Building Media Room..... Need ideas!

[gottaJam]

Hello everyone, I am building a house and want to have a media room that is going to be the most envied of the town. the room itself is about 12 x 22 (approximately). not a big room, but i want to load it to the max. here are the areas i need help in: money is not a big issue in this project.

SOUND: i was thinking 2 powered 10" jbl subwoofers and full surround. does jbl make surround that will do the job? also, what type of receiver should i use? i would like a very powerful receiver that i can crank for long periods of time, without shuting down. i would also like for the speakers to hold up to a beating. the speakers will be built into the wall with access to the back.

SOUND PROOFING: i want this room to be totally sound proof on the outside, if at all possible. i was thinking, fill the inside of walls with something and dynomat on the outside. not really sure what to use though. whatever i use on the outside, i want it to look pretty sharp.

SCREEN OR PROJECTOR: I am not sure what i would like as far as video. I like LCD and Plasma, but i have heard that plasma may playout sooner than LCD. Is that true? I have also considered installing a projector, but is there one with quality that will impress?

Lighting: i have absolutely no idea on the lighting to use. i know i would like something with different settings.

Furniture: I would like something that is very comfortable and could possibly recline, but i want it to have the theatre look.

I really don't know where to start. If you have any ideas or information, i would really appreciate it. I could be forgetting something. Model numbers would be appreciated. Please help me build the "man's dream room"!

[pelly3s]

if i were building the room i would go with all custom 2 way boxes with a TAD horn and a 1500al all bi amped with Pass Labs amps. And a pair of Tom Danley PB-12's for subs. with a lexicon MC-12 for a processor

for sound proofing dont even waste your time, you would have to build your walls close to 2.5' thick and fill them with extremely expensive materials and also concrete. Dynamat would be the largest waste of money. Treat the room with some nice bass traps and diffusers and make it sound good in there.

for a screen i would go with the Sony SRXR110 but its a ton of money well into the $20,000 price range, and i would go with a draper motorized screen

lighting and furniture is something i dont care too much about

ok ok ok i know everything i just listed is too expensive for me to ever think about owning. I think I'm gonna go kill myself now because I just got my hopes up

[Robh3606]

Go onto he JBL site and look up the Synthesis systems. One of the smaller ones will certainly get the job done. They are turn key. If you like them your audio portion is solved. The smallest one is probably over kill and may not fit but it may not be a bad idea to check them out.


http://www.jblsynthesis.com/products/the_systems.aspx?Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA
Rob:)

[Zilch]

I am a licensed construction contractor. There are construction methods available to build a "soundproof" room, the most effective of them including staggered studs on separate plates, soundboard, resilient channels, multi-layered gypboard, and acoustic insulation in the cavities. These methods are commonly and effectively used in construction of quality multi-family structures with common walls. Any competent architect can tell you how it's done, and there is plenty of literature available on how to do it.

Also, there's a new sound-isolating Sheetrock composite board I haven't tried yet. You have to cover the entire frequency spectrum; some of these methods are frequency specific, and you must apply them all concurrently to obtain the best result.

Similar treatments must be applied to the floor and ceiling, as well as the walls, with careful detailing using acoustic sealants at each construction phase. Then, there's the door. It doesn't work worth a whit unless that's sound isolating, too, and closed. Think of your car. The road noise pours in until that last 1/8" of window opening is shut....

[jkc]

I built a Media room as part of my house.



It has its own power feed for the sound system but I wish I had run a larger power feed with a Sub box.



The drywall layers were glued in with 1 cartridge of glue per sheet, as it stops the wall linings rattling against the studs and prevents nail pops.

This works really well, the subs can shake the entire house, as the room is mechanically connected and it surprising how many rattles there can be in walls ceilings etc.

Glue everything down including the exterior linings.



Run big conduits in the walls for everything.

Don’t just run wires you will be surprised how often you decide to change or upgrade something.



It is very difficult to stop low frequency information from decent subs, forget walls with double studs as they are still mechanically connected at the top and bottom.

What you need is fully floating walls ceiling and floor.

If it is inside a timber structure you still will not stop LF.



The analogy for the car window is good, forget opening windows if you want decent sounding proofing as opening windows seriously degraded the STC rating.

The external doors in my room dog down with handles on the inside and the LF pressure change will lift the rubber seals.

Bear in mind here that a sound proof room is a sealed room, mine is not that well sealed as it uses mechanical ventilation.



Be aware that STC ratings do not include measurements below 125Hz so caution must be exercised if you are choosing materials based on STC ratings.

Ask for the 1/3 octave measurements STC ratings are based on and check the frequency response.

Bear in mind that the Low Frequency sounds are the most difficult to stop.



The room lighting was worth all the effort, another thing that helps to make it cool.



Have a look at this about reproducing base, perhaps it is better to have flexible walls and suffer the poor neighbours.



http://www.harman.com/wp/pdf/Loudspeakers&RoomsPt3.pdf

[Fred Sanford]

http://www.acoustics101.com/ (http://www.acoustics101.com/)

...this site is run by Auralex, an company that sells acoustic treatments, so it might be a little bit of an advertisement along with the info, but it's a good start and pretty comprehensive.

Other advice given here has been good, keep ventilation in mind (completely sealed room = not a nice place to be for very long, make some well-thought out compromises on quiet vs. fresh air).

For lighting you can look at Lutron's Grafik Eye, I'll check into more modern stuff, too.

je

[Zilch]

For acoustic composite drywall, contact:

http://www.supressproducts.com/

[Mr. Widget]

...but i want to load it to the max. here are the areas i need help in: money is not a big issue in this project.

SOUND: i was thinking 2 powered 10" jbl subwoofers and full surround. does jbl make surround that will do the job? also, what type of receiver should i use? i would like a very powerful receiver...

I think we have different ideas of dream rooms and money is not an issue. If you really want to create a wow palace, you won't be using 10" subs and a receiver. You also really should fight hard to gain an additional 3' or so to have a 15' by 22' room. It will feel less like a tunnel and have better acoustics.

As to what JBL offers... look here for serious wow factor: http://www.jblsynthesis.com/products/system_overview.aspx?prod=SYN-HERCULES&Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA

...or here for wow factor on a budget:
http://www.jblsynthesis.com/products/system_overview.aspx?prod=SYN-HT4-L7&Language=ENG&Country=US&Region=USA

Widget

[jkc]

Have a look at this site, it is interesting

He states that the traditional room treatments may be not be ideal.

Has written a book about building media rooms.



Interesting what he says about horns and speaker room interface, I agree with him.



http://gedlee.com/

[JuniorJBL]

I think we have different ideas of dream rooms and money is not an issue. If you really want to create a wow palace, you won't be using 10" subs and a receiver.
Widget

A big YUP :yes:. Seperates would be the way to go.:applaud:



You also really should fight hard to gain an additional 3' or so to have a 15' by 22' room. It will feel less like a tunnel and have better acoustics.

Widget

Yes bigger room.
I have a 12' X 19.82' X 7.12' room. It is small but this was the restrictions of my basement. I did have the space to go to 22' long but there were so many room modes that came at this size I changed to the most optimum size for the space I had.
15' wide rooms have a very nice sound stage and tend to not have as many dead spots in the middle of the room (most likely RIGHT where you want to sit:( ) provided that it is around 22' or so long! 8' ceilings are much better as well :blah: .

This is an older pic of my theater that is the size you are thinking about.
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=5815&page=2&pp=15&highlight=b%26w

It does sound good but it is small and "tunnel like". The room has since changed some with the addition of a projector and other electronics.
I did as above and ran conduit for all of the audio and video knowing I would change things often which allowed me to add my projector and other things when I wanted. I also put plywood behind 2 layers of 5/8" sheetrock for mounting whatever, whenever.:bouncy: Lighting is key to a great looking room so that you may have the affects that you want (X-10 is nice for adding remote controled lights). As far as power DO NOT share your audio circuits with any other circuit in the house (this means the neutral in the circuit as well :no:). I ran 5 seperate 20 amp circuits to the front, one in the middle of the floor, one to the ceiling, one for lights and one for standard room outlets.

I also eliminated my heating ducts and used a ductless mini-split to heat and cool my room. The heat does not get used as all of my equipment does a wonderfull (to much) job heating the room. This has made the room mostly airtight. I did not use resilient channel because I did not want to go to the hassel of a fully sound proof room. It is in my fully underground basement so it does not affect my neighbors. Planning is the best thing you can do, so do alot of it:yes:
best of luck with your new project
Shane

[Akira]

1) flush mount your speakers. this IMO will make the single biggest difference in what you hear...the box will dissappear and the room becomes your sound. you have enough depth that loosing 2' in length won't hurt; it may actually help.
2) use portable baffels which can be decorative and hung at various points in the room. only by moving around panels can you tune a room...unless you hire professional studio contractors.
3) run a separate AC line for your lighting. dimmers reek havoc on audio.

p.s. the only way to stop sound is to use a floating wall (ceiling and floor) with an air space between surfaces. you must have a brick wall at the rear of the room as the final solution (behind the floating wall) or your left/ right image will be out of phase in the low mid.

p.p.s. we're all jelous...YOU OWE US A LOT OF PICS!

[Steve Schell]

Hi gottaJam,

The critical flaw in your room as you have proposed it is the 12' dimension. This will put your speakers too close together and too close to the side walls if you orient the system to the long axis, or place you too close to them if you use the short axis. Also, small rooms introduce severe standing wave nulls at the halfway point between the walls; for 12 foot spacing this would occur at 47Hz., which would rob most pop music of its foundation. If you must build to 12' by 22', I recommend orienting the system to the short axis, as the standing wave cancellation would be at 25Hz. Still not great, but not as harmful as 47Hz. If you are still in the planning stage on the construction, give yourself another couple of feet at least in the short dimension. Standing wave series between pairs of parallel walls are best staggered in frequency, minimizing their severity, when the distances between them vary by the golden mean ratio, or 1.414 to 1. So, beginning with the 22' dimension as a given, dividing by 1.414 (or multiplying by .7071) gives. 15.55'.

If you can, altering the room construction so that the opposing walls are not quite parallel is a very good thing, converting severe axial modes into less severe ones of much less intensity. It will also lessen (but not eliminate) the need for room treatment to control slap echoes.