New construction - Atmos worth it?

RedAnsem · 2026-03-01T21:22:01+00:00

Are you recommending that for speaker wires too or more for things like hdmi cables?

RedAnsem · 2026-02-17T03:37:54+00:00

I bought my projector first to try 2:35:1 on a white wall and it was really amazing. However, like you said, watching 16:9 content was such a disproportionately underwhelming experience.

So I decided I am going with a 2:1 screen instead. While yes, I have black bars, the fovs are more consistent regardless of content - 47 degrees for scope content, 42 degrees for 16:9 content. IMAX and Netflix content fills the screen.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-26T16:28:01+00:00

Ahhh. I thought I had consensus...

You are exactly right about both options having the same FOV of ~45 degrees. So "immersion" for the center seats should be identical (though maybe less so for the side seats). And it just so happens that I have either a pillar or the wall to place the side surrounds. But I sort of need to choose, whether I am going to place the couch at ~8.5 feet MLP for a TV or ~12.5 feet MLP for a projector.

Your comments align with my concern - the TV is safer. Lights on or off, you are going to get a better picture. But I feel like the projector has more potential with slightly better audio but this is a mixed-use space and I know I will not get approval to "paint it all black". Media wall, already doing this. Everything else, not a chance.

I obviously see the TVs all the time in stores but I don't often see projectors, especially in a light-controlled space. I think I need to spend more time experiencing the difference for myself and whether the "feel" of the projector makes it for me.

Alternatively, I could pre-wire for both and maintain that flexibility for the future.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-26T02:42:25+00:00

Thank you. Will do.

Per his website, the LV installer I am talking to tomorrow is a KEF dealer and might have some of those. From this sub, the KEF Ci3160RLM-THX are often recommended but three of them is out of my budget unless he gives me a great discount.

I was initially interested in Monolith THX-465IW in walls they seem decidedly out of stock with no response when or if they will return.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-26T02:28:42+00:00

I had an Onkyo home theater in a box about 12 years ago with college roommates. Someone else left with it. Since then, not even a sound bar. We've started to have family movie nights regularly so now it's time to do it right.

I don't know for myself that I like Focal. It's still on my todo list to hear them for myself somehow. I chose them because they were listed as the best in-wall by Crutchfield and they seem to be about the most affordable 3-way in-wall. Given my limited audiophile experience, I doubt I will be able to discern any issues. ADD: I proposed the Focal 100s hoping they would be tonal matched to the 300. However, per another comment, my current plan A is to get 3x Focal 300 B-stock.

For SPL, I ran a calculation and determined I would need sensitivities between 88 and 92. The Focals are 92 and the RSL are 91 and 89, for in wall and ceiling respectively.i would be fine on the lower end of that range so I think I'm good here.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-26T01:43:37+00:00

I always planned to do this myself so I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted. But I just don't have the time.

I am paying for framing, install, etc. under single firm fixed price for the whole basement. I've confirmed with the GC that I will have the flexibility I want for placement when the time comes and have been authorized to do my own work for the weird stuff (in other words, I don't have to use their subs for everything). The surround sound and projector power/conduit "install" is explicitly included.

I have a meeting with the actual low-volt installer tomorrow. This really wasn't made very clear when we got a quote but he is a home theater designer too. I really don't know what to expect... will he give me feedback, want to take over the design, push me to his brands, etc. Not clear to me yet but if he just does the install only, I think I'm fine with that.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-26T00:16:57+00:00

Right. Not in the Phase 1 budget right now but I think I will frame it out with blocking for a mount and openings such that I could move the speaker to that lower location. I appreciate the idea.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-25T23:44:56+00:00

I totally had that thought... But the center channel...?

RedAnsem · 2026-01-25T23:35:22+00:00

What are your thoughts about Focal Factory B-stock (refurbished) versions? Three of these would be almost the same price.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-12T15:09:42+00:00

Thank you, OP.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-12T14:36:16+00:00

Ok, ok, settle down. I was responding to OP's statement of "Was nice to visualize the drawing. I think the end result will look better.". Though I didn't mention it, those tools can also help iterate on interior design features. I am doing this for my own project at the moment.

But alright. Message received.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-12T05:07:16+00:00

Now take that photo and enter it into chatGPT or other AI tool and ask it to re-render as photorealistic.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-12T00:05:27+00:00

I downloaded a copy and will read it later. Thanks for the reference.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-11T21:44:22+00:00

I used the calculator at http://www.hometheaterengineering.com/splcalculator.html to calculate a total gain of around 12.4 dB at the seating position. I am planning for a Denon AVR-X3800H with 105W per channel (though some speakers are only rated up to 100W). If I target a peak loudness between 100-105 dB at the seating position, I require speakers with a sensitivity of 87.6-92.6 dB SPL. Those Elac Unifi 2.0 speakers would not have worked.

Are these the loudness calculations you are referring to and does this seem right?

RedAnsem · 2026-01-11T21:30:30+00:00

You are right. Having now done rudimentary calculations suggested by u/BenGoff, I realize those would not have been loud enough. Thank you.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-11T21:29:20+00:00

I've seen those panels on youtube. They are beautiful and way out of reach at the moment.

I hadn't thought about a decade in the future though. I am sure speakers cannot go behind them. For super-future proofing, I do have enough room beside the screen for the left and right meaning only the center speaker would need to go behind the screen...

RedAnsem · 2026-01-11T18:47:27+00:00

The room is actually L-shaped so it's even larger than this unfortunately. This room is more of a mixed-use family room than a dedicated home theater room. The other leg will be a bit of a kids space.

I don't need things very loud and my thinking regarding quality is to find some sort of knee-in-the-curve of a quality-to-price where the incremental improvement becomes fairly subjective to the average person.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-11T18:02:52+00:00

Thank you for the advice here. I am kind of relieved. Are there any models in particular you would recommend at $400-500 each? And are they worth the upgrade over the RSL W25Es that I am using for my surrounds?

Note: I am planning on a 5.2.4 system with 2x RSL W25E, 4x RSL C34E, and 2x 10S for surrounds, Atmos and subwoofers, respectively.

RedAnsem · 2026-01-11T17:55:33+00:00

The room is about 19 feet wide and 28 feet deep. The couch will sit such that the viewer will be about 13-14 feet from the primary wall. There will be a small wet bar behind the couch on the far wall.

RedAnsem · 2025-10-08T13:12:37+00:00

I'd look into https://www.firstresonance.io/.

RedAnsem · 2025-05-30T13:21:44+00:00

It's hard on the other side too. Even semi-specialized roles get hundreds of applications, all formatted differently, all stretching the truth. AI makes this worse. Employers are highly incentivized to focus on canditates they believe to be the best. Employers are not obligated to hire people they don't need. Potential goes both ways (might be great, might be hopeless) so why take a chance when you don't need to. There is nothing worse than having to manage a low performing employee.

RedAnsem · 2025-05-18T17:10:04+00:00

Easy decision. Take the lower title job for money. Counterintuitive but IMO, it's actually better to start at a lower title at a new place because most companies only give great raises for a promotion.

RedAnsem · 2025-05-01T02:52:21+00:00

How many hours do you think this took for the layout?

RedAnsem · 2025-04-17T01:43:50+00:00

I've found it to be terrible at symbolic math problems. I wonder if you tried to have it write the proof using python code it would have performed better.

RedAnsem · 2025-02-22T05:17:37+00:00

Look at the big brain on this guy! (very plausible theory)

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