Search results

  1. BruceSpielbauer

    soundproofing my home theater

    I was told by some of the best to leave that 1 inch air gap alone, and to merely "dress it" for cosmetic purposes. I was told to be careful not to try to connect the two doors in any way. Any hard, real structural connection would defeat all of the work done to decouple things. The suggestions I...
  2. BruceSpielbauer

    soundproofing my home theater

    Those are generally referred to as "Factory damped panels." They can be very good, especially at reducing the normal range of audio (the range covered by the STC ratings, above 125 Hz). As a rule, though, they are not the best for reducing the LFE noise (the stuff below 125 Hz). And, they...
  3. BruceSpielbauer

    soundproofing my home theater

    GerryS is quite right -- you would be well-served to read all of the various documents at the Green Glue website, EVEN if you end up not purchasing their product. I have yet to find any information within those documents that has any innaccuracies, nor has anyone else, apparently. This includes...
  4. BruceSpielbauer

    soundproofing my home theater

    Robert's chart above is an excellent one. Study it, carefully. I found a very similar one, and because the results are based on scientific testing, you should pay careful attention. Now, for the only caveat... The chart that Robert provided (and also the one that I consulted) both display the...
  5. BruceSpielbauer

    soundproofing my home theater

    The above response is excellent. I will add to it, and mention this: 1- There is no such thing as soundproofing. You can reduce the amount of audio which enters or leaves a room. That is all. 2- The best "bang for the buck" seems to be what you are asking about. Sadly, most of the techniques...
  6. BruceSpielbauer

    Ceiling mount projector and pull down screen question.

    I am aware of that. However, I am also aware that the higher cost which is typical on the equipment (if purchased by many installers) typically can more than make up for the "reduction." I am basing this statement only on my experiences, of course, and generalizing is always a dangerous area to...
  7. BruceSpielbauer

    Ceiling mount projector and pull down screen question.

    I have had quotes done to install this type of set-up in a conference room or classroom five or six times in the past few years. In every case, every quote I received was ridiculously over the top. So much so, that I ended up using our own regular maintenance people in combination with myself...
  8. BruceSpielbauer

    Egg cartons

    A couple of further thoughts, and clarifications... Your plan to use 5/8" drywall rather than "expensive ceiling tiles" is a step in the right direction. Those acoustic ceiling tiles will NEVER be as effective as sheets of drywall, if the goal is to prevent sound from traveling. This is due...
  9. BruceSpielbauer

    Egg cartons

    You have fallen victim to a very longstanding and widespread myth, that the use of egg cartons can somehow result in sound isolation (what most people call soundproofing). This has been tested and re-tested, and every lab that has given it a go has reported that egg cartons actually do not do...
  10. BruceSpielbauer

    Home Theater Products

    Try this one -- they make both. And, they will customize either to suit your needs / wants. Note that their pre-show DVD definitely does contain the "Let's All Go to the Lobby" clip, and also the "Duck and Cover," civil defense film, vintage hot dog ads, and all sorts of similar stuff. It is...
  11. BruceSpielbauer

    Home Theater Room Dimensions

    Correct, correct, and correct. 100%, from what I have repeatedly read. -Bruce
  12. BruceSpielbauer

    Home Theater Room Dimensions

    A 10 X 14 room can be done for a nice smaller intimate theatre, almost like the "listening rooms" that some audiophiles build. BUT... if your desire is for two rows of three across seating, and you will need an aisle alongside one of the rows (presumably) so that people can access the "other...
  13. BruceSpielbauer

    insulation advice??

    Actually (as I suspect you know) I did not cover everything. But, I thought it might be helpful in his particular case to understand why treating only one wall, or only treating the ceiling would be a complete waste of time and money and effort. And, your reply also reminds us all that...
  14. BruceSpielbauer

    insulation advice??

    RobertJ's response above is 100% correct. And, regarding one of your specific questions -- "To keep the sound in my room from distrubing the rest of the house do I need to insulate the four walls or just the one?" -- let me expand. You need to begin to think of the entire room as an...
  15. BruceSpielbauer

    Rear Speaker Placement

    Definitely pre-wire. It is so easy when construction is going on, It is especially easy when walls are open. It is so, so tough after those walls are up that many people avoid making the jump to 7.1, just because of how tough it is to try to fish wire once things are enclosed and "finished."...
  16. BruceSpielbauer

    Need advice for an automatic dimmer switch

    I used this one. It is economical, rated for 1000 watts, and it I have my Harmony 900 remote control programmed to control the dimming: http://www.smarthome.com/2476dh.html I paid only $70.00, which is close to the listed price at SmartHome. Mine actually came with a remote control...
  17. BruceSpielbauer

    Putting sand in a stage?

    If it is a riser, to raise seats, then regular fiberglass batts are the way to go. If it is a stage, and if a subwoofer is going to sit on top of that stage, then fiberglass will not keep the stage from vibrating and picking up every harmonic frequency, and then "running" with it. This is...
  18. BruceSpielbauer

    Putting up a makeshift wall

    A typical real (stud) wall with wallboard and an exterior door would be the very best, although some clues in your post tell me that you may not wish to go that route. Anything other than a true wall will result in at least some compromise (in terms of acoustics, sound isolation, the ability to...
  19. BruceSpielbauer

    Upgrading my living room (long)

    Use speaker cables which are in-wall (this is typically called CL-rated). You do NOT need to use Monster's overpriced stuff. Using the same gauge, Monster brand cables are no better than the speaker cable you can buy in bulk at your Home Depot or Lowes, etc. Monster cables wiill NOT offer any...
  20. BruceSpielbauer

    Putting sand in a stage?

    Orlando: Most fill it pretty much full. The first and primary reason for using it is to get rid of the large "air gap" that would result in your stage functioning like some huge hollow drum. You are trying to get rid of the "hollow," and if you leave it only halfway full, you are merely going...
  21. BruceSpielbauer

    laying out dedicated HT room

    Harana, no problem, here is a list of a few of the sites out there: ---- Begin List ----- Here is one, which has a simple calculator: http://www.cinemasource.com/articles...des/modes.html Even though this is a commercial site (Crutchfield) this article is excellent...
  22. BruceSpielbauer

    laying out dedicated HT room

    I do not believe that your design (as described) would alter the sound all that much in terms of acoustics, and I doubt if you can actually predict in advance whether the acoustics would be "improved" or "diminished" because of this type of setup. Either way, the effect is likely to much lesser...
  23. BruceSpielbauer

    Type of Receiver?

    I can confirm that most of the "home theater" amps / receivers do not have this capability. Most of them _do_ have the ability to power a second set of stereo speakers ("A / B"), but that is all. This capability typically means that when the "B" speakers are selected, one cannot also hear the...
  24. BruceSpielbauer

    What to Do? Need advise...

    First, Paradigms are fine, but you should also make certain you actually audition them prior to purchase, as there are five or six others in the same price range which are equally fine, and YOUR audio preferences are likely to be different than mine. The speakers will determine the most about...
  25. BruceSpielbauer

    Noo budget home theater ideas

    I agree. A lot of money is being thrown away on things such as overpriced cables that could be better spent in other areas (room treatments, bass traps, room shape and design, sound isolation if you desire this, room aesthetics, or even upgrading to the NEXT level of speakers and equipment...
  26. BruceSpielbauer

    Raised Platform

    Most build a riser such as this by thinking of it as two units, one stacked on top of the other. Example -- You could use 2 X 4s or 2 X 6s make up the bottom section. If you go 2 X 4s, on edge, you have 3 1/2 " of height. Top with two sheets of 3/4 ply (or OSB, or similar). Now you have a...
  27. BruceSpielbauer

    N00b needs advice on what to buy!

    Since you already spent the big bucks, use it. It will work fine, unless you are trying to run a very, very, very long distance. Like, to your patio out in the backyard. However, many of us have bought much larger guages of speaker cable (14 gauge, or 12 gauge, or even 10 and 8 gauge) and spent...
  28. BruceSpielbauer

    Things I wish I would have done differently in my project

    1) Technically, this is a bit off-topic in this thread; it would have probably been better to start your own thread, if you wish to get some helpful responses. 2) Even so, I will try to respond. Based on my own readings, i believe the two major reasons for sand in a stage are as follows...
  29. BruceSpielbauer

    Basement Hometheater - remote control question.

    You may even want to return the IR emitter stuff now... You can always re-order it if you find the need (but I am betting you will not). I, too, have never had a problem with the signal bouncing off that higly reflective screen and running my projector, which is mounted 18 feet back from the...
  30. BruceSpielbauer

    Most comfortable power seats?

    I do not believe that you will find your answer on a public forum such as this. I found that what was the most comfortable for me was the least comfortable for other members of my own family. Some seats are much better suited for those who are tall, and they will often cause an average-sized...
Top