Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Home Theater build

Recently built a new home and we will be setting up a home theater area in the basement. The overall size of the room is 52' by 25' but the home theater area will be 25' by 25'. When putting together a system should I be looking at the overall size of the room or just the theater portion? I have had home theater systems in the past but never in a room this size or in a room that is as open as this one will be. I currently have a set of Paradigm Towers, a VP150 and QS8s I got from my father when they moved to the beach. I'm looking to upgrade the center to a VP180 but I'm not sure if I need to update the QS8s and towers. I recently purchase the EP500 for bottom end. Hopefully that'll arrive in the next week or two.

Whooooooaaaaaa!!! For bass response, you need to take into account the whole room.

You'll need active LFR1100 up front if you are sitting 20 feet away, an LFR180 centre or LFR1100, two EP800 subs flanking each active LFR1100, and four EP800 for the .1 channel - two up front and two behind.

The QS8 have to go. QS10 all the way!

You can forego the centre if all you care about is the MLP.

A total of 6 subs? Yes, the main listening area will be roughly 15-20 feet back from the main wall. I have never owned a system with a subwoofer so that is new territory for me. I'm building this system primarily for movies but I do enjoy playing my records through the stereo as well and my child likes doing karaoke through the system as well. Although I'm a little less concerned with the sound quality when she's singing. I think I also forgot to mention 9' ceilings so quite a bit of cubic space.

I'm suggesting what you need for the optimum experience. You have a lot of cubes as you say, so to pressurize it, you need a lot of subbage...particularly for movies. Sitting back 15 or 20 feet also means you need a system with significant sound pressure capability. Sure you can use the Paradigms and QS8s with a 500 sub for that room but don't expect wonder from it.

Pop a balloon in the room before you spend a dime.

Get a boing sound?

If it sounds like either of these, blow your house up and start over.

https://twistedsifter.com/videos/popping-balloon-in-reverberation-room-vs-anechoic-chamber/

Ok. That’s totally nuts. I’m putting carpet on all my walls and ceilings!!!! What a difference. Mind blown!!!

Then you'll need infinite subbage...lol. You need something in between like I have. Trevor's panels are dreamy on my walls.

Bigger room = longer rt60 goal. In that big room I’d say 500ms.

I would guess that room carpeted unfurnished would ring at 2.5s. With hardwood/tile much more. And likely boing or zing.

Cool blank slate for sure. Ooh the possibilities!

I’ll get to test the 500 to start and then I can always return and upgrade to an 800. The system will be pieced together over a year or two.