Building a Moderately Priced HT - Loading the Equipment

Once we were finished with the room construction it was time to load in the new equipment (we detailed the gear earlier in this article). The change from temporary system to final system was dramatic to say the least:

Temporary System                       Final CinemaSITE System

Check out our first look article of the RBH Sound CinemaSITE system for a full blow-by-blow of that product's integration into Reference System 2. Suffice it to say, the install was amazing, with the main system taking only about 4 hours from unboxing to installation. From there we installed the surrounds and back surrounds and proceeded to load up the equipment rack with our reference equipment.

Room Acoustics

After the room is completed and the equipment is loaded in is a good time to add the room acoustics. You don't want to have absorption panels in the room or Skyline diffusers on the ceiling when you are painting or loading the room. Rives Audio recommended the following products for use in Reference System 2:

• 10) 2' x 2' RPG 7" Skyline diffusers
• 4) 2' x 4' x 2" absorption panels (2" Owens Corning 703)
• 12) 2' x 2' x 2" absorption panels (2" Owens Corning 703)
• 2) Hunter Douglas Duet Honeycomb window treatments

RPG Diffuser Systems provided the absorption panels and the 7" deep Skyline diffusers for this Reference System. When mounting 2" panels 2" off the wall (by using 2x2s or other method) you can achieve significant absorption down towards the 250Hz range. If you merely mount 2" panels on the wall you only achieve meaningful absorption extending down to around 500Hz. Panels less than 2" are pretty much not recommended and won't do much more than provide wall accents or EQ your room's midrange.

We selected RPG's Absorbor™ panels with the Guilford of Maine upgraded fabric and beveled edge. The RPG absorption panels are incredibly easy to install - unbelievably so. Each set of panels comes with a set of three metal spike plates which fasten to the wall (or in the case of this system, the wall-mounted 2x2's) via a couple of screws. After securing the mounting plates, you simply slide the panels downward so that the spikes dig into the fiberglass backing, locking them into place. If you need to reposition the panels, simply pull them up and off and try again.

The RPG Skyline Diffusers are a bit different in that they come with hook and loop fasteners. Since they mount directly overhead at key areas around the room I was hesitant to trust the hook and loops without any additional help. After evaluating my options I opted to screw in the ceiling side of the hook and loops as well as add a "dab" of liquid nails to the center of each 2' x 2' Skyline. There is no way they were going to come down with this type of mounting configuration.

Conclusion

The end result of this room was a pleasing system with a much-improved frequency response and excellent usability. Not only did we end up with an impressive home theater system with hidden equipment and an RF remote - but I am now able to simultaneously evaluate equipment and write reviews in the same room. The CinemaSITE is a spectacle to see - especially in a room that is properly darkened and treated. The fact that about 750+ feet of cabling can be hidden behind crown molding and stealthily dropped down the insidesof walls without exposure is really a sight to... not see.

Where are the listening tests? All over. While we're saving a specific measurement breakdown for another article to coincide with the establishment of a more systematic standard for in-room before and after measurements, all product reviews posted after March of 2006 include the acoustical treatments and finished EQ and subwoofer adjustments of Reference System 2.

Building a reference home theater is no small task and both Gene and I have toiled at it for quite some time this year. Gene, in fact, is still in the process of constructing his premier system. If you take your time, evaluate the options and really plan out your project, you can arrive at a home theater that rivals many of the underperforming screening rooms found in many cities. Hey, maybe that should be the way you pitch it to your significant other?