Erwin's House & Homecinema project

[Erwin.BE]

As for the cables, I skipped the USB so it's only optical and HDMI between the captain's chair and the processor. Besides the wired network of course. I could not find un-amplified USB of 8 m (24 ft).

Received the XMC-1 and connected it to my current living room setup for now in lieu of the UMC-1. It will serve in the HT until the XMR-1 is available, after which it will return to the current setup again.

Setup went well with only Dirac LE for the time being. Running the test sweeps made me realize how noisy my living room really is. It was after 10 PM but still every time a car passed, it was picked up by the mic. I had to turn down it a bit. Then there was the fan noise from the projector TV, then my wife got home from her English class...

The new HT will be a lot less noisy: the house is in a rural environment with hardly any cars passing (slowly or else they won't make the turn). And the triple glazing also helps. My current hous is air leaky as can be. The new one is carefully taped and sealed to save heating energy. The incoming ventilation is incapsulated.

[Erwin.BE]

The linoleum floor is installed. The contractor took a lot longer than promised to do it, but it's in. Colour is nice (99% black) but it's a bit shinier than ideal. It will do. I will post pics as soon as there's a bit more progress. A coworker is now making the central fixed furniture that contains the subs, the center speaker and a frame for the screen.

I just ordered the projector. The one I want, the Sony VPL-VW500ES is to expensive right now (MSRP €10K), we need the money for the house. Instead I chose the good old Panasonic PT-AT6000E. Why? Basically because it's the cheapest option with Lens Memory, very convenient since we have a 2,35/1 screen. It will do. For now.

I also decided on a different approach for the acoustic treatment of the ceiling and behind the acoustic transparent screen (flanking the center). The original idea was to build QRD diffusion panels. It's a big surface (20 m2 or 220 sq ft) and it would be expensive. And the downside of the specific elements is that these only work down to 300 Hz. But if I use 4" (10 cm) thick fiberglas with a 4" gap and choose the heavy density stuff (rockwool suitable for use under a concrete slab), I would be effectively absorbing down to 125 Hz. I plan to install that (and all the curtains too) and do some measurements.

If necessary, I can add panel absorbers for the bass absorption. I have seen simple designs that are 4" thick and work between 80-160 Hz. If I double that thickness to 8", it should work between 40-80 Hz. But it's also possible this low frequencies are absorbed (or rather letting go pass) by the double drywall with Greenglue.

The side reflection zone would still be diffusion as planned.

[vneal]

Wow. That is a well thought out system. Please post some pictures when you get it completed.
The B&W series are anything but polite. Some say a little in your face sound. Whatever the feeling I like the sound

[cwmcobra]

Great progress Erwin. I'm jealous since my theater is on hold right now due to other priorities taking my time. I'll get back to it by fall, I hope.

Keep us posted!

[Erwin.BE]

Thanks for the kind words, guys.

Acoustic_Database_AbsorptionDEF.pdf (107.28 KB)

I am completing the order for the curtains. There are large surfaces (walls) of glass. Not good for ambient light during daytime and not good for the acoustics, all of the time. So what we need is heavy material with proven acoustic properties and as light-blocking as possible. Every textile will absorb high frequencies. But we need to absorb a wide frequency range. The suitable budget solution would have been Molton, which is 300g cotton. But since the acoustics are of paramount importance to me, I ended up choosing Wool Serge in the heaviest version: "kiloserge"!! That is 1000g. I attached a pdf with a comparison of the acoustic properties of the various materials. Kiloserge is the best, short of baffles (which are for other purposes).

The curtains will be made and probably also mounted by ShowTex, a Belgian company that is active in all kinds of theatrical textile. They are also active in other EU countries, Middle East, Hong Kong and South Africa. Anywhere but America, really!. The rails are pro-grade also. I don't need to point out the chosen color is black!

Note that no first reflection points will be clad with these curtains. That would cause asymmetry since most of the windows are on the right side. Hence a diffusion array on both sides of the room will be used. It will all become clear later.

The mounting of the fixed cabinets has finally started today. A lot of work needs to be done, as there is also a kitchen involved. It will be the end of August before I can install the gear. But I am on top of things now!

I already have all the material for the central absorption isle against the ceiling: 24 m2 of Rhinox Rockwool, which is normally used for flat roof insulation. It is therefore of a heavy density (150 kg/m3, 50% more than what Ethan Winer suggests). The higher the density, the lower the frequency range it absorbs. Not to worry about high frequencies for several reasons: First it's not a real issue as the SEOS horn directs fewer of the treble in the vertical direction, but more in the horizontal plane. Then there are all those curtains, which absorb enough of the high frequency all by themselves. And the surface is also big enough that a substantial part of high frequencies is absorbed anyway.

The acoustic isle will be about 20 m2. I am thinking about treating all of the remaining ceiling surface with
1/ weavewaver diffusion at the sides 2 x 5 m2. Not a must acoustically, but it looks cool and it improves acoustics further
2/ panel bass traps in the kitchen zone. Because these will be easy to clean.

More to come.

[Erwin.BE]

I just bought a pair of Definitive Technology AW6500 outdoor speakers for the Terrace adjacent to the Homecinema. Yes, it's the idea to finish the terrace also (to keep my wife happy). I have about 3 months of work that I want to do in 3 weeks of holiday... I designed a super outdoor table also. It's 3m75 length. Big aluminum frame with thick hardwood tablet. I have someone to make and lacquer the frame.

The outdoor speakers are shipped from USA and should arrive in a week or two.

[novisnick]

Jul 9, 2015 14:47:29 GMT -5 Erwin.BE said:

I just bought a pair of Definitive Technology AW6500 outdoor speakers for the Terrace adjacent to the Homecinema. Yes, it's the idea to finish the terrace also (to keep my wife happy). I have about 3 months of work that I want to do in 3 weeks of holiday... I designed a super outdoor table also. It's 3m75 length. Big aluminum frame with thick hardwood tablet. I have someone to make and lacquer the frame.

The outdoor speakers are shipped from USA and should arrive in a week or two.

Always good to hear from you, I wait patiently for pictures. 

[klinemj]

I think you will like the def techs. I have 3 pair of 5500's and they sound great outside!

Mark

[Erwin.BE]

Yeah, I actually ordered a pair once via ebay but the seller withdrew the sale. That was after you or another Emotivan praised the DefTechs.

It will be interesting to hear them as the ear level surround speakers in the theatre wil be using passive radiators also.

[Bonzo]

Jul 9, 2015 18:02:05 GMT -5 klinemj said:

I think you will like the def techs. I have 3 pair of 5500's and they sound great outside!

Mark

Contrary to what many on this forum seem to think, my Def Tech BP7001SC's sound pretty darned good INSIDE too.

[Erwin.BE]

The screen/subs/center structure:


Center in primer


Serious bracing. Knuckles vs center: center wins.

[Erwin.BE]

Bass port


Rudimental black coating. Still wet.

[novisnick]

Looking great!!

Thanks for posting the pics.

[ansat]

I am a +1 for defTechs as you can see in my sig.

[richardrc]

Looking great Erwin. Your Kitchen is going to rock literally, hope you don't break any plates!

[Erwin.BE]

The kitchen has been put in position. Not finished, but here's an impression. My son and I painted over all the pale oak panels, which are now black. It contrasts superbly with the stainless steel worktop an backsplash.

We took a short trip to Garda, Italy. Now I am preparing further MDF sheets in black paint to make a bridge for cables on top of the central structure. The bridge will let me swap cables and interconnects whenever necessary. Then I will make the absorption elements.

[ÈlTwo]

I hope you have a lot of light for that kitchen.

Looking very nice.

[ansat]

Jul 23, 2015 10:56:42 GMT -5 Erwin.BE said:

View Attachment

The kitchen has been put in position. Not finished, but here's an impression. My son and I painted over all the pale oak panels, which are now black. It contrasts superbly with the stainless steel worktop an backsplash.

We took a short trip to Garda, Italy. Now I am preparing further MDF sheets in black paint to make a bridge for cables on top of the central structure. The bridge will let me swap cables and interconnects whenever necessary. Then I will make the absorption elements.

I really like the stainless backsplash. Been thinking of doing that myself.

Tony

[Erwin.BE]

Jul 23, 2015 13:54:46 GMT -5 ÈlTwo said:

I hope you have a lot of light for that kitchen.

Looking very nice.

It was a dark sky when I too the pic, but there is enough glass.. Plenty of electric light in the kitchen also, I will post pics when it's all finished. There is not really a general light source as that would be disruptive four the projected video, but each peace of cupboard and the worktop has it's own light-source.

Tony, stainless is the way to go for worktops and back splash in a kitchen. It's clean, can stand anything you throw at it, is timeless. Especially against dark colors it looks fantastic, very purposeful and professional. Very much a bloke's kitchen too. I liked that kitchen when it was light oak, but now it looks like a million bucks in black. No other downside but the price. For a white kitchen, I would recommend solid surface (Corian) in white. The large kitchen on the first floor will be like that.

[Erwin.BE]

Good progress has been made.

1/ I made a bridge on top of the central screen element. It's part of the cable way surrounding the space. It allows for cable swapping whenever needed.
2/ From this bridge, 2 more ceiling elements go to the rear soffit, one at each side of the viewing area. LED lighting will be attached, but not to the inside like most other homecinema's, but to the outside.
3/ Most importantly: no less than 24 broadband absorbers of various sizes were made and attached to the ceiling. I picked the heaviest rock wool I could find: Rhinnox from Rockwool normally used for roof tops (size 100 x 60 cm or 40"x2'). This heavy density stuff is superior because it deals with much lower frequencies while still absorbing enough of the higher frequencies. In this thickness (12 cm, almost 5") and with additional 3" spacing, it works down to 125 Hz. I made frames out of leftover plywood, surrounding the rock wool panels. This was covered with speaker fabric. I am sure cheaper fabric works fine, but it's stretchy and therefor ideal. The 4 largest panels are 103 x 180 cm (3'5" x 6') which turned out not to be best practice for two reasons: the width was at the limit what the speaker fabric could stretch to while not hanging through visually and boy are these things heavy!! It took my whole family (4 of us) to install them. 180 x 60 cm (6'x2') would have been better. But now these are up, they make a logical grid.

In the pics you see 6 square openings in 2 lines of 3. These are destined for the Top speakers (did I mention I want the XMR-1 ). Then there are 4 additional openings, more central, which are for direct lighting. There is a table (white) behind the seats, the space can also be used for powerpoint presentations or stuff like that.







Up next: making of the elements for the left wall which will house the processor and other gear, but no amps. Substantial diffusion elements for left and right side. Finishing the screen holding structure, make absorption panels for behind the screen. Finish the kitchen. I am thinking at least 6 weeks before the curtains can be hanged and the gear installed! But I see the light at the end of the tunnel... This light is probably from the projector!