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Tips for designing listening room from scratch

Folks,

I am designing a listening and video room from scratch for a new house. General dimensions are approximately 11' wide by 20' long by 8' high rectangular room. This will be in the basement, so one wall and the floor will be concrete, at least to start. Length is the one variable that can be adjusted easily.

What tips can you offer as I design this room?

- electrical system, wires, outlets and breakers (house will have new electrical panel and wiring)
- flooring material (bare concrete, carpet, wood or laminate, cork, etc?)
- walls and ceiling (dry wall, bare concrete, wood paneling, other suggestions)
- soffits in ceiling - yes or no?
- book shelf along one long wall - OK?
- Door better at far end of wall away from front speakers?
- Speaker wire suggestions for in-wall installation for rear speakers (cost is an object - up to 30ft. runs)
- other ideas/suggestions welcome?
Ag insider logo xs@2xknownothing
audiokinesis
1,872 posts
 
I recommend "Premium Home Theater: Design and Construction", by Earl Gedds.

This is the best book I have found on the subject. Just ignore the video-centric chapters. The author is one of the world's foremost experts on small room acoustics and psychoacoustics.

The first four chapters are online:

http://www.gedlee.com/Home_theatre.htm

Duke
dealer/manufacturer
audiokinesis
1,872 posts
 
The author's name is "Earl Geddes". Sorry for the typo.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
Read Toole's 'Sound Reproduction' book before you do anything. Lots of information on home theatre considerations. Remember, the video is the easy part of the design, the audio the most difficult. Many years ago I did a room and it was a fustrating trial and error process. Information availbe today provides better chance of success.
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