[JBrahms]

Apologize in advance for the drawings.

I have the opportunity to choose between two rooms.  I'm currently in the loft, and it's "okay."  I want to get into room treatments, but the loft is so asymmetrical that I can't figure out how to do that in that space.  So, I'm inclined to look at moving into the bedroom and using room treatments.  I do like the sense of space I can get in the loft because it is half-open behind my chair.

The good: I have my choice of 2 rooms, with nothing in them but my stereo and a chair.
The bad:  both are 11x12x8, and one is a loft overlooking my "great room" a massive open space.



It will be a MAJOR moving job to clean out the bedroom (removed heavy cabinets and lots of stuff) so I can't just test the space first; I'd like to have a decent guess that it'll work better than the loft, hence my questions here.
I'm wondering if the small closet and the 30 degree angled wall to the right of the door will help or hurt.

Appreciate any help.


Listening preferences are classical and opera.
Speakers are either Harbeth Compact 7s (front port) plus REL sub, or Meadowlark Shearwaters (rear port, transmission line)




Room 1, bedroom
11x12x8
Slight angle to wall by the door, closet is 18 inches deep


__I   closet   I_____________door _
                     -
                  
            

12’                                            wall





__window________________________





Room 2, loft
11x12x8, with half-wall to large open great room
The wall is right and the wall in the foreground are at listening height, 38'' or so.



___________________________open corner


W       
i
n                                                  half wall
d
o
w         
            
         
         
- - - - - - - - -11 - half wall - - - - - - - - - I


Open to great room

[JBrahms]

Just to clarify, what I'm really asking is whether I can use the bedroom by adding lots of room treatment or whether I should focus on the loft.
The loft is so weird shaped that I don't know if room treatments would help.

[Ethan Winer]

Either room can be made better with treatment. Photos would have been better than those ASCII drawings. Can you post photos? Generally, the loft seems better because you say it's open to a large space. That helps the low end.

--Ethan

[JBrahms]

I knew my lack of drawing skills would hold me back.

Here are some pics of the loft.  The two walls that can't be seen are are half-walls, and the top of the wall is even with the top of the Harbeths (the tweeter is about 6 inches below the wall top).


This is the view with the speakers on the short wall, with the large window in between (no idea how to sound-treat this...)

Note, when the speaker are in this position, there is a half-wall behind the listening chair.




Here is how they're currently set up.  The area behind the right speaker is the open passage into the loft.  The wall on the right (and the wall behind my chair) are half-walls.  The wall in the front and to the left is full. 



I don't have any pics of the bedroom.  It's almost a square, except for the 25-inch deep closet, and the angled door into the room. 

[bpape]

The only drawback I see to the loft is being open on one side - though the pictures make it look like it's not really open - just a hall on one side and open behind?

Bryan

[MaxCast]

I'm thinking the loft should be able to sound pretty good.  How about setting the speakers across the full wall corner.  Your chair would be at the corner of the half walls.
A pic of the corner of the half walls would be useful.
Do you live alone?

[JBrahms]

The only drawback I see to the loft is being open on one side - though the pictures make it look like it's not really open - just a hall on one side and open behind?

Bryan

I'll see if I can post a pic tonight.

There is a staircase behind the right half-wall.   The area behind the right speaker is a hallway.

The opening behind the right speaker is about 36 inches, and then the half-wall starts.




Opening ___________half wall _______________________\





equipment
rack
 




_________________full wall/window___________________\

[JBrahms]

I'm thinking the loft should be able to sound pretty good.  How about setting the speakers across the full wall corner.  Your chair would be at the corner of the half walls.
A pic of the corner of the half walls would be useful.
Do you live alone?

Will try to get a pic posted.

Your suggestion would be a pretty radical diagonal; I'll try to get a pic posted to show

I live alone for the next month, and my speakers are downstairs in the living room, sounding $20,000 better than they sound in the loft, which is what inspired me to look into this room treatment stuff.

Thanks everyone; will get pics up soon.

[bummrush]

 Ive got a ex play room that i jumped on when it done being used by my kid.Its near field,and sounds darn good.Without never trying the new room look what you would have been without.Good days ahead for you.

[JBrahms]

I'm thinking the loft should be able to sound pretty good.  How about setting the speakers across the full wall corner.  Your chair would be at the corner of the half walls.
A pic of the corner of the half walls would be useful.
Do you live alone?

Changed to avoid confusion as I can't keep my speakers in the living after my wife returns home.

[jimtranr]

Having had to contend with a primary system setup in a living-dining room with a number of asymmetric issues (e.g., openings to one side and just forward of one speaker) as well as some large, off-centered reflective surfaces (a tiled fireplace and some other horrors) and a bedroom system parked not far from a real bed in a room about the size of yours, I've found room treatment capable of effecting satisfying sonic improvements to both.

Where possible, I've bass-trapped corners (three in the primary system, [both rear corners and one up front], and only the rear corners in the bedroom system with semi-cylindrical reflection oriented into the room) and installed a combination of absorption and diffusion at front-center in both, as well as ancillary absorption/diffusion where the side walls permit. Given each room configuration, I can't treat the precise first reflection points in either, but get close enough in the primary system to effect a noticeable improvement to the point where lateral spread extends beyond each speaker where that information is embedded in the recording.  I have a couple of 2'x2' diffusers due to arrive late next week and will "play" with their placement to determine whether and how much they can fine-tune my listening environments.

If you prefer the loft, give it a shot. Based on your indicated preference for that location, I've posted this simply to indicate that treatment can make your listening experience far more than just tolerable even in a far-less-than-ideal space where you have to deal with asymmetries and other acoustic environment nasties.  As a point of reference, most of my listening is classical (heavy on the "big" orchestral compositions), jazz, "big" film scores, and vocal standards.

[JBrahms]

Thanks. I have some images that I'll post tomorrow.
Actually, if the squarish bedroom would work as well, I'd probably prefer it.
More to follow

[JBrahms]

Okay, these pics should be better.

This one is the loft from behind the right speaker.  You can see the great room's size on the left and behind the chair.  You can also see the room opening in the near field.  The green paint is the very thick sand-filled paint, if that matters. 
Note, it's not clear in the picture, but the far corner behind the chair extends to the ceiling for about 20 inches, before becoming the half-wall.   I would not be able to use ceiling panels here, and don't know how to deal with the first reflection off the large window.

I could switch the speaker around in any configuration, as I'll be moving all the LPs and CDs into another room, and this room will only hold the stereo and the listening chair (I'm taking out that large LP case)

The curtain side (currently the left speaker) is a bit more dead than the right side.  Not great for imaging as images pull to the right.




This is the bedroom, with the camera shooting down the "long" side. Again, everything will be moved out except my stereo and listening chair.  It is 12 by 10.8.  The closet is 25 inches deep and the door opening is angled.  I would have complete freedom to treat this room, including ceilings.
Additionally, this room is quieter, as I can't hear the furnace or refrigeration fan.

[bpape]

The loft looks like a lot better place to me.

Bryan

[bummrush]

I thought for a bit downstairs was better. After a better pic of loft that is where I would stay.

[JBrahms]

The bedroom is actually bigger by a couple of inches, although the pics make it look smaller.

[rollo]

To Loft or not to Loft is the question ? It appears to me that the loft is better suited. The only disadvantage may be that the music will travel throughout the house when not desired.



charles

[jimtranr]

I'll add my voice to the "Loft" chorus. The few more inches the bedroom gives you doesn't appear to offer you the placement flexibility--and consequent ability to optimize your listening experience within the limitations presented by either space--that the loft does.

[Cheeseboy]

I like the loft too.

I didn't read too closely but what is the distanced from your ears in the chair to the speakers.  What is the distance between the two speakers in the loft set up?   What is the distance from the front of the speakers to the big wall behind the short wall.  I think it is the Cardas website that has the "Golden Triangle" set up measurements that the loft will lend itself to very easily.  Follow the guide.       

[JBrahms]

I like the loft too.

I didn't read too closely but what is the distanced from your ears in the chair to the speakers.  What is the distance between the two speakers in the loft set up?   What is the distance from the front of the speakers to the big wall behind the short wall.  I think it is the Cardas website that has the "Golden Triangle" set up measurements that the loft will lend itself to very easily.  Follow the guide.       

The two room spaces are almost exactly the same size , within a couple inches.
The big wall behind the short wall is 17 feet away...


 The speakers are 30 inches off the back wall. Spread is 6 feet, tweeter to tweeter. I sit about 7 feet from them with a short wall behind me.

I have the Get Better Sound book coming tomorrow and I'll try that re set up