"...the garage as 18 outlets in it..."
Grow house.
Grow house.
Most important fundamentals in your built/modded listening room?
It could become very involved and expensive quick. You say 8 foot ceilings is there anything attached to the joists that can make it less? Wiring, plumbing, HVAC? You can double sheetrock or use something like quiet rock. Decoupling the sheetrock or quietrock from the studs and concrete with resilient channel. Insulate all walls and ceiling. Depends on how much soundproofing you want to do or can afford. |
In building, one of the factors that will influence your enjoyment of the room is the sound isolation you build into it -- assuming there is noise in adjacent areas. That was mentioned by others, with possible solutions. I’ll add a +1 to that. People talk about "noise floor" dropping after adding some gizmo that others can’t hear, but every dB of HVAC or traffic noise you keep out of the room is a REAL improvement. I used solid-core wood doors with weatherstripping, then added seals from this company: https://www.soundproofingcompany.com/ The other side of the coin is that a room that is soundproofed will retain bass, so have strong peaks and nodes. Be prepared to add plenty of bass trapping and spend time positioning speakers and subs. Consider using multiple subwoofers and/or DSP in the deep bass. Yes, install many outlets, with acoustic putty pads around the boxes so they don’t let noise through. As few wall penetrations as possible. I’d recommend skipping ceiling lighting, and use floor lamps. Consider what to do about the HVAC. Can you run an oversized vent to minimize whooshing noise? If your system is noisy, would you be better with a "dead vent" not connected to the main system? If you have a choice, face away from the windows. It is more relaxing. If not, and there is glare, you can have them tinted. If you live in a damp climate, make sure you are taking adequate care about water vapor (and possibly water) that might seep through the concrete. Basement floors are a specialty. After some trouble, I wound up using needle-punched (synthetic felt) pad with synthetic carpet over it, which lets water vapor pass from the slab into the room air. In wet months, I run a dehumidifier. Have the door to the room open OUT, in case the best listening position happens to be near the door. Shouldn’t happen with 27 ft length, but still.... I hope you wind up with a great room! |
Fantastic set of comments! I am copying these out into a list meant for a contractor. These ideas will be implemented. I hope there are more. Some replies to you generous folks: The room won’t have noise issues. Just master bedroom upstairs and my spouse is usually somewhere else in the house. No traffic to worry about. Thus, regarding noise, my takeaway from the comments is that a modicum of noise reduction is in order, but no need to go crazy. I don’t think I need double walls, etc. Wall damp sounds great. There are no moisture issues. Colorado is dry. Electrical: dedicated lines for sure. Two should be enough, no? I have a fairly simple system but there’s a possibility of a home theater system down there, too. Perhaps put the stereo rig on one short wall and the home stereo on the other, with seating toward each in the center? So...three dedicated lines? Regarding ceiling, this is a case where I might need to do something now and make a further decision later. Here’s why:
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Sounds like a great project and opportunity! You have been given much sage advice. My approach would be to devote the space to audio, If wanting to add video, I would use my 2-channel system for it. Therefore devoting $$ to music as, I find that 2-channel can do wonders for video. Initially, I would pay attention to consideration of ideal ratios for a dedicated room. The Harley article discusses this. Consider the 8' ceiling to be 'fixed' and the reference. Insulate between joists with two layers of 6" insulation covered by 5/8' drywall. The 17' dimension can be played with by furring out the concrete walls as desired. Insulate between wall material and concrete. Use 5/8" drywall for wall. Consider this the width. Frame in a cross wall to the desired length. Consider using the damping material between 2 sheets of drywall for this wall. Possibly only on the side of this wall interior to the audio room. Given you are running Mono amps and a pre with digital source I would route 3 dedicated lines to the room for equipment, one to amps, one to pre, and one for digital front end. I would consider placing a equipment rack for sources and pre at one side of listening chair. Mono amps on stands where best suits. Have nothing between speakers. Enjoy! |