Advice on building a dedicated listening room.

I'll second and third the following statements:

15' x 30' is NOT a good way to start things off. How you fill in the space and / or section off part of it

You should at least pick up one of F. Alton Everest's books and / or consult an Engineer familiar with room acoustics. I think that Rives gives free initial consultation and can quote you from there.

I would also have everything planned out in terms of knowing EXACTLY what i wanted to do / achieve BEFORE starting any type of construction. Taking on such a project is very time consuming / expensive. Having to re-do things that were initially overlooked is both expensive and frustrating.

Don't overlook the importance of sound damping / absorption material above the ceiling. This will allow you to "crank it up" at times that would otherwise annoy others in the house. This also allows those above the basement to enjoy themselves without annoying you. Kind of a "win / win" situation : ) Sean
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I concur with Bill's statements but for those of us trying to get things done for less check out Rives site it will help you an awful lot www.rivesaudio.com you will learn more in the half hour then you had learnt in your whole life. Of course if you can afford to have them come in and designe your room go for it! Cheers ~Tim

I finished a dedicated listening room in my last house,
which had poured concrete floors and walls. I recommend
framing all walls with 2X4" studs, and using "fire code"
(5/8" thick) sheetrock backed by fiberglass batts between
the studs. I'd also recommend studs on the floor ("sleepers")
secured to the concrete with a power nailer,
and 3/4" plywood screwed to the sleepers forming the floor.
I'd paint Dry-Lock on the concrete walls, and cover the
walls and floor with vinyl sheeting, taped at the joints
to keep the humidity down. I also installed multiple
outlets on three separate 20 amp circuits for the
equipment. Doors should be solid core to prevent
resonant vibrations.

Good listening........... !

Jvogt, nice post. I just did a room very similar in my last house also, including drylock, etc. Did not do the floor s with studding though. What is the reason for studding the floors? (BTW, if you do stud any studs that meet the concrete should be pressure treated water resistant wood, with thin foam insulation meeting concrete under the studs to prevent moisture absorption. Also, I would be hesitant to place vinyl sealing for fear of trapping humidity and the potential of mold growth. Mold is a huge problem in housing today. In fact, I've recently read stories of people having such severe problems they had to tear their homes down. Insurance companies are so terrified of the problem that they are starting to cancel policies and placing homes in a special database when homeowners place claims on water damage (a precursor to mold). Do a google search of this as the Boston Globe has an excellent database online as well as others, I'm sure. Along those same lines, you will still, even with drylock need some dehumidifier system as you will not be able to eliminate moisture in a basement completely.
I had a dehumidifier and ran it intermittently which helped keep it very dry and comfortable. A

Also, I found that my sealed, double blueboarded, highly insulated room became VERY warm. I solved this with a split system A/C unit, which is the best way to go since it is the quietest ( I tried Mitsubishi which was a little too loud. You may want to check out the Sanyo's which I believe are the quietest) Your condenser is outside, and you only have a 3/4 inch pipe to run into your listening room. Also, because you're in a basement, for comfort/health I would suggest an ERV fresh air exchange unit, which will bring in fresh air from outside and if like me you live in a cold clime, recycle some of the heated air with cold, fresh air from outside. This also helps deal with the mold/moisture issue.

I have built two rooms and have had very good results at minimum expense (of course I did most of the labor myself). Room dimensions are very very important and you want to try and get close to the ideal. Elgordo's advice above is good as you are looking for a basic shoebox shape. Both of the rooms I've done have at least some concrete walls and a concrete foundation. The current room is mostly 2x4 construction with the exterior walls that are not concrete being 2x6. The ceiling height is 8 feet but is broken up with the main heat register running through the center. I did a very solid 2x4 construction around this and stair stepped the sides. I was not happy about the register, but in the end feel it probably does more good than harm, and the stair step is a nice visual detail. All walls and ceiling are insulated with fiberglass and I ran four circuits into the room; 2 for analog, 1 for digital, and 1 for lights. Rather than use 5/8 inch drywall I used two layers of ½ inch glued together with construction adhesive. In both of the rooms I’ve done I used resilient channel for soundproofing. This is a Z shaped metal channel that you screw to your studs, which allows your drywall to stand ½ inch off the studs. You screw the drywall into the resilient channel rather than the studs. You can get this from any drywall supplier that specializes in drywall. Probably the most important thing is to use more than one layer of drywall. I used ½ inch rather than 5/8 inch because it is so much easier to handle and I hung my own drywall. If you’re paying a drywall crew I’d go for 5/8. The more the better. The whole idea is to have really solid walls. One inch works really well, but more can only be better. I know of at least two rooms that were done with three layers of 5/8 and then plastered. I think I would do this rather than ASC Wall Damp if you have the budget and plan to keep your house. You will be astounded at what the right dimensions and one inch of drywall and proper insulation will do for your sound. I am always amazed to see photos on this site of really expensive gear in really awful rooms with obviously bad set-up. If you’re serious about achieving good sound the room is where you should start. It is money well spent even if it means spending less on your gear. Take your time and do it right and I’m sure you’ll agree it was worth the effort and expense.