CurtJ

Home theater companies

I am finishing my basement and would like to design a home theater room. I not only want this room to look good but I want to sound good also. I guess I am confused at who can do both. Will a home theater store not only help with the electronics but also the interior design?

Parker Clack

It depends on the company. There are several companies that offer interior design help using the equiment that you want to use, companies that offer both the equipment and the design elements to the room and then companies that only offer the equipment.

What companies have you looked into?

CurtJ

I have looked at Factory Direct in Kansas City and also Teague Electric. Factory Direct has a home theater division and can probably do everything but I will still need Teague to wire the basement. Any recommendations?

GeorgeAB

Look for a company that has formal training in what constitutes correct system design for the reproduction of movies. They should be trained by the Imaging Science Foundation (ISF), and THX or Home Acoustics Alliance (HAA), or an equivalent. There are plenty of companies who think they can design home theaters correctly and simply do not. They can design a "home theater" but have never really studied what it takes to accurately reproduce film images and soundtracks in a small room. Their systems may be numerous and "good enough" for the uninformed. If you want it done right, find people who have put in the work to understand what "right" is. Practice doesn't make perfect if you do it wrong every time.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
G. Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

Parker Clack

Curt:

There are a couple of nice outfits out in Overland Park that do a lot of home installations. Accent Sound and Audioport are two that come to mind. In Kansas City I would look at Primus Audio Pleasure. Another store is Audio Mart in Leawood (913) 648-1333.

I also really like the guys at Independence Audio in Independence.

Give them all a call and see what they can do for you. All of them know their stuff and can offer you the expertise you need to get your HT built.

CurtJ

Thanks for all of the information. I will take a look at the companies that you mention.