Any ideas on how to make this basement room work? One side is a solid wall and the other is open. It is currently just drywall. The room is intended as a social space for my kids to bring friends to, and for watching movies as a family on a projector we just bought (Benq gp500. My god the image quality is great!). There will be a thick carpet, and a large squishy L-sofa. I can probably manage some things on the walls to deal with reflections but it wont be extensive. As much as I love audio, the family function is more important to me so I just need to figure out how to manage the compromise.
Now that i have a house again, I'm can resume building speakers, and I can do pretty much anything. I have some conventional box speakers I want to get finished but I've wanted to do an OB along the lines of linkwitz for a long time and I hope that will be soon.
I'm under the impression that OB interacts less with the room but I wonder if this is beyond the scope of what it can improve on. Should I look at this path or constant directivity or some other format, or should I accept that this a fools errand and make do.
I'll eventually get around to all sorts of builds but It would be best to get something working well in this room first to keep everyone happy. Would love to hear some thoughts.
Now that i have a house again, I'm can resume building speakers, and I can do pretty much anything. I have some conventional box speakers I want to get finished but I've wanted to do an OB along the lines of linkwitz for a long time and I hope that will be soon.
I'm under the impression that OB interacts less with the room but I wonder if this is beyond the scope of what it can improve on. Should I look at this path or constant directivity or some other format, or should I accept that this a fools errand and make do.
I'll eventually get around to all sorts of builds but It would be best to get something working well in this room first to keep everyone happy. Would love to hear some thoughts.
Perhaps speakers with wide directivity & a sub for family/movie situations, and a second pair of speakers for your solo audiophile moments?
Take a guess! There are two of them.... in a room with a couch and it's posted in an audio forum. LOL!
Yes, speakers. 🙂
I should clarify about the problem I’m seeking help with. Family doesn’t care too much about the sound for movies so no need for dedicated HT speakers. I described the use of the room because I have no flexibility with the layout.
My problem is that I have reflections off one wall and no reflections on the open side. Surely this will be a train wreck for critical listening.
I’m wondering if open baffle with its reduced room interaction can save the situation or is this too extreme a problem.?
I know cardiod designs are extremely challenging and I’m only aware of one which I couldn’t even locate at the moment but might that be a solution.?
I should clarify about the problem I’m seeking help with. Family doesn’t care too much about the sound for movies so no need for dedicated HT speakers. I described the use of the room because I have no flexibility with the layout.
My problem is that I have reflections off one wall and no reflections on the open side. Surely this will be a train wreck for critical listening.
I’m wondering if open baffle with its reduced room interaction can save the situation or is this too extreme a problem.?
I know cardiod designs are extremely challenging and I’m only aware of one which I couldn’t even locate at the moment but might that be a solution.?
For optimal performance, dipoles typically want to be farther out into the room than your layout is going to allow. Most people also wouldn't want the rear wall that close for critical listening.
One approach you haven't brought up is to move things when you want to listen critically. You could have 2 different setups. Your normal condition could be what you've drawn, but for serious listening sessions bringing the listening seat and the speakers closer together would help lessen the influence of the room. You could try something like 5 feet from the front wall to speakers, between speakers, and to listening position.
Another approach would be to use horn or waveguide based speakers with narrow dispersion. Performance wise, this would likely land between normal speakers and the short listening distance dipoles. Absorption on the right side out to the first reflection point would probably still help in this scenario.
One approach you haven't brought up is to move things when you want to listen critically. You could have 2 different setups. Your normal condition could be what you've drawn, but for serious listening sessions bringing the listening seat and the speakers closer together would help lessen the influence of the room. You could try something like 5 feet from the front wall to speakers, between speakers, and to listening position.
Another approach would be to use horn or waveguide based speakers with narrow dispersion. Performance wise, this would likely land between normal speakers and the short listening distance dipoles. Absorption on the right side out to the first reflection point would probably still help in this scenario.
What are those two red line segments? You might counter-balance the one side-wall with a screen or hutch (back) of carefully chosen size and placement. Alternatively, move the couch over to the red line segments, listening seat facing "north"; then place speakers symmetrically.
Actually, L-shaped spaces (living room+) are quite common; mine is worse.
Actually, L-shaped spaces (living room+) are quite common; mine is worse.
Wow. I didn't even see those. 2am with my laptop in an armchair without my glasses. Those are nothing.
I've considered a sliding panel on one of those "barn door" rails that were popular in urban lofts. Not my first choice as I'd rather not have a rail on my ceiling put possible.
Good point. Might not be evident in the diagram but this wouldn't be a problem. I've been thinking of putting future projects on caster wheels to facilitate this since I have to share space. There will likely be another chair I can move that i didn't include in the drawing.
I'm interested in exploring horns and waveguides but I don't know much about them other than what I've read in build threads. I don't actually have the faintest idea what people use to design a waveguide. We have a whole room for for making things now and a 3d printer and cnc planned so experimentation will be in order.
Why does having things on the wall affect 'family performance' of the room?
I'm planning some 2.4m tall, 0.8m wide traps to go on the front wall behind my speakers. Going to use some nice Birch plywood and curve it, plus cut a nice pattern on the front to let the sound pass. Does it look normal? No. Does it look nice? Yes.
Similar to this these ones but placed where you see the CD rack:
I'm planning some 2.4m tall, 0.8m wide traps to go on the front wall behind my speakers. Going to use some nice Birch plywood and curve it, plus cut a nice pattern on the front to let the sound pass. Does it look normal? No. Does it look nice? Yes.
Similar to this these ones but placed where you see the CD rack:
How do I quote the last post? There are quote buttons in every post except the last one.
The example in your post is fine though. Those panels look great. Some room treatments are actually visually pleasing or even artistic.
Even I find many listening/theater rooms off putting.
Its a matter of degree. Above all else the room is supposed to be inviting.
The example in your post is fine though. Those panels look great. Some room treatments are actually visually pleasing or even artistic.
Even I find many listening/theater rooms off putting.
The full quote feature isn't available for the last message in a thread to discourage people from quoting the whole last post, since that's redundant.
If you highlight a section of text, a "quote" button pops up. That may have been what you already used above. As long as you are just doing a short bit and it's to address a specific question, it seems to generally be viewed as acceptable to use the workaround.
If you highlight a section of text, a "quote" button pops up. That may have been what you already used above. As long as you are just doing a short bit and it's to address a specific question, it seems to generally be viewed as acceptable to use the workaround.
Hey, knifeinthesink,
If that's your place, I'm only a four or five hour flight.
I don't care what movie you put on.
I can cook.
If that's your place, I'm only a four or five hour flight.
I don't care what movie you put on.
I can cook.
Makes sense.
Not my place, Cal. Examples of rooms that will get me in trouble. We are just drywall so far.
Stick two or four full height 20cm-30cm Depth absorbers in each corner and make them look nice. The rest will fall in to place with chairs, rugs, sofa etc.. You can make them a feature as I will with nice wood and patterns or cover them with white stretched fabric to look like part of the wall.
Or, honestly you could hire an acoustician. I dunno how much you are spending right now on renovation but it might be a small factor for a big gain.
We can’t project onto this wall because there is a window with a protruding sill, otherwise I would do this.
I am resigned to the compromises this arrangement is forcing on me but this thread has given me food for thought. OB I can move when I listen seems like a path worth exploring. I will also consider a sliding panel. It will help cut down on noise in our crazy reverberant house.
I have lived with worse.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I am resigned to the compromises this arrangement is forcing on me but this thread has given me food for thought. OB I can move when I listen seems like a path worth exploring. I will also consider a sliding panel. It will help cut down on noise in our crazy reverberant house.
I have lived with worse.
Thanks for the suggestions.
If you are only concerned with your own listening experience, make your seating position on the couch just to the left of the "W". Make this the centre of the two speakers. This will help with getting the speakers away from the corners and making the image similar from left to right. A curtain on the window might be a good idea. Maybe toe-in the speakers in a little. Move them up against the back wall if you want if you need more room for the family. I don't have a problem with some speakers being close to the back wall. The Yamaha NS1000 can sound good there helping with the bass.
Attachments
Get a retractable screen and hang it from the ceiling in front of that window.
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