Building New House- Your ideas for an ultimate room

Pauli · **Posted:** Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:05 am

speedy1 wrote:

A SOUND ROOM is one of the most expensive components. First the speaker used. Two or more channel? Good speakers will last many years. Do you want a Mastering room set-up? Front face of speaker flush with wall? Speaker on a pedestal out into room or hung mid-air? Listening position for one person only or multi-people, multi-use room? Amplification. Mono, multi or vertical bi-amp? Keeping amplification within a few feet of each speaker is best. Electrical. Sub-panel or separate 12 guage circuits? Consider running a wall along the 18 ft width leaving 30 inches to 3 ft space each end floor to ceiling making wall 18 minus 5 ft or 6 ft you will lose about 5 ft of room 27 minus 5. Within this space place all your electronics, software, record player etc. Within main room cavity you will not be able to control much without using lead, so pay the money and spray foam at the wall stud if there are wall stud and at the sub floor-floor joist intersection. This creates a truss like, solid construction, less rattling/vibration due to sympathetic vibrations. Controls condensation at exterior wall so sound absorbing insulation does not get moldy. Use vibration isolators to hang strapping off bottom of floor joist then screw and glue drywall onto strapping. Same for walls. Fill interior of all cavities with sound absorbing insulation and use lots of acoustic sealant. Ductwork. Line the interior of both plenum with acoustic sheets. If the Furnace people want too much money use acoustic blanket material on all sides of plenum. And every pipe within the main room cavity. Use oversize ductwork entering/leaving this room. Order a multi-speed dc motor furnace. Go smaller not bigger make sure you choose your heating people carefully and let them think how to size furnace fan ducts. Build moveable baffles afterward. It is the room not so much the angles etc in an economical build like yours. Get the builders blessing before you dig the foundation. Consider a hot water combi-tank and run hydronic lines into basement. Have fun. Peter

Excellent advice! I'm going to call you if I ever have the "pleasure" of building another house.
Paul

speedy1 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:16 am

Hi Joel. You have so much cubic space would not multi chanel suit better? Mid hung multi channel 604e come to mind. Or make an array OF 2 CHANNEL 604 say 4 together each side (x8 total) mid hung through some arm manually or electrically or hydraulically controlled. At least till you save more for better. Could be run close to the mezzanine. May I ask the predetermined decibel level you will create at say midnight? Is the floor Precast or poured? Is your floor on grade? How much weight can you place/load the floor with? Have you got the blessing of your insurance company? Fire department? Building department? Building Owners/committee?? I recommend against making any holes in the barrier surface. No pot lights. The only electrical should be surface mount conduit and boxes. Know what NRC and STC is. NRC=absorbsion.STC=blockage.
Consider the application of the lightest flexible acoustic barrier material with the highest Sound Transmission Class (STC).
Your contractors are thinking STC by adding MASS (5db is noticeable).They are adding air space (1 ½ inches=3 db, 3 inch =6 db, 6 inch=8db). Adding Absorptive Material in the Partition (4 to 6 db) Note=Special insulations are not better than ordinary batt insulation. STC rating does not assess the low frequency sound transfer. Weakness are holes in the barrier or what creates a direct path for noise/vibration/sound. IE- How will 6 inch deep worth of metal stud transmit? If there is any amount of sloppyness in the application of quietrock, it will fail. Perhaps consider applying a material such as SoundSense LV-1, or NoiseOut 2 or continue your floor material all over, or, some kind of “Mass loaded vinyl barrier” then screwing a Resilient
Sound Isolation Clip system (20 points STC), with drywall furring channel onto that using a polyurethane adhesive dabbed at each furring channel/isolation clip point. Then install the newest acoustic barrier drywall sheets common today (single or multiple thickness). Call on me if you like. Personally, I am looking for a product that can be mixed and applied like gunnite or spray on like spray on plaster or trowel able. Is anyone familiar with an acoustic product like that? It must pass insurers, fire codes, building codes. Not too heavy, can take concentrated weight, finishes nicely and has fantastic STC and NRC ratings? Anyone?

luxmanfan · **Posted:** Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:57 am

WOW!! Some really great stuff here. Thanks so much to everyone. I'm still going through the posts and looking at the links.

$5k is the budject. Excludes wires, drywall, etc. (everything that needs to be done wether or not it is a sound room is considered free) Labour is free since I and my chums will be doing it. Don't worry they are professional, very knowledgable contractors one and all so I will get quality work and they come cheap! Only need to provide the pizza and beer.

By the way this is a two channel system. My surround will be in the main living room for everyone. This is my little spot to get away from everything.

halebopp76 wrote:

luxman fan, what is your budget for the 9' x 18' x 27' room NOT including your system?

halebopp76 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 06, 2009 11:22 am

Since you have friends that are skilled with drywall, you can consider building the room to avoid square corners (i.e. rounded corners, 2-3M radius). This can also leave you with room for "hidden" storage and additional component isolation. Look into DIY "diffusors" that won't break the bank or your back. Consider resonance control over frequency absorption. Crown molding strategically placed will reduce flutter echos in the corners and look nice. However, keep them 1-2" below ceiling to trap the echos. Theater style or angled ceiling to reduce floor-ceiling standing waves. All of this can be done on a room that size for around 5K...be smart and plan!

Canuck Audio Mart

Building New House- Your ideas for an ultimate room

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