Build your own Stealth Cinema: Part III

If you’re looking to upgrade your home cinema experience, there are typically two routes you can follow – commission a pro-installation company (typically someone from CEDIA, but not exclusively) or artfully structure your living room around your chosen pieces of equipment (the only constraint usually being the tolerance of your partner). But there is a third approach – designing and building a pro-grade cinema yourself.

In our previous installments, we’ve undertaken just such a project. Our tutorial has documented the entire conversion of a room, from humdrum living space into a dedicated multimedia haven. And this is the end result.

The design brief was to create a ‘stealth’ cinema – a 7.2 speaker configuration where every enclosure (including the two subwoofers) is hidden away in walls and ceilings. The space had to function both as a general TV room (albeit one with a kick-ass 65in plasma) as well as a motion-sickness-inducing cinema with a 110in screen.

The entire project took around ten months (drawn out as funds dwindled at regular points), but the end result is genuinely satisfying.

The room as presented here is not truly finished. A very plain room with lots of hard surfaces, it’s still awaiting acoustic treatment. Without these, it’s not difficult to hear the slap echo. However I was still surprised at how good even the untreated room sounds. The hard surfaces emphasise treble, creating exciting and immediate audio, yet the dialogue from the Def Tech speakers is clean and un-muddied.

The basic room design conforms to a Live End/Dead End design. When the heavy blackout drapes are drawn, the viewing area, with its substantial, soft sofa represents around 25 per cent of the space. In due course, I plan to add on-wall acoustic panels from RPG Europe, to reduce the slap echoes and help moderate standing waves.

Overall, there’s little I would have done differently but I will admit I used too much cabling. In addition to two HDMI cables and component, I also ran composite and S-video legacy cabling, plus VGA and a couple of CAT5s (for possible futureproofing). This was overkill. I should have stuck with the hi-def interconnects and the 12V trigger (3.5mm). That would have saved money and simplified the cable runs.

One unsuspected problem arose with the Screen Research screen, the casing of which is screwed into the joists. After some four months of use, it started to rattle: a horrible, metallic resonating noise whenever the volume crept up or the LFE rumbled. After closer inspection, it appeared that part of the case itself (which is made from several elements) had pulled apart a tad – this might be simply down to slight movement in the joists caused by weather – enough to vibrate and rattle under duress. This was cured through liberal use of Blu-tack squished between the two horizontal planes. It’s unclear at the moment if this is a permanent fix, or whether Mastic sealant will need to be used to buffer the conflicting parts of the case.

I also underestimated the sheer strain and stress of putting our DIY cinema together. Trying to hit deadlines was a real nerve-jangler, particularly once I had the delivery date confirmed for the sofa. Still, the effort was worthwhile – the room rocks.

Up and Running

I thought the Definitive Technology Reference speakers would be good, but their performance has exceeded my expectation. They have a rich, precise sound that works equally well for highly dynamic movie soundtracks and multichannel music.

We’ve written much about the virtues of both Onkyo’s TX-SR875 receiver (soon to be replaced by the 876) and Panasonic’s TH-65PX600 65in TV, but adding a good deal more techno-bling to the room is the Goelst G-Rail system which opens and closes the blackout curtains. Control of this been integrated into the Niko Nikobus lighting system, but it can also be programmed to open and shut automatically at a given time – a funky security feature.

I also adore the Daikin air conditioning system. Not only is it stunningly quiet in operation, watching it open and unfold for use is as mesmerising as watching Thunderbird 2 prepare for launch. It’s a brilliant bit of engineering.

One of the surprises in the room is the level of LFE. The in-wall Velodyne SC-1W subwoofers are powered by a Velodyne SC-1250 stereo power amp from the brand’s SubContractor series. To tune the subs to the room, I’ve employed Velodyne’s SMS-1 unit. This uses sophisticated room correction software, including full DSP control, onscreen display and 8-band digital parametric equalizer.

The interface itself is not particularly intuitive, but it’s unbeatable for tailoring the LFE output to match the room.

Overall then, I’d judge our DIY cinema project as a resounding success, and one hopefully that’ll encourage more HCC readers to give their cinema rooms an extreme AV makeover.

KIT CHECKLIST

Panasonic TH-65PX600: Full HD 1080p24 65in plasma television
Super-large plasma offers superb detail and smooth motion
Onkyo TX-SR875: THX Ultra2 7.1-channel AV receiver with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA decoding, four HDMI inputs & onboard Reon scaler
Sky+ HD: The de facto hi-def satellite service offers a wide variety of HD programming
Panasonic DMR-EX85: Freeview recorder is also compatible with DVD-A multichannel discs!
Definitive Technology Reference Series: High-end in-wall speakers and dual-array bipolar in-wall rears
Belkin Pure AV PF50: Multi-purpose 10-socket mains conditioner
Pioneer LX70a: Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA bitstream outputting Blu-ray player with networking
Toshiba HD DVD EX-1: Legacy HD player
Samsung BD-P1000: Region A first-generation Blu-ray player
Oppo DV-981HD: Universal SACD and DVD-A DVD player
Mitsubishi HC5000: Full HD LCD projector
This low-noise projector has now been replaced by the HC6000, which offer better black levels and keystone correction
Velodyne SC-1W subwoofers: Two passive in-wall woofers provide the LFE
Velodyne SC12-50: Power amp for the two in-wall subwoofers.

COMPANY CHECKLIST
HCC’s D.I.Y. home cinema used the following kit and service providers...

Velodyne
SC-IW SubContractor in-wall subwoofer, £815 SC-BB backbox, £145 Velodyne SC-1250 power amp, £850
www.red-line.co.uk
Tel: 0131 555 3922

Definitive Technology
Reference Series UIW RLS 11 L/C/R speakers, £650 per speaker Reference series UIW RSS 11 surround speakers, £599 per speaker
www.pulsemarketing.org
Tel: 01279 718 884

Screen Research
THX Acoustic Transparent in-ceiling trapdoor screen (product code MS-IT-110-178-2W-B) inc motor controller, £6,315
www.pulsemarketing.org
Tel: 01279 718 884

Niko Home Automation & Lighting Systems
Niko Lights are a favourite with European high-end installations. Niko Nikobus Lighting can also be used with home automation products.
www.usd.uk.com
Tel: 01525 877707

RajVar Technologies
Smart lighting and home automation system integrators
www.rajvar.com
Tel: 020 8206 0979

Future Automation
PF-65 Plasma mount, £200
www.futureautomation.co.uk
Tel: 01438 833577

Goelst
G-Rail 6200, £price on application depending on requirements. Can be integrated with the Niko Smart Lighting system
www.goelst.nl
Tel: 01423 873002

Daikin air conditioning
FTXG-E air conditioner plus external unit, inc. installation, £2,500 approx
www.daikin.co.uk
Tel: 0845 6419000
Cool Connections
Tel: 01708 724165

Green Glue
Case of 12 857ml tubes, £98
www.greenglue.co.uk
tel: 01303 230944

Ixos Cables
www.ixos.co.uk
tel: 01844 219 000

And last but not least..
Builder Dave Ryall
Tel: 07957 488 002