New Media Room Journal

HT cOz · « **on:** 20 Feb 2010, 03:15 pm »

My media room is being built and I thought I would create a post to chart the progress. Maybe it can help others as they plan and build their room.

The plan

The screen will be at the large end of the room. It's going to be 80" 16x9 that is accoustically transparent. I am building it 6" off the wall and will backfill with Rock Wool for sound absorbtion. I am also planning 6" wall boxes at first reflection points and on the rear wall. These will be covered in accoustically transparent fabric and backfilled with Rock Wool

Framing Starts

Progress

The accoustic boxes are going in. These are to be filled with absorbtion and covered with transparent cloth.
Each box is 6" deep. The front left, right and ceiling are 4' wide. The rear boxes are 2' wide. I'm not sure what to fill them with so if you all have ideas lets hear them.

Front screen is 16X9 80" diagonal

The right and left are 4 feet by 7 feet

The rear wall are 2 feet by 7 feet

Blown in cellulose insulation

Drywall is up and boxes are framed out.

Things are really moving along. I was able to get hardwood floors by paying the installer direct. We used the scrap from the main house. I will need to finish them myselft.

Here is a full picture of the left box. The color scheme is still very much up in the air. These are the standard home colors. I am thinking about going with dark gray/black, dark browns, or reds... Hum don't know where I will land on that. My speakers are going to be made out of Lacewood. I was thinking of turning it black or picking up on these colors throughout the room.

Work has continued on the Media room despite a slow down for move in, landscaping, garage sorting and many other projects. The boxes are being filled in with 4" of 6lb rockwool. I noticed a big difference in echo after getting to this point. This is a dead end / live end approach for sure. The boxes will be covered with accoustic cloth or an accoustic screen. I'm currently sanding the wood floors and will start finishing them in dark brown next week.

The floors are getting their dye treatment. I wanted a dark brown color and transtint delivered!

Here are a few pics from finishing the wood floors. They were the scraps from the house put in for $150 bucks. I finished them with this formula:
2 Coats of Transtint mixed in denatured alcohol
4 Coats of Waterlox Original Sealer
2 Coats of Waterlox Satin Finish

They look better than these pics do. It's hard to get good angles in the room. Its all coming along. I will be covering the boxes. Putting the drapes in the front corners with the bass traps. Hanging the screen and projector. Then I start building my speakers!!!

Project complete

Thanks,
Robert

evan1 · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Feb 2010, 03:18 pm »

Is this attatched to your house ? Or by itself ?

HT cOz · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Feb 2010, 03:21 pm »

It is for all purposes over a completely detached garage that is attached to the main house via an open breezeway. My building codes are a little insane and I would have prefered to have this area attached to the house on the second floor but it was a no go

.

HT cOz · « **Reply #3 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 02:12 am »

If you guys have any ideas or sugestions, please let me know. Cable goes in next week.

MaxCast · « **Reply #4 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 04:46 am »

Quote from: HT cOz on 6 Mar 2010, 02:12 am

If you guys have any ideas or sugestions, please let me know. Cable goes in next week.

Do you have any questions? or need ideas for any areas?

HT cOz · « **Reply #5 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 02:55 pm »

I do wonder what I will use to fill the 6 inches of space in the boxes. Is there any advantage to using layers of different densities etc? Whatever I choose it needs to be economical. I will probably ask my builder if the building supply companies have anything that will work.

bpape · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 03:09 pm »

Using an AT screen, my assumption is that you're doing all 3 speakers behind the screen. What speakers are they? Specifically designed inwalls? In any case, if you can get a little more space between the tweeters and the back of the screen material, you'll help to minimize comb filtering. Usually, we try to do at least 12" between speaker faces and screen if at all possible.

Bryan

HT cOz · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Mar 2010, 03:49 pm »

My front speakers are GR Research AV/3 Neos basically a lot like the current N3 (2 towers 1 center). I'm not putting the speakers behind the AT screen but am just using it to be able to provide front wall absorbtion.

The front speakers will be a good 3 feet into the room. The rear speakers are going to be mirage in ceilings for now. I don't care about them as much.

In truth the room is a little small for an 80" screen but I already have the projector and I hope that the idea of having it AT with absorbtion will sound better than a flat panel LCD.

youngho · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Mar 2010, 12:05 pm »

Quote from: HT cOz on 6 Mar 2010, 02:55 pm

I do wonder what I will use to fill the 6 inches of space in the boxes. Is there any advantage to using layers of different densities etc? Whatever I choose it needs to be economical. I will probably ask my builder if the building supply companies have anything that will work.

http://books.google.com/books?id=sGmz0yONYFcC&pg=PA485&lpg=PA485&dq=peter+d'antonio+density+absorption&source=bl&ots=LFEk4qdLgE&sig=o8mFBvdZLR0Zph_VpQrN9yEmwHE&hl=en&ei=krmkS8PABoL7lwfr2LF0&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CA0Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=peter%20d'antonio%20density%20absorption&f=false

HT cOz · « **Reply #9 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 04:17 pm »

Having six inches of space to work with inside the box, I have a few thoughts to bounce off you all. I have a bunch of 3/4" Dow TUFF-R Polyiso rigid foam left over from the house build. So wanting to use the material I already have I was thinking about building 4" of this rigid foam and have 2" of soft insulation facing the outside. Does that sound like a good plan for these boxes?

Secondarily is it better to leave spaces inbetween the 3/4" Polyiso? This would be very easy to do.

Thanks,
Robert

youngho · « **Reply #10 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 05:46 pm »

Sounds reflective, rather than absorptive. I would think about something like 3" of 701 facing into the room backed by 3" of 703. The random incidence data do not show any benefit to this, but early reflections do not occur at random incidences. On the other hand, the difference in density may not be significant enough. Anyway, 6" of soft insulation would be fine.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #11 on:** 27 Mar 2010, 06:01 am »

Wow, that's a great idea, documenting the build-out from the studs forward! I'm anxious to watch it take shape.

Nuance · « **Reply #12 on:** 28 Mar 2010, 04:57 pm »

Quote from: Rob Babcock on 27 Mar 2010, 06:01 am

Wow, that's a great idea, documenting the build-out from the studs forward! I'm anxious to watch it take shape.

+1. I hope it turns out just the way you want it, HT cOz.

HT cOz · « **Reply #13 on:** 28 Mar 2010, 08:23 pm »

Quote from: Nuance on 28 Mar 2010, 04:57 pm

+1. I hope it turns out just the way you want it, HT cOz.

Me too. I have a long long long way to go. I did away with the rear boxes and am now planning on getting some diffraction going on the rear walls. I was worried I was getting carried away with absorbtion. The big boxes are now located behind, left and right and just above the sitting area.

I also have a huge project to build my speakers once in the house. Right now I have kits for GR Research AV/3 Neos across the front. So I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Anyone ever heard of Next Acoustics? or has anyone ever taken foam and tried to harden it up with paint or other latex products?

Thanks,
Robert

Jeffrey Hedback · « **Reply #14 on:** 28 Mar 2010, 09:11 pm »

Next Acoustics is good quality acoustical foam. I've spec'd and designed with it a few times. The company is founded by my old boss at Auralex Acoustics. It is similar in performance to Auralex foam but a little more stout (density). You really should NOT plan on painting acoustical foam as it will "plug" the pores and negate all acoustic value.

Glad to see their marketing taking hold a bit (Next Acoustics that is).

HT cOz · « **Reply #15 on:** 29 Mar 2010, 12:49 pm »

Quote from: Jeffrey Hedback on 28 Mar 2010, 09:11 pm

Next Acoustics is good quality acoustical foam. I've spec'd and designed with it a few times. The company is founded by my old boss at Auralex Acoustics. It is similar in performance to Auralex foam but a little more stout (density). You really should NOT plan on painting acoustical foam as it will "plug" the pores and negate all acoustic value.

Glad to see their marketing taking hold a bit (Next Acoustics that is).

Good info to know. Do you have any idea how this type of foam compares to something like the acoustical fiberglass?

Thanks,
Robert

HT cOz · « **Reply #16 on:** 30 Mar 2010, 01:15 pm »

So I am looking at these three types of foam:

Is there a method to what type of shape goes in what position? I was thinking the blocks on the ceiling, circles behind the front screen, and waves on the left right wall.

I have about 105 sq feet of box area and am hoping that doesn't over dampen the room.

Thoughts?

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #17 on:** 31 Mar 2010, 05:07 am »

Yeah, do be careful of that- overly darkened is almost as bad as too live. Personally, instead of nuking the room with foam I'd try to just use smaller banks of it at the point of first reflection. Or perhaps a live-end/dead-end arrangement. IIRC, Brian Cheney of VMPS uses an LE/DE setup. I like the idea of a cloud of foam on the ceiling, mid-way between your proposed seating area and the speakers.

HT cOz · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Jun 2010, 03:21 am »

The room has made good progress. I got wood floors

HT cOz · « **Reply #19 on:** 9 Sep 2010, 02:56 am »

Good progress is being made with the boxes getting stuffed with 4" of 6lb rockwool. Look for a lot more to come soon...