big theater small budget.... please advise (1 Viewer)

[asi_a]

Hi All, i'm in the process of building my new house which has a dedicated home theater room that's 17'x24'. I have my projector and screen worked out and am trying to figure out the sound at this time. I plan on using a Denon AVR-X3100 for my receiver. I now have to figure out the speaker set up. I would like some towers for the fronts and in-wall for surround and rears with most likely 2 subwoofers. I've run across some reviews of the Klipsche RF-42II 7.1 system which everyone is raving about, has anyone here had any personal experience with them? I'm trying not to break the bank and the Klipsche system fits in my budget. I'm just concerned with a room that size the system will be undersized providing inadequate performance. What are your thought?

 

[schan1269]

Nothing at 95db efficiency has trouble filling any(normal home) size room with sound.In your room, those RF-42 will blister your ears on a 20wpc Lepai T-amp that costs $20.

 

[schan1269]

For in-wall, i wouldn't go any bigger than the Klipsch R5650. It is 93db efficient and actually reaches lower than the RF42.R3650 makes more sense.

 

[asi_a]

thanks for the feedback, its very reassuring. Would you say just 1 Klipsch SW310 would be enough to deliver proper bass or should I consider 2 subs?

 

[schan1269]

Forget the Klipsch sub, unless they "throw it in".Hsu, SVS, Rythmik, PSA are all better at a similar price.I'm also in a "different camp"...If you move up to the RF52, you get deeper bass response. Then you can get 1 better sub and use the RF 52 down to 40hz(or 50...) so two subs aren't trying to cover 20-80.Two ways to skin the cat...Towers helping down to 40(if yours get there) or everything under 80 covered by the subs.If you choose the two subs for everything under 80...you technically would be better off with RB 62 on stands. Then if you went AT, three RB 62 across the front sound stage.Or...my way...1 sub and 3 RF 52.

 

[asi_a]

Would you kindly throw some subwoofer model #'s if choice at me. I'm probably gonna go with RB52 for fronts with the R5650 for surround and rears.

 

[schan1269]

The RB61 is worth the extra money over the RB51. Unless you mean the RF52 (my bad forgetting bookshelves have 1 woofer, hence the 1).Hsu, SVS, PSA and Rythmik websites are the best place to look. Occasionally all 4 will have B stock(blemished) or customer trials at discount. So, I could say the VTF 1, but there might be VTF 2 B stock.

 

[schan1269]

Oh yeah, what screen? AT or not?

 

[David Willow]

IT's not clear from your post if you are auditioning the speakers so I figured I should mention this...

Make sure you spend time listening to the speakers before you make your choice. No review can tell you how you will like them.

 

[schan1269]

I've never had issue with Klipsch in a purposely designed movies only theatre room.If music and television are added in...then we talk other speakers. But to handle 20db of headroom in that size room, 95db speakers are a great start.(By the way, currently designing an entire room that will end up being completely inner wall of acoustic fabric. Every speaker, including ceiling, will be behind fabric. The outer dimension of the room(designed from the start) is 25x35x11. Once finished, interior of the room will be 20x28x8. The 5 feet will be 15° "waved" acoustical drywall panels. All bass traps will be built into the drywall. The only thing visible will be the CIH 150" and ambient lighting. Using GTL SoundLabs speakers in unfinished cabinets, cause they will never be seen anyway)

 

[asi_a]

Oh yeah, what screen? AT or not?

Sorry to sound ignorant but what donuts mean AT or not? I'm going with a Da-Lite cosmopolitan. 159" diagonal.

 

[asi_a]

The RB61 is worth the extra money over the RB51. Unless you mean the RF52 (my bad forgetting bookshelves have 1 woofer, hence the 1).Hsu, SVS, PSA and Rythmik websites are the best place to look. Occasionally all 4 will have B stock(blemished) or customer trials at discount. So, I could say the VTF 1, but there might be VTF 2 B stock.

Sorry yes I meant RF52

 

[schan1269]

Sorry to sound ignorant but what donuts mean AT or not? I'm going with a Da-Lite cosmopolitan. 159" diagonal.

Either DaLite site is screwed up...or the Cosmo series isn't available with screen material meant for home theater.Acoustically Transparent. If going that big, no way I wouldn't do AT.

 

[schan1269]

Now that figures. If you search for perforated first (Da-Lite has 4 choices in perf, which I much prefer woven. But Da-Lite doesn't have a woven), you then can pick Cosmo.But not the other way...odd.

 

[asi_a]

The screen is not AT, i plan on placing the speakers in my built-ins. I did my sisters home theater using that same screen with a panasonic PT-AE7000 and the picture is amazing. I already have a TA-AE8000 which should be even better.

 

[Robert_J]

thanks for the feedback, its very reassuring. Would you say just 1 Klipsch SW310 would be enough to deliver proper bass or should I consider 2 subs?

That Klipsch is just a 10" sub and your room is slightly larger than mine.. I cloned a pair of SVS Plus cylinder subs and dual 12's with 400w each weren't enough for me. I'm currently running dual 15's with 800w each and looking to add to that.

It all depends on your goals. My goal is a realistic sound when one robot throws the other off a building it it crashes into the ground. I want to feel the floor shake and that is difficult with a house on a concrete slab.

 

[asi_a]

That Klipsch is just a 10" sub and your room is slightly larger than mine.. I cloned a pair of SVS Plus cylinder subs and dual 12's with 400w each weren't enough for me. I'm currently running dual 15's with 800w each and looking to add to that.

It all depends on your goals. My goal is a realistic sound when one robot throws the other off a building it it crashes into the ground. I want to feel the floor shake and that is difficult with a house on a concrete slab.

i'm on a raised foundation. Should help with achieving some floor shaking bass.

 

[Jason Charlton]

That Klipsch is just a 10" sub and your room is slightly larger than mine..

i'm on a raised foundation. Should help with achieving some floor shaking bass.

I'll echo what both RobertJ and Sam have suggested - forget about the Klipsch subwoofer. For around $600 you can do much better with an SVS, Hsu, or any of the other mentioned Internet Direct brands of subwoofer.

Size matters when you're talking about subwoofers. Better to have too much (if there is such a thing...) bass than not enough. You can always dial it back if needed.

 

[asi_a]

I have an old KG-5150 with a boxed 12" i bought years ago from speaker city, should I use it as a secondary sub?

http://oregondv.com/KG-5150-V_Powered_Subwoofer_Amplifier.htm

 

[donald.quix]

I actually read something interesting recently about home theater smart home. Not sure if this helps but I think it would be worth a read. It's from Control4's website.

http://www.control4.com/blog/2014/08/home-theater-simplified