Building a soundproof cinema room

Like a lot of homeowners, William Oakley had an under-utilised part of his house. In his case an old outbuilding that had been used for storing the accumulation of life’s odds and ends. Lockdown saw high growth in repurposing previously neglected parts of people’s homes to better suit their lifestyle and leisure choices. William decided a new soundproof cinema room would be a far better use of this space, giving his family a much-needed entertainment area.

William engaged Cinema Rooms Ltd, a specialist AV equipment supplier and One Off Studio Ltd who specialise in the build and installation of Home Cinemas and Studios.

Due to the proximity of the proposed soundproof cinema room to neighbouring properties, it was decided to investigate what acoustic treatments were available. Without adequate acoustic insulation, William’s neighbours may have been subjected to significant noise pollution resulting in potential neighbourhood disputes.

Following a quick online search, William found iKoustic, a leading UK supplier of acoustic solutions. Discussing the available options with William and his installation team, iKoustic’s experts were able to advise on the most appropriate system to meet his needs. This included MuteClip, MuteCradle and Tecsound SY70, the quick and easily installed acoustic system providing market-leading acoustic benefits.

iKoustic acoustic expert Richard Woodhouse explained, ‘Finding the right solution was imperative for all parties. The system we proposed using MuteClip, MuteCradle and Tecsound SY70 was a cost-effective solution to a complex but often seen problem. The impact of unwanted noise is such an emotive issue in noisy neighbours’ scenarios often resulting in easily avoided disputes if the right materials are included in the project from the outset. iKoustic take pride in sharing our knowledge with installers and end users to ensure the job is right first time, saving expensive and intrusive remedial work.’

Maciek Helfer of One-Off Studio commented, ‘This is the first time I’ve worked with the MuteClip and MuteChannel acoustic system. It was so quick and easy to install. I also found it very useful I could FaceTime Richard at iKoustic with any installation queries when building the soundproof cinema room’. Simon Gregory of Cinema Rooms enthusiastically added, ‘We only work with the highest specification brands and products to bring customers the best Home Cinema experience.  The iKoustic team’s expertise and products fall into this category and we’ll definitely be using them again.’

William’s soundproof cinema room is now fully operational and thanks to iKoustic his family can enjoy the latest blockbusters in glorious surround sound late into the evening, while his neighbours enjoy a peaceful night safe in the knowledge the biggest Hollywood stars will only be joining William. William commented, ‘We finally got to test out the soundproofing for the first time today with some serious SPL! The system has worked beautifully, barely a whisper outside. Fantastic job iKoustic!’

iKoustic systems used in the soundproof cinema room project:

Floor

https://www.ikoustic.co.uk/systems/floating-floors-and-under-screed/mutecradle-1630mm-concrete

MuteCradle 16/30 was used to create a raised floor with the added benefit that the cradle and packers also allow accommodation of unevenness within the subfloor.

The raised floor not only improves acoustic performance but allows servicing to be run through the floor void. Ideal for a soundproof cinema room.

Walls

https://www.ikoustic.co.uk/systems/masonry-wall/muteclip-stud-double

MuteClip® Stud Double consists of an independent stud frame treated around the perimeter with Isolation Strip F5, MuteClip and MuteChannel are installed to the face of the stud. A double layer of 15mm acoustic board with Tecsound SY70 sandwiched between the two boards is then installed to MuteClip Channels.

The system not only adds significant mass to the partition, but the layers of mass are decoupled from the structure by MuteClip. MuteClip is, in effect, a shock absorber – creating a ‘buffer’ between layers of mass and the core construction.

The depth of the wall system also allows for servicing to run through the wall cavity of the soundproof cinema room.

Ceiling

https://www.ikoustic.co.uk/systems/timber-ceiling/muteclip-lp-double

As the ceiling height was restricted initially and further reduced by specifying a floating floor, MuteClip® LP (Low Profile) was used to minimise further loss in height.

MuteClip LP again is a mini-shock absorber that decouples layers of mass from the core construction.

With MuteClip LP you recess the clip and most of the channel into the joist cavity with channels running parallel to joists, this leaves just a few mm of channel sitting proud of the bottom of the joists – an acoustic benefit of MuteClip but with little encroachment on head height. This works great in a soundproof cinema room.

If you are looking to build a soundproof cinema room you can contact ikoustic and our friendly team will guide you with everything you need to know to get started. Contact us today.