New house, Small home theatre possible?

[Troyus_]

Well I finally got into my new house. Due to the market its smaller than I would have wanted but its nice.

 

Anyway I have this small front lounge room. Ill attach pictures, The walls are 4.3mx3.7m. Id like a set up with a projector (hide somehow?) and good sound, however I dont want it to seem like a theatre room. So more a multipurpose room where someone could relax or turn the HT on. I dont want the roof touched (so pretty) and Id like the fireplace available.

 

I have an older benq short throw 1080p projector around somewhere. I have 2 very large home made subs but I think they are too big for WAF.

 

Any ideas / Is this possible? I had given up on the idea of a HT ever again but I thought Id check opinions. TY

 

Edited July 24, 2024 by Troyus_

[David A]

The Leica short-throw Cine 1 laser tv's are pretty cool, but pricey. They have an optional pop up screen which retracts into a cabinet when not in use which is neat. Optics are apparently very good (4k) being Leica, and the Cine 1 has integrated Dolby Atmos surround sound. Screen sizes include 80", 100" and 120". I first saw that product demonstrated at the Australian Hifi Show back in April & was impressed.

 

 

Edited July 24, 2024 by David A

[Hi-Fi Whipped]

Let the fun begin!

Do you want theatre sound only or do you want decent stereo sound when not watching the PJ?

Do you want to see the theatre PJ screen when not watching it or will that be a painted wall or retractable?

Do you have a wall already picked out for the screen wall? Ideally the room is longer than it is wider.

Theres two doors in, have you considered blocking one to give you more options for the screen?

Can you get to the wall cavities to run speaker wires? In wall speakers may be an option for a disappearing theatre.

[Guest]

Some more issues to consider...

 

Must it be a projector or can it be a large TV?  Please allow space between the couch and back wall with the rear speakers to get the best audio.  No Atmos because you cannot touch your ceiling.

 

And what is your budget?

[Kaynin]

I wouldn’t touch that ceiling either!  But snoopy is right, that then excludes Atmos.  Don’t despair though, traditional 5.1 systems can still get up an boogy!  
 

Every single room has issues to deal with, it doesn’t mean excellent results can’t be achieved.  What you’re after is an immersive experience, and you don’t need a dedicated or large room to achieve it.

 

Initially I’m thinking a shelf mounted pj and motorised drop down screen?  A large tv may be the better option here though.

 

Of course, any tv that claims Atmos is advertising hood-wink only…don’t fall for the marketing hype!

[Troyus_]

Budget won’t be tens of thousands.

The one open door could potentially get another door on the frame.

having the fireplace where it is means I wouldn’t want like a couch backed up into it. Ideally the screen of some sort would cover the mantle place/ fire when in use. Not sure how that is possible tho.

 

[Guest]

I also like the idea of a largish TV - but not too big given the dimensional constraints you're dealing with.

 

What about a Samsung Frame, on the wall doubling as Art when not in use. These go up to 85".

https://www.samsung.com/au/lifestyle-tvs/the-frame/

 

Then perhaps a cabinet for an AVR with the Krix LX-7 Soundbar on top, or wall mounted like below:

 

 

Your application was really why this product was developed. 

A compact AVR, and a couple of wall mounted (or stand) surround speakers and you could have a very tidy 5.0 or 5.1 system that is more than adequate for that room. 

[dejay]

It's a bit of an awkward space, 2 doors, a fireplace & a window. Considering the overall size of the room, I'd consider a reasonably sized TV either in front of the window, or above the fireplace. 

The fireplace wall would be a good option, allowing you to set back your front L/Rs, not impeding into the room too much.

 

[treb]

Marc and dejay have great ideas.

 

Looking at the stain above the fireplace & with most open fires, a lot of the heat travels upwards out of the fireplace possibly damaging equipment mounted above.

 

Maybe look at a gas or electric log fire where the fan projects the heat outwards into the room.

You would still have the 'fire' ambiance, but not the smoky/ upwards heat problems and the need to source the firewood.

This could allow you to dispatch the mantlepiece and have the mounted tv or sound-bar at a lower level.

Also making the chimney redundant and having a flue may also allow cables and power to be hidden .

Just throwing a few more options out there, good luck with your room, it looks like a fun project.

 

Also, those Krix sound bars sound awesome!

[betty boop]

looks an older house and these were never thought off for this kind of thing .. so understandable the challenge... 

 

a room with a fire place i cant seeing too conducive for a projector and screen ? certainly nothing over the mantle piece ? would be destroyed by the fire heat smoke...

 

best can think off is put two single seat recliner chairs either side of fire place and TV screen on wall alongside the door

 

or if determined about the projector and screen go for a motorised or pull down screen where the curtain is now and screen comes down in front of curtain.. 

 

this will allow a single seat left of door and a 2 seater couch right side of door... 

 

audio wise floor mounted speakers...as doubt be able to run anything through the wall (cable wise ?).

 

simple floor standing centre speaker and two stand mounts or floor standing speakers either side of screen. 

 

something focal dome flax will do.. these sound surprisingly good ! can be all floor standing ..the centre speaker can be sitting on the sub woofer in between L&R floor standing speakers. 

 

https://www.focal.com/catalog/high-fidelity-speakers/home-cinema/dome-flax

 

[dejay]

Treb makes a good point about heat coming off the fireplace.

 

While ours is gas, the heat can still be an issue. For us, there were some rules around having a setback for the screen to sit in, allowing any heat to wash past the TV. The mantle also helps. Our setup has been in for a few years and no issues with the TV.

 

Your challenge will be wiring. You may need to chase the walls to get the desired effect.

 

Edited August 1, 2024 by dejay