Addendum: For those looking at the room dimensions quizically, the effective length will be shorter after treatment and a bookcase is built in the back wall. I'll defer to Richards expertise as to the final exact dimensions.
The Most Important Component
The room. I've long felt this but despite treating my rooms with panels, tube traps, etc. have never had what I considred a good room. I've recently pulled the trigger and hired Richard Bird, the man behind Rives Audio to make my basement an acoustical nirvana. He's flown out, spec'd and measured the part of the basement which will become a dedicated listening room, and despite the quizical looks from the contractor, the project should start in a week or so. It'll be 24'x14'x7'10". The tricky part will be the ceiling which will be designed and treated to sound much taller than it's 7'10' height. The plans look way cool and I'm assured and expecting great things. So far the process has been mostly painless, although it's difficult to convince a contractor of the acoustical merits of the design, and Richard has been knowledgeable, professional and friendly. So far as easy as it gets. Dealing with the contractor may be another story, but I'm game :-) For those of you that think a low ceiling basement is suboptimal, as I once did, you may want to think again. If the low ceiling is the only limiting factor, it can be compensated for with the correct design. I'll update as things proceed, for those interested. I've a backup of antipsychotic meds just in case.