TL;DR
A custom home theater is a fully designed room — projector or TV, surround sound, acoustic treatment, and a control system all planned and calibrated together. We handle everything from the initial room assessment through final calibration across NYC and northern NJ, starting from $10,000 (labor and equipment included). Book a consultation and we'll design a system for your space.
Table of Contents
A custom home theater installation is more than mounting a TV and plugging in a soundbar. It's a room designed for your specific space — where every piece of equipment, every cable run, every speaker position, and every lighting choice is planned before anything gets installed.
We design, install, and configure complete home theater systems across all five boroughs and northern New Jersey. This guide walks through our process, the equipment we use, NYC-specific challenges, and what it all costs.
Every custom home theater project follows three phases. This is what separates a professional build from buying equipment and hoping it works together.
Design
We visit your space, take measurements, and plan the entire system around your room and how you use it.
- Room layout — seating position, screen placement, speaker locations mapped to your dimensions
- Speaker placement — calculated for your room's shape and size, not guessed
- Projector and screen sizing — matched to throw distance and viewing distance
- Acoustic treatments — absorption panels, bass traps, and diffusers placed at reflection points
- Wire routing — every cable path planned before we cut or drill anything
- Control system — how you'll operate everything day-to-day
Install
All equipment is ordered and verified for compatibility before installation day.
- TV or projector mounted to the wall or ceiling
- In-wall and in-ceiling speakers installed flush
- All wiring run through walls, ceilings, and floors — zero visible cables
- AV receiver and source equipment set up in a media console, closet, or ventilated rack
- Subwoofer placed in the optimal position for the room
- Acoustic panels and bass traps mounted at calculated positions
This is where a custom install separates itself from a DIY setup.
- Audio calibration — receiver's calibration microphone measures the room and adjusts every speaker's volume, delay, and EQ
- Video calibration — brightness, contrast, color temperature set for your room's lighting conditions using test patterns
- Control system programming — scenes like "Watch Movie" (dims lights, turns on projector, switches input) and "Game Mode" programmed into your controller
- Walkthrough — we show you how to use everything before we leave
Our Equipment: What We Install
Projectors — Sony and JVC
We install Sony and JVC laser 4K projectors exclusively. These are reference-grade displays for dedicated theater rooms.
| Brand | Model | Price | Best For |
|---|
| Sony | VPL-XW5000ES | ~$6,000 | Entry premium — native 4K SXRD, excellent for dark rooms |
| Sony | BRAVIA Projector 8 | ~$19,000 | Mid-premium — flagship picture processing |
| Sony | BRAVIA Projector 9 | ~$32,000 | Reference-grade — the best home theater projector available |
| JVC | DLA-NZ7 | ~$11,000 | Best-in-class contrast ratio, native 4K D-ILA |
| JVC | DLA-NZ800 | ~$16,000 | HDR performance leader with laser light engine |
| JVC | DLA-NZ900 | ~$30,000 | Reference — deepest blacks in any home projector |
For rooms with ambient light or multipurpose living spaces, we also install 75-97" OLED TVs and LED video walls.
Screens — 100" to 150"
We pair projectors with proper screens — the difference between a dedicated screen and a white wall is dramatic.
- Fixed-frame screens — best picture quality, lowest cost, permanent install
- Motorized screens — retract into the ceiling when not in use, ideal for multipurpose rooms
- ALR (Ambient Light Rejecting) screens — reject overhead light while accepting projector light, essential for rooms that can't be fully darkened
Control Systems — Josh.AI and Control4
We install two control platforms:
Josh.AI — AI-powered voice control designed for the home. Privacy-first (no data sold to advertisers), wall-mounted touchscreens, natural language commands ("Josh, play the movie and dim the lights"). Built for high-end residential projects.
Control4 — Whole-home control system that ties together AV, lighting, climate, security, and audio into one interface. One remote controls everything. Scalable from a single room to an entire home.
Surround Sound — 5.1 to Dolby Atmos
| Configuration | What It Means | Best For |
|---|
| 5.1 | 5 speakers + 1 subwoofer | Standard surround — great for most rooms |
| 7.1 | 7 speakers + 1 subwoofer | Larger rooms with rear seating area |
| 7.1.4 (Dolby Atmos) | 7 speakers + 1 sub + 4 ceiling speakers | Full immersive audio — sound moves in 3D space, including overhead |
We use in-ceiling and in-wall speakers for a clean, invisible installation. Every speaker gets a dedicated wire run back to the receiver — no daisy-chaining.
Acoustic Treatments
We design and install acoustic treatments as part of the build:
- Absorption panels at first reflection points — fabric-wrapped panels that prevent echo and muddy dialogue
- Bass traps in room corners — thicker panels that tame boomy, one-note bass
- Diffusion panels on the rear wall — scatter reflections to keep the room sounding natural, not dead
- Carpet or thick rugs if the floor is hardwood
Even basic treatment — panels on the side walls and bass traps in the corners — transforms how the room sounds.
Want us to design your system? Book a consultation — we'll visit your space, plan the equipment layout, and give you a fixed-price quote that includes everything.
NYC-Specific Challenges
NYC home theaters have challenges that suburban builds don't face. We handle all of them.
Plaster, Brick, and Concrete Walls
Pre-war buildings have plaster over wood lath or metal lath. Brownstones have exposed brick. Post-war high-rises have concrete. Each requires different hardware and technique.
| Wall Type | Approach |
|---|
| Drywall | Standard mounting, easy cable routing |
| Plaster over wood lath | Toggle bolts, careful cutting to avoid cracking |
| Plaster over metal lath | Specialty drill bits, specific anchor pattern |
| Brick | Hammer drill, concrete anchors |
| Concrete | Specialized anchors, surface-mount cable routing |
Building Requirements
If your building requires a Certificate of Insurance (COI), we provide one. We carry general liability and umbrella insurance and send COIs directly to your building management. We also coordinate freight elevator reservations and scheduling around permitted work hours.
Noise Management
Bass travels through floors and walls. We design around this constraint:
- Subwoofer isolation pads — decouple the sub from the floor, reducing transmission by 50%+
- Strategic sub placement — away from shared walls
- Bass management — receiver settings that limit low-frequency output to neighbors
- Ceiling speaker isolation brackets — prevent vibration transfer to the apartment above
Small and Unusual Rooms
NYC apartments have L-shaped living rooms, exposed brick on one side and drywall on the other, and 8-foot ceilings. We use room correction software (Audyssey, Dirac Live) to compensate for acoustic irregularities. A properly calibrated system in a weird-shaped room sounds dramatically better than an uncalibrated one in a perfect rectangle.
What Does a Custom Home Theater Cost?
All pricing includes labor and equipment — there are no separate installation charges. You get a fixed price for the complete build.
| Build Level | What's Included | Starting From |
|---|
| Essential | 75" TV, 5.1 surround, cable concealment, calibration | $10,000 |
| Premium | Projector + screen, 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos, acoustic treatment, Control4 or Josh.AI | $20,000 |
| Reference | Sony/JVC flagship projector, full acoustic treatment, Josh.AI or Control4, theater seating integration | $50,000+ |
Every project gets a custom quote based on your room, your goals, and your budget. Book a consultation and we'll design the system around your space.
Who We Work With
We work directly with homeowners, and we also partner with:
- Interior designers — integrating AV into the overall design vision
- Builders and general contractors — pre-wiring during construction for the cleanest possible install
- Architects — planning equipment placement and acoustic requirements into the building design
For projects involving design professionals, we coordinate on equipment selection, wire routing plans, and aesthetic integration so the technology serves the design — not the other way around.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a custom home theater installation take?
An essential build (TV, 5.1 system, cable concealment) takes a full day. A premium build (projector, Atmos, acoustic treatment, control system) takes 2-4 days. Pre-wiring during construction is fastest. Fishing wire through finished walls adds time but is absolutely doable.
Can I install a home theater in an apartment?
Yes. Most of our installations are in NYC apartments. You don't need a dedicated room — a living room with a mounted TV, in-wall or on-wall speakers, and a receiver is a genuine home theater. The acoustic treatment and calibration make the difference, not the room's purpose.
What's better for a home theater — TV or projector?
For rooms with controlled lighting (basements, rooms with blackout curtains), a projector gives you 100-150" of screen. For rooms with ambient light (most living rooms), a modern OLED delivers a brighter, sharper picture. We recommend based on your specific room conditions.
Do I need acoustic treatment?
It makes a bigger difference than upgrading your speakers. A room with bare walls and hardwood floors sounds echo-heavy regardless of how good the speakers are. Even basic treatment transforms the sound. Budget $500-$1,500 for basic, $2,000-$5,000 for full room treatment.
Ready to Build Your Home Theater?
We design, install, and configure complete home theater systems — from the initial room assessment to the final calibration. Every build is custom to your space. All pricing includes labor and equipment starting from $10,000.
See our Home Theatre service page for more details, or book a consultation — tell us about your room, your goals, and your budget, and we'll design a system that fits.
