This is why you give up control of every other room in the house to get a dedicated HT room that you have final say in. My wife can make suggestions in the HT room, but I can overrule them as I see fit. I cower in the corner when it comes to any other room in the house and let out the "yes dear", but the foot comes down in the dedicated HT room.

Acoustic treatments done after a room is constructed (like mine) are not beautiful visually (at least mine aren't). However, I watch movies in the dark and close my eyes and veg when I listen to 2-channel, so once you get over the "holy crap" response when you first enter the room with the lights on, you're home free.

Yes, my wife thinks I'm insane (she may have ground to stand on here), but does she really need 100 pairs of shoes or 50 different purses. I leave her alone with these things, so expect to be left alone with my one remaining area and hobby within the house. It's about give and take...I give her control of ~93% of the house and demand I have full control of ~7% of the house.

A link to some pics of my messy room:

http://ht.dblattman.com/images/

Nice room Doug, but a lot maybe most of us do not have a dedicated HT room. Would your system sound better if you removed the coffee table setting in front of your center channel speaker, or does the treatments make that a nonissue?

To be honest, it's not just the wife. It's also a matter of worthwhile effort. I intend to have a theater in my home when it makes sense - in other words, when I can afford to do it right and make it a permanent feature of the home (including all wiring, acoustic treatments, decor and perhaps even some equipment). Otherwise, it'll just be some junk I'll have to take down when it's time to sell the house.

Moreover, my wife and I have the same friends, so I'd prefer to be able to invite them all over for a movie instead of just the guys who don't care about a "messy room." I know, I know, HT is about enjoying the movie, but I'm also very practical and I have to satisfy that side of myself as well.

Besides, in my area, a dedicated HT done right, and frugally produced (i.e., lots of sweat equity) can add double it's cost to a home's value. Always WAF in that!

Paratrooper,

I am ditching the coffee table when I get around to new seating. Eventually, a few years from now, I will build a larger room and plan it much better. I started with what I knew and what I had. I know much more now and will put it all to use. I'm going to take my time with it and think about everything so I do not box myself into certain restrictions as I did this time. Hindsight is 20/20.

Right now, what I have SOUNDS excellent. When I rebuild my HT room it will LOOK excellent as well. It will definately be much more modular than it is now. I don't plan on ever moving, so eventually my entire basement will end up with a HT room, lobby/snack bar, media room, equipment room, arcade room, and my wife and I have even talked about a bowling lane. Does anyone have about 50K I can borrow...no wait, have? I will probably get everything done about the time my hearing is shot and I can't enjoy anything. Hey, it will give me something to do for the next 10 years.