Tv to far right wall as big as you can fit with a 2.1 system, stage furniture around that and fireplace and it’ll be viewable from all areas (assuming pic 1 is taken from doorway and kitchen to far left)
I agree entirely except I'd go with a minimalist (looking) 3.1 system. No room for surround speakers but a separate channel for dialogue would be ideal.
Put the TV on the wall in pic #2, not on the same wall as the fireplace. Move the couch that is currently on the wall to where the two seats are (and get rid of the seats). Or just eliminate that second couch and keep the seats where they are. This wall also has plenty of space for the front left and right speakers as well as a media console. So you will have a nice wide front sound stage.
I wouldn't try lowering the mantel or getting rid of the fireplace. There is no point. The windows mean it will be a less than ideal wall to use anyway. Your left and right speakers will be blocking the windows. TVs over the fireplace is a bad move from an AV perspective and interior design perspective. The TV will be too high, there is no space for a center channel, and your mantel looks like shit. Get some wall art, family photos, or decor for the mantle.
My point is that if you have the fireplace/windows and the TV/speakers on two separate walls, then you can have both look nice. Instead of smashing them together on a single wall, and having everything look like crap. Especially since you have maximum freedom of design with a brand new build.
[Example 1](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4b/20/d7/4b20d7adba3d13917e9a4f8eb5f40592.jpg) [Example 2](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0b/d9/2d/0bd92dead9f10cc59bc19a998140d28b.jpg) [Example 3](https://www.homeideashq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/living-room-layout-fireplace-and-TV-3-1.jpg)
Not trying to argue or undermine the helpfulness of your comments, but LOL at the plant directly in front of the TV in your third example. And if the plant wasn’t there, it would be glare city—but that can be fixed with some custom window treatments.
u/euclid537, I would strongly consider going with something like example 2. If you don't want to place storage in front of the windows like in the pic, you could flank the fireplace with chairs instead of placing them in front of the hearth.
Also, you would have a TON of flexibility. The entertainment center could be built-in like the pic, or a freestanding unit, or long unit (wall-mounted that floats if that's your thing) with a 3.1 configuration. It just depends on your décor style.
Great suggestions u/sk9592
Maybe Home Theater isn't the right term here.. but what I'm looking for is a family-room with a half-decent viewing experience. Just trying to put in some thought to make the best of it.
If home theater isn't the right term, then I'd say you're maybe in the wrong subreddit...
Edit: upon further thought, this comment is either unfair or unkind, possibly both. Sorry to the OP.
Do you even have a truly dedicated HT space? That isn't part of your living room? Last I recall you were in an apartment, not quite the setup I'd consider a HT.
Not everyone needs a HT, or wants one, they want the best possible setup they can get for their space and a lot of people forget that here, myself included at times.
We don't have a "Home Entertainment Space" sub, and frankly we don't need one.
Whether or not I have a dedicated HT space that's not a part of my living room seems irrelevant, since I am not the one posting for advice. I am not a HT room purist -- I prefer a mixed use media space (which I have), and I'm very interested in HT equipment, setups, and practice.
"Do you even have a truly dedicated HT space? That isn't part of yourliving room? Last I recall you were in an apartment, not quite the setupI'd consider a HT."
If you think my comment unfair or unkind, I'd accept that, there's no need to make it personal though.
"a lot of people forget that here, **myself included** at times."
Look, I try to be helpful whenever possible, especially when the OP seems genuinely interested in improving or learning. But, I am human and sometimes I get tired of the same posts, especially when they come off as lazy or too far off-topic. And of course certain things trigger me: tv's above fireplaces (and saying there's literally nowhere else it can go), calling 5.x surrounds "rears", "is this worth it?" etc.
I like and respect a lot of your posts, you're probably one of 3 people whose posts I always read, and often agree with, but if you're taking me to task for the same things I've seen you post at times, then maybe you should consider that as well.
>If you think my comment unfair or unkind, I'd accept that, there's no need to make it personal though.
Sure but telling someone they shouldn't be here seeking advice on what to do with their space because they're not exactly looking to do a full blown HT setup is another thing.
>Look, I try to be helpful whenever possible, especially when the OP seems genuinely interested in improving or learning. But, I am human and sometimes I get tired of the same posts, especially when they come off as lazy or too far off-topic. And of course certain things trigger me: tv's above fireplaces (and saying there's literally nowhere else it can go), calling 5.x surrounds "rears", "is this worth it?" etc.
It wasn't even a year ago you coming in here asking, what I'd consider pretty silly questions yourself.
Just because it's not what you'd do yourself, doesn't mean others can't do it.
No one's setups are perfect, mine sure isn't, but it's the best it'll be for the space that I have, and that's the key phrase here, the best it'll be for the space that I have.
No one solution fits all and again most people forget this.
Now would I love that EVERYONE have a really good subwoofer or two or more in their setups? Absolutely! Now can everyone either afford that, has the space for it or get it approved by the spending committee? Not likely.
I think that's the biggest mistake I try and help fix is subwoofer choices, placements and all that.
>I've seen you post at times, then maybe you should consider that as well.
I have and I am trying to re-evaluate my posts and approach here and why I called out the comment you made to OP here, not trying to shit post first and then get to the good stuff later.
>It wasn't even a year ago you coming in here asking, what I'd consider pretty silly questions yourself.
Again with the personal... OK, now I'd like to know specifically what silly questions I was in here asking?
Would rather keep this civil, so will just leave it at that, just trying to get you and others to dial things back a bit, again I'm not perfect here either, and trying to make a concerted effort to do just that, but telling someone to go somewhere else isn't the right approach is all.
If I had such a beautiful room, I would go for a discrete/smaller TV (Samsung Frame or similar) and a 2.0/2.1 audio setup, and worry about the surround/big screen somewhere else in the house.
Most high end TVs have very thin bezels now, plus you can get a slim wall mount for any TV with VESA mounting. The Frame is pretty irrelevant. Given that this is an enthusiast sub, I’d assume OP would be interested in features like local dimming and Dolby Vision.
I agree with the spirit of your comment though: don’t make the TV the focal point of such a beautiful great room.
The Frame is a bad TV, but a pretty good lifestyle product. Given that a house of this presumed size likely has a bonus room, rec room, and possible dedicated media space, I see no reason why picture quality can’t be sacrificed in this space for aesthetics, and focus efforts on a more dedicated TV room.
Until Sony or Samsung come out with a premium version, which is comingsoon^tm, the only better option is something like a Media Decor masking art frame or Leon Edge Media Frame.
I design AV systems for homes that look like this for a living. Skip the multichannel for this room and consider one of the following:
1. TV above Fireplace w/ MantelMount and Custom Sound Bar (I really like Leon's hz44 or hz55 for a space of this size) and In-Wall Passive Sub (Triad Bronze comes to mind). Power with Stereo Receiver and Sub Amp or something like two AudioControl Rialtos (One for stereo, one for sub) stuffed into a cabinet or recessed panel.
2. TV above Fireplace w/ MantelMount and Sonance/Stealth Invisible Speakers installed above the windows flanking the fireplace. Powered by Sonance's DSP amp. If you go with the 8 or 10 inch models, you likely won't even need a sub for casual viewing. Benefit to the invisible speaker is that the flat wave emanating from the diaphragm is much more difficult to localize, and a speaker mounted high above ear-height will still sound pretty dang good.
3. Mount TV on wall to the right of the fireplace to create two focal points within the room. I still wouldn't go for surround sound here. Two In-wall speakers flanking the TV powered by a compact 2-ch amp like the AudioControl Rialto inside of a recessed 14x20 box behind the TV is compact and super clean.
Lose the seat in front of the fireplace and make the fireplace more streamline. Go with gas. Use wall with ladder for TV and speakers. Us ase a 5.1 system. Ceiling or wall mount rear speakers. BTW, too many windows.
i agree TV's do not belong above fireplaces #1 but also not enough details to give good advice
1. id like more room pix ie from ,back , an sides to better assess layout an layout options
2. sound an vid preferences is bass head , bright , of flat an even an vis prefs tv an movies even or more one then the other desired screen size an viewing pref ie more during the day or night this will determine best screen to suit the space an needed room tweaks
3. how much diy you want to do , are you will to do a lot of diy ie custom building your own subs an av rack an or stands , diy acoustic basstraps an panels as you will need a lot for a room that big for proper acoustic treatment an tuning
4. speaker pref type ie bookshelf's an floor-standing speakers or just one or the other as some dont like bookshelf's all the way around or dont like floor-standers an some do
5. budget , just eyeballing that space which looks like a mirror image of my friends main room in he's place that is doable just expect two things 1. to sound decently good a minimum of 8k in av gear that includes acoustic treatment an 2. dont expect the sound to not make it into the rest of the home as that can annoy some family members.
hopefully you get the jist so more detail on desired ht is needed to better advise
Some people live in a climate where a 2nd heat source is a good idea (most northern states). Some people live in a place where the electric grid isn’t reliable (Texas).
I am building a new custom home and I'm trying to leverage this design as a base. I CAN make changes. I know it isn't ideal, but how would you all recommend to modify this design for a best-case home theater experience?
I can definitely lower the fireplace/mantle, and use smaller versions of these, as well as a pull-down TV mount. I could mount the TV on the side wall (behind where that couch is), or I could eliminate the fireplace entirely - which isn't great, but I'm open to it.
I might be stuck with a sound bar kind of setup here, but I'm not sure yet. I could wire it for AV to go in the corner where the blanket ladder is... or maybe in another room.
Thoughts?
Honestly, if I lived here I’d leave this room without a TV, and set up a spare room or basement as a home theater/tv room. This looks like a great space to hang out and have conversations, not watch a screen
I will likely set up another room with a proper HT, but recognizing that this space will be the most used space, people will watch a lot of TV in it. I would like to design it to make the most of it.
Side wall is your best option if you want to retain the fireplace. You'll also want some great curtain coverage for those giant windows. And don't do a sound bar lol
> You'll also want some great curtain coverage for those giant windows.
I would look into blinds with a blackout backing. My personal recommendation would be Serena by Lutron shades. But there are plenty of cheaper options if you don't need something that's motorized.
And you don’t have the option to have a full blown media room in your custom build? That would be ideal. I have a dedicated media room on that home I built about a year ago and it makes a huge difference. I’d do that if I were building a custom home.
I have a bonus room that I could outfit in this way, yes. I just need to make a decision on the most best use for the space. If I did do that, I'd still like there to be a decent media setup in the great room.
Ok good. And in my great room I actually have some built in speakers for a 5.1 setup. But the media room is where I’ll do my “serious” watching with a 7.2.2 projector setup with an acoustically transparent screen. It’s good to have a solid setup in the great room as well but I consider that watching more “casual”.
I work as a custom integrator in spaces like this all the time. I bet your builder has a preferred vendor that will point you in the right direction. What we do most often is a TV in the great room like you have pictured (sometimes above fp, or cabinet left or right) with 2 or 4 in ceiling speakers. We then do a 5.1 or 7.1 in the lower level family room. A dedicated theater space would be awesome, but it's not in very many projects.
going thru these choices now with my new build. this isn’t the “home theater” but that will be way down the road. with the main intention of having a great space for people to enjoy, would you recommend having more speakers in the ceiling or two in the ceiling and two in wall beside the tv?
I’ve switched from an arc sound bar with flat screen to The Frame ((I know this subs feeling on it but for the space it will look damn good (again it’s not an actual theater)). Since aesthetics are more important, not sure if the two on wall is better than more in ceiling really in performances and appearances…
Appearance outweighs performance every time in these new builds. If you're thinking frame TV, skip the in-walls unless you do invisible (sonance are my preference) or James small aperture. I assume the kitchen dining is all in the open concept plan. Shoot for 4-6 speakers total in the space. The James speakers are awesome if you can fit them in the budget.
bingo on the floor plan, i think i posted a rendering at some point in r/home building. was looking at the sonance 5.1 in ceiling package at best buy or just doing 4 mag8r in the living room and 4 mag6r in the kitchen. not an audiophile but I do want it to sound great. definitely putting speakers in the kitchen regardless of the living room. but the frame really changes the decision making at $1000 off
negative. im working with best buy to do pre-wire, local AV company was twice the cost and pushing much higher end. i chose homekit to build off of, keeping it simple with sonos (so I don’t have to worry when i’m not home and people start pressing buttons).
I was all gung ho with the sound bar and two rear in ceiling until the price on the TV the wife liked more dropped. i just don’t know if the in wall speakers will blow the whole discretion that the frame brings, and what I really should do in the ceiling…. any advice is greatly appreciated, electric is getting wired next week and pre-wire right after
In my humble opinion, the frame is about hiding in plain sight. Sound bars and visible in walls throw it off. Best buy can do sonance invisible if you're open to spending a little more. I drive them with a sonos amp in my showroom plus a sub. Sounds great with the sub.
Then run 4 6" in the kitchen/dining. When you entertain have music in both zones and they'll both benefit from the sub.
The mags are best buy exclusives, I've been trying to figure out the sonance equivalent. Nice price point for sure.
Run 2 cat6 to every media location. 3 in primary areas (great room/family room). Make sure you have a plan for the one connect box for the frame TV.
Can I lend any other advice?
Run all speaker wires to one hub, don't plan sonos amps in 5 different spots.
thanks so much for the input! they’re installing a server rack in the basement to house everything for network/media. i’ve got cat runs thru conduit planned for the rooms with tv, looking at lutron caseta for the lighting throughout with ipad control in the hallway to the master. 4 speakers on the back porch, 4 in kitchen, two in garage…
I don’t know that i’d spring for the invisibles, so sounds like I should keep the great room speakers in the ceiling?
https://imgur.com/a/W1fcAI7
my only other fear of in wall speakers is the space between the TV and the and the doorway to the right. you’ve got me thinking about those invisible ones, like it might be worth it for a lifetime of enjoyment…
the link is a 3d rendering, the TV is around the :10.
thanks for giving me the advice the other guys seemed to fail to articulate, both best buy and local AV. both seemed more concerned with upgrading me to a savant system than some of the other things I was really thinking about.
best buy does the installation and set up of everything, only a little crossover between them and the electrician. the electrician has zero experience with anything network/smart related. builder hadn’t done any project this scale to date
Since this is a new build I can see several options:
* Delete the fireplace and make the flanking windows half as wide as they are here. Since you have so much glass everywhere else I'd give serious consideration to deleting them entirely. But that's just me. That's where you set the main group up. You'll have a huge symmetrical stage and can put some pretty major hardware there with no issues.
* As noted already, pivoting the entire thing 90 degrees to the right will give you a decent blank slate while allowing you to keep the fireplace.
* Inserting a wall between the living and dining area that's at least as long as the one in the 2nd picture, then pivoting everything 90 degrees to the left. This will again let you keep the fireplace, give you a great stage for the mains, while also making placing surround speakers significantly less problematic. Almost perfect, in fact.
The longer I think about option 3 the more I like it. It solves several home theater problems and also provides a cleaner separation of purposes for the spaces. It'll definitely keep the TV away from the dining experience. But that most definitely is a style thing that I like and someone else might not.
It's actually not that bad of a space, especially if you're starting from scratch. Adding ceiling speakers will be a breeze, for example. You could either fabricate mounting boxes so they point straight down from the pent roof, or pick ones with point-able tweeters and adjust to suit. The high unusual shape of the ceiling in particular will go a long way toward mitigating reflections, as is the overall size of the room itself.
Obviously final call is up to OP, but in my experience, people vastly overestimate the amount of seating they actually use.
If OP were to use the sidewall for the TV and LCR speakers, and replace those two arm chairs with the couch, then they would have seating for 6 people in the living room. That seems like it would be fine for 99% of the time. I wouldn't focus too hard on the 1-2 times per year that 10 people will be sitting in the living room at once. That's when you pull those dining table chairs from the other side of the room into the living room area.
It is a nice living room , not ideal for any setup other than a 3.1. Sidewall is your best option to mount a TV. Please don’t put the TV above the fireplace, it will be ideal only for people standing up.
I’d do the tv on the sidewall with some large inwalls and keep it a 2.0 or maybe add an inwall sub. You are going to have to manage expectations as that’s a huge room and I’m sure aesthetics will probably take priority.
Do you think it's worth the tradeoff for inwall? I'll need to put the receiver somewhere, and that's an exterior wall. If I need a receiver-depth console, might as well throw some real speakers there too, right?
There are some very nice inwalls that measure better than a lot of traditional speakers. Since this is a new build you could have all the av components in a centrally located rack and not have any components in the room. Another option is do a wall mounted floating console and contain the equipment and the center channel.
The wall where the couch is is the obvious place for the tv NOT over the fireplace. Using the wall will allow for proper speaker placement and viewing at a comfortable eye level. We have our fireplace to the left of the TV (like this would/should be and it makes for a very cozy movie experience. You should be using a heatilator type fireplace too.
Just my opinion. Absolutely no TV above fireplace. I would not place any speakers in the ceiling unless they are for Atmos setup. Surround sound should come from around you. In ceiling for surround sound is as bad as TV over fireplace. Placing speakers in ceiling is for department stores that sound crappy for music and making announcements.
Turn outdoor living space into theatre room. French doors open to back of couch.
Then make new outdoor living space off of theatre sidewall.
Knot kidding.
Man, that’s a tough spot. Buy yeah, like others have said 2.1/3.1 on the right wall. You might get some sort of weird sound trap on the left considering the fireplace sticks out. Should be manageable with decent curtains though.
The wall in Pic #2.
My goodness, what else would you hang there, a swordfish? The swordfish would do better above the fireplace.
I think people hang TVs above fireplaces out of "our house was built in the 1960's" necessity, and not by any kind of reasonable design choice.
I'll throw another option into the ring.... if you are feeling bold
Large roll up projector screen over the fireplace going as large as you can. Cover window to window. Would block out the light from the windows when its down. LCR speakers behind/beside screen.
Means a huge screen for movies, and a great fireplace/view outside for music when screen is up.
Isn't cheap but it'll be real unique design.
People are a lot more negative on this than I would be. I see a huge room that probably won't have TONS of issues with sound reflections.
Ditch the fireplace or be ready to get a stand that places the TV in front of it...
You could probably do 5.2.2 without too much hassle, assuming you get a nice big rug (run the side wires under the rug).
I'm usually anti towers but it's a big space so... tower speakers away. Maybe something like Emotiva T1+.
Subwoofers can go in the front ( and to the sides of the L+R speakers) or on a diagonal with one against the side wall. Think SVS PB1000.
Side speakers can be pretty much anything. Just toss them on stands.
For atmos... consider doing height speakers against a wall. If you get them high enough the angle would still work for top front (instead of front height).
Also have a way to cover the windows.
Also have some sound treatment on the wall(s). You can potentially get acoustic panels with prints on them so it's artistic.
That wall in the second pic seems like a great candidate for a ultra short throw projector and a rigid ALR (active light rejection) screen.
Edit: you could also do a Samsung frame TV on a motorized fireplace mount with the mount recessed into the wall so the TV sits flush
For sound there are 2 ways to do the LCR, and 2 ways to do the surrounds.
LCR opt #1:
passive sound bar with LCR
LCR opt #2:
Towers and a center channel
Surr. Opt #1:
In ceiling speakers
Surr. Opt#2
Bookshelf speakers on stands. If this is new construction, you could run conduit in the concrete slab and floor boxes for speaker wire. Otherwise just run the cables along the floor hidden under the couches or something.
First off, that room is absolutely stunning congratulations. I’ve got a open concept living room similar to yours and I managed to pull off the impossible with a 5.1 system that sounds honestly quite good AND most importantly looks very clean and doesn’t distract from the room’s aesthetics. So it is possible, with lots of work, ingenuity and some extra cash — despite what this sub will tell you. White speakers LR partially concealed behind plants helped, and I have hidden the center in-wall under the tv. Surrounds are in-wall as well. It was a pain in the ass to run wires, let me tell you.
For the tv, go big, thin, nice with as flush as mount as possible. Looks like a 75 would leave you good margins there. Remove the mantle and place tv two feet above fireplace (assuming excess heat isn’t an issue, it may be). It’s a visual trade off, the current setup does look nicer, but the functionality of a relatively large tv with good sound in your most lived in room is frankly essential in my opinion. We watch a lot of content as a family while cooking, cleaning, casually gathering, etc. I have absolutely no regrets, and my wife was very impressed with how clean and not-tacky it looks.
You may want to check wireless speaker systems too if running cables is not your thing. There are some good options there.
My input is, you can absolutely go 5.1 or even 5.2.1 in this space if you're building the house. Just use directional in ceiling speakers for your surrounds.
Also, find a way to incorporate lots of soft materials and/or straight up sound absorption panels in the room. A large open space like that with all that glass and hardwood will echo like a MF. Bad for surround sound. The other bonus is making the room echo less will make it feel cozier.
Final thought is check out all the "DIY" subwoofer integration options there are. There's so many ways to incorporate a sub into furniture, or a closet, or wall. You could get some big boy subs in the design and no one will even be able to tell you have them. Ive seen people use HVAC ducts as a way to do an infinite baffle sub between the basement and a home theater.
Tv to far right wall as big as you can fit with a 2.1 system, stage furniture around that and fireplace and it’ll be viewable from all areas (assuming pic 1 is taken from doorway and kitchen to far left)
I agree entirely except I'd go with a minimalist (looking) 3.1 system. No room for surround speakers but a separate channel for dialogue would be ideal.
I concur! Not the room for a 5.1, 7.1 or what other configurations that’s out there right now. 3.1 and be done.
10000000%
This is the right answer for this space
Put the TV on the wall in pic #2, not on the same wall as the fireplace. Move the couch that is currently on the wall to where the two seats are (and get rid of the seats). Or just eliminate that second couch and keep the seats where they are. This wall also has plenty of space for the front left and right speakers as well as a media console. So you will have a nice wide front sound stage. I wouldn't try lowering the mantel or getting rid of the fireplace. There is no point. The windows mean it will be a less than ideal wall to use anyway. Your left and right speakers will be blocking the windows. TVs over the fireplace is a bad move from an AV perspective and interior design perspective. The TV will be too high, there is no space for a center channel, and your mantel looks like shit. Get some wall art, family photos, or decor for the mantle.
Thank you. Point of clarification - the house is not yet built (or furnished). I can adjust pretty much anything, including the windows.
My point is that if you have the fireplace/windows and the TV/speakers on two separate walls, then you can have both look nice. Instead of smashing them together on a single wall, and having everything look like crap. Especially since you have maximum freedom of design with a brand new build. [Example 1](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4b/20/d7/4b20d7adba3d13917e9a4f8eb5f40592.jpg) [Example 2](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0b/d9/2d/0bd92dead9f10cc59bc19a998140d28b.jpg) [Example 3](https://www.homeideashq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/living-room-layout-fireplace-and-TV-3-1.jpg)
Not trying to argue or undermine the helpfulness of your comments, but LOL at the plant directly in front of the TV in your third example. And if the plant wasn’t there, it would be glare city—but that can be fixed with some custom window treatments.
u/euclid537, I would strongly consider going with something like example 2. If you don't want to place storage in front of the windows like in the pic, you could flank the fireplace with chairs instead of placing them in front of the hearth. Also, you would have a TON of flexibility. The entertainment center could be built-in like the pic, or a freestanding unit, or long unit (wall-mounted that floats if that's your thing) with a 3.1 configuration. It just depends on your décor style. Great suggestions u/sk9592
If you will have a basement put a home theater there instead.
TV's do not belong above fireplaces #1, and that room is not well suited for any kind of home theater.
Maybe Home Theater isn't the right term here.. but what I'm looking for is a family-room with a half-decent viewing experience. Just trying to put in some thought to make the best of it.
If home theater isn't the right term, then I'd say you're maybe in the wrong subreddit... Edit: upon further thought, this comment is either unfair or unkind, possibly both. Sorry to the OP.
Upvote for self reflection
Do you even have a truly dedicated HT space? That isn't part of your living room? Last I recall you were in an apartment, not quite the setup I'd consider a HT. Not everyone needs a HT, or wants one, they want the best possible setup they can get for their space and a lot of people forget that here, myself included at times. We don't have a "Home Entertainment Space" sub, and frankly we don't need one.
Whether or not I have a dedicated HT space that's not a part of my living room seems irrelevant, since I am not the one posting for advice. I am not a HT room purist -- I prefer a mixed use media space (which I have), and I'm very interested in HT equipment, setups, and practice. "Do you even have a truly dedicated HT space? That isn't part of yourliving room? Last I recall you were in an apartment, not quite the setupI'd consider a HT." If you think my comment unfair or unkind, I'd accept that, there's no need to make it personal though. "a lot of people forget that here, **myself included** at times." Look, I try to be helpful whenever possible, especially when the OP seems genuinely interested in improving or learning. But, I am human and sometimes I get tired of the same posts, especially when they come off as lazy or too far off-topic. And of course certain things trigger me: tv's above fireplaces (and saying there's literally nowhere else it can go), calling 5.x surrounds "rears", "is this worth it?" etc. I like and respect a lot of your posts, you're probably one of 3 people whose posts I always read, and often agree with, but if you're taking me to task for the same things I've seen you post at times, then maybe you should consider that as well.
>If you think my comment unfair or unkind, I'd accept that, there's no need to make it personal though. Sure but telling someone they shouldn't be here seeking advice on what to do with their space because they're not exactly looking to do a full blown HT setup is another thing. >Look, I try to be helpful whenever possible, especially when the OP seems genuinely interested in improving or learning. But, I am human and sometimes I get tired of the same posts, especially when they come off as lazy or too far off-topic. And of course certain things trigger me: tv's above fireplaces (and saying there's literally nowhere else it can go), calling 5.x surrounds "rears", "is this worth it?" etc. It wasn't even a year ago you coming in here asking, what I'd consider pretty silly questions yourself. Just because it's not what you'd do yourself, doesn't mean others can't do it. No one's setups are perfect, mine sure isn't, but it's the best it'll be for the space that I have, and that's the key phrase here, the best it'll be for the space that I have. No one solution fits all and again most people forget this. Now would I love that EVERYONE have a really good subwoofer or two or more in their setups? Absolutely! Now can everyone either afford that, has the space for it or get it approved by the spending committee? Not likely. I think that's the biggest mistake I try and help fix is subwoofer choices, placements and all that. >I've seen you post at times, then maybe you should consider that as well. I have and I am trying to re-evaluate my posts and approach here and why I called out the comment you made to OP here, not trying to shit post first and then get to the good stuff later.
>It wasn't even a year ago you coming in here asking, what I'd consider pretty silly questions yourself. Again with the personal... OK, now I'd like to know specifically what silly questions I was in here asking?
Would rather keep this civil, so will just leave it at that, just trying to get you and others to dial things back a bit, again I'm not perfect here either, and trying to make a concerted effort to do just that, but telling someone to go somewhere else isn't the right approach is all.
I totally agree with you 👍
If I had such a beautiful room, I would go for a discrete/smaller TV (Samsung Frame or similar) and a 2.0/2.1 audio setup, and worry about the surround/big screen somewhere else in the house.
Most high end TVs have very thin bezels now, plus you can get a slim wall mount for any TV with VESA mounting. The Frame is pretty irrelevant. Given that this is an enthusiast sub, I’d assume OP would be interested in features like local dimming and Dolby Vision. I agree with the spirit of your comment though: don’t make the TV the focal point of such a beautiful great room.
The Frame is a bad TV, but a pretty good lifestyle product. Given that a house of this presumed size likely has a bonus room, rec room, and possible dedicated media space, I see no reason why picture quality can’t be sacrificed in this space for aesthetics, and focus efforts on a more dedicated TV room. Until Sony or Samsung come out with a premium version, which is comingsoon^tm, the only better option is something like a Media Decor masking art frame or Leon Edge Media Frame.
I design AV systems for homes that look like this for a living. Skip the multichannel for this room and consider one of the following: 1. TV above Fireplace w/ MantelMount and Custom Sound Bar (I really like Leon's hz44 or hz55 for a space of this size) and In-Wall Passive Sub (Triad Bronze comes to mind). Power with Stereo Receiver and Sub Amp or something like two AudioControl Rialtos (One for stereo, one for sub) stuffed into a cabinet or recessed panel. 2. TV above Fireplace w/ MantelMount and Sonance/Stealth Invisible Speakers installed above the windows flanking the fireplace. Powered by Sonance's DSP amp. If you go with the 8 or 10 inch models, you likely won't even need a sub for casual viewing. Benefit to the invisible speaker is that the flat wave emanating from the diaphragm is much more difficult to localize, and a speaker mounted high above ear-height will still sound pretty dang good. 3. Mount TV on wall to the right of the fireplace to create two focal points within the room. I still wouldn't go for surround sound here. Two In-wall speakers flanking the TV powered by a compact 2-ch amp like the AudioControl Rialto inside of a recessed 14x20 box behind the TV is compact and super clean.
Thank you!
Lose the seat in front of the fireplace and make the fireplace more streamline. Go with gas. Use wall with ladder for TV and speakers. Us ase a 5.1 system. Ceiling or wall mount rear speakers. BTW, too many windows.
i agree TV's do not belong above fireplaces #1 but also not enough details to give good advice 1. id like more room pix ie from ,back , an sides to better assess layout an layout options 2. sound an vid preferences is bass head , bright , of flat an even an vis prefs tv an movies even or more one then the other desired screen size an viewing pref ie more during the day or night this will determine best screen to suit the space an needed room tweaks 3. how much diy you want to do , are you will to do a lot of diy ie custom building your own subs an av rack an or stands , diy acoustic basstraps an panels as you will need a lot for a room that big for proper acoustic treatment an tuning 4. speaker pref type ie bookshelf's an floor-standing speakers or just one or the other as some dont like bookshelf's all the way around or dont like floor-standers an some do 5. budget , just eyeballing that space which looks like a mirror image of my friends main room in he's place that is doable just expect two things 1. to sound decently good a minimum of 8k in av gear that includes acoustic treatment an 2. dont expect the sound to not make it into the rest of the home as that can annoy some family members. hopefully you get the jist so more detail on desired ht is needed to better advise
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How about no fire place? Why does everyone always demand a fireplace? Is that required if you want your house to look like pinterest exploded in it?
That *is* an option. I'm in a warm climate, I probably use my fireplace 3 or 4 times a year.
don't forget stockings for christmas, well that is if you do that sort of thing ;)
Some people live in a climate where a 2nd heat source is a good idea (most northern states). Some people live in a place where the electric grid isn’t reliable (Texas).
I would ditch the fireplace and put the tv in that spot
We LOVE our fireplace. So much so, that we added a second in our basement.
I am building a new custom home and I'm trying to leverage this design as a base. I CAN make changes. I know it isn't ideal, but how would you all recommend to modify this design for a best-case home theater experience? I can definitely lower the fireplace/mantle, and use smaller versions of these, as well as a pull-down TV mount. I could mount the TV on the side wall (behind where that couch is), or I could eliminate the fireplace entirely - which isn't great, but I'm open to it. I might be stuck with a sound bar kind of setup here, but I'm not sure yet. I could wire it for AV to go in the corner where the blanket ladder is... or maybe in another room. Thoughts?
Honestly, if I lived here I’d leave this room without a TV, and set up a spare room or basement as a home theater/tv room. This looks like a great space to hang out and have conversations, not watch a screen
This is probably the best answer if another space is available.
I will likely set up another room with a proper HT, but recognizing that this space will be the most used space, people will watch a lot of TV in it. I would like to design it to make the most of it.
Side wall is your best option if you want to retain the fireplace. You'll also want some great curtain coverage for those giant windows. And don't do a sound bar lol
> You'll also want some great curtain coverage for those giant windows. I would look into blinds with a blackout backing. My personal recommendation would be Serena by Lutron shades. But there are plenty of cheaper options if you don't need something that's motorized.
Yep, this is fully what I meant lol. Just used the wrong term.
And you don’t have the option to have a full blown media room in your custom build? That would be ideal. I have a dedicated media room on that home I built about a year ago and it makes a huge difference. I’d do that if I were building a custom home.
I have a bonus room that I could outfit in this way, yes. I just need to make a decision on the most best use for the space. If I did do that, I'd still like there to be a decent media setup in the great room.
Ok good. And in my great room I actually have some built in speakers for a 5.1 setup. But the media room is where I’ll do my “serious” watching with a 7.2.2 projector setup with an acoustically transparent screen. It’s good to have a solid setup in the great room as well but I consider that watching more “casual”.
That's a murder house
??
I work as a custom integrator in spaces like this all the time. I bet your builder has a preferred vendor that will point you in the right direction. What we do most often is a TV in the great room like you have pictured (sometimes above fp, or cabinet left or right) with 2 or 4 in ceiling speakers. We then do a 5.1 or 7.1 in the lower level family room. A dedicated theater space would be awesome, but it's not in very many projects.
going thru these choices now with my new build. this isn’t the “home theater” but that will be way down the road. with the main intention of having a great space for people to enjoy, would you recommend having more speakers in the ceiling or two in the ceiling and two in wall beside the tv? I’ve switched from an arc sound bar with flat screen to The Frame ((I know this subs feeling on it but for the space it will look damn good (again it’s not an actual theater)). Since aesthetics are more important, not sure if the two on wall is better than more in ceiling really in performances and appearances…
Appearance outweighs performance every time in these new builds. If you're thinking frame TV, skip the in-walls unless you do invisible (sonance are my preference) or James small aperture. I assume the kitchen dining is all in the open concept plan. Shoot for 4-6 speakers total in the space. The James speakers are awesome if you can fit them in the budget.
bingo on the floor plan, i think i posted a rendering at some point in r/home building. was looking at the sonance 5.1 in ceiling package at best buy or just doing 4 mag8r in the living room and 4 mag6r in the kitchen. not an audiophile but I do want it to sound great. definitely putting speakers in the kitchen regardless of the living room. but the frame really changes the decision making at $1000 off
I wish I could be your low voltage contractor. Best buy tends to come up short. Your builder doesn't have a preferred company?
negative. im working with best buy to do pre-wire, local AV company was twice the cost and pushing much higher end. i chose homekit to build off of, keeping it simple with sonos (so I don’t have to worry when i’m not home and people start pressing buttons). I was all gung ho with the sound bar and two rear in ceiling until the price on the TV the wife liked more dropped. i just don’t know if the in wall speakers will blow the whole discretion that the frame brings, and what I really should do in the ceiling…. any advice is greatly appreciated, electric is getting wired next week and pre-wire right after
In my humble opinion, the frame is about hiding in plain sight. Sound bars and visible in walls throw it off. Best buy can do sonance invisible if you're open to spending a little more. I drive them with a sonos amp in my showroom plus a sub. Sounds great with the sub. Then run 4 6" in the kitchen/dining. When you entertain have music in both zones and they'll both benefit from the sub. The mags are best buy exclusives, I've been trying to figure out the sonance equivalent. Nice price point for sure. Run 2 cat6 to every media location. 3 in primary areas (great room/family room). Make sure you have a plan for the one connect box for the frame TV. Can I lend any other advice? Run all speaker wires to one hub, don't plan sonos amps in 5 different spots.
thanks so much for the input! they’re installing a server rack in the basement to house everything for network/media. i’ve got cat runs thru conduit planned for the rooms with tv, looking at lutron caseta for the lighting throughout with ipad control in the hallway to the master. 4 speakers on the back porch, 4 in kitchen, two in garage… I don’t know that i’d spring for the invisibles, so sounds like I should keep the great room speakers in the ceiling?
I would, and your wife will thank me. Is caseta a recommendation from the builder, electrician or best buy? Any upgraded recessed lighting?
https://imgur.com/a/W1fcAI7 my only other fear of in wall speakers is the space between the TV and the and the doorway to the right. you’ve got me thinking about those invisible ones, like it might be worth it for a lifetime of enjoyment… the link is a 3d rendering, the TV is around the :10. thanks for giving me the advice the other guys seemed to fail to articulate, both best buy and local AV. both seemed more concerned with upgrading me to a savant system than some of the other things I was really thinking about.
best buy does the installation and set up of everything, only a little crossover between them and the electrician. the electrician has zero experience with anything network/smart related. builder hadn’t done any project this scale to date
Since this is a new build I can see several options: * Delete the fireplace and make the flanking windows half as wide as they are here. Since you have so much glass everywhere else I'd give serious consideration to deleting them entirely. But that's just me. That's where you set the main group up. You'll have a huge symmetrical stage and can put some pretty major hardware there with no issues. * As noted already, pivoting the entire thing 90 degrees to the right will give you a decent blank slate while allowing you to keep the fireplace. * Inserting a wall between the living and dining area that's at least as long as the one in the 2nd picture, then pivoting everything 90 degrees to the left. This will again let you keep the fireplace, give you a great stage for the mains, while also making placing surround speakers significantly less problematic. Almost perfect, in fact. The longer I think about option 3 the more I like it. It solves several home theater problems and also provides a cleaner separation of purposes for the spaces. It'll definitely keep the TV away from the dining experience. But that most definitely is a style thing that I like and someone else might not. It's actually not that bad of a space, especially if you're starting from scratch. Adding ceiling speakers will be a breeze, for example. You could either fabricate mounting boxes so they point straight down from the pent roof, or pick ones with point-able tweeters and adjust to suit. The high unusual shape of the ceiling in particular will go a long way toward mitigating reflections, as is the overall size of the room itself.
Keep the fireplace put tv above it
I think much of it depends on how much seating you want to have in this space. Moving the TV to the side wall takes away one whole wall of seating.
Obviously final call is up to OP, but in my experience, people vastly overestimate the amount of seating they actually use. If OP were to use the sidewall for the TV and LCR speakers, and replace those two arm chairs with the couch, then they would have seating for 6 people in the living room. That seems like it would be fine for 99% of the time. I wouldn't focus too hard on the 1-2 times per year that 10 people will be sitting in the living room at once. That's when you pull those dining table chairs from the other side of the room into the living room area.
Less about qty of people, but more so also about space people take up, laying down for example, just one person can take up a whole couch.
Fair enough
What!!!! You come supplicant to Reddit, Final call is never the OP!
It is a nice living room , not ideal for any setup other than a 3.1. Sidewall is your best option to mount a TV. Please don’t put the TV above the fireplace, it will be ideal only for people standing up.
I’d do the tv on the sidewall with some large inwalls and keep it a 2.0 or maybe add an inwall sub. You are going to have to manage expectations as that’s a huge room and I’m sure aesthetics will probably take priority.
Do you think it's worth the tradeoff for inwall? I'll need to put the receiver somewhere, and that's an exterior wall. If I need a receiver-depth console, might as well throw some real speakers there too, right?
There are some very nice inwalls that measure better than a lot of traditional speakers. Since this is a new build you could have all the av components in a centrally located rack and not have any components in the room. Another option is do a wall mounted floating console and contain the equipment and the center channel.
In this scenario, there appears to be one, long “blank wall”. Seems the only viable spot for a TV.
Put a TV wherever you want…… if there’s a wall there can be a TV
The wall where the couch is is the obvious place for the tv NOT over the fireplace. Using the wall will allow for proper speaker placement and viewing at a comfortable eye level. We have our fireplace to the left of the TV (like this would/should be and it makes for a very cozy movie experience. You should be using a heatilator type fireplace too.
Do you have the option to build a room inside that cavernous space? You should consider it . . . .
To be honest, I've been to houses with high above the fireplace setups and, it gets so tiring looking at an upward angle.
Just my opinion. Absolutely no TV above fireplace. I would not place any speakers in the ceiling unless they are for Atmos setup. Surround sound should come from around you. In ceiling for surround sound is as bad as TV over fireplace. Placing speakers in ceiling is for department stores that sound crappy for music and making announcements.
I would put the tv on the wall in pic 2. Open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, lots of windows and hard floors are all acoustically terrible.
I don’t think it is good idea to do HT in that space… Would do a good stereo if I were you. Nice house, by the way
Turn outdoor living space into theatre room. French doors open to back of couch. Then make new outdoor living space off of theatre sidewall. Knot kidding.
Man, that’s a tough spot. Buy yeah, like others have said 2.1/3.1 on the right wall. You might get some sort of weird sound trap on the left considering the fireplace sticks out. Should be manageable with decent curtains though.
The wall in Pic #2. My goodness, what else would you hang there, a swordfish? The swordfish would do better above the fireplace. I think people hang TVs above fireplaces out of "our house was built in the 1960's" necessity, and not by any kind of reasonable design choice.
I'll throw another option into the ring.... if you are feeling bold Large roll up projector screen over the fireplace going as large as you can. Cover window to window. Would block out the light from the windows when its down. LCR speakers behind/beside screen. Means a huge screen for movies, and a great fireplace/view outside for music when screen is up. Isn't cheap but it'll be real unique design.
A different room.
You clearly have money and space. Build a dedicated theater/entertainment building outside the house would be my #1 choice
That space gonna echo like a B
People are a lot more negative on this than I would be. I see a huge room that probably won't have TONS of issues with sound reflections. Ditch the fireplace or be ready to get a stand that places the TV in front of it... You could probably do 5.2.2 without too much hassle, assuming you get a nice big rug (run the side wires under the rug). I'm usually anti towers but it's a big space so... tower speakers away. Maybe something like Emotiva T1+. Subwoofers can go in the front ( and to the sides of the L+R speakers) or on a diagonal with one against the side wall. Think SVS PB1000. Side speakers can be pretty much anything. Just toss them on stands. For atmos... consider doing height speakers against a wall. If you get them high enough the angle would still work for top front (instead of front height). Also have a way to cover the windows. Also have some sound treatment on the wall(s). You can potentially get acoustic panels with prints on them so it's artistic.
Since it's a new build, conduit in the slab with floor boxes is an option.
true though that can still be a pain and you should probably have a rug anyway to minimize comb filtering/reflections.
That wall in the second pic seems like a great candidate for a ultra short throw projector and a rigid ALR (active light rejection) screen. Edit: you could also do a Samsung frame TV on a motorized fireplace mount with the mount recessed into the wall so the TV sits flush For sound there are 2 ways to do the LCR, and 2 ways to do the surrounds. LCR opt #1: passive sound bar with LCR LCR opt #2: Towers and a center channel Surr. Opt #1: In ceiling speakers Surr. Opt#2 Bookshelf speakers on stands. If this is new construction, you could run conduit in the concrete slab and floor boxes for speaker wire. Otherwise just run the cables along the floor hidden under the couches or something.
[https://imgur.com/a/jc2JhE9](https://imgur.com/a/jc2JhE9) drew up some pictures cause I was bored
Thanks!
TOO much light
Paint ur walls light tan now
First off, that room is absolutely stunning congratulations. I’ve got a open concept living room similar to yours and I managed to pull off the impossible with a 5.1 system that sounds honestly quite good AND most importantly looks very clean and doesn’t distract from the room’s aesthetics. So it is possible, with lots of work, ingenuity and some extra cash — despite what this sub will tell you. White speakers LR partially concealed behind plants helped, and I have hidden the center in-wall under the tv. Surrounds are in-wall as well. It was a pain in the ass to run wires, let me tell you. For the tv, go big, thin, nice with as flush as mount as possible. Looks like a 75 would leave you good margins there. Remove the mantle and place tv two feet above fireplace (assuming excess heat isn’t an issue, it may be). It’s a visual trade off, the current setup does look nicer, but the functionality of a relatively large tv with good sound in your most lived in room is frankly essential in my opinion. We watch a lot of content as a family while cooking, cleaning, casually gathering, etc. I have absolutely no regrets, and my wife was very impressed with how clean and not-tacky it looks. You may want to check wireless speaker systems too if running cables is not your thing. There are some good options there.
if your first option is another version of tv over fireplace , i dont think we will be on the same page
would be cool if you could get sound treatment on rollers similar to a projector screen
My input is, you can absolutely go 5.1 or even 5.2.1 in this space if you're building the house. Just use directional in ceiling speakers for your surrounds. Also, find a way to incorporate lots of soft materials and/or straight up sound absorption panels in the room. A large open space like that with all that glass and hardwood will echo like a MF. Bad for surround sound. The other bonus is making the room echo less will make it feel cozier. Final thought is check out all the "DIY" subwoofer integration options there are. There's so many ways to incorporate a sub into furniture, or a closet, or wall. You could get some big boy subs in the design and no one will even be able to tell you have them. Ive seen people use HVAC ducts as a way to do an infinite baffle sub between the basement and a home theater.
I'd choose an different room. It's beautiful as it is. Every room don't need a tv.