New build options/treatment solutions

[pmack]

Hey all,

 

Looking to complete a new HT build and looking for some advise. Firstly, the equipment:

 

NAD T-748 Receiver

Aaron SAT-50

Aaron SUB-120

 

120" Fixed Screen

1080p Projector

(Will spend approx $3k-4k on these)

 

We have 3 different room options to choose from and having difficulty deciding. The home is a brick construction. Please see attachments for each.

 

Room 1:

This is quite an open room. Large vaulted ceiling with timber beams. All walls are brick, covered with plasterboard except the wall with the open entryway which is your standard interior wall. This is a room we have used in the past for HT but there was alot of vibration from windows and the door. As mentioned in image, we need to replace the door as it is damaged from previous tenants (dog scratched and chewed on the wood). So there may be an option to replace with something more acoustically friendly. This is basically an unused room atm with a computer in there and that it. Flooring is hardwood.

 

Room 2:

This is a converted double garage. Two walls are brick (covered in plasterboard), one interior wall and one false wall (plasterboard with metal frame). The interior wall actually needs to have all the plasterboard removed and replaced as there was some water damage from a burst pipe. so we could look at sound deadening/proofing the interior wall. With the false wall, there is a bit of storage space in there at the moment for shelving and regularly used tools. We need to keep this space but there could be room for acoustic treatment. The wall with the window backs onto our neighbors home so ideally if we were to use this room we would have the screen on this side so speakers aren't punching towards their home. Ceiling is regular with an access hatch so acoustic treatment could be performed above (We need to install insulation too as there is minimal amount at the moment). Flooring is wooden false flooring with concrete slab underneath.

 

Room 3:

Current lounge room. We could close off the entryway with either thick curtain or some doors. 2 brick walls and 2 interior walls. Timber flooring. Bedroom above so no acoustic treatment in ceiling. This is the first entry point to the house as well so i'm unsure if we want to turn this into a HT room.

 

As for audio, I think we will eventually move to Dolby Atmos in the future (18 months or so) so that's something to consider as well.

 

I'll be able to do my own research on Projector/Screen combo, it's just needing help in deciding on the room. I think it's mostly going to come down to what we can do with the room to completely rid it of vibrations, bad reflection of sound and making sure it's pitch black when enjoying a movie day or night.

 

Thanks for any help and suggestions

[Quark]

Really good light control will make a big difference to the image from your projector. Even with heavy curtains and a pelmet, you're likely to get light leakage at the bottom of a curtain. Room 2 probably gives the best basis to get good light control and is a decent size. Consider a tight fitting blockout blind and pelmet for the window.

 

I'd suggest keeping the front speakers and subs on the wall furthest from the neighbours if you worried about noise leakage as it's more about the inverse square law than sound leakage being directional. Also, the window will be a weak point for sound leakage - instead of a blind, you could consider having some acoustic panel made up to double as light blockout and noise attentuation.

 

Given you'll replace some of the plaster if you use room 2, think about using sound batts, then screw and glue heavy ply before the plasterboard - again screw and glue - do not use nails.

 

Room 3 is a bit narrow for a good sized screen and then still give front L&R speakers some room to breathe.

 

Room 1 looks problematic from a light control perspective.

 

For the projector, try to stretch the budget to a base JVC X5900 - some good run-out deals at present and they're probably the best bang for buck around your budget.

 

 

[pmack]

Thanks Quark for the response!

 

OK, so assuming I go for Room 2, 

 

I would have screen on the wall opposite the window, and front speakers on that wall facing the window also. But a decent acoustic panel will block the light and noise leakage so that should minimize the disturbance to neighbours. That correct?

 

As for the false wall, what would be the best way to treat that? Currently have a TV plus the above mentioned system in this room and the bass does cause vibration on the metal frame and believe a bit of the roller doors too (remember this a converted garage). How could I reduce this?

Edited May 6, 2018 by pmack

[Quark]

9 hours ago, pmack said:

Thanks Quark for the response!

 

OK, so assuming I go for Room 2, 

 

I would have screen on the wall opposite the window, and front speakers on that wall facing the window also. But a decent acoustic panel will block the light and noise leakage so that should minimize the disturbance to neighbours. That correct?

 

As for the false wall, what would be the best way to treat that? Currently have a TV plus the above mentioned system in this room and the bass does cause vibration on the metal frame and believe a bit of the roller doors too (remember this a converted garage). How could I reduce this?

 

Yes, that's right. You could make some panels up by building a timber frame, adding insulation and covering with fabric to suit.

 

For the false wall, it depends how far you want to go. If you can remove plaster from one side to add insulation, that would be a big start. Adding a layer of ~17mm plywood before re-plastering will go further. There's lots of options beyond that but then you start getting to serious $. All ply and plaster should be glued and screwed - do not rely on nails.

 

For acoustic insulation many would recommend using one of the denser polyester batts or blankets @ 48Kg/m3. I'm about to start another room build and will use two layers of the 50mm stuff on the third last line here. I would have just gone 100mm but it's hard to source and I've got a few spots I'm not sure I'll be able to squeeze 100mm into.

 

For the garage doors, do you need to open them? If not pack with the same polyester batts/blankets and build another false wall.

 

The general rules of soundproofing are to:

1. Make airtight (you'll still need a source of fresh air).
2. Add mass and control reverberation.
3. Isolate (this is where is gets very expensive and not many spend that sort of $ with furring channel and isolation clips etc)

 

[almikel]

I'd go room 2 also

room 3 is a bit small and room 1 has 4 brick walls.

Brick walls don't help "in room" acoustics, but are good for isolation, excluding leakage paths (flanking noise paths) with windows/doors etc.

If good bass control inside the room is a priority, then furring channel over the brick/insulation behind/gyprock will provide a compliant layer over the brick to absorb and not reflect the bass.

 

For the interior wall that needs replacing I'd look at improving isolation and keep some compliance in the wall, so all the usual - offset studs, layers of gyprock with green glue, batts between etc

Good information here

http://www.soundproofingcompany.com/soundproofing101/

 

cheers

Mike

 

 

[jeffpr]

On 06/05/2018 at 8:22 PM, Quark said:

Really good light control will make a big difference to the image from your projector. Even with heavy curtains and a pelmet, you're likely to get light leakage at the bottom of a curtain. Room 2 probably gives the best basis to get good light control and is a decent size. Consider a tight fitting blockout blind and pelmet for the window.

 

I'd suggest keeping the front speakers and subs on the wall furthest from the neighbours if you worried about noise leakage as it's more about the inverse square law than sound leakage being directional. Also, the window will be a weak point for sound leakage - instead of a blind, you could consider having some acoustic panel made up to double as light blockout and noise attentuation.

 

Given you'll replace some of the plaster if you use room 2, think about using sound batts, then screw and glue heavy ply before the plasterboard - again screw and glue - do not use nails.

 

Room 3 is a bit narrow for a good sized screen and then still give front L&R speakers some room to breathe.

 

Room 1 looks problematic from a light control perspective.

 

For the projector, try to stretch the budget to a base JVC X5900 - some good run-out deals at present and they're probably the best bang for buck around your budget.

 

 

I'm curious that you mention the x5900 in runout .....is there a new one coming soon?

[Quark]

30 minutes ago, jeffpr said:

I'm curious that you mention the x5900 in runout .....is there a new one coming soon?

I'd normally expect new JVC models to appear late in the year, but recent discounting suggests things might be different this year. Don't know if that means JVC will go to native 4K - if they do I'd expect pricing will move up.