Ginky Weeds Home Theater

[Ginky Weeds]

I started my basement home theater design and project in 2014, then got sidetracked with life.  Now I’m excited to be restarting the project.  I've been consulting with Mike and have my plans pretty well solidified.  I'll post status and progress here if you all don't mind.  I'll appreciate any and all comments and information that you can share.  Current plan basics include:

• 23' x 18.5' soundproofed room within a room using clips & channels & double drywall with Green Glue on the ceilings and double stud walls with isolation clips on 24" centers.
• Dolby Atmos 9.4.6 audio configuration with Klipsch LaScala LCR and two Tuba HT subwoofers behind an acoustically transparent screen wall.
• Klipsch Heresy wides & surrounds in columns; Klipsch in-ceiling Atmos top speakers.
• Equipment rack, Klipsch Heresy rear surround speakers and two PSA XV15 subwoofers in a rear alcove.
• 130" wide 2.35:1 AT Scope screen with 10' first row viewing distance.
• JVC RS1000 projector, or newer model if available when ready.
• Usage will be for both movies and TV.
• Sources will be UHD, Bluray and DVD discs and satellite TV.  No streaming as we live in the country and are on satellite internet.  Low speed and bandwidth coupled with expensive data caps are prohibitive.

A couple of Sketchup renderings of the design are attached.  Also a few pictures of the messy workspace.  The stack of drywall was previously installed and had to be taken down to install a basement waterproofing system.  Also "debris" from the steel studs used.  Basic framing is complete and I've begun electrical wiring and creating plans for routing of speaker cables, network cables, etc.  All of that will be located in false soffits around three sides of the room.  The rack will be fed by two separate 20A circuits. 

A few pictures of the work in progress are attached. 

Enough for now.  I appreciate you sharing this journey with me and hope to learn from the experience of others.


Cheers!

Chuck

[bmoney]

Looks like it’s gonna be outstanding. Can’t wait to see it come along!

[Paul Heroy]

Looks like that'll be a great room and lots of enjoyment!

One note just about the post - the font size is very small and a bit harder to read for some of us "older eyes", would be helpful to use a larger size.

[AVSCraig]

Nice !

[Ginky Weeds]

I noticed the font size was small but didn't know how to increase it.  I'll pay attention to that in the future.

[Ginky Weeds]

Now that I've posted a second time and confirmed the larger font, let me ask a question or two.

HVAC: Since this will be a "sealed" room, I know I need to add provisions for air movement.  I have an ideal spot for a dead vent right behind the equipment rack in the rear alcove.  It's the empty space below the stairwell from above.  I'm thinking I should build two dead vents, one each for supply and exhaust.  Not knowing how to balance the air flow, I would simply install the same inline fans in both, each with a speed control.  So air in would theoretically equal air out.  But what happens when the HVAC system kicks on with heat or cool?  I assume the added air would pressurize the room.  Am I correct?  Should I connect a relay to the HVAC fan that turns off the supply air dead vent when it's on?  Also, I'd love to place the two dead vents both under the stairwell, but I'm concerned about the potential to "short circuit" the air flow.  I'm sure it would be more ideal to place supply and exhaust at opposite ends of the room.  Any suggestions on resources to answer these questions?  I haven't tried consulting a local HVAC company as I live in the country and doubt they would have much experience with a sealed home theater room.

Cable routing and conduit: As stated in the initial post, I plan to run speaker wires through a false soffit on the two sides and the rear of the room.  Is there any reason to run them in conduit?  I don't foresee adding speakers at this point, but could run the conduit if there's a compelling reason to do so.  Same question for HDMI.  Since the equipment rack and the projector will both be located at the rear of the room, the length of the HDMI cable from processor to projector will be relatively short, no more than 15'.  I don't see any reason to ever relocate the equipment rack to the front of the theater, so can't see a reason to run conduit with a pull string for that purpose.  The only possibility I can see is if I changed to a UST projector at the front of the theater.  But it's hard to imagine a UST throwing a better picture than a capable standard throw projector.  Again, any thoughts?

Thanks!

Chuck

[AVSMike]

 The HVAC company can install dampers so that they can balance the supply and the return. Yes, best if supply is on opposite sides of the room.

[TRainH2O]

I love build threads so thank you for posting. I also love the idea of building a home theater around Klipsch Heritage speakers.

Are you into music as well? I would assume so given your speaker choice.

[Ginky Weeds]

I'm most definitely into music as well.  I see myself enjoying the theater with no video image often.  My last home theater had Klipsch KLF speakers and I loved them.  Someone on this forum a long time ago suggested building a theater around the Heritage speakers and after I heard (and bought) a pair of LaScalas, I was sold.  Definitely looking forward to both video and audio experiences.

[Ginky Weeds]

Thoughts on HVAC system.  From everything I've read on the subject, and confirmed by the Soundproofing Company, I was planning on installing the two dead vents, one for supply and the other to move air out of the room.  I engaged a HVAC contractor and after explaining the plan to him, he looked at me and asked if I'm an engineer.  Guilty!  He says I'm overthinking the system.  Since I'll have two supplies into the room from the furnace/AC, his recommendation is to simply install a dead vent that does not contain a fan.  That way if the room needs to expel air when the HVAC system is running it can.  And when the HVAC system is not engaged, if the room needs a supply of air it has a path to pull it from.  That simple dead vent would be easy to do using flex duct run in a circuitous path to absorb noise from both sides of the room.

Any thoughts on this approach?  I'm thinking of getting a second opinion, but thought there might be some experience and know how here to help with the question.

Cheers!

Chuck

[Ginky Weeds]

And a brief update.  Nothing that shows up much in pictures, but I've removed existing drywall on the theater side of the bedroom walls to avoid the triple leaf affect.  Then I rewired the outlets in the bedrooms so that 1) they are on a different circuit than the HT and 2) to correct how they were wired originally.  Since that was expected to be the finished wall before the HT was planned, the outlets on both sides of the wall were wired together on the same circuit.  If left that way, the existing outlets on the theater side would have to be covered and left in the wall...a big no-no.  So I ran new wire for the bedrooms only to solve the problem.  The previous owner went cheap on them, putting all the bedroom outlets on one 15 amp circuit run with 14 ga romex.  The outlets on the theater side will be on a 20 amp circuit run in 12 ga wire.  And there will be two additional 20 amp circuits to feed the equipment rack and projector.

I also installed wood framing into the steel studs in the door openings to attached the door jambs to.  Next up is installing the soffits around the HVAC ducts behind the screen wall and around plumbing on one of the side walls.  Also designing and wiring the lighting for the room, running speaker wire (1000' of Monoprice 12 ga in the house), then installing clips and channel for the ceiling.  It sounds so simple, doesn't it? 

Cheers!

Chuck

[Ginky Weeds]

Oh, and the six speakers for the Atmos tops arrived last week.  I now have all audio gear in house.  My 90- year old mother-in-law who lives with us thought they were ceiling tiles.  When I told her they were speakers, she asked why I needed six of them.  My reply was because I only had 13 and needed more.

[ScottKC]

Would you mind sharing which Monoprice 12AWG wiring you went with?  Following your project and ours mirrors closely but a little behind your schedule!  Also an audiophile so want to make sure we get the right 1000' of cable :-).  Thanks in advance!  Scott

[Ginky Weeds]

Hi Scott,

Thanks for following along.  I hope to have more progress to report soon.

The cable is Monoprice Access.  I bought two 500 foot spools and found them less expensive on Amazon than on the Monoprice site.  Go figure....

Picture attached...worth a thousand words

Cheers!

Chuck

[AVSMike]

I have a bunch of that wire in my room.