Dedicated home theatre suggestions

[lokipei]

We are looking to build our first home in about 6-12 months time and want to include a home theatre as part of the package. We are looking at the back wall being about 4m (about 13 feet) or may be as close as 3.8m(just over 12 feet) depending on the design. Some go back about 4.5 metres but would mean sacrifiing other areas of the house. The front wall will probably be similar dimensions. Anything bigger is possibly out of our budget.
I currently have a 65inch LG 2013 4K tv which we will probably keep in the lounger room for tv, but looking at getting a projector from the roof for the theatre, with a 120 inch 2:35 screen.
Would this be too big for this room?
Also would like 7.1 surround, however I'm not sure if we would have room for the speakers at the back. Is it possible to install the back speakers from the roof, or would this not be effective?

[schan1269]

Proper speaker placement is you equidistant* from all 7 speakers (I'd plan ahead and include provision for 4 ceiling speakers for Atmos)...

That puts you sitting at 2-2.3 meters(7-8.5 feet, if math is close) for 7 speakers.

For 5, using proper speaker angles, puts you at 2.8-3.2m(9-10 feet).

For 7.1 you'd be looking at 100". 5.1 would allow 120 at most.

I sit at 9.5 feet for a 16:9 120. Puts me at 106(108?) at 2.40. 90% of the viewing there is 2.35/2.40.

* most rooms will not allow an equidistant 7. Put 1/2/3/6/7 at the same distance, 4/5 will just end up closer. That is what speaker levels and distance settings in the AVR are for.

There is "never" an excuse not to be equidistant in a purpose made 5 speaker arrangement.

(Equidistant has wiggle room. In my theatre, all 9 of my speakers are the exact same 10.5 feet...from my seat. I'm an absolute audio purist. A video first person will set everything in the opposite direction. Screen, seating...then speakers to adapt)

[Kevinicus]

Originally Posted by schan1269

Proper speaker placement is you equidistant* from all 7 speakers (I'd plan ahead and include provision for 4 ceiling speakers for Atmos)...

That puts you sitting at 2-2.3 meters(7-8.5 feet, if math is close) for 7 speakers.

For 5, using proper speaker angles, puts you at 2.8-3.2m(9-10 feet).

For 7.1 you'd be looking at 100". 5.1 would allow 120 at most.

I sit at 9.5 feet for a 16:9 120. Puts me at 106(108?) at 2.40. 90% of the viewing there is 2.35/2.40.

* most rooms will not allow an equidistant 7. Put 1/2/3/6/7 at the same distance, 4/5 will just end up closer. That is what speaker levels and distance settings in the AVR are for.

There is "never" an excuse not to be equidistant in a purpose made 5 speaker arrangement.

(Equidistant has wiggle room. In my theatre, all 9 of my speakers are the exact same 10.5 feet...from my seat. I'm an absolute audio purist. A video first person will set everything in the opposite direction. Screen, seating...then speakers to adapt)

My room was professionally designed by an accoustical engineer, and the speakers are certainly not equidistant.

OP, are your measurements for the width of the walls or the distance between the front and back of the room?

Are you talking about 120 wide, or 120 diagonal screen?

[schan1269]

Acoustic designers have differing opinions.

I follow ITU. Which is how every 5.1 and 7.1 soundtrack is mixed.

If everybody followed along as sheep, we wouldn't have all the varied speaker designs we have.

My opinion. Your professionally designed room is wrong.

But I also dislike di/bi-pole surround speakers. Others won't do a "proper" theater without them.

[lokipei]

Originally Posted by Kevinicus

Are you talking about 120 wide, or 120 diagonal screen?

120 Diagonal. How important are the back speaker to be at a distance? Can they not just be closer and lower the volume?

Also what is preference for gear to be located, at the back or the front of the room?

Not sure about Atmos as yet. Would mean an expensive new receiver. And is it worthwhile going with four roof speakers rather than two in a room thats about 14 x 13?

[Kevinicus]

Originally Posted by lokipei

120 Diagonal. How important are the back speaker to be at a distance? Can they not just be closer and lower the volume?

Also what is preference for gear to be located, at the back or the front of the room?

Not sure about Atmos as yet. Would mean an expensive new receiver. And is it worthwhile going with four roof speakers rather than two in a room thats about 14 x 13?

You want to have at least a few feet of space from the seating to the back speakers. If you can't do that, you should stick to 5.1. 120 diagonal for a 2.35 screen is about 110 inches (just over 9 feet) and you'd want to sit 9-10 feet from the screen. Even if you don't want to invest in equipment for Atmos right now, it would still be a good idea to wire for it now. Then when it is more affordable you can upgrade and have wires already in place.

[lokipei]

Sorry about the low res but this is the best I have a the moment. This is probably what we are looking at, so the back wall is near enough to 14 ft and width just under 12 feet. I believe they are windows up the top of the design, however I may ask if they can remove one of them, as there is really no need. If I install the back speakers in the wall it should give me a bit of extra space.

[Kevinicus]

Originally Posted by lokipei

Sorry about the low res but this is the best I have a the moment. This is probably what we are looking at, so the back wall is near enough to 14 ft and width just under 12 feet. I believe they are windows up the top of the design, however I may ask if they can remove one of them, as there is really no need. If I install the back speakers in the wall it should give me a bit of extra space.

Looks like your seating is all the way back against the wall? In that case, I'd stick to 5.1 for your surround. You could do 7.1, but with the seating being right up on top of them, they wouldn't give you the best experience as it would be very easy to localize the sound.

Are you considering an acoustically transparent screen with speakers behind it? You definitely have the room for a 120" screen either way, and your seating would not be too close. In fact, if the screen is all the way up against the wall, you will probably be a little farther than would be ideal. You might consider going up to 120" wide (130.4") diagonal. That is what I am installing in my theater, and my seating is 10' 9" from the screen.

[lokipei]

The seats in the diagram are just an artists rendering, so I wont be putting them against the wall, ideally I would like room for a second row of chairs for guests or for when we have children, so I plan on having the front row at least a few feet in front of the back speakers. I was planning on installing the screen up againts the wall with my fronts that I already have (about 4-5 feet tall) on either side of it, but I can look at accoutically transparent screen options as well (I didnt know they existed).

[bigshot]

2/3s of the way back in the room, 1/3 away from the rear wall is ideal acoustically. In the center of the room is the worst, with against the back wall bringing up a close second for worst.

The big problem I see with most home theaters is that the speakers end up pushed up against walls right into corners of rooms. That is a recipe for really bad reflections.