Tower Cinema (9.1.6 in 12x12 room)

Mashie Saldana

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Age
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Location
Peterborough, UK
Here is my HT that I built in what used to be a spare 12'x12' bedroom. It has provided me with a 9.1.6 experience since completion in 2016 (sound treatments and electronics upgrades have occured over the years with the most recent upgrade being the HTP-1 and KJF Audio MA-01 amps a few months ago.

Audio processing:
Monolith HTP-1 configured for 9.1.6h.

Amplification:
8ch KJF Audio MA-01 using 4x NC252MP modules
7ch KJF Audio MA-01 using 1x NC250MP and 3x NC252MP modules

Speakes:
Center: Monitor Audio GSLCR
Fronts: Monitor Audio GS20
Front Wides: Monitor Audio GS10
Side Surrounds: Monitor Audio GSFX
Rear Surrounds: Monitor Audio GSFX
Front Heights: Monitor Audio BX1
Top Middle: Monitor Audio BX1
Rear Heights: Monitor Audio BX1
Subwoofer: SVS PB-13 Ultra

Display:
Panasonic TX65EZ952B 65" OLED

Sources:
Nvidia Shield TV

Control:
Logitech Harmony Elite

Acoustic treatment:
DIY 600x300mm soffit bass trap around the edge of the ceiling.
12x GIK Acoustics 600x600mm Hexagon DecoShapes recessed from the ceiling.
32x GIK Acoustics 300x300mm Hexagon DecoShapes on side walls.
34x DIY Hexagon geodesic diffusers made from Plaster of Paris.

Seating:
2-seater electrical recliner sofa
2x refurbished cinema seats

Lights:
Philips Hue bulbs in vintage fittings
Philips Hue compatible LED string


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Great build, love the attention to detail and styling
 
Here is my HT that I built in what used to be a spare 12'x12' bedroom. It has provided me with a 9.1.6 experience since completion in 2016 (sound treatments and electronics upgrades have occured over the years with the most recent upgrade being the HTP-1 and KJF Audio MA-01 amps a few months ago.

Audio processing:
Monolith HTP-1 configured for 9.1.6h.

Amplification:
8ch KJF Audio MA-01 using 4x NC252MP modules
7ch KJF Audio MA-01 using 1x NC250MP and 3x NC252MP modules

Speakes:
Center: Monitor Audio GSLCR
Fronts: Monitor Audio GS20
Front Wides: Monitor Audio GS10
Side Surrounds: Monitor Audio GSFX
Rear Surrounds: Monitor Audio GSFX
Front Heights: Monitor Audio BX1
Top Middle: Monitor Audio BX1
Rear Heights: Monitor Audio BX1
Subwoofer: SVS PB-13 Ultra

Display:
Panasonic TX65EZ952B 65" OLED

Sources:
Nvidia Shield TV

Control:
Logitech Harmony Elite

Acoustic treatment:
DIY 600x300mm soffit bass trap around the edge of the ceiling.
12x GIK Acoustics 600x600mm Hexagon DecoShapes recessed from the ceiling.
32x GIK Acoustics 300x300mm Hexagon DecoShapes on side walls.
34x DIY Hexagon geodesic diffusers made from Plaster of Paris.

Seating:
2-seater electrical recliner sofa
2x refurbished cinema seats

Lights:
Philips Hue bulbs in vintage fittings
Philips Hue compatible LED string


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Great looking compact space.

I remember you building a sort of Frankenstein audio setup, using two AVR’s if I remember rightly, to give you an increased channel count. How do you find the one box solution now, compared to what you were doing a few years back? It was always above my level of understanding, but I don’t think you were alone in giving it a go, there were a few over on AVS experimenting with it from memory.
 
Great build, love the attention to detail and styling
Thanks!
Great looking compact space.

I remember you building a sort of Frankenstein audio setup, using two AVR’s if I remember rightly, to give you an increased channel count. How do you find the one box solution now, compared to what you were doing a few years back? It was always above my level of understanding, but I don’t think you were alone in giving it a go, there were a few over on AVS experimenting with it from memory.
So here is where you are hiding, I used to follow your build thread over at AVS until you vanished.

Well remembered, I did have quite a Frankenstein setup using 4 AVR's to extract all channels in 9.1.6. It served me well for nearly 5 years until I got the HTP-1.

The differences between the two solutions:
Dirac Live with DLBC applied to all speakers instead of only Audyssey on the 9 base level speakers.
Hardly any heat generated now compared to the AVR's.
No background noise when nothing is playing, the two NADs driving the height layer did add quite a hiss although you wouldn't notice it much when actually watching something. The HTP-1 + KJF Audio amps are dead silent.
The volume level isn't getting out of sync.
Can use Auromatic upmixing for YouTube music videos.

The Frankenstein setup did have a few benefits, quite big ones actually. It let me enjoy accurate 9.1.6 Atmos content as well as DTS:X Pro equivalent Neural:X Upmixing of legacy audio even when everything was limited to 11ch. This for £1800 when the only other option at the time was a £20k+ Trinnov Altitude 32-16.

I really miss the Neural:X upmixing to the front wides for legacy audio but it is under development so the HTP-1 will get it at some stage.


This is how the old Frankenstein setup looked like. I also had to add an Arduino to bump up the volume on the NAD T743's as they always powered on at -20dB and had to be raised to 0dB:

9.1.6.png
 
Any downsides or negative effects from having 15 speakers in a small room? Do you get the benefit of more speakers? I’m asking as I’m considering a room smaller than yours with 7.1.6
 
Any downsides or negative effects from having 15 speakers in a small room? Do you get the benefit of more speakers? I’m asking as I’m considering a room smaller than yours with 7.1.6
No downsides besides extra cost in speakers, processing, amplifiers and possibly running out of walls.

The benefit is a spectacular immersive sound.

I would go 9.1.4 long before going 7.1.6. I would actually go 9.1.2 before 7.1.6. The front wides are my favourite speakers added to the old 7.1 standard.
 
No downsides besides extra cost in speakers, processing, amplifiers and possibly running out of walls.

The benefit is a spectacular immersive sound.

I would go 9.1.4 long before going 7.1.6. I would actually go 9.1.2 before 7.1.6. The front wides are my favourite speakers added to the old 7.1 standard.
Funny you should say that, the reason behind thinking of 7.1.6 was because I read a few people disappointed with front wides and that there is a lot more native content from front heights
 
Funny you should say that, the reason behind thinking of 7.1.6 was because I read a few people disappointed with front wides and that there is a lot more native content from front heights
Most people have never experienced working front wides with Neural:X upmixing of all legacy content. I have enjoyed that for half a decade. I'm currently waiting for the DTS:X Pro update for the HTP-1 so I can enjoy it once again.
 
Likewise, I’m enjoying my front wides (I run 9.2.4), as the upgraded DSU makes great use of them (note to self, I must try Neural X upmixing too)!
 

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