[Steve Crowe]

Super High-End Home Theaters
We round up our favorite high-end home theaters.


We originally planned on showing you guys some of our favorite "Budget Home Theaters."


But that's boring. Nobody wants to seem home theaters done on a budget.


We've rounded up some of the most over-the-top, super-expensive home theaters that will make most of us drool. You'll see a home theater in Beverly Hills adjacent to a swimming pool, a theater that resides 14 feet underneath a three-car garage, and a theater that looks like an opera house.




We're always looking for home theater installs, so if you've done one you'd like us to feature, please email me at [email protected] .

Beverly Hills Theater

This Beverly Hills theater is adjacent to a 93,000-gallon swimming pool. A JBL Synthesis surround-sound system to accompany the 16-foot-wide screen images makes plenty of rockin' waves inside the theater. There's a projection booth in the back to accommodate the Runco VX-55d DLP high-def model as well as Simplex 35-mm projection.

Opera House

The owner of this Houston theater wanted a venue that looked like an opera house. features old-style sconces to illuminate columns and arches, crisscross flairs highlight a soffit of rich blue, and lights from the ceiling shine down from medallions. An arched ceiling in the lobby displays a twilight sky of fiber-optic stars above burgundy walls and a black marble floor.

Click here to continue.

 

[Scott_R_K]

"But that's boring. Nobody wants to seem home theaters done on a budget."


Well isn't that Special ! Excuse me for not having a million dollars to spend on an HT .


Scott

 

[Cerebus1974]

I personally prefer to see the more down to earth theaters as they are what I got the most ideas from when I was building my own. Perhaps if I win the lottery I'll pay closer attention to the sky is the limit theaters.

 

[schroedk]

Yeah, they're all pretty and impressive, just like the houses they're in, no doubt. However, I'm with the other posters. I'm more interested in the down-to-earth, real-world theaters that most of us here have built or plan to build. Converting an unused room or part of the basement in the house is something that almost any homeowner in America could do given a modest budget, time/patience, and a little know-how.


I'm very proud of my dedicated theater (see profile for gear, and I've got a link to pics somewhere on AVSForum), and I consider it a place to both escape to by myself as well as to entertain and share with friends and family. A friend from work was telling me about an acquaintance of theirs that has a theater in their home. I asked my friend what kind of projector they had, as well as some other specifics. She told me that, knowing I would want to know, she specifically asked the homeowner some of these questions. She then told me that the homeowner had no idea about any of their equipment. They told her that it was "done by a professional, and it works really well".


I'm sure it does, and I hope they get some enjoyment out of it. But I'll take a system that I've put together myself over the years, that I installed myself, and know each and every piece intimately, over a "professional" installation anyday, regardless of price. And my system "works really well", too. There's a lot of the truth to the maxim that "anything worth doing is worth doing yourself".


I know I'm preaching to the choir since most of us on AVSForum are hobbyists like myself. I guess it's no different than the average car enthusiast that looks at magazines profiling cars that they could never afford. It's nice to dream sometimes, but I'll opt for more achievable goals in my hobbies everytime.

 

[JustBusiness]

These are rather...indulgent. The only "Down to earth" ones seems to be the Hoops Haven. I like how their equipment is visible. My favorite is the old movie influenced one; however, the seats don't match the decor. I'd be happy to take them in when the homeowners concur.


At any rate, I appreciate the expertise and craftsmanship that must have been put in to most of these. I would like a professional install, but I want my equipment to be displayed, at least the speakers. I wish some of these had their speakers displayed.

 

[David Susilo]

I don't see the art in building high end home theatre.


As a designer, it's easy to design and build something when money is no object.


It's more fun and (a lot more) challenging when the budget is tight.

 

[howardru]



Quote:
Originally Posted by David Susilo /forum/post/18184102


I don't see the art in building high end home theatre.


As a designer, it's easy to design and build something when money is no object.


It's more fun and (a lot more) challenging when the budget is tight.

I 2nd that comment! A lack of the required funds, drives creativity!

 

[Todd_zilla]

I would have to disagree to a certain extent... I like seeing both types of theaters... ones done on a budget AND those done with money as no object...


Why?


So I can grab as many ideas I can from the high-end and figure out ways to acheive the same effect on the budget side...

 

[darryl b]

i'll bet i have more fun in my basement set up.

this stuff is "boring". looks like bill gates just ordered an employee to get to work writing checks.

 

[johnnykretentiv]

Is it just me or is CE Pro's site a nightmare to navigate through? They always have great content but I many time skip their stories because their site is so clumsy. I HATE clicking all the time to get to the pics. Probly just me....

 

[mythos1453]

All these theaters are ridiculous to say the least. Sorry to say this but a post on ACTUAL home theaters would be much more appreciated.


FFS all these theaters are made from baby minded rich people, I would envy them for having a Ferrari but this? I don't even want it, I would be ashamed to have something like that in my house...


waste of time

 

[Toknowshita]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott_R_K /forum/post/18182365


"But that's boring. Nobody wants to seem home theaters done on a budget."


Well isn't that Special ! Excuse me for not having a million dollars to spend on an HT .


Scott

Pretty much my feeling on the subject too. I would not be surprised if 3/4 of those HT owners even know how to use their systems.

 

[adpayne]

I'm surprised at all the hate in this thread. I bet there are a good number of people who feel those of us with even modest dedicated rooms have our priorities in the wrong place.


We both have a love for home theatre. They just have a larger budget.

Art

 

[biliam1982]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Toknowshita /forum/post/18188745


Pretty much my feeling on the subject too. I would not be surprised if 3/4 of those HT owners even know how to use their systems.

Funny you say that. I was just reading a thread (I think it was in the +$20K high end equipment forum) about a guy who went to this famous guy''s house and it had a dedicted home theater room. The impression he got was the famous guy had no idea how to operate the system and had to call the son in to work it. It seems it was more a show piece for expensive art and statues that cost more than our entire setups.

 

[Lazarus Dark]



Quote:
Originally Posted by adpayne /forum/post/18189832


I'm surprised at all the hate in this thread. I bet there are a good number of people who feel those of us with even modest dedicated rooms have our priorities in the wrong place.


We both have a love for home theatre. They just have a larger budget.

Art

absolutely.

Any one of us would do it if we could. We're just a lottery ticket away...

I appreciate the classy ones, but I personally wouldn't do it that way. Call me a geek, but mine would probably end up looking more like the bridge from Star Trek:TNG.


The Beverly Hills one gave me goosebumps though.

 

[Dbuudo07]

I don't understand why these theaters are designed to look so fancy. Who needs a theater to look good with the lights on, when it's main purpose is used when the lights are off? Not to mention that all the audio setups are weak in my opinion. My theater will be as black as I can possibly get it to be, and most of my money is going to go into the equipment and room treatments that don't add to light reflections. Sorry for the rant.

 

[Jawhn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Lazarus Dark /forum/post/18194118


absolutely.

Any one of us would do it if we could. We're just a lottery ticket away...

I appreciate the classy ones, but I personally wouldn't do it that way. Call me a geek, but mine would probably end up looking more like the bridge from Star Trek:TNG.


The Beverly Hills one gave me goosebumps though.

Kind of like this!

http://www.slashfilm.com/2007/11/16/...-home-theater/


Or this.

http://www.reighn.com/theaterphoto.html

 

[ghankerson]

I am so far behind now with my system. I need to upgrade.

 

[hifiguru]

Wow, Seems to be a little class envy going on here... As a theater designer with nearly 20 years in this business I have done everything from sub $5k to seven figures plus, and treated everyone as a individual project. While not everyone has an unlimited budget it is always fun to dream and live without limits. It is not always about the most expensive gear, or over the top design as much as how you enjoy it. I try to expose all of my clients to the best and many find a true passion for the music and movies the systems I design deliver...regardless of budget. That said, when you can do it...do it big and enjoy all that there is to offer

 

[RocShemp]



Quote:
Originally Posted by David Susilo /forum/post/18184102


I don't see the art in building high end home theatre.


As a designer, it's easy to design and build something when money is no object.


It's more fun and (a lot more) challenging when the budget is tight.

Yeah. I'd love a fancy home theater and all but not if the bank has to reposses my house in the process.

Show me the "boring" HT setups instead.