Modular Room-w/in-a Room HT? Think's a good idea?


Quite simply, what do YOU all think about the idea of a "Modular Room within a room system" for isolating dedicated AV/theater rooms/spaces within a home space/room as an concept?!?
Having personally done some custom dedicated sound isolated rooms and construction techniques applications on my own systems over the years , there's really been only those options, and then just sticking gear and treatments/fixtures in a room and call it a home theater, that most of us would ever consider(?). But while I've see some mostly industrial or pro audio type(?) products that pertain to modular room systems, for sound isolation (and or just isolated separate easy to assemble spaces within existing spaces/structures/warehouse/commercial space products,), I don't think there's anything directed specifically for the home theater market.

see bellow links for the concept that I'm refering to:

http://www.blackcatmusic.com/products/acoustic-products/modular-practice-rooms/wenger-sound-isolating-practice-rooms

http://www.bemcoinc.com/FLM.htm

What do you think? Great idea? Or would no one want this kind of product/concept to install in a room in their home for isolating their HT room (within a room)??!
Seems to me this would be a great and somewhat temporary, easily assemble-able/disassemble-able, yet high quality way to do an isolated sound room in your own home, that could also provide acoustically treated integrated walls, integrate other wiring, lighting, HVAC(?) and equipment?! I just think the idea has merit.
Think the masses of music/AV/HT consumers buy into this kind of product? I just think it would sell if it was marketed as such.

Comments?...Input?
avgoround
You'll probably feel at home in one of those. I bet its just like the one they put you in when you accidentally come off your meds.
The Black Cat Wenger is designed for music, but what is concerning is the tonality of the room as stated;

"Nine different acoustic simulations provide acoustic settings of a variety of different practice environments; from Arena to Cathedral."

and...
"The Royal Marines Band at Dartmouth has one Wenger room, in use in a musical community of 35 to 40 people. The room, around three metres by two in size, is fitted with a microphone and speaker. "If you want a dead room, you just turn it off and it becomes a box."

IOW, the room on it's own is a "dead room." You would not want to use your music room with their sonic devices, and you would not want a dead room.
Why not contact them and tell them your requirements.
Lowrider57, I merely cut-n-paste some links to the similar basic concepts I found -not specifically any given construction, fabrication process or materials, acoustic options, etc - just the concept of a modular space that fits in another space. My thought was that a dedicated product for home entertainment, complete, say, with fabric covered interior boundaries (which would cover acoustic treatments, hide wiring, in-wall speakers, etc??), and other features, could might be feasible, no?

(*Anyway, I would ask ZD542 to expound on his thoughts futher here, but then again why attempt to communicate intelligently with a Poster who's username is actually either a matching model number for Organic Brake Pads for you car, or it matches as his prison cell number, which he has tattooed on his back!?!! I Can't tell which ..Either way, he knows what he is

yeah..))
Ceramic brake pads, not organic. Asbestos is no longer used in brakes. Regardless, it was a good guess.

"My thought was that a dedicated product for home entertainment, complete, say, with fabric covered interior boundaries (which would cover acoustic treatments, hide wiring, in-wall speakers, etc??), and other features, could might be feasible, no?"

You can do the exact same thing with the walls that are already in your house. Not only that, in wall speakers suck. Why go through the trouble of making a room like this only to fill it with low end gear?
Yes, sub-genius!, .. you can put fabric and sound treatments n wiring and such on the existing walls in a home, or also in the tool shed which you live in in granny's back Yard!! Yes you should do that!

The entirety of this post was centered around A MODULAR SOUND ISOLATION STRUCTURE (not permanent extensive construction to existing walls/boundaries..or your toy box), WHICH COULD BE EASILY ASSEMBLED/DISASSEMBLED INSIDE AN EXISTING SPACE - NOT MADE PERMANENT!, THUS KEEPING THE GOOD SOUND IN AND OUTSIDE SOUND OUT -SEPARATE FROM YOUR VIBRATION/NOISE TRANSMITTING HOME STRUCTURE. Have a clue yet r did you actually read ALL of the post, besides 2 lines of content?

*BTW, "CHEAP" inwall speakers suck -not expensive ones, if you researched (yes, they even have one's with their own enclosure/cabinets - sealed). And, you don't HAVE to use in'ies. regular speakers could be used in a number of fashions. Just a consideration/suggestion for convenience and clean look inside. ..not siginificant to the core of this post. But thanks for chiming in. ...love explaining myself 3x's
Avgoround,

You're the human equivalent of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album. Every time I read one of your posts, I hear the same lyrics in my head over and over again: "The lunatic is on the grass".
I think the concept is sound; a room within a room, like a recording studio. Can you consult with a general contractor who has built recording studios? I think any prefab unit may be expensive and may not completely fulfill your needs.

How large is your listening room anyway?
Lowrider57, I actually have a couple of different rooms which I could use at my home, including a garage space. The idea would be to at least have the base partition structure fit in, say, a rather small room/space - 11'x12' , for example - with maybe at least a few inches of air space on each side of the partitions , once assembled. That would allow for some ventilation options, and connectivity flexibility to electrical outlets, openings, entrances/obstructions, and so forth in the existing room. Yes, it's true that this narrow space separation would NOT be ideally conducive to isolating bass energy, as that really requires more space between the wall spaces. HOWEVER using very thick, heavy, somewhat flexible rubber mat material as the outer partition wall boundary material just might knock enough of the bass impact down, to perhaps half the effectiveness you'd othewise have just playing bass in an attached room in any given home. Gotta be an improvement. Then, of course, if you could assemble the same in a larger space, you would get the added benefit of depth/distance between inner/outer room boundaries, which definitely would improve bass and mid range/upper energy isolation, for even better performance, yes!
Basically, the system could be either fixed predetermined size, to fit in any given space you need, or could maybe be adjustable, by fitting more sidewall panels, with some sort of adjustable ceiling system engineered into it???
Anyway, just thoughts and ideas. But I can tell you right now, that, in any typical room in a house/apartment/condo, ANYTHING would be better than simply sticking equipment into the room and expecting to either isolate internal or external sound from the outside or the rest of the home!!! That's a given.
Agreed. That's why recording studios are built that way; with sonics the priority and keeping out external sound. Those rehearsal rooms are not concerned with keeping the true sonics of the instrument, the concern is a quiet room inside and out.
I think, if you've got the budget, it could become a good music room. The alternative is constructing secondary drywall with sound absorption and wiring which amounts to building an entire room, which may cost more.

That's why a consultation with a contractor who has built studios may be a good way to start.
Lowboy, good sound inside has got to be a relative term at most, up to some level of interpretation. I think, for all intents and purposes , the home AV/HT market has pretty much got down what makes for a good sounding overall space in any given relative room dimension and design, and how to treat it at this point. Simply going to any PMI LTD, Lucas THX, Rives Audio website, and similar, etc, can get anyone understanding what amount of diffusion, absorption, reflection, re verb, bass absorption vs relative size, etc and so forth is needed to build into any space for MORE THAN adequate sonics inside, say, hidden panels and corner/bass traps??! That part would be easy.
As for what makes for "keeping the true sonics of an instrument"(?) Lowrider57, I'm not completely sure what that means to you..or to anyone else for that matter. Perhaps, coming from some pro-audio/studio background, you have your own tastes in room acoustics? Couldn't help you there. Ask any number of theater builders vs Audiophiles vs audio engineers, vs home theater enthusiests vs pro magazine reviewers, and so forth, I'm sure you'll get varying options and tastes. And, yet, simply realizing that smaller spaces have less bass absorption vs mid/hi freq energy - which requires more diffusion around room plus treating first order reflections, and corner bass traps, is a must. Medium sized spaces need similar but more absorption mixed in on sides and ceiling. Larger spaces absorb much more bass and therefore need more midrange/hi freq absorption to balance out, plus some diffusion all around. ..basic.
We could go on for days here though.
My point is that that could be worked out formula (with some customer modification(??) upon assembly if desired, again hidden inside fabric pannels internally in any structure, maybe bass traps in corners, and basic. Still MUCH MUCH better sounding than any drywall painted echo chamber or untreated standard domestic living space...I assure you
IMO, the market would be even smaller than targeting audiophiles. I think for many of us, the journey is as important as the end goal. Now my wife, on the other hand, might prefer I spend the money and be finished.

Then again, if the only space I have to play with is in the attic of the detached garage, I might be very interested in installing a sound room complete with base traps and customized wiring.

Ultimately, it all comes back to the price.
I believe targeting audiophiles is probably not the market, actually. I think audiophiles are happy with their $5K pre-amp, speakers and amp's of choice at the present, and some records and spinner plus tweaks, mostly. I don't even think a dedicated construct-able sound-room even would be in their equation, honestly.
However, anyone looking for a full on custom home theater/entertainment space in their home might strongly consider such if it was marketed to them effectively, say, through their local custom installer/AV retailer. If a customer was showing interest in a dedicated space setup, then the custom retailer would stear them to one of their rooms with said "Modular Room system", and show them the benefits, and why said customers NEEDS such a product! And, as you said, Pgawan2b, if the pricing was reasonable and right, it might then work...especially for basement homes back East, and such like. I think it could work, really..and I think more need could be met here than one might think actually. Maybe maybe...
Anyway, actually, this would still likely have to be a fairly involved system to construct. You'd either need the floor to be floating over the existing sub floor, and the sidewalls to rest on top of that, or the whole modular room to be floating on isolation pads/system of some sort.
Also, actually, the construction of floor and wall panels could even be similar in the way they attach to each other? But the ceiling system would prob need to assemble a bit different , I presume? And then also, if you stored all of this in your garage, or storage, or another spare room, dis-assembled, or whatever, that would still constitute some rather bulky furniture to have to deal with, whenever it wasn't in use/assembled.

Still, if you're going to go through the hassle and expense of buying an involved and pricey home entertainment system in a dedicated room/space, doesnt this makes more sense for most, IMO, rather than expensive room construction on existing - furred out walls, resilient channels, green glue, better insulation, permanently re-routing HVAC and lighting, blackening out the room, and still having sound leak through window and standard door openings, and then not truly decoupling the room from the rest of the home anyway? So cranking up your system becomes somewhat limited, due to noise leaking/transfer from all directions. and then of course this idea can be relocated and assembled at another location in future.
Well sounds interesting to me anyway. lol...
I see this concept has a lot of interest!? ..or not.
Anyway, apparently existing rooms (or sheds, in the case of those destitute sudo-audio expert posers) will be safe from foreign structures or advanced construction applications any time soon.
Yaaaawn... lol