Suggestions for a home theatre room

Hi all, I’m keen to hear some ideas for my new home theatre. We are converting a bedroom. I’m installing some in-ceiling rear speakers and already have an amp, the other speakers and a big screen, but thinking some cinema-style chairs would be cool. Any other tips gratefully received. And does it matter where you put the sub-woofer in the room? I’ve heard different people say different things.

Dave

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Kermit

Is it gunna look like this? (drool...)

Regarding woofer placement, they can be placed almost anywhere but it is generally best to put them at the front of the room. Try a corner spot first – it’s the most likely spot to sound great wherever you sit and avoid any dead spots. There’s also nothing wrong with trying a few different spots and seeing the difference. Pop some music or a flick on that has a lot of bass and see what works for you. Most people have limited options and just put them where it’s most convenient.

Kermit

@Goldmember wrote:
Any other tips gratefully received.

@Goldmember - Here's some more inspiration!

maknilsin

Far less high concept than what @Kermit has been suggesting I think the key for any home theatre room is to keep the functionality of the room intact. Going too far towards the traditional theatre space will hinder the use of the room.

I stumbled across the below setup which I think is a fantastic use of the space. Perfect for standard movie going experience, but enough flexibility in the space to host larger gatherings. It would be the perfect room for a Grand Final party!

Fyre

Thick, heavy curtains from ceiling to floor (cover the WHOLE wall) on the back and side walls. They will really help with sound and give you that traditional cinema feel.

And get an old school, portable popcorn maker. You know the ones in the glass boxes?. Visually appealing and fresh popcorn when you watch movies. What's not to love?!.

Goldmember

Thanks for the suggestions. Wish we had the coin to do some of these!

Dave

Goldmember

The thing we are struggling with is ideally we want two sets of two chairs - the ones at the back shyould be higher like staggered seating at a cinema.

Yonnee

Not everyone has a Hollywood budget to create that "Million Dollar" home theatre room, but we can all dream. 🙂

Your biggest issue I can think of to start with is the size of the room. Most bedrooms that aren't the Master in most suburban homes are no bigger than 4 to 5 Metres across any one direction, and some barely even 3x3. Once you fit a rear row set of seats, with enough legroom in front of them, your front seats will be so close to the screen it will be unpleasant to watch (depending on the size of the screen). There is a nominal sized screen for the size of a room, and there is such a thing as too big. A screen that's too large (or seats that are too close) will have the viewers constantly scanning from side to side to be able to take in the whole picture, and in a fast paced action movie, you'll miss stuff (or get a headache trying).

To touch on what @Fyre suggested with the curtains, large, flat walled, hard surfaces will bounce sound around creating echoes (listen to the sounds you hear in an empty room as opposed to one with even just furniture in it). Next time you're in a Cinema Complex, have a look at the walls. Not only are they generally covered in fabric, they're usually multiple panels either at varying depths or angles. Curtains can be ideal because they're both fabric, and not flat. If your on a tight budget and want something cheaper than buying "ready made" matching curtains, buy a bunch of different second hand ones off eBay/gumtree and cut/patch/sew them together randomly to create a talking point, or dye them all a dark navy or black to make them uniform.

As for your Subwoofer, the only correct spot for it proper location, is near the power point.!! 😂

What's the first thing your hear when a car playing loud music is approaching...? "Doof, Doof, Doof, Doof, Doof..." 🎶🔊😆 Right..?? And can you tell which direction it's coming from??

Unlike higher frequency treble sounds where speaker placement is quite critical, low frequency bass noises are non-directional, so it doesn't matter where the Subwoofer is in the room.

Joker

Great tips from @Yonnee. I would love to have a dedicated home theatre room. One day....

LukeBrowning

I've seen similiar panels from this mob - http://www.ultraliftaustralia.com.au/

Andy_Mann

@Goldmember, what @Yonnee says is right on the money regarding screen/room size. Too big a screen in a smallish room & all viewers will see pixelation, which is sorta like watching a movie through fishnet stockings.

Bear in mind that if you bought a theatre ticket, would you sit in the front row? My guess would be, not by choice, which again @Yonnee has it right. it's tiring if you have to move the head side to side & you miss so much.

The good news is that a smaller room will save you money across the board. You'll get away with a smaller amp, screen, air con, sound proofing & less carpet cleaning after film night. 😉

In this day & age, a 46cm flat screen TV screen is very affordable, & plenty big enough for a bedroom makeover. I love the idea of retractable screens & projectors, but in a dedicated theatre room, what's the point?

Be discerning about your sound system, too bassy, & the critical dialogue gets drowned out, too shrill, & it's painful. As has been pointed out, sub-woofer placement isn't critical, but if you place it in a corner, by nature of acoustic principles, it will boom unless you show restraint in it's volume level.

Now for the good news, I found a YouTube vid the other day from DIY Perks (I have him in My Favourites list), where he examined acoustic treatments, & he found that bath towels did a better job than the expensive acoustic panels:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pABvTWSxOes

That may sound ugly, but it can be covered cheaply with loose curtains. if you like the look of sheerish curtains, bleach the towels that face the room.

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