Harsh Sounding Room

Posted by: Buster Clayton on 19 November 2017

System = CDS3/252/300/SBL  Fraim

Well a bit of an epiphany today with my listening room... I brought all of our soft furnishings from another room and placed in strategic locations in my listening room.

What a difference! Gone is the horrendous sharp top end that discouraged me from turning up the volume. Welcome to some great bass brought about by turning up the wick a little.... it appears very much like the ‘noise’ is from reflections off side walls etc... now I have the answer god knows how I go about solving this in an aesthetically pleasing way....

Couple of easy wins perhaps in replacing 2 leather sofas with 2 fabric sofas but the walls need some big space consuming fabric creations and we absolutely hate tapestry!!

i already have thick carpet on the floor

I could hang some curtains but it means curtains covering the bay window where my SBL’s Live 

looking for suggestions guys

Posted on: 20 November 2017 by GerryMcg

The cost of all three.

Posted on: 20 November 2017 by Innocent Bystander

Not answering for the OP, but they do a range of panels of different thiscknesses/absorption characteristics, and some with diffusers, and when asked regarding one not advertised as an artwork panel I was advised that yes, it could have a picture printed. They seem quite amenable to customisation - and that including modifying one panel to fit an awkward space. I was quite impressed, but didn't proceed because the total cost of what they recommended was high and I would want to be certain of a long enough time resident in the room which at present is uncertain.  If By that time I am retired I may well go DIY, though SWMBO may think the cost is better than myntime...

Posted on: 20 November 2017 by yeti42

My room probably isn't much of a guide as though I have all the features the chimney breast is opposite the bay and the speakers are on another flat wall so that on one side the first reflection is in the bay where I have a fabric coverd sofa and heavy velvet curtains, the other is scattered by a fireplace and an alcove with a CD rack in it.

You will have an alcove to the speaker side of the chimney brest, is there anything in it such as a CD rack or bookcase? What's on the wall adjacent to the other speaker and where is the door?

Have you got the basics right regarding cable dressing, this can make the sound bright if not right, speaker cables touching the wall, particularly near the speaker isn't a good thing, I can hear something is wrong when the hoover has nudged it into contact though I don't always twig that's the cause straight away. Interconnects touching the rack, particularly the shelf or powerlines touching interconnects.

Posted on: 20 November 2017 by TOBYJUG

Maybe change the angle of the speakers. With a thick carpet.. have them both firing down a little.

Posted on: 20 November 2017 by TOBYJUG

...Hope you were not imagining that to the extreme. 

Just a few shades off perpendicularlity can make a huge difference.

Posted on: 20 November 2017 by Buster Clayton

Thanks..... it’s another parameter to play with. 

Posted on: 20 November 2017 by Buster Clayton
yeti42 posted:

My room probably isn't much of a guide as though I have all the features the chimney breast is opposite the bay and the speakers are on another flat wall so that on one side the first reflection is in the bay where I have a fabric coverd sofa and heavy velvet curtains, the other is scattered by a fireplace and an alcove with a CD rack in it.

You will have an alcove to the speaker side of the chimney brest, is there anything in it such as a CD rack or bookcase? What's on the wall adjacent to the other speaker and where is the door?

Have you got the basics right regarding cable dressing, this can make the sound bright if not right, speaker cables touching the wall, particularly near the speaker isn't a good thing, I can hear something is wrong when the hoover has nudged it into contact though I don't always twig that's the cause straight away. Interconnects touching the rack, particularly the shelf or powerlines touching interconnects.

Thanks for your suggestions.... I think I could do the cables better, I’ve sited the fraim a little too close to the wall so next ‘rebuild’ I’ll move it away a little and give myself a better chance of dressing the cables a Bit better... it’s not spaghetti junction but it could be better for sure.... 

i do have speaker cables touching the skirting board as it’s routed behind the speakers.... again could be improved 

ATB 

Mark