[Housteau]

I finally decided to bite the bullet and do something that I have been wanting to do for quite some time.  I decided to go ahead and recreate my dedicated listening room.  My old room length and width were just over 15' x 21' with a 12' cathedral ceiling.  To make the room larger I needed to build into the 2 car garage which is part of that structure.  The new room is now 21' x 25.  The 21' foot wall used to be the long wall which I had my speakers set in front of.  I enjoyed the wide soundstage that allowed me to create.  The problem with using a long wall is that it can often set up some very interesting bass standing waves that can create odd dips and peaks very hard to deal with.  This new room allows me to still use that 21' wall, but now it will be the new short wall.

The other reason I wanted to do this is because I felt the V60s and VLAs really deserved to have a larger space to work even more of their magic.  So, I am very excited at what I will find with my new set up.  Basically I will be starting all over again with a fresh start and the chance to do things as correct as possible.  In about one more week the room should be pretty close to complete.  I will start posting photos and more info as things come closer to resembling a listening room.

[Stimpy]

That will be a nice sized space.  And I thought that my 14' by 19' room was decent.   

So, you 'borrowed' 10' from the 2-car garage?  Is it now a 1 car garage, or will it only hold bicycles, in the future???        Now that I think about it, with an adjacent garage, you should have installed infinite baffle subs!     

When all is said I done, I definitely want to see updated pictures.  Plus, if I am remembering correctly, will Han still be part of the decor?   

[PMAT]

It's quite nice that something new is happening in this circle. 

[Doug Ravizza]

Housteau,

Sounds like a fun and exiting project. Those V60s must need lots of breathing room.

We recently moved and I too had to "recreate" my listening space, although, I had to downsize from 22' X 16-1/2' w/18' cathedral ceiling to 20' X 13' w/10' ceiling and had to move some interior walls to achieve it.

Even though more modest in area and volume, with the combination of wall treatments, sub eq via Velodyne SMS-1 and a new Bryston 4BSST^2 amp, my RM30 IIs and Stryke HE-15 sub combo sing once again.

-Doug

[Housteau]

So, you 'borrowed' 10' from the 2-car garage?  Is it now a 1 car garage, or will it only hold bicycles, in the future???

When all is said I done, I definitely want to see updated pictures.  Plus, if I am remembering correctly, will Han still be part of the decor?   

It's funny, but that has been the biggest concern of people I have told about this, what about the man coming out of your wall?  Can you save him? . The answer is absolutely.  It was a real trick removing him from that back wall, but I was able to keep him intact.  That sculpture is now mounted on the front wall.

Yes, loosing one garage space out of that two car garage was a big issue that I had to deal with first.  I had lost space for one car plus all that storage.  So, part of the preliminary phase was to first add a new carport and build storage cabinets in my front garage.  This listening room was built 20 years ago as a detached building from my home.  Also due to changes in my insurance policy I needed to build a covered walkway connecting it to my house.  Still needing more storage space, I bought one of those prebuilt Derksen workshop /shed buildings I needed to install in my backyard.  So, there was a lot of prep work and planning that has gone into this.

[Housteau]

Housteau,

Those V60s must need lots of breathing room.

We recently moved and I too had to "recreate" my listening space, although, I had to downsize from 22' X 16-1/2' w/18' cathedral ceiling to 20' X 13' w/10' ceiling and had to move some interior walls to achieve it.

Brian had always said that those speakers would work well in both smaller and larger rooms, but when adding in those huge matching VLA bass towers it does require some space.  My old room was actually fine, but my preferred set up did have me sitting closer to the back wall then I should have been.  This new room addition adds 10 new feet behind me before that back wall and will allow me to be another few feet away from the speakers with them at least 5 - 6 feet into the room.

I think the room is a very important, if not the most important component to a system.  So, any changes we are able to make for the better are well worth it.  Building costs are very expensive today, but look at what some pay for our audio components. 

[Housteau]

It's quite nice that something new is happening in this circle. 

I have been lurking, but not posting anything new lately until now.  Like you I am always glad to read something from other VMPS owners.  I often like to go back in time to reread old postings of years gone by when things were still new and exciting.  Those really were very exciting times for me.  Now with this new room I get to relive all of that all over again.

[Doug Ravizza]

Like you I am always glad to read something from other VMPS owners.  I often like to go back in time to reread old postings of years gone by when things were still new and exciting.

ditto

[jimdgoulding]

Everybody click on Housteau's "gallery" link.  I could tolerate that room of his and set up, I imagine. 

[Doug Ravizza]

I think the room is a very important, if not the most important component to a system.

Agreed. With this new room I thought I'd try Brian's Live End, Dead End (LE-DE) approach first. So far, in the smaller room, I really like the results. In a previous setup - larger room with tall dipole line source speakers, the results weren't as pleasing to my ears.

[PMAT]

I am looking forward to your listening impressions. I also peruse the older threads and get all gooey. Reading Brian's words has finally become ok. Though it usually makes me reflect on my own life. VMPS is still something special.
Please post lots of new pics with some close ups.

[Stimpy]

It's funny, but that has been the biggest concern of people I have told about this, what about the man coming out of your wall?  Can you save him? . The answer is absolutely.  It was a real trick removing him from that back wall, but I was able to keep him intact.  That sculpture is now mounted on the front wall.

Yes, loosing one garage space out of that two car garage was a big issue that I had to deal with first.  I had lost space for one car plus all that storage.  So, part of the preliminary phase was to first add a new carport and build storage cabinets in my front garage.  This listening room was built 20 years ago as a detached building from my home.  Also due to changes in my insurance policy I needed to build a covered walkway connecting it to my house.  Still needing more storage space, I bought one of those prebuilt Derksen workshop /shed buildings I needed to install in my backyard.  So, there was a lot of prep work and planning that has gone into this.thereof

I'm glad to hear that you were able to successfully remove your sculpture!  It's a beautiful piece, and it would have been a shame if it couldn't transition into your new listening space!

As to your gear, has that changed?  Still the VTL & Eagle amps?  Also, what preamp do you use?  I'm not sure if I ever read about that?

Finally, I just perused your gallery again, and if your old space is any indication, the new room will be phenomenal!!!  Also, on the VLA 'subs' (some how, the simple phrase 'sub' doesn't do them justice), they have four actives and one side-mounted passive?  Correct?  So, since the passive radiator is side-mounted, why the front slot, at the base of the subs?  Anything in there?   

Thanks!

[Housteau]

Everybody click on Housteau's "gallery" link.  I could tolerate that room of his and set up, I imagine.

Guilty.  I was very fortunate to have built the room I did 20 years ago, originally for the Infinity rs1bs.  There is a certain magic to photography though where the photo tends to highlight certain things while minimizing the rest.  The reality was that with such a nice wide front wall set up placed my listening seat very close to the back wall. 

[Housteau]

As to your gear, has that changed?  Still the VTL & Eagle amps?  Also, what preamp do you use?  I'm not sure if I ever read about that?

Finally, I just perused your gallery again, and if your old space is any indication, the new room will be phenomenal!!!  Also, on the VLA 'subs' (some how, the simple phrase 'sub' doesn't do them justice), they have four actives and one side-mounted passive?  Correct?  So, since the passive radiator is side-mounted, why the front slot, at the base of the subs?  Anything in there?   

Thanks!

I had changed my gear a while ago.  The VTLs for the mids and highs gave way to Primaluna and the Eagle for a pair of Odyssey Stratos Extreme Mono SEs.

At the time of design Brian was not quite sure how he wanted to arrange the 15" drivers.  He had to wait until a cabinet was delivered so he could experiment.  He was considering a possible active 15" as well.  He ended up with two passives on the sides.  The slot on the bottom is blanked off.

[Housteau]

Here are some early pictures as the room begins to take shape.  The carpet still needs to be installed and the only acoustic treatments I have built and mounted are the ones off the floor.  Once the carpet is down all the vertical corners will also be fully treated.  The front part was the original room which is pretty much the same except for being raised up 5.5 inches.  I now have a step up from the entrance.  That area has just been tiled.













These here show the new addition.  That space is approximately 10 x 17.  This will all be behind my listening position.  It is offset to the one side to allow the original garage entrance door access to the garage from the outside.









This last photo was taken back in the new section looking the length of the new room.

[Hipper]

I too have been altering things in my room, employing GIK room treatment instead of Auralex foam I had before, as well as making a renewed effort to get speaker and chair placement located for best sound.

Whilst not as neat and sophisticated as other rooms it works for me!



There's a couple more photos in my gallery as well as views of how it was.

The big plus with the GIK products, particularly the Soffit Traps, is that they absorb lower in the bass then the foam. The foam I had went down to 125Hz; GIK effects down to 50Hz or so. This does make a significant difference resulting in more bass from the music and less from the room - in fact more musical bass.

What's so pleasing is how well the RM30s respond to this. I love them!!!

[Housteau]

The big plus with the GIK products, particularly the Soffit Traps, is that they absorb lower in the bass then the foam. The foam I had went down to 125Hz; GIK effects down to 50Hz or so. This does make a significant difference resulting in more bass from the music and less from the room - in fact more musical bass.

What's so pleasing is how well the RM30s respond to this. I love them!!!

 I like those soffit traps.  I think if we have the opportunity to improve our rooms we should do it.  I had planned and saved for quite some time before moving ahead with my project and I have no doubt that all my efforts will be worth it.  Brian's speakers deserve the best environments to get the most out of them.   

[Housteau]

The isolation transformer for my dedicated audio circuit.

[gregfisk]

The isolation transformer for my dedicated audio circuit.

O.K., totally off topic I know, but what is with the pink studs? I'm a low voltage electrical contractor in Seattle and I have never seen anything like them.

Congrats on the new room by the way, I'm building one of my own right now, 20' x30' x14'. It was an old 3 car garage I ended up with when I bought the neighbors house to rent out. Keep the pictures coming, it's always fun to watch someone's hard work pay off.

Take Care,

Greg

[Housteau]

O.K., totally off topic I know, but what is with the pink studs? I'm a low voltage electrical contractor in Seattle and I have never seen anything like them.

I see them in a lot of new home construction in the area.  I had asked about them myself and was told they were accurate 8 footers.

That will be a really nice sized room you will have.  Please be sure to also post pictures.