investigate the opportunity to raise the ceiling before doing anything else in the room.
Click to expand...

I would tend to agree, but the OP already stated that he'd been told there was "No Way" the Drop Ceiling could be raised. Probably covering a mess of suspended Pipes and Stapled Wiring exposed on the Stud Faces. (yeow!)


And if some height gain could be made, it's doubtful it would amount to enough to make an appreciable difference....as relates to the expense of doing so.


............................but we can hope, can we not? ;)
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BIGmouthinDC
I never believe what I've been told when it comes to previous construction or what is hidden behind a ceiling or soffit. Drywalling the ceiling is a relatively cheap DIY project if you have the skills, skip the drop. Removing a few ceiling tiles and looking to satisfy your curiosity is easy. When the ceiling height is less than current building codes I fight for every inch.
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MississippiMan
BIGmouthinDC said:
I never believe what I've been told when it comes to previous construction or what is hidden behind a ceiling or soffit.
Click to expand...

Tru Dat..........and the OP certainly should take a peek and report back.(...it's not like he can't just get a step stool to get up that high... :p) In the least I want to know what can be done to deaden the plenum area between the Drop Ceiling and Floor Joists. Especially toward the rear of the room.



But somehow I sense there is a distinct limit as to how much and what can be justified in this case. Say...create the distinctive Theater look & feel, and have immersive sound and visuals, but not aspire to even a quasi-esoteric level.



Time will tell.....:cool:
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Alan Bernard
BIGmouthinDC said:
I never believe what I've been told when it comes to previous construction or what is hidden behind a ceiling or soffit. Drywalling the ceiling is a relatively cheap DIY project if you have the skills, skip the drop. Removing a few ceiling tiles and looking to satisfy your curiosity is easy. When the ceiling height is less than current building codes I fight for every inch.
Click to expand...
Sorry guys - it's a worthwhile idea but unfortunately the ceiling tiles are right up against the 1st floor joists. There are pockets of up to 10" where there are no joists, but for a uniform ceiling, 6'5" is all we have to work with. The ductwork drops an additional 7".
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Alan Bernard
MississippiMan said:
Show off. :mad:


:p;):D



That's a slightly different but essentially the same take on the "Center Only" concept.

If the furniture size & placement and PJ location is to actual scale, (...doesn't seem so...) to get that 140" 16:9 the JVC would need to be set so it's Lens is 15'-4"

That would be just into the room over the entry.

Again, that's my bad in terms of how the dimensions are labeled in the drawing (I should have just done it free hand). After the initial 16' wall, there is a closet that extends into the room 4 feet, then another wall that extends towards the back another 5'2". Assuming horizontal lens shift gives us an adequate adjustment, that's about 21'2" of throw space (maybe 24'4" if we can go all the way back).

I like the idea of a Bar as a 2nd Row. How'd She come up with that? :confused:

:)

She's a genius. I try not to question it ;-)


I'll respond to each of your "highlighted in bold" responses after bit.....Company just showed.

Yeah, my apologies for that - can't quite get the hang of moving in and out of quote space - suggestions welcome!


Well....as I see things, your gain in size is not going to be enough to outweigh the potential issues that crop up.

As stated previously, if you try to go with a Acoustic Transparent screen that would set out far enough to allow for most Cabinet speakers, the available throw distance will sharply cut into your available Screen size. Viewing down the long & narrow axis would essentially make the room almost identical in respect to available Throw, but you'd lose the dynamic "sweep" of a wider spaced Sound Field. The only solution would be to paint on a Screen by painting the entire front wall, and go with a Non-Restricted Format / Variable Size Screen application...something ideally suited to your circumstances and the abilities of the x790r.

Would you say these restrictions still apply with the measurements I've provided? Even if I had an acoustic screen three feet from the wall, that still gives me at least 16'2" throw for a 120" screen, no? (More if I place the screen closer to the wall or am able to mount the projector further back)

Using a exposed Center Channel (...and R&L Main Speakers...) would make everything more effective toward your optimizing every aspect of the Build, in a room such as yours. But Hey! You still have not related how high the Drop Ceiling is...(...and the Plenum...) and those are very important factoids that will also determine how big your image can be / will be as relates to where it will be positioned on the Short wall or the Long wall.

For the record, the drop ceiling is 77" high. The plenum drops 7 more inches. Not completely opposed to exposed channels, but worried that a 60" high screen (120" diagonal) in this 77" tall room would place my centre speaker either too low or too high (under 17" from floor or ceiling). I guess I could always shrink the screen and sit closer, as you suggested, but then I feel I'm losing my grand home cinema experience (or, as grand as it can be with these limitations) :p I also love the idea of the sound coming directly from the screen, just like in the movie theatre.

On that point, any feedback on how much the sound performance is impacted by a woven acoustic screen (assuming room calibration to assist?)

Ya know.....

It's almost crazy to have someone state that 100"s is to be considered small. Almost. I've been advocating much larger screens a shorter viewing distances for years, and every inch counts. But PJ limitations had to be taken into account, and the Room, and personal preferences...and a lot more people were choosing 100" screens that were choosing 130"ers. Nowadays, it seems that 130" in either Format is the "new normal", and 140"-160" a "move up" choice.


Then there are the 170"+ crazies. God Bless 'em.:p
Click to expand...
lol
If I could be one of those, I would be! :rolleyes:
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