[theclipper]

Hello Everyone,

I have posted here in the past and have always enjoyed everyone's input.  I have recently moved so I have been trying to maximize the sound reproduction in my family room.  This is really the only room in the house that the speakers can be in so I've gottta try and make this room work for me as best as it can. 

I have included some pictures in this post to help you guys get a better look at what I'm dealing with.  Please let me know if I can provide anymore info. 

The room is about 16.5' wide and 13' deep.  That little inlet wall that the TV/expedit/gear rack is on is 10.5' and 2.5' deep.  I have 4 GIK tri-traps throughout the room as well as 4 GIK 244 bass traps.  I have 2 bass traps along the left wall at the first reflection point.  I have another 244 along the right wall under the window in the first reflection point.  The last 244 is in a corner by the front door.  As you can see the left wall is broken up by a walkway to the kitchen.  The back wall is broken up by a door to the bedroom.  I currently sit in the middle of the futon which corresponds to the middle point of the nook park of the front wall.

The speakers are about 70'' from the front wall but this distance seems shorter since the gear rack and the expedit are about a 17'' deep.  The speakers are about 69'' from each other (from the middle of one speaker to the middle of the other).  They are each an equal distance from the center point of the nook wall.  I sit about 75'' back from the speakers.

The one main complaint I noticed with my setup right now is there seems to be a portion of the singer's voice that is kind of floating out in space from the right speaker.  There will be the main image of the singer in the center and then I can always kind of hear another bit off to the right.

I am open to any suggestion and have no problem doing some redecorating.  I just want to get the best sound I possible can from my system.   

Thanks so much!
-Clipper



From behind the speakers


Looking from the left wall


From the bedroom


From the listening spot


Looking from the right wall

[bpape]

Part of the imaging issue is non-symmetry left to right with a boundary on the left (even though absorbed) but not on the right. 

I'd think more of an issue would be speakers effectively in the middle of the room length and the seating against a boundary. Moving both toward the wall behind the speakers say 30" or so would likely help a lot of different things.

Bryan

[theclipper]

Hey Bryan,

Thanks for the response.  I know this room is less than ideal but I'm trying to make due. 

I could certainly move the speakers back toward the TV.  The only issue with that though is that it seems like I lose a lot of depth in the sound stage.  The back wall is almost 17'' closer to the speakers since that nook is almost completely filled w/the record shelf/tv/gear rack/tri-traps.  Also, moving the speakers back would put my listening position further outside of the equilateral triangle.

I have the speakers where they are from left to right so that they are equidistant from the mid-point of the nook. Do you think I would be better served to shift both off to the right some?  As well as moving my futon a bit to the right maybe? 

Thanks Bryan!
Chris

[Mag]

One thing you can try, it may work it that room. Is place the speakers perpendicular to your seating position, about 3'away on each side. I tried it once and got a nice holographic image in front of seating position coming off the front wall. The woofers on the back of speakers may reflect nicely off the walls, with omni-directional bass. 

[theclipper]

Hey Guys,

I have went ahead and drew up a rough sketch of what I'm working with in the room.  I have added it in the first post as well as this one. Please forgive my rudimentary skills.  Also, let me know if you can't read anything or need further clarification or more pictures.





Thanks!
-Clipper

[theclipper]

One thing you can try, it may work it that room. Is place the speakers perpendicular to your seating position, about 3'away on each side. I tried it once and got a nice holographic image in front of seating position coming off the front wall. The woofers on the back of speakers may reflect nicely off the walls, with omni-directional bass. 

Hey Mag,

Thanks for the thought, but I'm not exactly sure I understand what you are suggesting.  Are you saying that both speakers would be off to my right in that setup?

Thanks,
Clipper

[Mag]

You see where your listening spot is? Put one speaker beside the chair about 3' away facing your left ear. Place the other one on the right side of chair 3' away facing your right ear.

You may have to move your chair out in ahead of the left walkway opening. Depending on how your speakers beam, it may or may not work.

[theclipper]

*bump*

Anyone else have any suggestions about how I could better set up my room?  I feel like it might now be easier to see what I've got going on since I added the layout I drew.

Thanks so much!
-Clipper

[bpape]

The equilateral triangle is just a starting point and more for nearfield listening.  It's not gospel that you have to be there. 

Also, if you move both the speakers and the seating the same distance, you're not really changing anything except getting you out of the wall boundary area where all the bass builds up.

Bryan

[theclipper]

Hey Bryan,

Thanks for the response.  I figured with this room being fairly small, nearfield listening would be my best bet.  But that was really only a guess based on my very limited knowledge.  Do you have any suggestions on what a better setup might be?

Thanks,
Clipper

[jimdgoulding]

Think Bryan has given you good advice.  Try it.