I'm building my man cave/theater. Where to put things?

[beefkabob]

Where should I put my speakers, sub, screen, and seat?
I have 2.1 and probably will do 5.1 or 7.1.
Might get that Denon 3600 that reviews so well.
It's a long, narrow room with one high wall and one low wall. All dimensions are interior and within an inch of true. The door is on one end and dimensionally accurate though it may be a few inches off to one side or another.

I'm not planning on running speaker wires in the walls, but there will be plenty of power outlets. I could run some conduits in the walls if there's a good location to do it.
Track lighting along the high ceiling vertex of the room. HVAC up there too.
Rockwool insulation in the walls, but I didn't go with resilient channel because I want to keep more interior space and because it's terribly hard to get right. One mistake and the value plummets.
Also I'm in the country, so I shan't be disturbing too many people.
No windows!
Only one door!
I'll use a bathroom fan and a vent for fresh air.

Orient while standing in the red doorway. The back wall is the wall furthest from the door, high on the left and low on the right. The right wall is the short height, long length wall. The front wall is where the door is. Then there's the tall, long wall on the left.

 

[beefkabob]

Also how big a screen do I use? A sony 85" LCD is 75.2" wide. That leaves only about 25" per side for the screen if I use the back wall. A 75" screen is 66" wide, which would let me pull the speakers off the wall more.

If I put the screen on the left wall, I can go bigger, but then I'm sitting closer and I have the lower ceiling. What does that do to the sound when I'm sitting with a 5'4" ceiling right above me?

 

[beefkabob]

If I put the screen on the left wall, I could go 100" and get the THX viewing distance. The room will be pitch black. No windows as said. With a 5'4" wall, I can put a sofa or recliners by the right wall and, when sitting up, it won't be a problem because I'll be further into the room. An ultra short throw projector. Front speakers off to the sides of the screen. Sub to the side of the projector. Or I could run wires through the ceiling. Maybe some balanced wires in pipes. Two 705p for the rear by the right wall. Three 708p for LCR by the left wall. I just don't know how it would sound with the ceiling so low.

 

[Blumlein 88]

For clarity you might want to note which is back wall and front wall to you.

Now given your room, and if sitting under the short roof is acceptable, I'd put the screen on the long tall wall. You'll now or in the future want a bigger screen. Being 10 feet from a 100 inch screen is fine at 1020x1080 resolution and certainly fine at 4k.

This also allows you to have symmetrical surroundings for the speakers (even if that isn't a big deal it looks neater). The drawback is they'll have to be close to or nearly on the wall where the screen is. Or you could push them further away from the screen and have room to move them out some. That would perhaps put them in the traffic path for people entering or exiting the room. Still that might not be so bad.

I used to use a room very close to your dimensions except 8 ft walls all the way around. Over the years I'd used it on the short and long side. Screens were smaller then. I mostly used it along the long dimension, but that was due to a door in an inconvenient corner. Sound and everything else was just fine when I worked across the short dimension with screen and speakers along one of the long walls.

 

[beefkabob]

For clarity you might want to note which is back wall and front wall to you.

Now given your room, and if sitting under the short roof is acceptable, I'd put the screen on the long tall wall. You'll now or in the future want a bigger screen. Being 10 feet from a 100 inch screen is fine at 1020x1080 resolution and certainly fine at 4k.

This also allows you to have symmetrical surroundings for the speakers (even if that isn't a big deal it looks neater). The drawback is they'll have to be close to or nearly on the wall where the screen is. Or you could push them further away from the screen and have room to move them out some. That would perhaps put them in the traffic path for people entering or exiting the room. Still that might not be so bad.

I used to use a room very close to your dimensions except 8 ft walls all the way around. Over the years I'd used it on the short and long side. Screens were smaller then. I mostly used it along the long dimension, but that was due to a door in an inconvenient corner. Sound and everything else was just fine when I worked across the short dimension with screen and speakers along one of the long walls.

I have now given wall names to the post above. I'll double check and make sure all my references are consistent. I just worry the ceiling will adversely affect the sound.

Other reasons to put the screen on the left, tall wall and sofa at the right short wall is to allow more seats and free up the back wall for a computer workstation and such. I have a corner desk right now.

 

[Wes]

That's a difficult room - long, narrow, with slanted ceiling (at the side).

 

[beefkabob]

This is probably how I'm locating everything. Will not be an empty theater room. More theater + office. Speakers are 708p LR, SVS SB16 sub, and 705p for rears... a 4.1 system is the plan. Projector? One of the short throw or that LG ultra short throw... might need to remove the entertainment center to make it work. Lights will be in ceiling cans with aimable LEDs and a dimmer. 15 all around. 1 ton split heat pump to the right of the screen when facing it. Could go sofa instead of chairs. Or love seat and recliner. Have an Eilersen of each that takes up too much room in the house. One should go over. Also great for napping. Fourth viewer has to sit in a rolling chair from the desk. Sub could go under the table by the door, but then I have to do a long wire run. Guess I already have to for the rear speakers.

As for colors, floor will probably be a dark brown vinyl or wood. I dislike carpet. Left wall in black. Ceiling in a dark, rustic blue. Maybe all other walls in the same color. I have some old movie posters I can hang on the left wall, but then they might reflect. Could go 100" screen, but then a 120" isn't much more, and I can always go smaller with curtains and such then bigger for Imax.

We'll find out how bad or good the room is once it's all in.

 

[Wes]

you'll want an absorber just behind your head

more subs are better than one

 

[beefkabob]

I will have to see if I want another sub. I'll measure once it's all done. We should have rockwool left over, so I can compress it into a frame or something similar. It could be like a headrest.

 

[beefkabob]

Framing is up. Electrical is 80% done. Insulation is stacked up, waiting to install. Drywall arrives tomorrow. Had to order a fire sprinkler installation tool, coming in two days. Ordered siding to match the rest of the house. Custom milled. Super expensive. Yay... going cheap on the siding that's mostly hidden, though. Ran pipes up and over to run speaker wire for left and right rear. Bought monoprice XLR wire for inside them. Will do two runs with monoprice XLR faceplates. Electrical should finish Thursday, hopefully. This is moving right along. I might even be able to move in by early June.

 

[Wes]

pics?

 

[beefkabob]

Here's the space empty before being built. There were piles of scrap wood and various useful bits in here. I'll get more photos tomorrow if you'd like.

 

[beefkabob]

A few views from earlier today.

 

[beefkabob]

I'm wondering what to do for subs. I've got the SVS PB16 Ultra. I could get a second one for 2400 or so OTD. I could keep just the one. The measurements I've seen show the PB16 to be very flat, low distortion, and loud enough (109db) down to 16hz, but no 10hz and weak 12.5hz. I could sell it and buy a couple FV18 for $3448 (minus what I sell the PB16 - maybe $1700?). That's a pain, though. The FV18 are also butt ugly compared to the PB16 and are only 94db at 10hz at 2m. I could get two JTR CAPTIVATOR 2400ULF for $5600. That's pretty much end game right there. >100db at 10hz at 2m. Ugly as hell. The room is only 1840 feet^3 so even one PB16 is going to pressure the shit out of it, but not at 10hz.

Also FV18 prices go up at the end of the month, 75 each.

 

[Wes]

more subs are better

 

[beefkabob]

more subs are better

Two subs should be plenty. I'd like to be able to go down to 10hz, but 16hz is probably fine. I don't really know how different it would feel. Are there four cheaper subs that could take me to 10hz better than two more expensive ones?

 

[Wes]

that isn't the reason - a swarm of subs allows you to avoid nulls & peaks in the room

but 2 is a lot better than 1

 

[beefkabob]

that isn't the reason - a swarm of subs allows you to avoid nulls & peaks in the room

but 2 is a lot better than 1

A swarm of subs that can hit 10hz is going to be very expensive.

 

[Maxicut]

If having the best possible sound is a concern, then you have to spin your setup around & go lengthways.

 

[beefkabob]

If having the best possible sound is a concern, then you have to spin your setup around & go lengthways.

I'm not sure how the slanted ceiling would impact that. It makes everything horribly unsymmetrical. More importantly, I want a big screen. Compromises. Always compromises.