We're finally finishing our out basement. It's probably about 1,200 sf of space when all is said and done. It is going to be modest but very nice for us.
We are planning two rooms that need AV. The larger room will be a game room with about a 46 inch TV and a 5.1 sound system. It is about 25 feet long by about 13 feet wide. Yes, there is a pool table at one end and a bar at the other.
The second room will be smaller and is dedicated to a real home theater with a 7.1 surround system. That room is about 12 feet wide by 16 feet deep. I know we should put the theater in the larger room, but the pool table takes priority.
For the theater room, our AV vendor has specced Boston Acoustics 6.5 inch speakers in the ceiling, an entry-level Artison sound bar, Current 10" subwoofer, a Samsung 60 inch 1080 Smart TV SAMF6300, and Denon X2000 7.1 receiver with Air Play.
For the game room he specced the same receiver, subwoofer, sound bar (front/center speakers) and rear speakers, but with fewer total speakers. The TV was a 46 inch Samsung 1080 SAM6300.
We're not real high level A/V geeks, but my impression was that this might be more of an entry level setup than we will want a few years from now. I would prefer to over-buy for now, anticipating some growth in the future. But when I asked about upgrading to the next level, I got vague responses that every component would cost another $1,000 to upgrade to the next level. A few thousand here, a few thousand there, and after a while you're talking about real money.
Anyway, I'm more into value that cost, and I'm willing to pay more if it gets me more value in the long run. I'm afraid I'm so stuck in 1980's-era technology that I don't even know the right questions to ask. I know there are some A/V professionals and serious aficionados on the Board, and I was wondering if anyone could offer me some suggestions or guidance.