javelin

Wow, great project. Just noticed that your floor-to-ceiling appears too low but and I can see why you're using in-wall speakers. Add 1m for flooring treatment and sitting arrangement and your ears are about 2m from the ceiling speakers...which might work out better for Atmos, don't know. If you're doing the room arrangement and acoustic treatment yourself, be sure to have enough acoustic panels/baffles, etc, to neutralize unwanted noise or echos. When the room is built but still empty, go in the middle of the room and clap your hand and listen for echoes. When carpet is added, it will help neutralize some echoes but not as much; you will then need to put panels up on the ceiling, side walls, and corners. Keep doing the clap test and add more panels/baffles until you don't hear anymore echoes. This is my poor-man's acoustic test, btw. The speakers you choose is up to you, obviously. However, the choice for receiver matters when making the speakers work together. If you don't already have, get a receiver that has the intelligence to balance all speakers; eg, distance, height, etc. For example, I have a Pioneer SC-81 and all channels are used with speakers calibrated using its built-in calibration tool(Multi Channel Acoustic Calibration) or MCACC. It uses a microphone that you place at the listening point to calibrate the proper distance and dB level for each speaker. Once done, you can fine-tune each speaker individually, if needed. There is also an iOS app called iControlAV5. I use it to control volume or emphasize sub or center speakers on-the-fly, while watching a movie. I apologized if I'm repeating what you may already know. Just thought I'd put my two-cents in... ; ) Good luck. jav

It depends. If the room is full of furniture and you don't play it too loud, acoustic treatment may not be necessary. When I built my dedicated HT room in the basement, I did a "clap" test. At that time, the room was empty and bare dry-wall, not even painted. I situated myself in the middle of the room and clapped my hands as hard as I can. At that point, I knew I needed sound treatment...as I clapped my hands, the echo came back almost instantly...it was terrible. I bought me a kit, yes a $110 sound treatment called Sonex Classic Sound Absorption Foam, that came with bass traps and 2"x4"x48" panels. Used all of them and the effect was absolutely amazing...no more echo. I clapped my hands and listened intently......and it was quiet. After installing carpets and wall decorations(poster in frame), made the room even more acoustically balanced(if there's such a thing). I realize this is an old thread but the ideas and suggestions made by others is valuable - others building their own or improving the sound in their HT will find this thread useful, imho.

Sorry to say BUT, you're not done yet... : ) You need a matching 4K blu-ray player to get the most bandwidth out of the audio. I bit the bullet and got me a 4k blu-ray player and I will tell you, the difference is almost like night and day. I'm so excited to re-watch all my blu-ray movies again...and the video output is so much cleaner, crispier, and faster!

Mainly because they (we) like infrasonics that shake the room, something that you're not going to get with a factory built 15 or two. A 15" sub capable of producing <20Hz can shake and rattle a room given the right room condition. If you need 18" or bigger driver to rattle your room, you probably have an acre of space in your HT... ; )

I have a 15" velodyne and 15" mfw subs. Velo goes down to 23 and the mfw 15 hz. imho, different brand/model subs don't really matter much just because of their nature and placement. In fact, I think it's probably even better to have mis-matched sub, one starts at very low and the other picks up slightly higher freq to emphasize and creates a continuous low freq. dynamics. If you have same brand and model, you're increasing the spl and loudness by having two same subs but still limited to the same freq specs. The receiver also plays a major role in getting the most out of your subs. It should be "smart" enough to detect and adjust the subs according to the room configuration and elements in it. It should also allow for manual or customized speaker configuration. Otherwise, as some others stated above, if you just hook them up using a Y adapter, the result may not be as good. Otherwise, I think you picked a great match, 18 and 23 hz subs.... your HT will rock!

even for a used on, RC 64 II for $250, really? : )

Oh man my english is not good i know but im Italian.......A friend of mine wants an Ht for his house and he Would install 2 R5800 as front speakers and 1 R5502 as center speaker,for the sourrounds 2 CDT 3800C in ceiling and a R115sw as subwoofer..... What he decided is correct? If that's the setup he wants, it's correct : ) I hope he checked to make sure there are no obstruction behind the walls or ceiling he's installing the speakers on. Also, running cables to those locations might be a challenge so he needs to check that too. He would know 1 if the sound all speakers Match together.... 2 if the power is enough for a Room as he s having.... 3 if has to build a box for the R 5800 because Klipsch doesn t give instructions about.... 1 speakers may not match perfectly but they are Klipsch so they should compliment each other nicely. if he's worried about matching, then he should buy a set, not mix-match. i have a mix-matched Klipsch speakers and they sound very nice, imho 2 we don't know what size room and we don't know exactly what "power" he wants out of the speakers for the room. perhaps the speakers will put out enough volume for a nice small-to-medium theatrical experience... again, not enough info. what about amp, receivers? for example 3 i have inwall speakers and I didn't box them, used them as inwall speakers as designed. if he's boxing those inwalls, there are speakers better suied for that purpose, i think they're the RB series

Oh man my english is not good i know but im Italian.......A friend of mine wants an Ht for his house and he Would install 2 R5800 as front speakers and 1 R5502 as center speaker,for the sourrounds 2 CDT 3800C in ceiling and a R115sw as subwoofer..... What he decided is correct? If that's the setup he wants, it's correct : ) I hope he checked to make sure there are no obstruction behind the walls or ceiling he's installing the speakers on. Also, running cables to those locations might be a challenge so he needs to check that too.

With the right placement, receiver configuration, and speaker combination, they actually make a difference. I have in-wall setup as front-heights and I will tell you, they add another dimension to the audio experience. I first noticed the difference when I watched the classic "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" movie. When the crew stepped out of the Enterprise to investigate the "object", flashes of lighting and thunder fills the dark void. The sound of lighting(high-pitched screech) coming from the front-height in-wall speakers are amazing as it travels from left to right and vice-versa..while the front speakers can certainly put out the effect, it's not the same if you have the dedicated channel and speakers for this type of sound effect. The key for using in-wall speakers effectively, imho, is using dedicated channel AND having the right receiver to use them as such; eg, front, side or rear-heights, and not to be confused with front-side-or rear surrounds. So, in-wall speakers works great and performs well for their intended purpose. If you're going to replace your big speakers with in-walls, don't expect the same audio performance as before. You are downsizing and the in-walls can not put out the same performance as your big speakers do. Good luck. jav

I've been using Pioneer for a long time myself. I now have three Pioneer receivers; one in the garage powering Heresy, one in the living room running RF3s, and newer model in the HT. I tried HK and Onkyo before but they seem a little mellow for me. If there were no Pioneers, I'd go with Denon. I also think speakers, amps or receivers are only as good as the room they perform in. The Pioneers comes with MCACC which allows for some level of fine tuning; actually, it's a great tool for noobs like me. It also comes with the iControlAV5 which allows you to further control the receiver over wireless network using your iphone or ipad; one of the function I use this app on is adjusting the front speaker and sub woofers dynamically without affecting the surround speakers... just love it.

Look at them horns, if that's what they are,...they're huge! All you need are 5 of these and I think you'll be set for the next 100 years.

Short tour of my tiny HT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSoeVeRvqxw Superman Returns - demo showing scary lows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZag6yY3PXo

From a simplistic pov, any decent 5.[1-2] or 7.[1-2] receiver with at least 75-100w/pc should do fine. Compare different brands like Onkyo, Pioneer, Marantz, etc... If your budget allows, and don't want to buy another receiver in the next couple years, look for a receiver that support Atmos. You may not need the feature now but as Klipsch owner, our listening environment is never static(itches happens : ) ) so take that into account; else, you may find yourself face-palming later... others may have better suggestion.

I have the SC-81. The SC-81 has more than enough power to drive all my 11 speakers(includes front heights and dual sub). I used the MCACC to calibrate all speakers and it works very well. I think it's a relatively cleaner and cooler-running processor even after watching three blu-ray movies one-after-the other - the exhaust openings are warm...not hot. Non-D3 amps run much hotter - I also have an Elite VS-92TXH and it runs hot... One of the feature I love about this new model is the ability to control it using my iPad. Once the MCACC calibration is completed, I can use the iControlAV5 software to emphasize volume only to the subs and center - can't get enough lows... ; ) The iAV5 can do much more. Since your friend listen to Klipsch speakers, he probably won't need all that power from SC-87 unless he's got more speakers to run or wider/bigger room to fill. The SC-81 has more than enough power to deaf anyone seating 10-ft away from the center/main speakers, imo. : )

Ahh...Book Of Eli, good one. May I suggest, if you have it, Superman Returns. Lots of lows and audio dynamics specially when the shuttle fired its rockets, and its multi-stage boosters - the sound is very realistic; crackling highs with booms to follow. A few years back, I was at NASA to watch one of the shuttles took off and I could relate it well with the movie - gave me the goosebumps.

When you finally have it installed, can you please tell me how fast it loads a blu-ray movie? I'm looking into getting a new bluray player to replace my old-and-slower-than-molasses Pioneer BDP-94HD. I'm kind of holding out for the Panasonic UHD bluray player supposedly to come out this year.

hahaaa..! i was wondering where that one sub went...should have re-read it again. It's all good! Ok, I'm going to have my coffee now... Actually, what I think confused me was these statements: This statement completes the side and rear surrounds: "The rear surround speakers add more depth to the surround sound experience by spreading the sound across four speakers (the left and right surrounds and rears), rather than two, resulting in more directed, immersive sound." And thought this statement for the fronts which I mistook for the "S", it's how I came up with the 9.1. "The two additional speakers also help to fill larger rooms more completely. Plus, more and more films are being released or home viewing in 7.1 format, adding to its appeal."

The two "S" should be labeled as front heights(FHL/FHR) or at least to that effect as they might be interpreted as "S"ubs. With the addition of FH speakers, it's technically a 9.1 system. There are few more things I think are not consistent in the diagram but I'm just getting too picky now... ; )

Howly cow...that looks messed up. I think someone took my design when I first started this hobby some many moons ago... ; )

Finished installing the two Front Heights(FH) and not only are they perfect in that location, they sound great! Played couple of movies and I can surely tell the FH makes a difference; the front sounds are more full and I feel more enveloped with sound now than before - sound effect movement between the FH and surrounds are more linear - I can't tell any delay when sound travels between FH and surrounds. I'm leaving the covers off, they're just too nice to be covered; I think it's something to do with the color of copper... : )

Thanks for the input. I think I'm going to place them above the mains, the yellow blocks. They're going to be installed vertically in the wall. The r-3650 has a nice feature that it allows you to adjust the horn's angle - I can adjust it to point towards the seating area. It never ends... : )

Hello all. I want to add FH to my HT so started looking for surround speakers. I was scrolling through a list and about to go to sleep when a new post just listed. Just 4 minutes into being listed, I buy-it-now a set of three(3) R-3650-W inwall speakers for $195(includes shipping) - I thought it was a great deal I could not pass on. I tested these speakers and they sound really nice ... : ) So here's my situation where I need some advice or suggestion. According to Dobly speaker setup, the front height(FH) speakers are to be installed 3'+ above the main speakers. Since the R-3650 are in-wall, they would have to be installed on the wall above the mains(Scalas) which is also about 2'+ away. Problem with this is the R-3650 won't be exacly above the mains, they'll be about 2'+ away(wall), but above the mains, and not sure if that will affect the speakers performance. And then, there's that overhang where the rc-64 sits which may potentially block the R-3650 - seen as yellow block in the pic. An option would be to install the R-3650 into the overhang, seen in white blocks. That would "violate" Dolby's speaker FH setup recommendation and not sure if the receiver will be able to adjust or compensate for their location. Another option is to create enclosure for the R-3650 so that I can hang them on the ceiling exactly above the the mains. Or, I can sell them and get me an RS-3 or RS-4 and ceiling mounts instead. Thoughts, suggestions?

That's a great idea! In fact, I'm going to cover them up with those brown-paper lawn bags to keep it aesthetic... ; ) You're keeping me busy...hehee

I got bored so I turned them upside-down...found the sweet spot in the middle, and I could not distinguish any difference...before and after...I may have blown my ear-fuse from them La Scala in the basement HT that my ears aren't as sensitive as they used to be ...hehehee : )

Ha! I will definitely try it out...will do so this weekend...hehehe thanks!