2. misc-audio
  3. 165877-3674

Building a New Listening Room on a Budget

My wife and I have been considering our next home, and recently signed a PA agreement with our builder.
The basic layout of the house is set but not finalized, which should be done within the next week.
I will have a dedicated room for my audio needs.  It measures approximately 25' x 14', and is not a perfect rectangle.  Doing my best to describe it, there is a 14' x 14' square section on one end and a 11' x 9' section on the other.
I plan to set up in the larger section, and use the smaller section for record/music storage.
The utilities room for the house is in the adjacent room, and I plan to have the internet router in that room and run a LAN cable from there into my listening room for streaming purposes.  I already plan to have at least one dedicated power line installed.  Should I add a second?  And, should I do 20 amp or 15 amp?
I'm planning to insulate the ceiling and walls adjacent to other rooms inside the house to avoid disturbing my family with the noise.  The floors will have carpet and walls will be traditional drywall.  
Beyond these things, what should I focus on that will not cost a ton?  I have read Robert Harley's article on his dream audio room build, but he spent way more that I'm willing to.  If I had to put a limit on it I would say around $10K.  
What other areas should I focus on?  
Thanks in advance!
Peter
128x128snackeyp

Showing 1 response by scar972

scar972's avatar
scar972
218 posts
 
A lot of good tips mentioned here I wished I knew before I got started on my room on a budget. I particularly like the idea of using thicker insulation, carpeted flooring, the 5/8" sheetrock is a great suggestion, run plenty of cables, use a more insulated heavy duty door with foam seal all around to keep more sound in. For the walls, if you can meet the ceiling at a 45 degree angle it would eliminate a lot of in room corners that is usually responsible for excessive bass.
Wall treatment is a must in a dedicated room! more parallel walls to deal with than in conventional living rooms. Stay away from acoustic foam or use very sparingly, a dead sounding room is the last thing you want.   
More to discover