Article: A New Listening Room Part Two: Acoustics, Speakers, DSP

[The Computer Audiophile]

28 minutes ago, Darryl R said:

I have the same speakers as Chris, and thanks to some kind advise from him I decided to get bass traps and panels for the 1st and 2nd reflection points from ATS (and very affordably).  With just the bass traps installed today my bottom end is much more focused.

 

Great to hear!

[Darryl R]

Interestingly enough after further listening, just the bass traps have improved the focus of all registers, and I didn't get the full-range traps.  No doubt it has much to do with the rear-firing ports on the Alexia.

 

The Alexia II just gets better with age.

[thyname]

1 hour ago, Darryl R said:

I have the same speakers as Chris, and thanks to some kind advise from him I decided to get bass traps and panels for the 1st and 2nd reflection points from ATS (and very affordably).  With just the bass traps installed today my bottom end is much more focused.

 

Wow! Nice gear you have in there. Is that MSB Premier with powerbase? I would love to see a picture and description of your full setup 

[Darryl R]

Hi, thanks, and sure.  My gear is listed in the system tab of my profile.  To stay on topic here, the room acoustic treatments are the thing I'd neglected, and ATS makes them affordable for everyone.  The bass traps made a big difference.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

38 minutes ago, Darryl R said:

Hi, thanks, and sure.  My gear is listed in the system tab of my profile.  To stay on topic here, the room acoustic treatments are the thing I'd neglected, and ATS makes them affordable for everyone.  The bass traps made a big difference.

 

Thanks for the info Darryl. I highly recommend working with @mitchco on some optional DSP. He has worked with “our” speakers a few times in different rooms. His work can take your system to another level. It has with mine. 

[wr_aspire]

Hi Chris,

As a new member I am excited to follow your writings on how you shape up your listening room. Just by looking at the picture, your room seems pretty big, what is it measurement? I have a dedicated listening room but it is only 13' wide by 15' deep with 9.5' ceiling height.  However the ratio is very good. I am getting pretty decent results using combination of absorption panels and GIK diffusers.  However I have never tried DSP, and maybe I should try that.

I find ceiling height is very important in a room. You mentioned your previous basement listening only has 6.5' ceiling height? I would image that would not be good for high frequency extension and natural decay.  Is that correct?

 

I am looking forward to read more writings from you. Enjoy your new room!

Best,

Steve

[Audiophile Neuroscience]

On 1/26/2020 at 7:50 AM, Darryl R said:

With just the bass traps installed today my bottom end is much more focused.

 

..and most people have to diet and exercise to achieve this goal 😁.......Well done ! ( I too have experienced the same benefit from bass traps)

[Darryl R]

19 hours ago, Audiophile Neuroscience said:

 

..and most people have to diet and exercise to achieve this goal 😁.......Well done ! ( I too have experienced the same benefit from bass traps)

 

Well, I have to do that as well

[Temporal_Dissident]

Great piece, @The Computer Audiophile. I am about 6mos in with my new system (Roon>dCS>Parasound>Wilson Yvette). I love it, but it is *deeply* compromised by my room.
 

I know many of you referance “wife acceptance factor” or some such when it comes to listening rooms and system design, but in my case it is extreme.
 

We do not have a dedicated listening room, so the system lives in our main living room. Nothing about the architecture or construction of our old house would be considered acoustically advantageous. My wonderful wife is an architect and designer who is perfectly content listening to music on her iPhone’s speaker (🤮). She has furnished/decorated the room beautifully, but again, with zero consideration for acoustics. After all of that, I was able to come in and drop my dream system into this hostile environment. 
 

The system sounds,....(insert adjective). Of course this depends. If, like most people I know, you love the sound of Spotify through SONOS, our system sounds freaking incredible. On the other hand, if you set this system up in an ideal acoustic environment, I think it could sound twice as good. I know that, I hear that, and it bugs me. What to do? 
 

I love this article and, on Chris’ advice, am happy to now be working with @mitchco. But I know I am still dealing with some severe, non-negotiable constraints. 
 

Maybe, just maybe, I can sneak some acoustic treatments into the room. But for now, DSP is my best hope as it is a truly “invisible hand” that does not impact room aesthetics. 
 

Thoughts, suggestions, jokes, or thrown tomatoes welcome....

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

42 minutes ago, Temporal_Dissident said:

Great piece, @The Computer Audiophile. I am about 6mos in with my new system (Roon>dCS>Parasound>Wilson Yvette). I love it, but it is *deeply* compromised by my room.
 

I know many of you referance “wife acceptance factor” or some such when it comes to listening rooms and system design, but in my case it is extreme.
 

We do not have a dedicated listening room, so the system lives in our main living room. Nothing about the architecture or construction of our old house would be considered acoustically advantageous. My wonderful wife is an architect and designer who is perfectly content listening to music on her iPhone’s speaker (🤮). She has furnished/decorated the room beautifully, but again, with zero consideration for acoustics. After all of that, I was able to come in and drop my dream system into this hostile environment. 
 

The system sounds,....(insert adjective). Of course this depends. If, like most people I know, you love the sound of Spotify through SONOS, our system sounds freaking incredible. On the other hand, if you set this system up in an ideal acoustic environment, I think it could sound twice as good. I know that, I hear that, and it bugs me. What to do? 
 

I love this article and, on Chris’ advice, am happy to now be working with @mitchco. But I know I am still dealing with some severe, non-negotiable constraints. 
 

Maybe, just maybe, I can sneak some acoustic treatments into the room. But for now, DSP is my best hope as it is a truly “invisible hand” that does not impact room aesthetics. 
 

Thoughts, suggestions, jokes, or thrown tomatoes welcome....

 

 

Absolutely gorgeous room!

 

I’d love to have such a system in my living room where I could listen with my family and easily expose visitors to the joys of great sound. 
 

working with Mitch will do wonders, but not miracles. Check out Vicoustic for some very tasteful room treatments. You can even customize them. 
 

if you want some different inspiration, check out Wolfgang’s store outside of Munich. Here’s an article about my trip, with video. keep in mind, everything there on the walls is for acoustics. 
 

 

[k-man]

1 hour ago, Temporal_Dissident said:

or thrown tomatoes welcome....

Well, the room could do with a bit of red..

[Jud]

2 hours ago, Temporal_Dissident said:

Great piece, @The Computer Audiophile. I am about 6mos in with my new system (Roon>dCS>Parasound>Wilson Yvette). I love it, but it is *deeply* compromised by my room.
 

I know many of you referance “wife acceptance factor” or some such when it comes to listening rooms and system design, but in my case it is extreme.
 

We do not have a dedicated listening room, so the system lives in our main living room. Nothing about the architecture or construction of our old house would be considered acoustically advantageous. My wonderful wife is an architect and designer who is perfectly content listening to music on her iPhone’s speaker (🤮). She has furnished/decorated the room beautifully, but again, with zero consideration for acoustics. After all of that, I was able to come in and drop my dream system into this hostile environment. 
 

The system sounds,....(insert adjective). Of course this depends. If, like most people I know, you love the sound of Spotify through SONOS, our system sounds freaking incredible. On the other hand, if you set this system up in an ideal acoustic environment, I think it could sound twice as good. I know that, I hear that, and it bugs me. What to do? 
 

I love this article and, on Chris’ advice, am happy to now be working with @mitchco. But I know I am still dealing with some severe, non-negotiable constraints. 
 

Maybe, just maybe, I can sneak some acoustic treatments into the room. But for now, DSP is my best hope as it is a truly “invisible hand” that does not impact room aesthetics. 
 

Thoughts, suggestions, jokes, or thrown tomatoes welcome....

 

 

Hoo boy, lovely room, but I bet the speakers firing at the sides of the sofas is part of what’s non-negotiable, isn’t it?

[thyname]

5 minutes ago, Jud said:

Hoo boy, lovely room, but I bet the speakers firing at the sides of the sofas is part of what’s non-negotiable, isn’t it?

I was going to say the same about the sofas, but I didn’t. I did not want hurt anyone’s feelings 🤭

 

Maybe the two side sofas can be moved back a few feet or so, since it seems like there enough space in that room?

[austinpop]

3 hours ago, Temporal_Dissident said:

Thoughts, suggestions, jokes, or thrown tomatoes welcome....

Is it too much to ask for a clear path from speakers to ears (without furniture in the way), or is that one of the non-negotiables? 
 

If so, you may be looking at mental health treatment before room treatments!  

[Temporal_Dissident]

20 minutes ago, austinpop said:

Is it too much to ask for a clear path from speakers to ears (without furniture in the way), or is that one of the non-negotiables? 
 

If so, you may be looking at mental health treatment before room treatments!  

Yes, yes,...the damn sofas. I know.  I could always sit on the sofa and wear headphones? Would that help?😞

[austinpop]

1 hour ago, Temporal_Dissident said:

Yes, yes,...the damn sofas. I know.  I could always sit on the sofa and wear headphones? Would that help?😞

 

Sorry, I was being facetious! I feel your pain.

[Temporal_Dissident]

23 hours ago, austinpop said:

 

Sorry, I was being facetious! I feel your pain.

 

I actually have invested in some very high-tech “furniture sliders.” 1-inch square pieces of plastic. Once I get my miniDSP UMIK-1 and @mitchco teaches me to take measurements it will be fun to measure with couches in “social human” vs. “introverted audiophile” positions. 

[Wangen]

Hi, just read this article, I've been on a similar journey. I use a of DAWs, I don't have all the electronics to measure everything. I put a pair of Stillpoints Apatures behind my speakers and was amazed with sound change. Have you tried those? As a fellow MN resident, I liked the article, done some room treatment also with good results. Thanks Jeremy.