Most expensive upgrade plus a pair of socks.

Hi Sean,
The bass lift is a result of the physical dimensions of your new listening room. The socks have turned your (previously) reflex speakers into infinite baffles (with a leak). This will of course reduce some bass output. (Amongst other things). But you knew all this anyway. Speakers well away from the corners? Good. Don't start adding damping yet. Or it will attenuate the upper & mid far more than the bass. Which is the last thing you want at the moment. Can you give us the internal dimensions of your new room? There may be a clue there.

Nime

Nime

Room dimensions L4.5 x W3.1 x H2.45 meters
Walls solid conc block Plastered
Floor Conc carpeted
Ceiling 12.5 plasterboard+skim on 9.5mm masterboard all fixed to flooring joists of room above floor void is filled with insulation.

Room is relatively sparsely furnished with CD and Record storage plus one chair. I've even fitted a heavy curtain at the entrance to the room to limit sound leaking out and anoying the rest of the family.
I will be taking this forward slowly to ensure that I get it right first time. Absoluteaudio are hopefully sending me out a test disc so that I can begin with a clear objective.

Sean

Congrates for YOUR room.

Your room dimensions are Ok.
I suspect you knew what you were doing in this regard, or is it by chance?
Concrete walls/foor give you probably too much reverb.
Try the test, clap your hands, can you hear echo?

Don't kill the room, a live room is much better IMO. But you have to break the reflexions.
Just add furniture, paintings (expensive ones are better ), plants in corners(large ones), a heavy curtain behind/between speakers or on the opposite wall.

Experiment with speaker placements. Dare odd solutions, the symetrical placement is not always the best. A speaker can be nearer your chair than the other, the balance on the preamp will correct the level difference.
If you want to virtualy experiment, try CARA, it is just 50 Euro/US$, and worth it.

The bass reinforcement you experiment is ok if you cannot point a specific frequency. If it is a resonnant freq, you have to kill it.

Does a new room have to burn-in????

Emmanuel

All opinions are my own, and reflect those of the organisation i work for, even if not stipulated.

Sean,

Congrats on your dedicated listening room.In april/may builders will construct a new roof on my house,that'll set me back the cost of a 552/300.
Live is all about priorities and choices.

Regards,
Rob.

I've got planning permission approved for an extension over my garage and this will become the main AV/music room in the house.

The usable area of the room will be about 18' x 12' (it'll also have a big ensuite attached so, when I eventually sell it, I can market it as a 5 bedroom with 2 ensuites).

What should I be doing in the build to ensure best sound quality? Dedicated spur etc obviously, but what else?

Regards
Steve

quote:

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What should I be doing in the build to ensure best sound quality? Dedicated spur etc obviously, but what else?

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Maybe this will help:

Raumakustikrechner

Cheers,

Edo

quote:

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Originally posted by Edo Engel:
Maybe this will help:

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Thanks for that - "meine Deutsch" is just about up to deciphering it so I'll give it a try.

Regards
Steve

Have you tried placing your garage conversion on a Mana?

I have heard that this significantly improve the sound!!

Regards

NB

quote:

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Originally posted by NB:
Have you tried placing your garage conversion on a Mana?

I have heard that this significantly improve the sound!!

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Well I would, but there are two problems:

1) I couldn't afford it (although it would be a lot cheaper than a Fraim!)
2) It would take up so much space in the garage that I'd have nowhere to put my motorbikes.

Regards
Steve

Quote:

"Does a new room have to burn-in????"

I have dabbled before on this forum (or maybe another one) about every time I moved to a new place it's always sounded worse than the previous one.

I can se two answers to why it is so:

- One get's used to the acoustics of a room over time. One's hearing ajusts to the room and filters out it's sonic "fingerprint".

- You adjust the acoustics of the room over time by introducing/taking away furniture, drapes and stuff. Slowly, and often in small steps, it gets better and better.

One thing I can recomend im taming bass boom is puting bookshelf against coners at a 45 degree angle so there is a triangular space behind the bookshelf. Stuff the space loosely with damping material (can be anything, old clothes or pillows is OK).

JohanR

quote:

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One thing I can recomend im taming bass boom is puting bookshelf against coners at a 45 degree angle...

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Did they know about room acoustics back in 1934? Our living room was built in a sort of octagonal shape...

Cheers,

Edo

Hi,
I prefer the space within a roof, with its sloping walls. This is my second open-plan house and the third where I've listened upstairs across the width. I don't like conventional rooms as they sound too boxy. My listening room is also 30 feet(10m) long x 5m high x 5m wide. The last one was even bigger. That's a lot of space for organ fundamentals to enjoy themselves. Compared to small rooms. Where they can't exist without compressing the room air itself. Which is difficult without really serious PA sized amplification and speakers that can handle that power. Mine is only a small, old house by the way. It's just how it is designed to be used that matters.
My passive subwoofers (flat response down to 20Hz) were able to make me physically nauseous. On test with an audio frequency signal generator at only 100dB. Just like riding on an old bus! But without the fags. Yet the sound was all but inaudible. As it should be.
Sadly the physics of sound do not allow such effects in small rooms. Small speakers (and preferably infinite baffles/closed boxes) are the only way to avoid the inevitable bass boom.
You can have a hell of lot of fun with Kans in small rooms. Large speakers are simply not able to perform. Due to the simple physical limitations of wavelength and room dimensions.(period.) No amount of equipment supports or room treatment will make anything but negligable differences. IMHO. I hope that doesn't hurt anybody's feelings. This was already well known back in the 50's when hifi was a fledgling indoor sport. Physics is physics is physics. I have no doubt online sources exist. Where physical room dimensions are related to limiting frequncy (and the invitable bass lift in small rooms) in simple graph form. Accept it, live with it and learn to enjoy it. Physics rules I'm afraid.
I'll get my coat.....

Nime

I used Cara as a check before going ahead with the work so I know the room shape isnt too bad. I want to keep the furniture to a minimum storage for CDs and Lps and a nice comfy leather sofa(on order) Wall opposite speakers is almost fully curtained entrance door is also curtained. Furnishing will remain minimal with a total absence of pot plants (I hate the bloody things).
I know others have used the absoluteaudio test cd (hopefully on its way) how difficult was it identifying the problem frequencies.

Sean