Before my divorce, we built a custom house in which I made sure to spec out a home theatre room in the basement. I did oodles of research, figuring out the ideal room dimensions to optimize sound, plus the best way to insulate it for sound (so I could enjoy movies at ear-splitting volumes without disturbing my then-wife):
The interior frame was decoupled from the rest of the house:
All wiring for networking, speakers and ceiling-mounted projector was pre-installed (as future-proofed as I could make it at the time).
The walls were decoupled from the interior frame using acoustic spacers, plus double-sheets of drywall and blow-in insulation:
The ceiling (also two layers of drywall) was hung from acoustic decoupling springs:
All these decouplers and drywall were installed and hung by me and my two brothers, and it was quite the task. We left the finishing to the builder.
A platform was included, for better sightlines in the back row:
And it was painted a neutral grey (so that reflections off the wall wouldn't wash out the projected image):
Carpet was also a neutral colour:
For some reason, I can't locate pictures of the finished room. It had custom recliners for four in the back, a 720P projector (1080P was ludicrously expensive at the time), THX 7.1 sound and a 100" 16:9 screen. The speakers I chose were ridiculously good, as was the amp and source equipment (DVD and Laserdisc only, as this was before Blu-ray). An 18" sub filled in the low end (and was the reason for all the insulation).
If I had to do it again, I would do a few things differently. First, decoupling the floor would have been relatively easy to do and would've helped soundproofing. Second, the door was insufficient to the task:
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3b12a27a9c.png
It was an insulated, outdoor-spec door but definitely the weak link. The correct way to do it is with a small atrium (i.e. two doors) and that would've prevented more than a few "turn it down!" admonitions. Finally, I didn't think to add more HVAC. With all the equipment going, the room heated up quite quickly and eventually the door would have to be opened in any case. More ventilation would've helped but a third, independent, HVAC zone would've been ideal. As with any project, you have to go through it once (or thrice) before you figure out the correct way to do things.
Regardless, it was a fantastic place to watch a movie or concert, and I miss it very, very much.
