Room Arrangements

Posted by: SAS on 01 September 2003

I'm about to purchase my first decent hifi system and I want to figure out how to arrange my room before installation.

The room is a not-atypical UK sitting room that measures 14'5" x 13'1" (width goes down to 11'2" at the fireplace, with chimney breast of 5'7").

What's the best way for the speakers to fire? From interior wall toward the window, from window to interior wall or from beside the fireplace (never used) across the width?

We have a whacking great 24" CRT TV that needs to be in that room as well. Any advice on how to arrange the speakers, electronics, and TV will be greatly appreciated.

SAS
Posted on: 02 September 2003 by SAS
quote:
Originally posted by James:
This will depend entirely on the nature of the loudspeakers you buy.


Still undecided. Last listened to JMLab 806S's on stands. They are front ported

quote:
Electronics are best not placed in-between loudspeakers but on an adjacent wall to the left or right of the 'listening position'.


Which leaves the TV. Could it go on the wall adjacent to the speakers?

SAS
Posted on: 02 September 2003 by SAS
quote:
Then again, provided the CRT is happy with its proximity to magnets, you could always park the TV between the loudspeakers, taking you one step closer to HT.


Well, that would make life easier, though I thought that speakers didn't like things between them. Or, is it only that they don't like the audio electronics between them?

SAS
Posted on: 02 September 2003 by J.N.
Hi SAS

Ideally; don't have the electronics or the TV in between the speakers. The TV in particular WILL screw up the focus, clarity and soundstage.

Boundary placement speakers are much easier to accommodate - free space speakers need just that; which is difficult in an average size room.

The other thing that I've learned in over 30 years at this silly game, is that rooms are acoustically complicated and all different.

'Busy' rooms (well furnished) seem to work best. Sparsely furnished rooms with a lot of hard reflective surfaces are generally bad news.

There's no substitute for trying the speakers and the listening position, wherever you can. It's right where it works for you.

Good luck.
Posted on: 06 September 2003 by headline
Sounds silly I know, but if the T.V. has its own in-built speakers, don't have the T.V. in the room at all. All good speaker demos. are in rooms without any dynamic transducers there except the ones being demo'd. Home listening should follow the same principle -- only one speaker-set in the room.

Thanks and cheers.
Posted on: 06 September 2003 by headline
SAS, here's a further thought. If the TV must be in room with the speakers, remove and discard the TV's own speakers from the TV and play the TV's sound through your in-room audio. By the way, if for no other reason than "psychological", I wouldn't put the TV between your speakers -- I've found it unsettling imagining anything solid between the speakers on their wall, but I guess over time you could get used to it.

Thanks and cheers again..
Posted on: 06 September 2003 by Rasher
Questions:
Do you have kids? Do you share the house with anyone else? Do you have to compromise the arrangements? Have you any spare cash?
If you can't ditch the TV or put it in another room, and the system is a priority, then get down to Richer Sounds and get a plasma and stick it on the chimney breast. Problem solved. She gets a new TV, you get a good layout, everyone is happy. The system would sound great if it was ever on.