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Listening room redux

68.175.102.80
Posted on June 24, 2015 at 19:00:39
Matthew G.
Audiophile

Posts: 413
Joined: June 9, 2000



A couple weeks ago I posted a mournful message about my woeful room acoustics. Inspired by your words, and with the fiancee's blessing, I've rotated the whole thing, as pictured. Still need to move some of the other furniture pieces and am open to suggestions. The lady concurs that it sounds much better this way. "More like live music," she says. And this is with the cheapest radio shack wire in use (my other cables weren't long enough). Any thoughts?

 

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RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 25, 2015 at 09:44:45
layman
Audiophile

Posts: 559
Location: Washington, D.C.
Joined: August 8, 2007
 I am not sure what you are trying to achieve (soundwise) but I see things that are sound enhancing in the room and I also see areas that could be improved.

Firstly, the layout looks sensible. The book-cases and storage units along the sides of the room (near the speakers) help diffuse sound and de-tune potentially problematic early reflections. Good job.

As far as improvements...floor to ceiling drapes made out of a natural fiber (synthetics will not do) besides looking great, will also help to de-tune early reflections (slap echo) created by the speakers proximity to the windows.

Moreover, a nice throw rug (natural fiber, cotton or wool only) placed in front of the couch between the listening position and the speakers will help to de-tune floor reflections arriving too soon at the listening position that could potentially color the sound in a detrimental way.

That's all I would try (were the room mine) to get the best sound from the room, curtains and a rug.

 

I agree, pleated full lenght cotton drapes, and a wool rug., posted on June 25, 2015 at 11:41:49
jnr
Reviewer

Posts: 2164
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Joined: April 5, 2000
 Don't use lined drapes, but a light weight pleated cotton drape will help the sound and so will the wool rug.

Room looks like you worked most things out. Congrats!
theaudiobeatnik.com

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 25, 2015 at 11:57:36
Matthew G.
Audiophile

Posts: 413
Joined: June 9, 2000
 I'd love to claim audiophile brilliance by putting the shelves where they are, but the truth is there was nowhere else to put them. There's already a rug between the sofa and speakers, perhaps hard to see in the photo. I'll give some thoughts to the drapes idea. Thank you for the suggestions.

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 25, 2015 at 12:10:43
Ozzy
Audiophile

Posts: 7594
Joined: September 21, 1999
 I think it makes sense that it sounds better.

I would put some drapes over the windows and some echo tunes in the upper corners to eliminate slap echo. If you are happy with the mid and upper bass, I wouldn't worry about corner traps.

Oz



Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 25, 2015 at 17:17:40
kkak66
Audiophile

Posts: 641
Location: Florida
Joined: April 25, 2000
 Don't just think about it, do it, put up them drapes. You will be surprised.

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 25, 2015 at 18:11:25
Matthew G.
Audiophile

Posts: 413
Joined: June 9, 2000
 I will be surprised if I can get them up without pulling out large chunks of drywall. Putting up the curtains in the bedroom was quite a process. I'm amazed they're still hanging.

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 25, 2015 at 18:24:49
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Matthew G-

where did you buy your CD rack?

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 25, 2015 at 18:42:41
Matthew G.
Audiophile

Posts: 413
Joined: June 9, 2000
 Hmmm. I've had it for a number of years and don't remember where I ordered it from. It might have been from racksandstands.com, which has become something else. It's not terribly sturdy, but it's survived two moves, and the finish is pretty nice. Sorry I can't provide more specifics.

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 25, 2015 at 21:41:19
Jim Treanor
Audiophile

Posts: 2167
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: June 1, 2003
 As a test, you might drape a large towel or throw rug over the front of the cabinet housing your CDs and see if you and your fiancee hear an improvement in right-side focus, imaging, and program articulation. It's possible that the extensive reflective mass presented by the CDs' jewel cases so close to that speaker is obscuring musical and spatial detail.


Jim

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 26, 2015 at 05:24:41
Matthew G.
Audiophile

Posts: 413
Joined: June 9, 2000
 Well, before I can worry about the finer points like imaging, I need something better than 18 gauge Radio Shack speaker wire. I must say at 33 cents a foot it's . . . no, it sounds terrible.

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 26, 2015 at 05:58:59
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Cabling matters- get out there and listen, listen and listen!

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 26, 2015 at 07:13:53
Matthew G.
Audiophile

Posts: 413
Joined: June 9, 2000
 Unfortunately, I agree. The lamp wire is a stop gap measure because my "real" cables weren't long enough for the new arrangement.

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 26, 2015 at 07:33:02
Inmate51
 LOVE the towel on the sofa. No, really. It has a certain Jenna Say Kwa.

I see a wire/collapsible music stand. Who's the musician and what instrument?

Speaking of wire... I wouldn't worry too much about speaker cables. Get some Belden 12 gauge twisted pair and call it a day. Mine has a gray jacket (very chic) and hasn't broken in 25 years - still works like new. I'd give you the part number, but it's not printed on the cable (makes it less industrial looking). Depending on your connectors, you may have to trim off a few strands to make it fit.

Edit: You can get this cable from any decent commercial sound contractor. They're the people who install systems in places like office buildings, churches, schools, etc.

Carry on.

:)

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 26, 2015 at 07:56:03
genungo
 I can see that you've followed most of my advice from last time and that's always a good thing to see.

Now, if you can follow the rest of my advice by moving the book and media shelving out of that left-hand front corner I can almost guarantee that you'll hear further improvements. Most of the improvements wrought would come via effectively increased room width and the ability to move the speakers a foot or more farther apart.

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 26, 2015 at 09:18:47
Matthew G.
Audiophile

Posts: 413
Joined: June 9, 2000
 I was one step ahead of you, my friend. The record shelf has been moved behind the couch (lying on its side, so it doubles as a display table) and the book shelf moved out of the corner, where I've put one of the bass traps.

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 26, 2015 at 09:26:35
Matthew G.
Audiophile

Posts: 413
Joined: June 9, 2000
 I play guitar, mainly classical these days, also mandolin and harmonica. As far as speaker cable, I fall somewhere between "don't worry about it" and "spend a fortune and go crazy trying to get it just right." I do think different cables sound different, but the differences are not huge and not worth a fortune. I've ordered some Signal Cable Ultra to use for now, since I've had good experiences in the past and the prices are sane and I'm happy to support a fellow Queens resident.

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 26, 2015 at 16:06:34
genungo
 Wired Home SKRL-12-50 12 AWG OFC speaker Wire 50 ft, about $30 shipped to you from Amazon.

 

RE: Listening room redux, posted on June 27, 2015 at 10:52:33
mcbuddah
Audiophile

Posts: 384
Location: Wisconsin
Joined: June 8, 2012
 Matthew: I just put 100' of Anti-cable speaker wire in storage after reorganizing my HT system. If you want to try it you can PM me with the length you want and if you need enough to bi-wire. It's bright red, about half as stiff as coathanger wire and sounds better than most expensive stuff. you can have it for shipping. I don't need it because I went from 7.2 to 5.2.


Everything is going to the dogs

 

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