[toledosun]

Hi Bill,

I've already faxed my queries to you with a sketch but figured that there's no harm posting this here as well. That way, you can respond through the forum and others can learn from my problems as well.

My study room is really really small, about 9ft x6ft x 6.6 ft (high). A sketch is attached. My floor has wood laid on top.

I'm currently using the Thiels CS 1.6s and driving them with the Audio Note M3/Quest monoblocks.  My speakers are aligned along the long wall so my sitting position is about 3 ft from the speakers. (Figured that this way, I could at least take the two speakers away from the corners).  

I don’t have slap echo problems. My problem comes from bass booms.  If you've heard the song "I can see clearly now" by the Holy Cole Trio, you'll know the double bass is very prominent.  I've heard the same piece on the same set up in my dealer's room (much larger and well treated).  In my dealer's room, the double bass was tight and controlled, and complements the vocals.  In my room, the double bass is louder than the vocals and it doesn't sound tight. In fact it sounds more like the musician is hitting a bass drum, instead of plucking a double bass.

I know it's hard to provide complete full advice without seeing the room but I'll like to know:

1) will putting two framed response at positions ( c ) & ( d ) tighten the bass significantly?

2) will using your corners make any significant impact on improving the sound quality? If so do I need to put corners at ( b ) or would ( a ) ( c ), ( d  ) and ( e ) be sufficient?

3) the wall between the speakers (between the floor and the bottom of the bookshelfs) and the wall below the windows are bare.  Would treating them make a vast improvement, or should I leave it bare.

Thanks

Daniel

[WilliamL]

Hi Toledo,

I am currently in Japan until November 20th and can not access normal means of communication. You may want to contact Nathan directly until I return. You can call the tollfree 877-8th-Nerve number.

You mentioned that you have faxed the diagram already, so it may be waiting for me when I return.　

Cheers,
Bill

[toledosun]

thanks Bill,

No worries, I can wait since I'm planning to take leave in December to work on this.  Besides, toll free is not "free" since I'm in Singapore and will still have to pay international charges   .

By the way, I've dropped by Soundscape and met with Joseph.  Nice guy.  I'm sure between the both of you, my system will      

[toledosun]

Hi Bill,

managed to take some shots with my camera phone and have uploaded it into the gallery. Figured it will be easier for you to tell me what to do from the pics, instead of the sketch.

All comments welcomed.  Thanks a million.

[JR]

Hi there, Daniel.  Those pictures are definitely a big help, 'coz from your description, I had a different image in mind.  IMHO, from the pictures of your room, the right side of the room definitely needs some treatment.  This is compounded by using Thiels (you haven't heard Thiel 3.6's yet in small rooms).  Holly Cole's "Don't Smoke In Bed"  is a good test track, there is a part which can really boom in certain rooms, with overemphasized and muddy upper/midbass.

I would still recommend to treat the room first with a Room Pack (the white ones which you need should be arriving soon), not one or two pieces, but the full Roompack to appreciate the improvements.  You may need some extras due to the pillar you have on the right.  The treatment - to quote a customer who has given up on EQ - "simply reduces room modes and offer a more natural flow of music in the room."

I am very sure the full Room Pack will have a very positive impact in your room (or any room).  We can then ascertain later if we need to be more drastic, then placement of the Framed Responses on the right side, including the pillar corner (one Framed or stacked per wall corner) will surely solve it.   Again, to quote a customer -"the extra pair of Framed worked like a charm and I had fun in experimenting the pairs as absorbant or reflective purposes.  As yet, I've stacked up 2 of these on each side; the lower to absorb and the upper to reflect.  Marvellous results!"

To check out how a stacked pair is done, just look at our hifi show room on this link:

http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/singapore03/singapore_3.html

Just look for the picture with the Eighth Nerve Floorstander in white in between the Living Voice speakers.   Without the Eighth Nerve treatment, we would not get such good comments from showgoers. The public has spoken, it's for real  Of course, many are pinpointing the sound to the speakers, or amp, or turntable, or cartridge, etc.  The fact is the room was the first frontier we had to tame.

Anyway, when the stuff arrives, I can help you mount them in your room, and you will notice the difference proper room treatment can bring to a room, the most important component in a hifi system.

Of course, I do hope the Audio Notes can control the Thiels well enough ...

[toledosun]

Hi JR,

thanks for the feeback and offer to help with the installation.  That's a great idea. At least that way, I can be sure that I get it done right  

[Mackie]

It's nice to know my findings proved to be beneficial to someone who has to suffer bass boom like I did.  JR stoked the fire and I merely experimented to make 8th Nerve framed response controllers work to the max in my rectangular room.  I've since waved goodbye to the Behringer DSP8024 which I'd used to rectify my room modes.

[WilliamL]

Mackie,

Are you in Singapore too? Its nice to know that we have happy customers so far away from our headquarters.  

(The new products are coming soon--I know I have been saying that for a while, but they took longer because we made some discoveries along the way. The Wife Acceptance Factor will not be much of an issue on this one!)

Best,
Bill Laurent