ChipByrd Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Hello, A couple weeks ago I asked for some help in setting up a listening room. I was told to provide a sketch of the area. Well, here it is. This is my basement. As you can see, it is basically divided into two sections. My wife has told me I can use either one, but preferably section 1. Door 1 is an open passageway to a hall. Door 2 is a standard interior door that leads into our laundry room. The windows are basic 36x39” and go to a standard ceiling. The walls and ceiling are all finished drywall and the floor is tight, Berber carpet. I plan to put one listening chair in there and any other items that might be helpful I will be using this exclusively for music. Currently, I have Chorus 1’s with upgraded tweeters and new crossovers from Bob Crites. I run them through a Cambridge Audio 840a int. I also have a vintage Pioneer sx-980 and a pair of Klipsch RB 81 ii’s and RF 62 ii’s. I also use a PS12 Sub for deep bass. I have an rDac through which I play digital music. This is my first foray into high (er) end audio, and I am sure I will be updating and adding things. Everything I read tells me that speaker placement and room acoustics are super important. The problem is that I don’t even know where to begin. I read about bass traps and audio panels and I am clueless. Any help or suggestions or directions you can give me will be greatly appreciated. I don’t want to spend a lot of money (under $600), but I would like to do the things that will give me the greatest enjoyment from my equipment. Again, I really appreciate whatever help may come. Chip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Hi Chip! One of the ways to set up a room is to place the speakers along two walls and setup the room along a room diagonal, thus avoiding many of the issues surrounding the sparse room mode frequencies below ~180 Hz. The idea is to avoid sitting in an area of the room that is either a null or a maxima for these room mode frequencies. Dr. Floyd Toole (the former chief engineer of Harman Kardon International) mentions this in his book as an easy an effective approach to stereo or multi-channel speaker placement. If the WAF doesn't allow for this, then I'd set up your Chorus speakers along a wall (any wall: pick one) and then spread out the speakers so that they form a 60-90 degree included angle with the prime listening position. Make sure that your listening position isn't close to a wall, the center of the room (any of the three axis formed by the walls, floor, and ceiling), or 1/3 dimensions of the room. Make sure that the floor has some carpet on it. You can also attach ceiling diffusers on the ceiling if it is 8 feet or less in height. Toe-in your speakers to point directly at your listening position. If you place speakers in the corners, toe them in. If you have issues getting outstanding stereo imaging from a point directly centered between your speakers, then place a couple of absorption tiles on the side and front walls adjacent to the speakers, right next to the speakers. You can also buy a few acoustic absorption tiles to place on the sides and front of any furniture/equipment/racks between the speakers. If you have room boominess issues, you can buy and place the cost-effective DIY bass traps using Corning acoustic panels into nice looking pre-sewn colored fabric bags and add wooden or metal frames to make them look pretty. Place these traps into the corner(s) of the room to control mid-bass boominess. You shouldn't need more than a couple of bass traps in at most two corners. They are most effective next to the ceiling corner or the floor corner (i.e., at a 3-axis corner location). Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Dang Chris, I learn something new everytime I read one of your posts! Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Chip, You should look into Google Sketchup. It was very easy to learn how to use, as you learn by tutorial videos. Here is a quick-link: http://sketchup.google.com/. It is a 3d modelling program, but it is super easy once you make a floor plan, as you have drawn here, to turn it into a 3D room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChipByrd Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Wow! This gives me some ideas. I am going to play around with this and will probably come back with more questions. This site has been amazingly friendly and helpful. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Dang Chris, I learn something new everytime I read one of your posts!I'll take that as a compliment (...I need a little of that sort of thing today...). []Thanks Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Top Notch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted February 21, 2012 Moderators Share Posted February 21, 2012 Dang Chris, I learn something new everytime I read one of your posts!I'll take that as a compliment (...I need a little of that sort of thing today...). Thanks Carl. OK Your looking especially good today in your avatar ! [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arky Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 So are you dtel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRFL Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Dang Chris, I learn something new everytime I read one of your posts!I'll take that as a compliment (...I need a little of that sort of thing today...). Thanks Carl. Always Chris we learn from your posts.[:-*] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 OK...You're looking especially good today in your avatar ! Thanks Eldon, Tommy says hi, too... [] Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Not knowing any of the other constraints, here is what I would suggest: Place your main speakers on the left wall firing to the right. They should be placed ~4.5ft in from the side walls (top/bottom of your drawing), and then the front of the cabinet should be ~2ft from the front wall (the wall on the left). The listening position (your head) should be placed ~7 to 8ft from the front of the speakers - basically putting you in an equilateral triangle. You may want to move forward/backward depending on how wide of a stereo image you want. If you want a more forward/larger stereo image, then I would recommend a high-backed listening chair. If you want a more laid back narrower stereo image, then I would recommend your head be above the rear of your chair. As far as acoustic treatment, nice thick curatains over the windows would be a great start - the more folds and the heavier the fabric, the better. I would recommend a bass trap in the corner of that 7" wall and the adjacent side. I'm not sure if you'll need bass traps in the front corners due to how the second room will couple. Getting some more furniture and stuff like armoires along the walls in section 2 will really help with specular reflections - especially that rear wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Btw, ditto Chris' comments on the toe-in and desired listening angles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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