[Rob Babcock]

I'd love the opportunity to gut my room to the stud walls and rebuild it from the ground up with audio & video in mind.  And upgrade to the acoustics and wiring would be cool.

[Russell Dawkins]

I just remembered "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all", so I deleted my comment.

[rich121]

I just remembered "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all", so I deleted my comment.

goody-goody for you

[rich121]

I'd love the opportunity to gut my room to the stud walls and rebuild it from the ground up with audio & video in mind.  And upgrade to the acoustics and wiring would be cool.

I just wish I wasn't doing the whole house at the same time... and on such a limited budget..but, it will be a much bigger improvement.


Rick

[ctviggen]

I'd love the opportunity to gut my room to the stud walls and rebuild it from the ground up with audio & video in mind.  And upgrade to the acoustics and wiring would be cool.

You think that now, until you realize that if a goal is to minimize sound transmission into and out of the room, you're talking a bunch of money to do this, much research time (or having a plan created for you by a professional, which will add to the cost), and labor.

I've gutted a single room and I won't be doing any of the nice sound-deadening solutions (clips, green glue, two layers of drywall, etc.), and it's taken me months and quite a bit of money. 

[rich121]

In my system, I'm about to install hospital grade, isolated ground outlets using EMT and 10 gauge THHN wires.

I suggest that you install 2 ground wires...one for your equipment ground, the other for your isolated ground.

In many States, they have found that when EMT is installed outside, that over time, moisture can cause enough corrosion making bonding between parts of the conduit system unsafe.
I always pull an equipment ground, whether needed or not.

In the State of Washington, you can't use EMT installed outdoors as your equipment ground.

Just a suggestion.


Rick

[Russell Dawkins]

goody-goody for you

Maybe I shouldn't have bothered.

[ctviggen]

In my system, I'm about to install hospital grade, isolated ground outlets using EMT and 10 gauge THHN wires.

I sugges that you install 2 ground wires...one for your system ground, the other for your isolated ground.

In many States, they have found that when EMT is installed outside, that over time, moisture can cause enough corrosion making bonding between parts of the conduit system unsafe.

In the State of Washington, you can't use EMT installed outdoors as your equipment ground.

Just a suggestion.


Rick

The EMT will be installed inside the house, probably a 25 foot run from the breaker box to the box with the outlets.  It would be highly unlikely the EMT would lose ground.  However, I've seen others recommend installing a ground to the outlet box because of the potential for EMT to lose its grounding capacity.  So, I may do this.  Thanks for the tip.  (I also am using 3/4 inch EMT, so my fill ratio is low and I can put in another wire with no problems.)

What are your thoughts on this with raceways?  I installed a raceway in my garage (yet to be inspected, but I took out a permit), and the raceway is grounded at the beginning of the raceway (at a first box).  Should I also add grounds to the other two boxes?  It wouldn't be hard or expensive to do and would be "above" code. 

[rich121]

In my system, I'm about to install hospital grade, isolated ground outlets using EMT and 10 gauge THHN wires.

I sugges that you install 2 ground wires...one for your system ground, the other for your isolated ground.

In many States, they have found that when EMT is installed outside, that over time, moisture can cause enough corrosion making bonding between parts of the conduit system unsafe.

In the State of Washington, you can't use EMT installed outdoors as your equipment ground.

Just a suggestion.


Rick

The EMT will be installed inside the house, probably a 25 foot run from the breaker box to the box with the outlets.  It would be highly unlikely the EMT would lose ground.  However, I've seen others recommend installing a ground to the outlet box because of the potential for EMT to lose its grounding capacity.  So, I may do this.  Thanks for the tip.  (I also am using 3/4 inch EMT, so my fill ratio is low and I can put in another wire with no problems.)

What are your thoughts on this with raceways?  I installed a raceway in my garage (yet to be inspected, but I took out a permit), and the raceway is grounded at the beginning of the raceway (at a first box).  Should I also add grounds to the other two boxes?  It wouldn't be hard or expensive to do and would be "above" code.

Yes, I would run a groundwire continuous throughout the conduit run, bonding it to each box as you come to it. It only takes a few minutes and you can never be too safe with electrical.

Rick

[rich121]

Picture #1 (East)
Picture #2 (North, stairs, pantry is further to right of stairs)
Picture #3 (North)
Picture #4 (South)
Picture #5 (South)
Picture #6 (North, stairs attached/directly to right is 8'x3' pantry)
The room is 24'x18'x8' including the staircase/pantry

At the North end of the room where the staircase/pantry is, if you measure diagonally across from the stairway to the wall (the one with the exterior door) it is 12' from the wall to the stairway, and 14.5' from the wall to the pantry.
The pantry extends 8' from the North exterior wall to the hallway (it is only 8'x3' or 24 square feet of the room)

Suggestions Welcome!!!!


Rick

[rich121]

Hi, getting back to your original post:

1. What are some of your priorities in terms of you consider to be "best" in terms of sound? I surmise from your use of time coherent speakers with true subwoofers that you particularly value direct sound and pinpoint localization (a "tight" image) at the possible expense of "ambience" and spaciousness but that you're also looking for smooth and extended bass. I wonder whether many time coherent speakers may particularly benefit from absorption of first reflections because of off-axis response (many have relatively poor off-axis response) and the loss of coherence that early reflections cause. The only measurements I could find for any Green Mountain speakers were for one pair from 15 years ago.

2. In terms of the room, what other sorts of things will go into it, are there any windows, how many listeners will there be, and will it be used for anything else (like video or multichannel down the line)? It sounds like this may be a dedicated, private, one-chair listening room.

3. Can you do any basic measurements? Knowing some acoustic information about your "shell" can help you get started in terms of looking at specific areas for improvement, particularly in the bass.

Even if you're not going to be able to hire professionals at this time, you might start by just taking a look at some of their approaches to listening room construction (the first two were from studs up):

Terry Montlick's design for the Music Vault and other projects at http://www.softwaredesign.com/showcase.html
Rives' design for Mike Lavigne's room at http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue16/lavigneroom.htm
The Walters-Storyk Design Group at http://www.wsdg.com/default.asp
Keith Yates at http://www.keithyates.com/

You'll see some recurring themes and elements, and it sounds like you'd be able to construct many of these things yourself, like a louvred ceiling (also at http://www.avguide.com/blog/robert-harley-visits-transparent-audio?and-discovers-210-miracle-upgrade). Polycylindrical diffusors should be simple for you, and you may wish to look into making some QRDs. Here is an extreme approach of this: http://www.studiovisa.com/blackbird/default2.asp?file=studioc&name=Studio%20C.

Young-Ho

Young-Ho, here is a linc to a review of my speakers, that will give you a better idea about them.

As for use of the room, it will be for family use also. A couch in the sweet spot, and a 61" screen against the wall between the speakers...future will be a screen and projector.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/gma/continuum3.html