[mfinalheaven]

Hi All,

I have been lurking around here for a while, trying to absorb as much knowledge as I can. Recently, I ordered the Aperion bookshelves system and the Orb audio 5.1 People's Choice system for demo in my family room.

After several trips to nearby audio stores (Tweeter, etc.) and having listened to these two systems, I realized that I have to fix my room first and foremost. I have attached several pictures of my room below. With so many glass windows in the room, I think reflection is a big problem. I will make DIY sound absorbing panels from rigid fiber glass to attempt to alleviate the problem.

My plan is the following:

- Add a panel on the wall behind the center channel. The center channel will be sitting on top of a shelf that is above the TV.
- Add panels on the wall behind where the front left and right speakers will be. I am planning to put the front speakers on floor to the side of the two shelves that sandwich the TV.
- Add a panel behind the sitting position, in-between the glass door and the window
- Add heavy drapes all around the glass doors and windows
- Since we have bare wood floor, I think we will also need a rug in front of the TV area

I am not sure how to deal with our flat ceiling. Would adding sound absorbing panels to the ceiling make the room TOO dead? I have heard it is better to add diffusers. Any recommended cheap DIY diffuser panel plans?

What do you guys think? Would doing this be good enough, too little, or overkilled? I don't need the perfect listening room, just a pretty good one that allows me to enjoy listening to music and watching movies in surround sound. It is a bit dis-heartening to know that your room is preventing your speakers from working at their full potential.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mfinalheaven/LivingRoom

[gooberdude]

Hey,

I just recently purchased a RoomTunes kit for about $200, and the improvement to
the sound in my room is simply staggering.   

the description of your system leads me to think that you can achieve killer acoustic control over your
room without spending a lot of $ & without hideous looking panels everywhere....the panel systems seem to work best for large systems pushing high db's and moving a lot of air...HT & bookshelf speakers will benefit perfectly from one of the 'lighter' acoustic control systems.

whatever you go with, see if there is a trial period.

the kit i purchased has 4 corner triangles, 4 seam strips & 2 little pillows to control slap echo.  for the time it took, the $ involved and the looks of the installed product, i couldn't be happier.

panels are effective, but a simple kit like from Eighth Nerve or Michael Green is all my set-up needed.   My room is 25'x15'x8' ceiling height and has a 13'x10' open section also...not a small room really.

i've read that ceiling are important, but that may depend on your flooring too.  i have 1/2" nelon carpet over 1/2" pad over poured concrete & the ceiling is the thick 'popcorn' acoustical treatment.   

after ordering the MGA kit, i also purchased 2 panels from ATS acoustics...the RoomTunes kit is so effective i can't even bring the panels into my room without the soundstage changing drastically.

You may find that simply treating the 4 corners of your room with triangles from Eighth nerve or MGA ($100) might be a great way to start this experiement...