What am I forgetting?

[Oz]

I will be insulating on Saturday (hopefully), and starting to sheetrock on Sunday in the basement. Here's what I have so far:

- Speaker wires ran to locations (front, center, rear)
- 4 Cat5 from audio area to tv
- 2 Coax from audio area to tv
- Electrical to audio area, desk / office, tv - all dedicated circuits
- All lighting done

Here's what I have left to do:

- Modify 2 heat runs
- Install Cat5 for XBox location back to modem
- 2" smurf tubing for HDMI, etc
- Insulate ceilings
- Sound proof laundry / bathroom wall
- Sheetrock



What am I forgetting here, as I don't want to pull a Homer after the sheetrock is in. Thanks!

[Trann]

Vapor barrier? Related: air-vapor barrier boxes for switches/plugs, acoustic sealant for seams, staple gun.

[Quads]

Pull another sub cable (unless you're running pre-outs) in case you want to put your sub in the rear of the room, versus where you are planning now.

[Oz]

Vapor barrier? Related: air-vapor barrier boxes for switches/plugs, acoustic sealant for seams, staple gun.


Yes - I will vapor barrier after insulation! But, didn't think about the boxes - thanks.


Pull another sub cable (unless you're running pre-outs) in case you want to put your sub in the rear of the room, versus where you are planning now.

Damn, forgot about my sub! Hmm, where the hell am I gonna have that bitch sit? Thank you sir.

(for some reason when I saw your name posting in this - I was about to say something about how the stripper pole wouldn't work :mrgreen:)


This isn't an actual "Home Theater Room" where it's all enclosed by itself. I wish the basement was that big to do - but I'm restricted on what I have with this house. Wifey keeps telling me when I bring up some cool ideas that will eventually be in our dedicated theater room - that we will only be here for 2-5 years before we build another. I gotta keep that in the back of my mind.

[Doctor_XXX]

- Speaker wires ran to locations (front, center, rear)

What am I forgetting here, as I don't want to pull a Homer after the sheetrock is in. Thanks!

Are you just running front (2), center (1), and rear (2) channels, five (5) total??? Maybe move up to 7.1 wiring, "just in case"???

EDIT: Looks like Quads hit the .1 portion on his note, too. I'd also run two extras for surround sound/surround sound rear speakers.

[Quads]

Plan for general purposes to have the sub firing at you, or behind you. Not off to the side.
Also, as Dr.X stated, plan for 7.1 if applicable.

[km630]

This is kind of along the same lines as the 7.1 issue. Is there a chance you will run zone 2 of your amp for a second set of speakers rather than a 7.1 setup. Lots of guys do so for speakers to a deck or living room. If so, make sure you run the wires for that someplace that you can tap into them.

[MsprinM]

Maybe some cooling fans for the equipment if it is going in a closet?

[Doctor_XXX]

This is kind of along the same lines as the 7.1 issue. Is there a chance you will run zone 2 of your amp for a second set of speakers rather than a 7.1 setup. Lots of guys do so for speakers to a deck or living room. If so, make sure you run the wires for that someplace that you can tap into them.
Great idea. Sound like this wont be his main a/v room with the main a/v equipment, but...running the zone 2/3 lines to appropriate locations makes a lot of sense.

Again, "just in case". Spend 45 minutes and $2.50 in speaker wire now...save time & $$$ later!

[Oz]

Unfortunately, the room(s) where this will be is not very conducive for 7.1 (thought about it) - would be really easy to do. Shit, guess I'll just run them - you know - just in case things work out that way :)

We have speakers on the deck - speaker wire already ran there - so that part is taken care of.

Great input fella's - keep it going as there will be others in the future that will need input.

Thanks.

[km630]

We have speakers on the deck - speaker wire already ran there - so that part is taken care of.

Do they connect to your system in the basement, or do you have a separate amp someplace else? Having a central control location for everything was what prompted my input. I like the ability to run the same sound throughout, but retain the flexibility to run different sources to different locations as well.

[Oz]

Do they connect to your system in the basement, or do you have a separate amp someplace else? Having a central control location for everything was what prompted my input. I like the ability to run the same sound throughout, but retain the flexibility to run different sources to different locations as well.

Currently the wires are a little short - but will be tied into a volume control along the way (somehow) or we might have just a separate sound source for them that we can control outside, in the garage or something like that. I haven't decided yet. Whatever we do, I have to have a way of turning them off so they aren't on at night when I'm watching a show really loud :mrgreen:

[km630]

Currently the wires are a little short - but will be tied into a volume control along the way (somehow) or we might have just a separate sound source for them that we can control outside, in the garage or something like that. I haven't decided yet. Whatever we do, I have to have a way of turning them off so they aren't on at night when I'm watching a show really loud :mrgreen:

Ok. I think I may not have explained my point very well. I will try to make my point more clearly.

You can buy a receiver that has 2 zones. Most of the 7.1 enabled receivers can either run 7.1 surround sound, OR they can run separate zones. in zone 1, they run 5.1 surround sound. In zone 2, they run stereo. When setup in the two zone mode, each zone has its own amplifier with independent volume control. The 2 zones can be set to different sources.

As an example, I can be listening to music from the CD player while I am sitting in the living room (zone 2) while my kids are watching a movie in the family room in 5.1 surround sound (zone 1). BUT, all the components are physically located in the family room -- the DVD, The CD player, the DVR, and the receiver. They could change to the DVR in the family room, but that would not affect our listening to the CD in the living room.

If we don't want sound in the living room, we simply turn zone 2 OFF.

Does this make sense?

[Doctor_XXX]

^^^
Spot on. My receiver even has a third (unpowered) zone, which is extra nice. You could always power those areas/zones with a separate piece of a/v equipment, but if your receiver supports it, why not use it?

One other thing to remember (as it sounds like you may run the full 7.1 wiring, anyway) is that 7.1 is the best format to have "rear" speakers. I always thought the 5.1 "surround" speakers would go BEHIND the listener, but, actually, the better location is to the left/right sides of the listener, near ear-height. The full 7.1 "surround rear" speakers are the ones that go behind (and slightly above) the listener...at least with a 7.1 receiver.

Of course, most modern receivers will compensate or work-around whatever set of speakers and locations you have, but if were thinking about 5.1, with two of those speakers being in the back of the listener, then definitely step up to 7.1, where the true "rear" speakers would reach their full potential.

If that makes sense... :rolleyes:

You could always MAN-UP and go to a Hamasaki 22.2 setup: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7.1 :eek:

[zathras]

This is kind of along the same lines as the 7.1 issue. Is there a chance you will run zone 2 of your amp for a second set of speakers rather than a 7.1 setup. Lots of guys do so for speakers to a deck or living room. If so, make sure you run the wires for that someplace that you can tap into them.

This is exactly what I did. 8 speakers total, counting the woofer. So, 5.1 in the theater area plus zone 2 in the bar area, but the AV receiver can be configured to put it all together for a 7.1 setup.