hardwood floors + home theater

[buckshot]

I have discussed my home theater set up on here before. there's also a rough description in my sig below.

i'm going to get the onkyo tx sr605 (back ordered from my original order). we are looking to get laminate floors in our house everywhere except the bedrooms.

my worry is what will this do to my beloved home theater? I know it will change the acoustics of the room, but how much? what problems should I know about and what ways can I prevent them?

I have a 10'' 150W velodyne sub, jbl balboa floor standing fronts, jbl balboa center channel, side channels are onkyo front channels on stands, and the rear channels are polk audio front floorstandings (i swear this set up sounds nice).

[nhaase]

If the reverberations are too much for you, you can always put down rugs to dampen them.

[WickyWoo]

absolutely a bad idea unless you're going to redesign and acoustically treat the entire room ($$$$$$$)

Recording studios use the hardwood floors because the reflections add warmth and depth to waht they're recording, but if you've never been in one, it's amazing. You walk through the door and sound goes DEAD. It's eerie! It's because the walls are designed to absorb sound instead of bounce it, and apparently certain kinds of wood do the same thing without deading what you're recording.

Those floors will vibrate with yoru floor standers and sub for sure, bad feedback and distortion.

I highly recommend you do not do it in your theater room. Get a decent rug instead. at hte very least get some thick padded carpet and place it under the speakers, that should help.

[buckshot]

the new floors are needed after a few large parties left sizeable stains in a few stratedic spots, and little spots everywhere else. plus with cats the hair piles up.

what about a low profile throw rug? would that sufficiently dampen the sound? or would the little carpet patches under the speaker/sub be better?

[WickyWoo]

As I understand it, you need to keep the floor from vibrating with the speaker as much as possible

So anything that would absorb those vibrations should do it (carpet patches, thick should work)

Personally I'd get a throw anyway to keep from damaging the floors

[BorrowedTime]

Sigh... I LOVE Hardwood + Home Theater. It really does amplify the Bass coming out of the Subwoofer. My last place had Hardwood flooring where I had my home theater set up. My new place has carpet... I miss my old HT room.

[buckshot]

Originally Posted by BorrowedTime

Sigh... I LOVE Hardwood + Home Theater. It really does amplify the Bass coming out of the Subwoofer. My last place had Hardwood flooring where I had my home theater set up. My new place has carpet... I miss my old HT room.

so do you think the little rubber feet my sub/ speakers came with will be better than a throw?

[clyon]

Throw rug.

rubber bumers are Not going to help. I have hardwood flooring the my HTR, I also have a large persian rug in there. It is Not the bass that is the problem It is High & Mid range that will get distorted in such a room.

The 'echo effect' is what needs to be prevented.
Next time you go to the moive treater look at the set up, concert flooring with super short carpit & heavy drapes or carpet all around on the walls

[Josh]

My home theater on hardwood floors. Just put a rug down and some soft furniture and you'll be fine. Not perfect, but it still sounds great.

[kobe604]

Originally Posted by buckshot

I have discussed my home theater set up on here before. there's also a rough description in my sig below.

i'm going to get the onkyo tx sr605 (back ordered from my original order). we are looking to get laminate floors in our house everywhere except the bedrooms.

my worry is what will this do to my beloved home theater? I know it will change the acoustics of the room, but how much? what problems should I know about and what ways can I prevent them?

I have a 10'' 150W velodyne sub, jbl balboa floor standing fronts, jbl balboa center channel, side channels are onkyo front channels on stands, and the rear channels are polk audio front floorstandings (i swear this set up sounds nice).

Carpet and 3/8 rubber underlay is the best choice for ht. Unlike real hardwood which has a little and I mean very little acoustic dampening properties Laminate floor has none (think of mirror reflecting light), laminate is a manmade material that is very dense it will not absorb sound or hold heat sound leakage will travel much farther your front soundstage will definitely be brighter and harsher, sub will do a little rattling as will some of your contents( pictureframes, glass, trinkets) and if the room is the basement prepare to turn up the heat ( that’s for the miss’s) Laminate floor installs tend to be very dusty- poly wrapping your beloved gear and contents is a must- removing out of the room is smartest choice especially if cutting is being done within the same area, wrap all air ducts with poly and vacuum walls,ceilings, floor before moving back any of your gear. Carpet on the other hand is generally more forgiving in every way from acoustics to install. Rather than buying white or neutral color carpet which is more light reflective, harder to clean, stains easier, and wear in the carpet will be more visible. Try considering darker colors, black, royal blue, brown, hunter green, patterned goods, sisal, berbers etc. A low pile 3/8 high density commercial grade type or wool type carpet with a 3/8 rubber pad is the only way to go in a ht.

[buckshot]

wow. you work at home depot? if so....quit. I did it was the best thing I ever did.

i'm doing the install with my dad. so I can do all the prep and since I have a manufactured home (its 1200 sq. ft.) I can just unplug my system and slide it into a different room.

I remember my band practicing at my friends house a few times with the laminate. it was very bright.

guess we'll see. I got the tv and surround, the wife gets laminate floors. and a baby.