New build first home cinema - advice appreciated

davidwatt

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So, new build project - wife wanted an en-suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe on the first floor, so we get a large “box” on which to build these - I have designated as a home cinema. Its adjacent to the existing lounge room.

Room measures 3.4m wide by 7.3m long. Window at front and French doors at rear, with internal door from lounge room at left rear. All walls are plasterboard over brick, floor is concrete with chipboard laid over. Roof is plasterboard over wooden joists, with rockwool acoustic already between to dampen sound going up into new bathroom and wardrobe.

Part of the build consideration is what I can get past the wife in terms of design and £, so hear me out - it may not be ideal but its what I can sell:
  • While it can be a permenant cinema room, it has to be able to be set back as a lounge room if we want to sell in a few years.
  • I aim to permemantly curtain the front window using velco seals around the window inset and a black curtain material with blackout material behind. the french doors needs to remain usable so will need to set up standard curtains over these.
  • Agreement to paint front wall black and all other walls and ceiling grey.
  • We have 8 standard LED lights built in but the builders are installing LED coving several inches down from the ceiling, and I have power at roof height, with the aim of having Alexa/smart home coloured LED lights around the coving.
  • The plan is for the front row of seating to be a double chaise lounge, then two rows of 3 “cinema seats” (from ebay) on risers. That leaves us space for a small bar area / popcorn machine at the rear. All seating is set against right wall laving walking passage down left side.
  • Plan is for a 106” roof mount manual screen (left permanently down) with Optoma CinemaX P2 short throw projector
  • Sonos Arc, 2 x Subs and 2 X One SL rears. Subs left and right front. rears at roof height as I have power at roof level both sides?
  • Arcana fury to split sound To Sonos and video to Optoma
  • 4K Fire TV? - any recommendations on alternative streamer? I currently have this setup in the lounge and have hacked it to have Kodi to play movies from a NAS, but would be open to suggestions
  • Risers will be standard wooden 12” steps with ply, then carpet over. Need of any acoustic treatment inside?
  • grey carpet throughout
  • once all this is fitted and tested, used DIY movie posters with Rockwool as needed around the room.

Any thoughts and feedback would be appreciated
 
rears at roof height
That would rule out the possibility of Atmos if that was to feature in the layout at some point. Best keep them at just above a seated head height, as should all the speakers be placed.
 
Ah, understood. I have wall mounts so will bring them down to head height but run the power cable back up to the higher sockets. Thanks
 
Oh and the Sonos solution is because it’s wireless and we already have Sonia elsewhere throuout the house. I know it’s not the perfect audio solution but seems good enough for now, while remaining simple
 
I've no experience with Sonos just a fully wired set up. Speaker placement would be the same as that for wired.
 
So, new build project - wife wanted an en-suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe on the first floor, so we get a large “box” on which to build these - I have designated as a home cinema. Its adjacent to the existing lounge room.

Room measures 3.4m wide by 7.3m long. Window at front and French doors at rear, with internal door from lounge room at left rear. All walls are plasterboard over brick, floor is concrete with chipboard laid over. Roof is plasterboard over wooden joists, with rockwool acoustic already between to dampen sound going up into new bathroom and wardrobe.

Part of the build consideration is what I can get past the wife in terms of design and £, so hear me out - it may not be ideal but its what I can sell:
  • While it can be a permenant cinema room, it has to be able to be set back as a lounge room if we want to sell in a few years.
  • I aim to permemantly curtain the front window using velco seals around the window inset and a black curtain material with blackout material behind. the french doors needs to remain usable so will need to set up standard curtains over these.
  • Agreement to paint front wall black and all other walls and ceiling grey.
  • We have 8 standard LED lights built in but the builders are installing LED coving several inches down from the ceiling, and I have power at roof height, with the aim of having Alexa/smart home coloured LED lights around the coving.
  • The plan is for the front row of seating to be a double chaise lounge, then two rows of 3 “cinema seats” (from ebay) on risers. That leaves us space for a small bar area / popcorn machine at the rear. All seating is set against right wall laving walking passage down left side.
  • Plan is for a 106” roof mount manual screen (left permanently down) with Optoma CinemaX P2 short throw projector
  • Sonos Arc, 2 x Subs and 2 X One SL rears. Subs left and right front. rears at roof height as I have power at roof level both sides?
  • Arcana fury to split sound To Sonos and video to Optoma
  • 4K Fire TV? - any recommendations on alternative streamer? I currently have this setup in the lounge and have hacked it to have Kodi to play movies from a NAS, but would be open to suggestions
  • Risers will be standard wooden 12” steps with ply, then carpet over. Need of any acoustic treatment inside?
  • grey carpet throughout
  • once all this is fitted and tested, used DIY movie posters with Rockwool as needed around the room.

Any thoughts and feedback would be appreciated

Lot of money spent on room / other stuff than the speakers and subwoofers. Can you consider in-wall speakers behind acoustically transparent screen (front three)? No visible speakers. For subwoofers there is lot of wife friendly options, however the size is also question mark. Bit questionable to put so much money for the room, seats, projector,screen etc. and then settle for poor Sonos speakers/woofers as that is where the money should be really spent. I would definitely go through all possible options before jumping on Sonos gear. I understand they are lounge/wife friendly, but you put so much effor the room and other equipment.
 
If I only wanted to use the Firestick as the source I could just plug it straight into the Arcana fury then that splits to sound bar and projector, right?
But If I wanted to also have an XBox as a second source,can anyone recommend a HDMI switcher to place in front of the Arcana, that does not compromise the 4K quality, HRD or Atmos sound coding?
 

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