Tips for optimising new extension

Hi Mark

That sounds like a lovely extension upgrade, once it's in place and settled down.

SBL, SL2 or Audiovector Si3 (a very good looking 3 way though) spring to mind as sensibly sized active speakers.

Sounds very nice. Dedicated ring wise I would say a ring using 6mm is the most common. Unswithed sockets, all protected by a 40A MCB.  

I suspect that a dedicated ring with conventional 2.5 mm cable will give you almost as much benefit as 6mm, providing it's dedicated to audio only, and ut should be a lot cheaper. The switch-on surge of Naim power amps can be quite high, so I agree you should go for a larger circuit breaker to cope with that, even though the mean load when everything is on will be trivial.

best

David

Foot tapper posted:

Hi Mark

That sounds like a lovely extension upgrade, once it's in place and settled down.

SBL, SL2 or Audiovector Si3 (a very good looking 3 way though) spring to mind as sensibly sized active speakers.

Don't SBL and SL2 work best close to solid wall though? I know my IBL's do. In the new space the speakers will need to be further into the room with the bookcase behind them, similar to the picture of Adam Zielinski's system on page 8 of the system pics thread.

Hi Mark, 

Sounds like your room layout is (will be) a similar to mine, just slightly larger. I'm in a 1930s semi and we extended the rear by 4m. Dimensions are 5.5m x 7.5m, all open plan with 4m bifold doors leading into the garden.  Open plan kitchen is also opposite the bifold doors. Looks great and it gives the place a lovely open airy feel. 

You say your speakers will fire across the 6m width. Important question: where will you be seated? If you're planning to be near the wall opposite the speakers then all should be good. Unfortunately for me my sofa is just under 3m out from the wall that the speakers are on (dining table behind sofa) and I've struggled with a 'suck-out' zone in this location even when I turn on the two REL T7 Subwoofers.  Moving back by a metre or two makes a huge difference to the bass response. 

Something to consider. 

Wayne 

wrc posted:

Hi Mark, 

Sounds like your room layout is (will be) a similar to mine, just slightly larger. I'm in a 1930s semi and we extended the rear by 4m. Dimensions are 5.5m x 7.5m, all open plan with 4m bifold doors leading into the garden.  Open plan kitchen is also opposite the bifold doors. Looks great and it gives the place a lovely open airy feel. 

You say your speakers will fire across the 6m width. Important question: where will you be seated? If you're planning to be near the wall opposite the speakers then all should be good. Unfortunately for me my sofa is just under 3m out from the wall that the speakers are on (dining table behind sofa) and I've struggled with a 'suck-out' zone in this location even when I turn on the two REL T7 Subwoofers.  Moving back by a metre or two makes a huge difference to the bass response. 

Something to consider. 

 

Wayne 

Hi Wayne,

Yes, ours is 1930's semi also. We'll be extending back by 5 meters; the existing extension is just over 3m. Seating position shouldn't be an issue hopefully. The Piano will be against the back wall so the sofa should be about 2 meters from that wall putting the listener about 2/3 of the way back from the speakers.

Rgds

Mark

David Hendon posted:

I suspect that a dedicated ring with conventional 2.5 mm cable will give you almost as much benefit as 6mm, providing it's dedicated to audio only, and ut should be a lot cheaper. The switch-on surge of Naim power amps can be quite high, so I agree you should go for a larger circuit breaker to cope with that, even though the mean load when everything is on will be trivial.

best

David

Thanks David, although for the sake of 40-50m I don't think the cost difference of 6mm over 2.5mm would be that great, maybe an extra £50? Would it make an appreciable difference to the SQ though? If so I'd prefer to stretch now rather than have a hankering regret later.

Best regards

Mark

For the few extra quid you might as well get it done in the 6mm. Im going to. Fit it and forget about it. 

There has been an interesting recent thread on this very subject. 

Hi Mark, regarding the dedicated ring, you might want to consider a radial instead. I have looked into this and discussed with my electrician friend and have changed my thinking on this -  and a radial really would be preferable in many ways for a dedicated supply, and you can use the largest gauge cable you practically can, such as electric cooker or electric shower spur cable.

in the UK a radial will be protected with a 16 amp fuse/circuit breaker. A ring will be protected with a 32 amp fuse/fuse circuit breaker.

My other suggestion for the new construction is use trunking for network cables. This will make it easier to lay twin cables for resilience or capacity in the future and swap out as technology changes. For example in ten years or so many of us will be using fibre in the home...

Of course the MCB protecting the circuit will be the correct rating for the cable used And type of installation. 2.5mm radial 16/20A. 2.5mm ring 32A. 6mm radial 32A. 6mm ring 40/50A. 10mm radial 50A

electrian will advise on all of this of course 

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Hi Mark, regarding the dedicated ring, you might want to consider a radial instead. I have looked into this and discussed with my electrician friend and have changed my thinking on this -  and a radial really would be preferable in many ways for a dedicated supply, and you can use the largest gauge cable you practically can, such as electric cooker or electric shower spur cable.

in the UK a radial will be protected with a 16 amp fuse/circuit breaker. A ring will be protected with a 32 amp fuse/fuse circuit breaker.

My other suggestion for the new construction is use trunking for network cables. This will make it easier to lay twin cables for resilience or capacity in the future and swap out as technology changes. For example in ten years or so many of us will be using fibre in the home...

 

 

Simon,

Good call on the trunking. I don't currently use streaming being a vinyl only front end but you never know what the future will hold.

regards

Mark

If your dedicated shelving can't have a gap (or three) big enough to accommodate a Fraim (and maybe a couple of DBLs) try and arrange for some sort of decoupling for the shelves under the boxes and good luck with the cable dressing.

I hear shahinians are very good if you can't back your speakers against the wall.

I have used Dado three compartment trunking for my system. Power is in the top section and the aerial lead is in the bottom section. I have put the speaker cable in the larger central section. 

This, as previously advised gives greater flexibility for any changes or upgrades that may come our way. Also this means no further building work

Marksnaim posted:

Hi Wayne,

Yes, ours is 1930's semi also. We'll be extending back by 5 meters; the existing extension is just over 3m. Seating position shouldn't be an issue hopefully. The Piano will be against the back wall so the sofa should be about 2 meters from that wall putting the listener about 2/3 of the way back from the speakers.

Rgds

Mark

Err, your biggest problem may well be that piano signing along to accompany any music you play!

The next problem will be getting that furniture to support your system properly without excessively adding it's own colouration or over-damping the system.  Getting this right will be tricky, and a lot more difficult than replacing the speakers.

Another one for trunking a lot would depend on the floor construction would probably benefit from talking to the builders/electricians as they should have sort of knowledge on this.