Mis à jour le 24 January 2022.
When buying his house, Bernard wanted an additional room which would become his cinema room. A dream that this home theater enthusiast was able to live by creating this personnal movie theater with Klipsch THX 9.2.4 system, which allows him to fully enjoy films and concerts.
How big is your home theater room?
My cinema room is 5.25 x 4.2m, i.e. an area of 22 m². It’s an old bedroom which I completely redid.
How long did it take you to build this home theater?
The bulk of the work lasted a week, but it took me several years to acquire all the equipment.
When did you decide to design a room dedicated to home theater? Why create a personal movie theater?
My passion started in 1996 and I went through several stages, with a non-dedicated room at first, then my first dedicated room which I created in 2000.
How did you organize the construction work? What was the most challenging part?
The two main challenges were a roof slope on one side and a window. So we decided to make the room widthwise to have the slope to the right, so the four surround speakers were placed just a little above ear level when seated. It was also necessary to find the right compromise with my wife for the size of the screen and the choice of armchairs.
What was the overall budget for the system and construction work?
I couldn’t give you an exact amount off the top of my head, whether for the equipment, the works or even the decoration, because it’s the result of years of purchases and sales, but I think that it must be somewhere around €30,000.
Can you list the equipment used and tell us why you chose these brands?
My home theater system consists of the following elements:
- 1x Marantz AV-8805 A AV receiver
- 1x Parasound Halo A31 Power Amp
- 1x Yamaha MX-A5000 Power Amp
- 4x Klipsch CDT-5800-C speakers
- 1 x Klipsch KA-1000-THX amplifier for passive subwoofers
- 5x Klipsch KL-650-THX speakers
- 4x Klipsch KS-525-THX speakers
- 2 x Klipsch THX-1200-SW subwoofers
- 1 x Panasonic DP-UB9000 EG1 Blu-ray player
- 1 x Epson EH-TW9400 projector
- 1 x Harkness microperforated 265cm wide projection screen
A requirement for me was to have the speakers behind the screen in order to recreate the cinema effect as much as possible and so dialogues would be level with the picture. I bought a Klipsch THX Ultra 2 kit in 7.2 to which I added 4 atmos, still from Klipsch. I recently added 2 additional front wide speakers identical to those behind the screen.
I have a Marantz AV8805 preamp which manages the 13 speakers, a Parasound A31 power amp for the front speakers, a Yamaha MX-A5000 power amp for the rest of the speakers and the Klipsch THX amp ultra 2 for the subwoofers. I have a Panasonic UB 9000 4K Blu-ray player connected to an Epson 9400 projector calibrated for my Harkness 265cm micro-perforated 16/9 screen. Finally, I used the audyssey automatic calibration via the smartphone application and I am quite happy with it.
How do you control the system (apps, universal remote controls, etc.)? Applications? Universal remote control?
I used a Logitech Harmony remote for a while, but now I use the Marantz preamp control, which works great for me.
Did you use any acoustic treatment? If not, do you plan to use one in the future?
I placed rockwool behind the front stage and bass traps at the 4 corners of the room.
What is the first movie you watched in this room? Which one gave you a taste for home theater?
I started with the first Star Wars movie like many of us, then the Alien franchise, the Avengers movies, etc.
How often do you use this cinema room?
I try to use this room as much as I possibly can, so about 3 to 4 times a week to watch movies and concerts.
Do you watch anything other than movies? Sporting events? Series? Video games? Concerts?
I also use this room for concerts and sometimes to watch Netflix.
How would you like to upgrade your system?
The next step will be to acquire a native 4K laser projector, but it’s not planned for anytime soon. I’m going to wait for the prices to drop and anyway my Epson already suits me very well, the image delivered is unparalleled in terms of value for money.
What piece of advice can you give to someone who wants to make a room like this?
It is important to think carefully and take your time to acquire the equipment you really want. The second-hand market is full of very good equipment, sold by enthusiasts like me who want to change for a slight improvement although they already have a very good setup. Finally, you must also learn to enjoy movies without paying attention to the smallest details.
Discover Bernard’s cinema room
