Besides the above which is entirely possible,there are potentially numerous locations where the volume can be controlled and each has to be checked; the keyboard, the Notification Area icon, the Control Panel, any mixer installed,and audio support software to name a few. You have to check them all. Plus, it wouldn't be the first time the system was accidently muted so check those settings too. I just did a house call last weekend for "no volume" in one speaker. Looked all over and finally found the slide bar in a freshly installed WinAmp adjusted all the way to one side. Of course, no one knew how it got this way. DA

I think this will work with the small desk to fit on that wall. Besta is a whole system and I think you could get doors for it if you want covered storage. Ideally, the tv should be about 75% of the width of the tv console to create the proportions you see in the photo you posted. But I think function could certainly rule over form in this case. http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/80294503/

Looking at your plan ($ budget), first I suggest just hiring a professional AV company to handle this - the labor is about the same, you're buying the equipment anyway, but it will turn out much better with pros doing it. Ok, lots of things to cover on this project... I hear ya on look/feel over the perfect audiophile room, but we can still get it as close as possible while maintaining the open bar etc. Your ~14x20' rectangle is pretty darn close to the "golden ratio", what is your ceiling height? I recommend considering doing a soffit on the perimeter, as it slightly helps contain the sound in your "rectangle", defines the space, and helps block light in the adjacent bar area. 11.2.4 is kinda overkill for what you're doing, if you're not trying to go full audiophile. Ideally the side channels should be at ear-height (you could do a column between you and the bar). Then you got the towers in the back corners for 11.2... you could throw the channels in the incorrect spots, but do you smell what I'm stepping in here. You could do a great 7.2.4 or 9.2.4 atmos setup to skip the back towers 160" is also pushing it, that's a 12' wide screen and your centered back wall is about 14'. You'd have to cram freestanding towers in front into the front corners, and they wouldn't have enough breathing room <1' from the wall. Please consider 150" max, somewhere between 120-150". With a 120", ideal sitting distance is ~12'6" - 13'9" away. 150" is ~15'9" - 17' away. With your ~20' depth, you're only going to have room for 2 good seating rows, and only your front row will be in the audio "sweet spot". Working with what you have, assuming your front row will be your "ideal spot", even a 150" screen is getting too big to overlap your audio sweet spot. Bigger isn't better in this field, we have all sat in the front row of a commercial theater and gotten sore necks and eyes :D You're missing a media rack closet/location. You could technically locate it anywhere with IR repeaters, but this is one if those "keep it simple, stupid" things to just locate it there by the bar lol I'd flip your bar around so the "service half" is back by the projection screen. This would give you a good spot for your media rack, but more importantly the people sitting at the bar could view the screen instead of sitting with their backs to it. Also that 3'5" is pretty much commercial width with a full well on the service side etc... you could gain more real estate by slimming that down to 2' or so. Is your sink/drain rough-in already in place? The 16" drop is awesome for seating tiers, flipping the bar would also help make the floor height change less awkward. Do you need sump pumps in your area? If this is the lowest spot on your plan, you're gonna need a sump pump in this area. Maybe by the bar (which is fine) but still, afterthoughts = bad. Even if something happens where you get water/flooding, this will be the area of course I'm a huge fan of the informal theater with the bar behind it, but depending on what else is going on in the basement I'd really try to enclose it somewhere for sound proofing. Speaking of sound proofing, you're under your guest bedroom and dining room. Bedroom #5 is sharing a wall next door. Sound proofing is an entire topic, but dive into this if you think it might be an issue upstairs and it will be an issue in Bed #5. Planning and rough-ins are key. Route everything through chases since audio/video technology gets replaced/upgraded so fast. 8k video will be the standard "soon", and residential Atmos pretty much came out this year functionally. But if you end up sprayfoaming your ceiling, you don't want to end up saying "shit, atmos 11.2.4 has 4 ceiling speakers" then either make a mess or be married to up-firing speakers from the corner towers etc Yes you could call me an idiot and cram a 170" screen with Dolby 11.2.4 (because it technically would fit), but trust me, do what's best for your space. You could cram 20 speakers in the walls too but it wouldn't make your experience better.

We have klipsch audio for our movie room, we have towers flanking the tv and a large subwoofer along w other speakers (im no professiona lol) The sound, if youre into that, is ridiculous. We also have surround sound speakers built into the ceiling although im not sure if they are used during movies. In our greatroom, we also have surround sound built discreetily into the ceiling, and they have great sound. I guess it depends on if you want speakers showing, which i did not, but the media room is my husbands domain. For a sleek, customizable and very functional media console, id suggest BESTA from ikea. Google besta media consoles and you will get the idea. You can mount them on the wall which makes them look more contemporary and the illusion of not taking up a lot of floor space.