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Dedicated Audio Room Lighting Ideas?

Before closing up the walls in my new dedicated audio room, I need to settle on the room lighting approach so I can put in the wiring and boxes. The lighting needs to be both bright enough for working in the room and adjustable to suit the moods of 2 channel listening.

The only constraint is I don't want to use can lights since the ceiling is a key part of isolating the sound from the room above and they provide a conduit for the sound. Track lights might work but they would need to be very unobtrusive as the ceiling is 7 1/2 ft. Sconces are a possibility.

Any suggestions? I have looked at many rooms on this site and most pictures show the rooms well, but not the lighting.
128x128zargon
krell1's avatar
krell1
250 posts
 
I love my sconces and use them 99% of the time and yes on a dimmer but different circuit of course. My ceiling installer said that I would need more lighting and he was wrong, I have never needed anything more in my audio/video room.
gsm18439
895 posts
 
There are lots of possibilities. For example, low voltage track lights are very flexible in terms providing perimeter "mood" lighting as well as more direct task lighting. . . and they tend to be small and attractive. The lighting design is as important as the equipment.
zargon's avatar
zargon OP
453 posts
 
Great ideas from all!

Tiger: The rain gutter application is very creative and worth considering.

Somec59: Turns out I have some rope lights that I used for decoration outside, and will try them out for brightness and report back.

Krell1: How many sconces are there in your room? I can see at least 2 on the side walls in your system picture.
zapper
68 posts
 
The way you see it is correct.
The remote dimmers I installed have been working great for 2.5 years now.
I like the dual rope idea with different colors. The brighter you can get the cove lighting the better as you can always dim down, but you only have as bright as you have.
The run a 12/3 or 14/3 wire, which ever you are using, to your cove outlet to keep this idea an option.
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Z, You seem to be thinking it out well; don't forget the good 'ol floor standing lamps which can be attractive and highly effective! Or a small coffee table with a lamp on it near the listening position for reading, etc.
I used a Lutron "Spacer" system, if I recall correctly. Four "scenes" and it cost about $700 for the whole set including remote control. Not cheap, but works great.

http://www.lutron.com/CMS/default.aspx?appid=1013
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