New bonus room HT construction (1 Viewer)

[John_Bilbrey]

Placeholder thread for my new HT in the bonus room above our garage. House is currently under construction, the bonus room will be your typical above-garage room measuring 12' 8" x 17' 4". I'm not sure yet if there will be the closet as seen in the picture below. There isn't a bathroom in our plans, that will likely just be a flat wall with nothing behind it. Although, it might be a good place to put AV equipment? I'll just have to see how it all works out. Do you think the open space to the left on that picture will cause any issues? We could certainly have it walled off if needed at this point - as framing has just started.

Current equipment list consists of the following (just recycling what I had previously):
Denon S-710
Boston Acoustics 7.1 (more details below)
DIY ported Dayton Audio 15" HO, with 500w Parts Express plate amp
Display is either of two Samsungs (55" 8000 series or a 65" 6000 series)

I have a couple of ways I can go with the BA setup. I actually have two setups, a 7.1 CR-series with CR75 bookshelf mains with stands, CRC center, CR55 rears, and VRS Micro sides. The second setup is a slightly newer CS-series with CS tower mains and a CS center. The rears were in-wall that stayed at the old house. I'd like to get an ATMOS setup but I'm not sure how I could do that with the equipment list I have. I can certainly add ATMOS-specific speakers if needed. I think the Denon will do 5.1.2 ATMOS if I'm not mistaken (and not looking up specific model details). Is it even worth it to try and add ATMOS at this point given my equipment (receiver) list? I don't think a new receiver will be in the budget at this time. Or, should I just focus on making the best of the 7.1 I have? As it is currently, there isn't a whole lot of ATMOS content that I can find (or 7 channel, for that matter). I don't think a second sub is needed, but it's hard to tell until everything is setup. That Dayton will certainly get with it when asked.

Other items to consider:
Seating arrangements (do I want to build a platform for two rows of seating, or just stick with a couch/chairs?)
Lighting (wall sconces, track, cans)
Future plans: larger TV, projector?

 

[John_Bilbrey]

Any input on the 7.1 versus 5.1.2 ATMOS setup?

 

[Bobofbone]

Any input on the 7.1 versus 5.1.2 ATMOS setup?

Wire for what you might want in the future, not what you have right now. While wire is no longer cheaper, it's still easier and less expensive for place wiring now, before the dry wall goes up than it is after everything is done. I'd suggest placing the wiring for a 7.2.4 system. My current room has 2 sub woofers. Two give better coverage. I've listened with one off, and find a distinct difference from one seating position to the next. Sub crawling is fine if you have one sub woofer, but I'd go with two, sooner or later. It's nice to have the wiring in place. The same goes for additional height speakers. Decide where you want them during construction, run the wiring and put in junction boxes. roll up the excess and put a plain cover that matches the wall cover over it. The only problem with that approach is that you might find yourself staring at it and wanting more speakers.

Lawn chairs are handy to try out different seating arrangements. You can find what you like before going with something more permanent. Another thing to consider is lighting during construction. I put Lutron remote units in, and had two go to additional circuits that I terminated with regular wall plugs. One was high, next to the crown molding that was put in with a 1" gap from the ceiling, and another was under the screen. I ran rope lighting (make sure it's compatible with the dimmer) for accent lighting around my screen and the molding. They can be turned on, dimmed or shut down remotely. The nice thing is that it's easier to do that sort of thing during construction-if you don't use it for awhile, it's just another plug in the wall.

You mentioned there isn't a bath room in the space in your plan. Something else to consider; if you put your screen on that wall, you can place your center speaker and sides behind the screen. You have more than enough distance for a projector to cover a large screen that would be more impressive than a flat screen TV-even a large 4K one.

 

[John_Bilbrey]

Thanks for the input Bob, and good ideas (I see you're in TN as well!). Once we get closer, I'll have a better idea of how to lay things out. I'll go ahead and run power for a projector, and speaker wiring for height speakers. I imagine that more material will be available in the future that supports the height speakers, even if it's just mixed by the receiver.

 

[John_Bilbrey]

After digging in to the possibility of a projector, I think I've decided against one (primarily due to the cost). A good screen will cost as much as a high-end panel of any size, then you have to add in the cost of the actual projector. I snapped a few "in progress" pictures the other day, I'll try to get them uploaded.

 

[John_Bilbrey]

First picture is looking in to the room from the top of the stairs/landing area. Second and third pictures are looking down the length of the room, and the last picture is the landing at the top of the stairs. I've got a couple of different ways I can go with the layout. My first thought was to place the TV on the wall by the landing. I'd have a good 7-8' of flat wall space that wouldn't be interfered with by the slope of the ceiling. The other option is to put the TV along one of the "long" walls. That's how our previous movie room was oriented. It worked well and provided more seating options that putting the display on the "short" wall would.

 

[John_Bilbrey]

Decided we would put the TV along the "long" wall towards the inside of the house. I had the electrician wire in CAT6 and coax for that spot.

 

[John Dirk]

• I wouldn't worry about the space to the left. From my [very limited] understanding of acoustics it might actually be beneficial as rectangular rooms can present some challenges.
• Regarding Atmos - There's plenty of great content out there, depending on your tastes of course, however it looks like you'll have a cathedral ceiling and those don't play well with Atmos at all.
• Dual subs are pretty much always a good idea if budget allows. I would go for a 7.2 setup, however @Bobofbone is absolutely correct in that you should go ahead and wire for height speakers now while it's cheap and easy.
• Your room will likely be only marginally smaller than mine. A projector could work nicely and there are decent screens available in the sub $1000.00 range. I use this one and have been very happy with it. Lucky you, it appears to be being offered at a nice discount now.

Whatever you end up going with, congratulations! The thought of being able to build out a room from scratch is very exciting.

 

[John_Bilbrey]

The good news on the ceiling is that although it does slope up, the "center" or top is flat. I'll look into that screen you linked.