Basement Home Theater

[dreamingat30fps]

So.... I've been wanting to setup a home theatre in the basement of the NC house pretty much since day 1. So want to get any input/advice you may have in regards to sound system, tv etc but also is there anything I need to consider when doing this in the basement? Never had a basement before so.

I'm leaning towards a large TV +80" instead of a projector. From what I have read I think I would get better picture for the $$ with a TV. I definitely want some sweet theater seats, although in the area I want to put it I will probably only be able to get one big couch in, like a 3 seater. As for sound system, at home in FL I just have some large Polk floor speakers, matching center and sub and I personally think it sounds good. I don't have rears because the FL layout wont easily allow for them but for this one I definitely want rears. I've seen some Klipsch sets anywhere from like $1000 to $2000+. I'm no audiophile so I think maybe the more expensive stuff may just be wasted on me.

Anyways share your thoughts and your setup if you have a home theater.

[tcphoto]

I see no distinction between a system that I listen to music on and the television. I have a Samsung 49” television, Onkyo receiver with a mix of Alpine, Bose speakers. I would try to have a couple seating options, perhaps a couple loveseats and position the speakers to optimize sound. I would not go with a large television that is too large for the space.

[shoei]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

So.... I've been wanting to setup a home theatre in the basement of the NC house pretty much since day 1. So want to get any input/advice you may have in regards to sound system, tv etc but also is there anything I need to consider when doing this in the basement? Never had a basement before so.

I'm leaning towards a large TV +80" instead of a projector. From what I have read I think I would get better picture for the $$ with a TV. I definitely want some sweet theater seats, although in the area I want to put it I will probably only be able to get one big couch in, like a 3 seater. As for sound system, at home in FL I just have some large Polk floor speakers, matching center and sub and I personally think it sounds good. I don't have rears because the FL layout wont easily allow for them but for this one I definitely want rears. I've seen some Klipsch sets anywhere from like $1000 to $2000+. I'm no audiophile so I think maybe the more expensive stuff may just be wasted on me.

Anyways share your thoughts and your setup if you have a home theater.

Depending on how large or small your basement is, you may have to consider echoing. I have this problem in the current house - the ceilings are ridiculously high, I think 18ft + so the echoing gets annoying, paintings and plants can only do so much.

Projectors are always neat but unless you have an indoor theater type den, I find it to be not necessary. You picked a good time for this project because I'm another couple of months, you'll have Black Friday / Cyber Monday so you should be able to find some quality tv's at a discount. Also the new model years will be out not too long from now, so discounts on current year models.

Picture quality wise, the higher end Sony's and Samsung's have never given me issues. Everyone's gonna have an opinion on this, I just find the fit finish and end user experience better on the bigger name tv's than say Vizio. This website below has probably been a staple for most electronics purchases for most of us on the forums.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/be...-on-the-market

Sound wise. Depends on what you're looking for again. For the average consumer, Sonos/Bose/Klipsch will be more than adequate. 90% of your guests won't know the difference between. Multi zone wiring and much better sounding passives are the way to go, but again, average consumer it's overkill. Sonos is good not excellent and again, ease of use, simplicity and no wires makes it convenient. Plus, you can expand as you go. I currently have this house fitted with Sonos in all the main rooms and never had an issue and content with the sound.

All this stuff is going to be user centric. I'm assuming you're not a "audiophile" based on your questions and it's a deep rabbit hole I don't recommend to most people. If you can't tell the difference between FLAC and mp3, just stick with simplicity.

Prepare to be even more confused then before you asked the question because I anticipate a wide variety of differences here, lol.

[wtwo3]

We recently finished our basement and have been really happy with the equipment/setup. Sorry for the blurry photos... my old galaxy s10 didn't do well with low light levels back when I took these pics.

Here's a rundown of the components:

LG 77" OLED TV
Denon AVR X2700H 8K Receiver
Kef T series satellite speakers
Kef T series center channel speaker
Sonos in ceiling speakers
HSU Research MK5 12" Subwoofer

A couple things to keep in mind:
- I wanted a clean as possible design, so I custom built the component rack in the corner of the room by the sump pump. The challenge I ran into was that 8k HDMI cables can only be a certain length before you need to upgrade to a fiber optic HDMI cable, and the price goes up exponentially. So just something to keep in mind if you plan to have your components far away from your TV.
- The Kef T series speakers, while are super slim, still pack a big punch and offer extremely clear sound for the profile. That being said, you'll still get better audio out of proper tower speakers. Just depends on what you're going for - I wanted some form with my function.
- You can't see it in the picture, but I eventually also put in some cooling fans into the component rack I built to keep the receiver and PS5 nice and cool.

[zx10guy]

This is the issue with the demise of brick and mortar. The best thing you can do is to actually listen to prospective speakers with source material you are very familiar with. Same goes with evaluating TVs.

Everyone has their preferences in terms of visual and audio. Both of my plasmas are ISF calibrated and both of my LCD 4k panels have settings published by some very respected reviewers as what they set their review samples to. Many may feel the settings are too "soft" as they don't pop out at you. I prefer having natural and not over blown pictures.

One thing is a must is if you really plan on getting the best out of a sound system, make sure a subwoofer is part of the setup.

As an aside, I used to not mind being called an audiophile. Now a days, I kind of get annoyed with the term. You don't need to spend stupid money to get sound. The biggest factor in getting any kind of quality sound is addressing the room your system is in and proper speaker placement. I've gotten into heated debates on a B&W enthusiast forum where a poster thought they would get blind adoration on how they spent 5 figures on a set of 802Ds. While there are those that gave the attention the attention whore wanted, I was the opposite. I said the poster wasted their money by shoving those speakers in a cubby in a home entertainment center. I had the audacity to say I spent a fraction of the money this guy did and I would wager that my system sounds infinitely better. It's because I addressed the room acoustics and properly placed my speakers.

[Wht340i]

Nothing like a large projection screen. Have a 77” LG OLED in the family room upstairs and thats great however when watching on the projection screen its a whole different experience. Went with 142” 2:35:1 acoustically transparent screen and the Epson 5050UB projector. Picture below is before it was fully finished however you get the idea.

Epson 5050UB
SilverTicket 142” screen
Denon AVR-X3700H
Klipsh 8” Pro In Wall speakers 5.2.1
SVS 1000pro Subwoofer

[dreamingat30fps]

The space I plan to put the "theater" in will be about 11.5 ft wide by 14 ft long. The basement as a whole is larger than this, but this is the area where I think everything would fit nicely before running into HVAC and supports etc.

I'm not worried so much about the aesthetics as the basement is unfinished (except a small portion that's a guest bedroom) and I don't plan to finish it anytime soon. The walls are concrete blocks and the ceiling is not very high probably less than 7 ft.

For reference that countertop on the wall is 8 ft long.

[Wht340i]

That’s a good size for a theater room. After you get the speakers maybe a few acoustic panels on the wall will help if you’re not finishing it. Also Is that counter top from Lowes? I just built a desk using the same one.

[BMWGUYinCO]

Here is mine. This was a bit of an awkward space to work in as while it is long, it is a bit narrow up front and I have that HVAC duct work in the ceiling, but I went with a projection system. Believe me, a high quality screen will make all the difference (I have a Stewart). My neighbor has an 80" TV and it looks fine as well, but going 120" like mine or larger will make an impact!

I don't think you can go wrong with a solidly reviewed, mid-tier receiver like a Yamaha AVENTAGE and a matched speaker system, like Klipsch. Dolby Atmos is all the rage but my honest opinion is, - it's not significant.

But here is a great tip. I put tactile transducers beneath each home theater chair (also great for a couch set up!) and it is mind blowing. Sure, a good sub will give you that bass rumble, but nothing like these transducers.

Lastly, don't skimp on the decor!

[BMWGUYinCO]

Originally Posted by Wht340i

Nothing like a large projection screen. Have a 77” LG OLED in the family room upstairs and thats great however when watching on the projection screen its a whole different experience. Went with 142” 2:35:1 acoustically transparent screen and the Epson 5050UB projector. Picture below is before it was fully finished however you get the idea.

Epson 5050UB
SilverTicket 142” screen
Denon AVR-X3700H
Klipsh 8” Pro In Wall speakers 5.2.1
SVS 1000pro Subwoofer

Great setup!

[Wht340i]

Originally Posted by BMWGUYinCO

Here is mine. This was a bit of an awkward space to work in as while it is long, it is a bit narrow up front and I have that HVAC duct work in the ceiling, but I went with a projection system. Believe me, a high quality screen will make all the difference (I have a Stewart). My neighbor has an 80" TV and it looks fine as well, but going 120" like mine or larger will make an impact!

I don't think you can go wrong with a solidly reviewed, mid-tier receiver like a Yamaha AVENTAGE and a matched speaker system, like Klipsch. Dolby Atmos is all the rage but my honest opinion is, - it's not significant.

But here is a great tip. I put tactile transducers beneath each home theater chair (also great for a couch set up!) and it is mind blowing. Sure, a good sub will give you that bass rumble, but nothing like these transducers.

Lastly, don't skimp on the decor!

Nice setup

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

The space I plan to put the "theater" in will be about 11.5 ft wide by 14 ft long. The basement as a whole is larger than this, but this is the area where I think everything would fit nicely before running into HVAC and supports etc.

I'm not worried so much about the aesthetics as the basement is unfinished (except a small portion that's a guest bedroom) and I don't plan to finish it anytime soon. The walls are concrete blocks and the ceiling is not very high probably less than 7 ft.

For reference that countertop on the wall is 8 ft long.

You're going to have a ton of issues with reflections and brightness as there's nothing in there that will absorb any of the first order reflections. This is going to translate into clarity and brightness issues. If you're not going to put up walls and finish off the ceiling any time soon, I would put in a big heavy rug preferably with padding underneath to help with some of the reflection problems. Acoustics will still be a problem no matter what speakers or room EQ you use.

[Monster335]

For me watching movies and listening music has to sound good. I have 2 Klipsch rp8000 piano black for L and R and Svs ultra for Center also in piano black, 2 elac 5.2 debuts for rear surrounds. 2 Svs sb4000 subs (these things rock the whole house). Im working on 7.2.4 later. I have Denon receiver and an Anthem MCA 325 for power amp, I also have Outlaw 7000x power amp for new setup later. 75" sony oled. working on Epson Ls500 front laser projector look up this projector is so nice with a nice price of course.

[zx10guy]

Since people are posting up pics of their rooms. Here's mine:



ETA: Should have put up other pics of the room. These are older pics so the console table isn't in it nor the ottoman and side tables that are along the wall.

[Wht340i]

Originally Posted by Monster335

For me watching movies and listening music has to sound good. I have 2 Klipsch rp8000 piano black for L and R and Svs ultra for Center also in piano black, 2 elac 5.2 debuts for rear surrounds. 2 Svs sb4000 subs (these things rock the whole house). Im working on 7.2.4 later. I have Denon receiver and an Anthem MCA 325 for power amp, I also have Outlaw 7000x power amp for new setup later. 75" sony oled. working on Epson Ls500 front laser projector look up this projector is so nice with a nice price of course.

Those laser projectors are nice however for 120” screens you need the lens to be over 20” from the screen. Then add another 10”+ for the machine itself. That’s going to sit pretty far from the wall.

[Wht340i]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

Since people are posting up pics of their rooms. Here's mine:

Attachment 2697198

That’s a nice clean room. Looks like you’re more of a music listener.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Wht340i

That’s a nice clean room. Looks like you’re more of a music listener.

Thank you. Yes. When I started this room project, the priority was acoustics first. Although, I didn't skimp on the video portion. That plasma is a Pioneer Elite 141FD which I bought when it was still current and considered the reference by which all TVs are compared. I'm still very satisfied with it to this day. But I'll be getting an OLED to put in its place and moving the 141FD up to the family room as the Pioneer 1010HD has finally succumbed to burn in.

[Wht340i]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

Thank you. Yes. When I started this room project, the priority was acoustics first. Although, I didn't skimp on the video portion. That plasma is a Pioneer Elite 141FD which I bought when it was still current and considered the reference by which all TVs are compared. I'm still very satisfied with it to this day. But I'll be getting an OLED to put in its place and moving the 141FD up to the family room as the Pioneer 1010HD has finally succumbed to burn in.

Oh nice choice on the plasma I remember selling those back in the day when I worked for a big dealer here in Chicago. They were always the best and was sad to hear they got out of the business after that series.

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Wht340i

Oh nice choice on the plasma I remember selling those back in the day when I worked for a big dealer here in Chicago. They were always the best and was sad to hear they got out of the business after that series.

Yes. We can only wonder what the 10th gen Kuros would have brought to the market. We got a sample of it with the 101FD and the KRP-500M. Those were considered 9.5 gen as there were some enhancements made to the glass to further increase black levels. Alas, Pioneer went more mass market with enthusiast level products. The math in the end didn't work with all the things they did such as manufacturing their own glass along with fabing custom chips required for the level of performance they were achieving.

[dogbone]

The world is your oyster in that room given its unfinished state.

Some thoughts:

Flat panel tv versus projector - If you want to keep the budget down, a large TV can be had for a reasonable price. And TVs are nice because the image from a current-crop tv is fantastic---incredible sharpness, brightness, deep blacks, great contrast. And---they're silent---no fans.

However, there's just something about a projector presenting an image on a quality screen that feels like you've been transported to another place. I love my [now 3 year-old] JVC projector and Stewart projection screen, but there's no doubt---it's not as crisp as a tv panel. But movies in theaters usually have a bit of a diffuse look, so you have to decide what you're going for.

Other things to consider with a projector:
-Dark scenes can be a challenge for a cheap projector on a big projection screen.
-The projector hangs from the ceiling above the seating and you can hear the cooling fan. And when you play 4k content like a 4k Apple TV, the fan kicks to a higher speed versus 1080 where it's pretty quiet. And if you live at altitude (I live at 6600'), the fan is supposed to be setup to run even faster due to thinner air, although I don't it since the projector is not in an enclosed space.

Anyway, with the projector, I kick back in a reclining chair and I'm excited for theatre-style visuals. And the setup delivers. But, there's no doubt, a good projector and screen definitely adds quite a bit of money to the project over a tv.

Speakers - These days, there are plenty of good speaker options without spending a fortune. And because you have a raw space to start with, planning for speakers and wires should not be a problem. I'm a fan of the Dolby Atmos format. Aside from the standard 5.1 or 7.1 surround setup, if you can put several (not expensive) Atmos speakers on the ceiling, it's REALLY immersive. Stuff is literally flying over your head. Fantastic. I would go for more speakers that are cost effective than more expensive speakers but less of them.

Make sure you have access to wires behind walls/ceilings for future service. There was an existing setup in the house when we bought it and we had to upgrade the HDMI cable for the new projector/receiver setup and it was a NIGHTMARE running the new cable. Had to bring in professionals who had a heck of a time running the new cable above the ceiling.

Acoustic treatment - Before you think about acoustic treatment, you will have to decide how much you are finishing the unfinished room. I can't exactly tell how much the wood support post encroaches into the room, but I might consider a straight wall that goes across the whole front of the room to eliminate the bump-out in the front. This will allow you to center your screen in the room versus pushing everything to the left. And you could plan to run wires behind the wall and keep things clean looking. And in that front wall, you could put studs or plywood exactly where needed to support heavy stuff.

Let's say you finish the whole space with dry wall, an 11'x14' room with parallel surfaces and a fairly low ceiling is a recipe for muddy/washy acoustics. (I do music for a living. And I used to mix television shows for a living. I've put my time in sound/music studios.) In a room like that, I would recommend acoustically treating the walls somehow (and it would benefit you to put some stuff on the ceiling too). People never get excited about spending money on foam panels to reduce sound reflections. But you gotta do something if you want to avoid muddy sound. I've been a fan of Auralex foam panels over the years for my music work. They're simple to use and they've got a bunch of shapes, thicknesses and colors.

If you don't finish the walls, you can do more vibey things like putting full length floor-to-ceiling curtains on the sides and back of the room. They do an incredibly good job of killing unwanted sound reflections. And curtains can look like anything. They can give a cool funky look to a room. And of course, carpet helps with unwanted sound reflections. I've been in some incredibly high end music studios that have curtains and swooping fabrics coming down from the ceilings to kill reflections. The studios are super vibey.

Receiver - get something that does 4k, Atmos, has a bunch of speaker outputs and has a bunch of video inputs for all your different viewing devices---Apple TV, cable/satellite box, game console, (BluRay player if that's even a thing anymore....), etc. Most anything modern should be fine. I've had good luck with Denon.

Universal Remote - I've always been a fan of some kind of Universal remote--especially for non-technical family members. If your electronic hardware is behind you or tucked away, then an RF remote is probably the ticket. An IR remote that has the repeaters for hidden components is ok.....but....I think RF is more reliable.

Seating - I am a personal fan of reclining chairs. There are lots of options for a three person couch where two or maybe all three seats recline. And they don't have to cost an arm and a leg. We got stuff that power reclined with lighted cup holders and USB chargers that was reasonably priced. We have a mix of reclining couches and reclining individual chairs. Works great. The individual chairs make up the first row. They're placed wide on the sides and actually sort of encroach in front of the "main" couch that is the second row. But it totally works. The individual chairs do not get in the way of the view of the second row. I built a platform for the third row couch so it sits higher. We can seat 7 efficiently in an area that's not that long.


In my situation, the house came with a movie room area that was nicely built out, but all the equipment was 12+ years old. So, I replaced many components. And we put our own seating in. The previous owner had installed 4 speakers in the ceiling as surround, but I changed the whole audio setup so the ceiling speakers became Atmos and I put some small speakers in the back for surround. It's so much fun to watch movies in there---dual subs, Atmos surround, projector, reclining seats. My theatre is not a fully enclosed room just by itself. There's no left wall. There's a bar to the left of theatre and we keep it stocked with drinks and candy and microwaveable popcorn. Since it's a wider open space with many articulating walls and recessed ceiling features, fabric on some of the walls, a ton of carpeting and the chairs are soft fabric instead of leather, I didn't feel the need to put any sound additional treatment on the walls.

Here's how it looks:







Have fun with your project!

[Tommy-G]

No basements in Florida....I'm jealous

[zx10guy]

These rooms don't need to be in a basement. It's just a convenient space to have one as people typically utilize spaces above ground for other purposes. The biggest challenge if movies are your priority is light control with a room above ground.