Check out my floorplan...what would you do?

[bibundytime]

I just joined the forum a few days ago and made a post in the HT section almost immedietly, then read quite a few more of the other posts and realized 2 things 1) I don't know as much about HT as I thought I did 2) I need to get some advice on how I should finish my HT in my basement from people with more experience that know more about this than me.

I currently have the following in my hearth room:

RCW-5's front

RCR-5's Rear

KSW-12 Sub

SC-5 Center

I plan to start finsihing my basement in the near future and want to definetly take this to a new level. I have attached a rough draft of the anticipated plan. Note HT in the front, pool table behind, then the full bar. I know that it is probably not the best layout for a dedicated media room given the long open room and the open area toward the stairs; however my wife and I entertain frequently and we want to have a multifunticonal entertaining area. I suspect that this is where the family will watch TV most of the time too.

Note that I intially envisioned building a 62"+ TV behind the wall. I also anticipated putting some RF-7's behind the wall with some custom grilles, but I didn't think about the rear firing ports. Then I had the bright idea to use the RB-7 instead because it had forward firing ports. Damn...even the RC-7 has rear firing ports. I was hopeful for a clean install with few lines in the room (speakers not seen), but maybe there is a better way to build this thing or am I stuck with in-walls.

I have received a couple of suggestions to go for a front projector, which I will look into. I have never seen one installed so I don't really have a point of reference to compare.

Let me know what you all would do with this floor plan. I appreciate any and all suggestions. Thanks

[DrWho]

What is that space behind the TV? Is that a false wall? I can think of

a lot of cool ways to use it...one of which would be an inexpensive

subwoofer option that would demolish any other sub out there. []

Btw, there is nothing wrong with running three RB-75's up front...in

fact it would be ideal because then everything would be perfectly

timbre-matched across the front. And flush-mounting bookshelf speakers

will help fatten up their bass response too.

[edwinr]

A front projector installed on the ceiling would be my favored option. It's out of the way and lends itself to the use of a good quality pull down screen. Again the idea of a pulldown screen is that it's out of the way when you don't want it damaged by kids etc.

I suggest that in a room such as yours, there would be less difficulty in extracting reasonable sound coverage with a multiple speaker setup. Stereo is a little more finicky to get right. Were you considering one of the new receivers with a built in room equalisation system? Some of them seem to work quite well and may make accomodation for any major room anomalies.

[colterphoto1]

Are you a fan of the Reference sound? You've got enough room there for Cornwalls. Always my speaker of choice!

Nice layout by the way, so you've got like full kitchen down there? Way cool, can I move in?

Michael

[picky]

I agree with Michael: Nice layout. edwinr and Dr.Who have some good ideas. too. There's not much I would change either. Definitely, I would do what Michael suggests and consider non in-wall speakers. The performance boost would be miraculous. Please visit my site below. I have a multipurpose, dedicated HT too, but on a much smaller scale. Maybe what I did to my room will help you spark some ideas of your own? Welcome to the forum and best of luck!

-Glenn

[formica]

I know that it is probably not the best

layout for a dedicated media room given the long open room and the open

area toward the stairs; however my wife and I entertain frequently and

we want to have a multifunticonal entertaining area. I suspect

that this is where the family will watch TV most of the time too.

I see nothing wrong with an open back end... as it'll avoid

having the seating area to close to the rear wall (which is normally a

bass peak). I'm also a big fan of "multifunctional" rooms... as

we (on audio forums) often forget that the room has to be liveable if

you want to put it to good use .

What's the actual finished dimensions of the room? I'm seeing

about ± 14' x 39'... ceiling 8'? If so, it shouldn't be a problem

as you should avoid having dimensions which are multiples of each other.

Actually, given the amount of "storage" spaces you've drawn in... I'd

be tempted to increase your multifunctional space to the full width, or

at least to the column in line with your stair case.. I realise

that you will then have several columns and a beam within your room,

but you can work around those.

I find 14' is tight for a pool table... and adding to the width

will help for larger gatherings and with the traffic flow.

or am I stuck with in-walls.

I'm not a fan of inwalls for main speakers... RF7 or RB7's are much better bets.

What is that space behind the TV? Is that a false

wall? I can think of a lot of cool ways to use it...one of which would

be an inexpensive subwoofer option that would demolish any other sub

out there. []

I'm with Mike on that one... but then again, that's exactly what I'm building right now.... []

Nice layout by the way, so you've got like full kitchen down there? Way cool, can I move in?

If Michael moves in, you'd be all set for speakers... with a

choice of 7 channels of matching Cornwalls OR LaScalas.[]

ROb

[bibundytime]

The wall with the TV is penciled in to be an actual wall. If you walk though the door going under the stairs, it opens to the right with a little less than 4' to the foundation walls. The ceiling is 9'. It is concrete half way and wood to the top on the outside wall. It looks like it is a seperate room, but the partition next to the stairs is just an overhead steel beam. I may move the windows on that wall back a couple of feet as they would be right up on the front wall if I do this.

[bibundytime]

Edwinr,

I have never seen a projector instalation, so I don't know if I am game for that suggestion just yet. I am going to look into it though.

I could move the wall with the TV back 4' adding room and eliminating the need to potentially move the window, which I am not necessarily excited to do.

Floor standing speakers in the corners would pretty much be out of the way, so maybe I could get used to that idea too.

Some of the receivers I looked at had the sound equilization deal. I didn't give it much thought, though I am glad to hear it works well. I have always had Yahmaha receivers which I have looked at again. I may also have an in on a deal on Harmon Kardon or Onkyo equipment. I'll be looking to figure that out too.

[bibundytime]

colterphoto1,

I have been impressed with the Reference speakers I have heard. I have never heard Cornwalls. Why are they your choice a la creme?

You can only move in if you have a big boat and a hot daughter. Oops, don't tell my wife I said that.

[bibundytime]

Glenn,

Your website and basement are great. Thanks for sharing. That place is a regualr man-hole. I bet your buddies always want to hang out at your place...I would.

I am going to study the pics some more later. I was going to go with the white RC-7's in the back, but I am convinced that black is the way to go now. I like the black wall and ceiling you have too, although I am a little skeptical that my wife would go for that. She wants one of those dark copper tile jobs on the ceiling that look like old buildings. I am afraid that crap is going to vibrate too much. That's all I need when a movie is dropping some big base to shake the hell out of my ceiling like a wind chime.

Are those projectors good for every day casul TV watching too? Do they work well with the lights on?

I hear what you are saying about the in-walls.

[bibundytime]

Rob,

You are about right on the demensions of the room. The ceiling is 9'.

I would like to make the space a little wider, but in addition to the columns, the HVAC sits right out next to the wall where the column would be. The long narrow storage toward the bar has plumbing pipes running down the wall. I could gain a couple feet in the front or back, but this would also put the columns out in the open, which I am not keen on.

The house was already built when I bouugt it. It sucks that the builder didn't put a stronger beam in. It is my understandig for the distance and a nominal fee for a bigger beam that you wouldn't need columns. I am not going to complain though, at least all of the utilities were thought out with some common since and consideration for the future. I know too many people with the sump pump next to the window, the electric box next to the other, the HVAC right in the middle of the room and the stairs ending 3 feet in front of a concrete wall.

It will be close for an 8' table, but it falls within reccomended specs by less than a foot. All considering, I will probably stay the course.

[formica]

I would like to make the space a little

wider, but in addition to the columns, the HVAC sits right out next to

the wall where the column would be. The long narrow storage

toward the bar has plumbing pipes running down the wall. I could

gain a couple feet in the front or back, but this would also put the

columns out in the open, which I am not keen on.

If I understand you correctly, the pipes run down in the wall against

the beam, between the two columns you've labelled 10' apart? I

see why that wouldn't really work with the wider room... that was

the area that could gain the most from it.

BTW, I don't know what kind of finishing is on the outside of the home,

as moving the window seems like a lot of work. How deep would the

TV be? Perhaps you could cheat the wall a foot back to reduce the

window glare.... but that would make the storage 36" deep. If you

can work it, using RF7's would be a really nice option...

Check out capo72's built in unit in the Update pics of my home theater thread... similar built in TV in a ±36" space and RF7 sitting just in front.

ROb

[bibundytime]

Close...the pipes are actually running down the blue exterior wall next to the wall you moved in. The HVAC however sits right up next to that wall with the posts about where the pool table would be (per your drawing it would be out on the floor now). I just didn't draw it in.

The builder must have intended for the wall to go how I have it because he left just enough space to add a wall and keep it within code of not being too clsoe to the HVAC unit. It would have been nice if he would have moved it further down. He could have just as easily moved those pipes over too and freed up the whole area. That would have really helped open things up.

[edwinr]

Here's a pic of my Panasonic projector. It's located at the back of my room with a universal ceiling mount fastened onto a beam. You need to watch movies in a darkened room otherwise the picture will look washed out. That's the only drawback. In all other aspects, a front projector and large screen is addictive once you've experienced a good setup in your home.