Our Go Big or Go Home Home Theater (1 Viewer)

We started our Ht about 6 months ago and it is now being fine tuned.

Equipment list...
JBL 2360A horns with EV DH1a drivers for LCR
1/4 pie bass bins for LCR
Danley DTS-10 subs one in front and 1 under 2nd row seating
Klipsch HIPs for height channels and for surround back channels
Klipsch KPT 3002 for surround channels
Denon 4520ci
Yamaha P7000s (for subs)
Yamaha P2500s (2) for LCR 1/4 pie bass bins
Topping "T" chip amps (2) for JBL 2360a horns
MiniDSP (3) for LCR crossovers
Berringer FBD for subs
i3NUC for HA Server
i3NUC Media Server running OpenElec/XBMC
PS3
XBOX360
UnRaid NAS
SeymourAV 180" Scope Screen
Panasonic AE8000
Monster HTPS7000
APC UPS

Room is a 2 car garage that has been converted to a dedicated home theater. All of the original drywall was stripped from the interior of the garage and new 2x4 interior walls were constructed along with a new sub-floor. All of the walls and ceilings had additional R19 insulation installed, and were then covered in 5/8" OSB. The walls then had another layer of 5/8" drywall installed with Green Glue in between the 2 layers. The ceiling is 2 layers of 5/8" drywall (with Green Gkue in between), suspended from the old ceiling with hat channels. We have a 1' high soffit that covers almost all of 3 walls and is 2' deep. The soffits will be stuffed with insulation, and covered in black velvet. So far we have 6 acoustic panels installed on the wall which were made out of 1/2" x 3 1/2" Poplar wood, and filled with Roxul R80 panels. We then covered them in GOM. The rest of the walls are being covered in an alternating pattern of different depth, and color fabric boxes. The ceiling will also be covered with fabric, and first reflection acoustic panels. All lighting in the room is LED... We have LED spots in the soffits along with 2 runs of blue LED rope lighting (one pointing to the ceiling and the other pointing to the ground). We also have blue LEDs for the stairs. All of the lighting is dimmable and controlled via Insteon switches, and outlets. We have a 6' long hallway on one side of the room that is the entrance to the home theater... It has a solid core door on each end and will have MDF installed on each side of the door and also be covered in fabric. Each door will have a automatic door closer, and seals. Floor in the HT room is covered with a premium pad and an Eggplant colored carpet. Walls, and ceiling were painted flat black before panel construction was started. We hope to have the Theater 100% completed in the next month or two. We are currently using the theater (I know that was a bad decision as everything now moves at a snails pace), and it sound great, but I am sure it will sound better once the bi-amp LCR setup is completed. Currently I am just using the Denon for all speakers.

Here are a few of our pics from a couple of months ago... It is hard to get good pics form my cell phone in a flat black room.

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I'd be curious to see more photos of the solid-core doors with MDF and fabric.

Brian Dobbs said:

I'd be curious to see more photos of the solid-core doors with MDF and fabric.

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As soon as I get the rest of the room all covered with the fabric, I will finish the doors... Right now the inner door is the only one with the extra layer of MDF.

I don't know what i was thinking when I said I had a 180" diagonal screen... Ever since i got the Panny, I have been complaining that there was something wrong because i couldn't fill the screen with a 2.35:1 movie even though I had the right throw. Well tonight I found out something... My screen is 180" wide not diagonal! I have been watching my 2.35:1 movies at 180" diagonal. The screen will actually do a 195" diagonal 2.35:1 movie. I am all set when I want to get a brighter, shorter throw projector down the road.

Would love to see more photos of your home theater

Dave Moritz said:

Would love to see more photos of your home theater

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Hopefully we will get the room finished soon... Then I am going to get some nice pics taken with a real camera. I will post them up when we get some real camera shots of the room. Most likely we will have to use extra lighting since the whole room is flat black.

Mine is not as wild as yours but it is a work in progress and I would love to go with a projection system like you have done. I also need to do something about my very lacking center channel.






Future planes include:
New TV stand
Upgrading Center Channel to Klipsch RC-64 II
Upgrade rear channels to Klipsch RB-81 Bookshelf Speakers (4 pairs) I currently have a 7.1 system so 2 pair for the current configuration and 4 speakers for the upcoming Atmos configuration. 4 overhead channels.
Denon Reciever with Dolby Atmos and DTS-UHD Master Audio 7.4.1 system after upgrading
4K projection not currently sure what projector I will want to use, waiting for prices to come down. (120" Minimum screen size)

Looks great! Are those Altec VOT speakers? Have you thought about just going to a AT screen, and a BenQ w1070... If you went that rout you could match you L+R with your center,=.

Yes those are VOT A-7's I really need to get them refinished so they look good! It would be cool to have one for the center channel and have it behind the screen. I purchased these from my father for $400 for the pair and I wish I had the cash back then because he had two pair and he sold one before I knew he was selling them. He also had 3 commercial Yamaha stereo power amps 300 watts/ch continuous @ 8 Ohms. I was thinking of a custom center channel with a HF horn, MF horn and dual 10" pro jbl's. To many things I would like to do and no money right now.

Dave Moritz said:

Yes those are VOT A-7's I really need to get them refinished so they look good! It would be cool to have one for the center channel and have it behind the screen. I purchased these from my father for $400 for the pair and I wish I had the cash back then because he had two pair and he sold one before I knew he was selling them. He also had 3 commercial Yamaha stereo power amps 300 watts/ch continuous @ 8 Ohms. I was thinking of a custom center channel with a HF horn, MF horn and dual 10" pro jbl's. To many things I would like to do and no money right now.

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I just picked up 2 more Yamaha pro amps... I now have the P7000s for the subs, and 2 P2500s amps for the front bass bins. Way over kill as we hit reference levels on the horns with less than 1 watt, and the bass bins can easily hit ref levels with about 50 wpch. The sub amps is flashing for 1 watt at reference levels, so I think we might be hitting a couple of hundred watts on peaks. I have never heard the VOTs... Just heard about them... Closest I ever got was a lowly set of model 9s.

This is part of what I believe I would build if I had the cash to build it.
160" Projection Screen
Adding a Altec VOT A-7 for center channel
Rane 7 channel home theater EQ
McIntosh MC-2KW 2,000 Watt Mono Block for Subwoofers (2)
McIntosh MC-303 300 Watt X 3 Power Amp (1)
McIntosh power amps for rear channels and atmos/uhd channels
Denon Atmos/DTS-UHD Receiver or Pre Pro
JVC JVCDLARS49U or Sony VPL-VW1000ES 4K UHD Projector
Flagship Denon or Oppo Bluray Player ????

Total Channels 7.4.4 / Speakers 11.4.4







I am looking forward to seeing your pictures of your home theater when you are finished.

Dave Moritz said:

This is part of what I believe I would build if I had the cash to build it.
160" Projection Screen
Adding a Altec VOT A-7 for center channel
Rane 7 channel home theater EQ
McIntosh MC-2KW 2,000 Watt Mono Block for Subwoofers (2)
McIntosh MC-303 300 Watt X 3 Power Amp (1)
McIntosh power amps for rear channels and atmos/uhd channels
Denon Atmos/DTS-UHD Receiver or Pre Pro
JVC JVCDLARS49U or Sony VPL-VW1000ES 4K UHD Projector
Flagship Denon or Oppo Bluray Player ????

Total Channels 7.4.4 / Speakers 11.4.4

90ac9501_IMG_0263_Altec A7's in front1.jpg

90ac9501_IMG_0263_Altec A7's in back_a.jpg


I am looking forward to seeing your pictures of your home theater when you are finished.

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That is a system I could only dream of.

Well I have a single pair of VOT A-7's to start off with I remember my first 5.1 system was centered around a Yamaha RX-V995 that I still own with a 31" Toshiba CRT TV. I had purshased the Yamaha around 1997 I think and my first dvd player when it first came out was a Panasonic DVD player. I had this till I was able to scrape up some cash for a used Pioneer Elite SC-05 that was in a pawn shop and in very good condition. When I had the Yamaha 5.1 I was running 4 surround speakers, 1 pair each rear channel. So when I got the SC-05 back in March of 2012 all I had to do was rewire what was there to have discrete 7.1 and I scraped up the cash for a Denon 1611 bluray player. I used the 995 for a little over 14 years and SC-05 I have had for at least 2 1/2 years now. I wouldn't mind picking up a new Dolby Atomos / DTS-UHD Master Audio receiver later on but I have to be realistic as money is beyond tight and I can not say I have anything to complain about with what i have now. If it takes another 2 years to go Atmos I can live with that but I figure I can at least start getting Atmos and or DTS UHD titles and have them ready to go on bluray.

I know that unless I win the lottery the above mentioned configuration is a pipe dream but it would be cool wouldn't it. I actually would love it if I could afford the Klipsch center channel pictured along with 4 bookshelf speakers for surrounds and 4 more matching for the Atmos channels. I also need a new TV stand, but when you have something nice you appreciate it and if you eventually upgrade the great if not no big deal.

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It looks like 160" is the minimum for a go big or go home screen, but unfortunately I'm limited to 130" in my room. I am planning a 130" AT screen and 4K projector, so my original plans to use the JBL Synthesis SK2-3300 for L/C/R:

have been replaced by the Klipsch La Scala to save money:


Keep the pics coming. Great place to exchange ideas while planning/building.

Dr Griffin said:

It looks like 160" is the minimum for a go big or go home screen, but unfortunately I'm limited to 130" in my room. I am planning a 130" AT screen and 4K projector, so my original plans to use the JBL Synthesis SK2-3300 for L/C/R:

have been replaced by the Klipsch La Scala to save money:

Keep the pics coming. Great place to exchange ideas while planning/building.

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When i started the build I actually had 3 La Scalas that needed refinishing. I started the refinishing and then got involved in the new horns... Next thing you know I had the bottoms only (cut the tops off), and had sold the La Scala parts. I am know selling the old woofers, and eventually the old crossovers (once we get the minidsps setup for bi-amp. Hopefully we will have the HVAC completed soon. Over the next few months I hope to also get all the acoustic (and non acoustic panel boxes completed, and installed. I am currently waiting on some Prostar velvet for the first 5' of ceiling reflection in front of the screen.

ellisr63 said:

When i started the build I actually had 3 La Scalas that needed refinishing. I started the refinishing and then got involved in the new horns... Next thing you know I had the bottoms only (cut the tops off), and had sold the La Scala parts. I am know selling the old woofers, and eventually the old crossovers (once we get the minidsps setup for bi-amp. Hopefully we will have the HVAC completed soon. Over the next few months I hope to also get all the acoustic (and non acoustic panel boxes completed, and installed. I am currently waiting on some Prostar velvet for the first 5' of ceiling reflection in front of the screen.

Click to expand...

That's the way to do it. I see so many HTs that don't treat the screen area to tame reflections back to the screen. I heard the La Scalas a few years ago in an HT and never forgot them; they had such a cinematic sound. Right now in my plasma display HT, I'm using my old, but true Mirage M5-si up front with amplification from the Sunfire Cinema Grand. I'm still undecided on amplification for the projector setup, but may go with the THX Parasound Halos.

My first HT setup was with a Sunfire Theater Grand processor, and QSC amps powering ML Sequel IIs, BA 60, and Celestion SL3s. The Sunfire was the best processor I have ever owned.

ellisr63 said:

My first HT setup was with a Sunfire Theater Grand processor, and QSC amps powering ML Sequel IIs, BA 60, and Celestion SL3s. The Sunfire was the best processor I have ever owned.

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Regretfully, I never got the processor. I went with Rotel, I'm on my second one now, but will have to upgrade it soon for Dolby Atmos/Datasat UHD.

I am thinking of going with a Yamaha Pre processor when they have a Dolby Atmos one this time.

I will start researching new receivers when Dolby Atmos models are available and I can go see demos on them. I am also considering waiting for the new DTS-UHD to be available as well. Right now I am considering a Denon and Yamaha receiver and it would be interesting to see who else comes out with a Dolby Atmos model. Unless Onkyo fixes its issues and horrible customers service I will most likely stay away from them. Brands I see myself saying no to Sherwood and Sony as far as receivers go. Have always wanted a Denon and it would match other gear in my rack. I have also had a Yamaha 995 in the past and I was happy with the sound from that so that is a consideration. If the money situation improves I would consider a Rotel receiver and if I come into a decent amount of money a pre/pro with amplifiers would be sweet!