Building my HiFi room and how I treated it acoustically. (Day 2)

[@ThomasAndStereo]

www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/thomas-and-stereo-fundraiser-for-doctors-without-b/ No need to give a lot but if we can all chip in even $1, it will make a difference. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The money all goes 100% to them directly and does not pass thru me. See you tomorrow at 11am ET.

[@HPMIKE55]

Thomas & Stereo love your room bro & you could count me in I will donate. By the way if my room has large windows how would I treat it?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

@@HPMIKE55 Thanks! What about pulling a drape over it when you listen to music?

[@HPMIKE55]

@@ThomasAndStereo i would love to but my wife wouldn't let me! lol

[@rexsterling7346]

Actually, usually those diffusion panels are placed behind the listener, not where the TV is. And only if there is at least about 5 feet or more room between the listener and where they are placed. But if you placed them there, your viewer would never see how cool they can look, lol. I hope by now you have figured out what they do.

[@stevenbeau6268]

I am so impressed with anyone who can say “I don’t know”. Those are my 3 favorite words...s

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

I often add 'yet' :) finding out new things is awesome :)

[@antoinep9733]

“Best I don’t say anything, because I know nothing.” Best hi-fi quote ever! 👏🏼

[@tjkadar]

"The more I read, the less I know." Amen brother, amen.

[@seanixt]

You have great taste with colors as well. The red walls and new music room! ROFL - Diffusion Panels: "I have no idea..." Love your honesty!

[@ajzepp8976]

Great job, Thomas! As impressive as it is when you treat the room, the most shocking experience for me was when I moved. I had a heavily treated room with some DeVore Super 8s, and after taking down all the treatments and playing the system before packing it up, it was absolutely shocking. Next to speakers, room treatments make the biggest impact in my experience. Happy Listening!

[@matthewhilty4209]

Looks amazing you went all out. I wish i could hear it in person. The room definitely gives me something to aspire to. When people ask "Where is the carpet? " Just show them the ceiling and silence will follow.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

haha. Love it. I still need probably a few more panels at the back for the room and ceiling but so far so good.

[@timleelim9930]

One quote that stuck with me is "if you're an audiophile, you need treatment". Can't disagree.

[@gordthor5351]

"It looks good there, so that is what matters, right? I can't say that is right for me. If it sounds right, that is what matter for me. I know there is more to audio than just our ears and a pleasing room can have a placebo effect, but in the end if I listen longer and turn it louder, it obviously was an improvement. I agree that treating the room right is most important, but it's also the most finicky and time consuming (trial and error). One thing I noticed that makes a listening session sound better, which I doubt many people consider, is avoiding noise pollution during that day. I always look for answers when one day my system sounds amazing and the next it sounds terrible. I have narrowed it down to a noisy day at work. I think our brains can only handle so much audio stimulus (especially if it is annoying noise) in a day and then it says, "no more, I need a rest".

[@sidvicious3129]

Thomas the room looks fine and it sounds like you accomplished the most important things, like getting the center image focused, the bass controlled and the ability to keep the volume low or high and hear details. Like you said each room is different but accomplishing those three things tell me that you accomplished your goal, could you do more, of course but why, it’s your room and you accomplished your goals, so good job. I remember the headaches that I had multiplied y two, one room for two channel and one room for home theater at my old house, so I know your headaches doing this, but to stand back and look at the before and after is the sweetest reward. Thank you for taking us on the adventure and I have a friend that almost died from Covid 19 so it’s serious and what you are trying to do is indeed noble and shows that humanity in the right hands has no boundaries. I wish you all of the blessings in the world my friend.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks Sid, always nice to hear from you and glad you friend made it. It is true, now that I think about it, I did accomplish great things treating the room.

[@EduardoGarcia-jx8mo]

you know what? I love how you talk about your room ... it shows that you are proud of it, your eyes almost shine when you talk about your room ... and you have an A + for effort and final product ..

[@brucecarter6205]

99% of live performances are not in treated venues. Just throwing it out there. My room is treated with thick curtains, carpet, 2 huge sofa’s and a chair, pictures on the wall, etc. My main listening space is my main livingroom area atm. Sounds excellent with just regular everyday home furnishings. On the other hand, I used to have a dedicated and fully treated theater room with bass traps in the corners, first reflection panels, the whole nine yards. I would argue that my current living room sounds better overall. Hard to explain, but the current livingroom just gives me a livelier and more engaging listening experience. My treated room was perhaps a bit dead sounding in comparison. That said, every space and situation is different. My current stance on the subject is simply, “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. Let your ears be the judge. Btw...nice room you’ve got there Thomas!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes, I have been in rooms that have zero treatment that sounds better than some treated rooms I have been to. That is why it drives me nuts when people criticize other people's room without ever being there. One big lesson I learn is that it is possible to over-treat a room and it becomes too dead.

[@HD-su9sq]

Your best video! The room treatment looks great (especially those diffusion panels!) and the renovation is a big improvement. Well done! And Doctors without Borders do amazing work.

[@Dark_Vader888]

Love your honesty. Great job!

[@Ba09035]

Wonderful timing! I personally feel that room acoustics are more than a component(s) level improvement. I got lucky and purchased brand new Vicoustic diffusors and absorbers for half the price of new as a fellow had extra to sell. I was talking to my dealer then this deal on CAM came up(Woop!). I've read a lot of theory on acoustic placement too, and it made my head spin. In the end I just piled them on the walls and tested where to place them, then permanently mounted them to the wall(I did use REW to help out too). I noticed that I can play a lot lower in volume and get great clarity and also when pushing the system volume, it does not overload the room anymore. The room also looks like "serious" stereo now too haha. Thanks for taking the time to give back as well Thomas, I'm a front line health care worker and it's been really busy these days. I go to work, come back home tired and then go back to work again. Feels like Ground Hog Day movie. My music and theatre room really are my refuge these days.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks for sharing your experience and it reminds me of myself where i was reading up on it and it made my head spin too. Pleae take care yourself. I do have a family member working in the ICU department too.

[@Academicidiot]

Im glad you made this change as previously I've just had you down as a gearhead, collecting expensive gear in an untreated room. When most of what you hear is reflected sound you're listening to the room. Now I think you're appeciating speakers that weren't just beaming sound to your ears.

[@WarinPartita6]

Thanks​ for​ this​ very​ informative​ video​ expressed in​ a​ humble way.​

[@AKelly-wd4lj]

The diffusion panels look cool, that's what they do 😎

[@trekjudas]

Discovering room treatment has reawakened by passion for audio!. When I got such huge improvement from a shag rug I was hooked!

[@antonyharding5360]

Thank you for the link.... Regards Antony, Warrington..

[@ramsaybolton9099]

I see what you are doing regarding your room size. Assuming that you have an 8ft ceiling, 13x19 puts you on the upper edge of the Bolt diagram which is very desirable . However the rule of golden proportions allows you to go up to 21ft. If your speakers can be placed along the long walls, then you may have that grand feeling. Also if you can remove or cut out the walls behind the speakers so there are no bass reflections, the details can become amazing, and the bass very dynamic and sweet.

[@Audiofreak71]

Man I love your honesty . Don’t know what those diffusion panels are doing but they sure look good lol , love it 👍. Also good idea with placing the Blu-rays un even I’ll have to try that.

[@Chapterrifik]

Awesome video, sometimes people think that there is something wrong with their gear because it doesn't sound as good as it was when they had listened at the store, when really it's just the room that needs to be treated.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes, when people say their gear is bright for example, it could simply be the room.

[@Chapterrifik]

@@ThomasAndStereo absolutely.

[@tylerprower]

You are so right about everyone having something different to say about acoustics because there are so many variables but.... PLEASE only use panels 4"+ thick. Yes, 2" are better than nothing but to get even broadband absorption I encourage at least 4"- 6" anywhere a panel is used. Obviously this is in addition to the bass traps.

[@tcc5750]

10:25 A fellow man of culture. I also have a large anime collection. Thomas you truly are the best.

[@jameschant2740]

Voilà, quelle belle pièce Thomas, c’est comme un rêve ! Félicitations !

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Merci!

[@feverSoundHK]

Absolutely great video indeed!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks for watching. Big fan of your channel.

[@feverSoundHK]

@@ThomasAndStereo Thanks but all my videos are in Cantonese...

[@ThomasAndStereo]

@@feverSoundHK No problem, I can read and speak Cantonese, Mandarin and Haka

[@sudd3660]

room treatment is addictive, the more absorption i add the more i like the sound coming from my speakers and it is better to be in that echo free room :)

[@feelgeorge]

I'm giving you an "A" for effort

[@slidetek]

I miss having a dedicated listening room. IMO the dedicated circuit makes a tremendous difference. I'm set up in the family room now, the one place I thought I wouldn't set up (and I need more outlets!). It's like a cave, literally. And, being the "great room" I also get to hear the refrigerator even if it's far away. My living room is where I had planned to setup (and still might) as it's tamable. 12x16, but opens to entry and dining, so well over twice that. My Kanta's would be way too much for that space IMO. I can definitely say in the family room, hardwood over slab, an area rug helped a bunch. 20' ceiling, that's not as important as in past rooms! I won't let a TV anywhere near my 2-channel system. Oil and water. These 60 year old ears can still tell when a TV is on. I'll be happy if I can get my soundstage as far off to the sides as with my Thiels in the dedicated room. I'm just starting in my setup adventure in a big, empty house!

[@howardskeivys4184]

My listening room is approximately 75 cubic meters. Completely untreated. Hard floor and walls and minimalist furnishings. I have placed a lush deep pile 4 feet by 6 feet rug in front of and centred between my speakers. I am in the middle of upgrading my components and recently took my amp to a local dealer for some blind amp listening. Their room was substantially larger. It was fitted with wall to wall carpet. It was well furnished with loads of pairs of speakers, racks and other components. I picked my amp out immediately the dealer played a track through it. Whilst I of course appreciate that room acoustics do play a part in the overall listening experience, I don’t think it can be that huge a factor, when I could immediately identify my amp amounts a wide selection of amps in an unfamiliar listening environment.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Well you can identified the sonic characteristic of your amp and that should be normal. I can tell the McIntosh sound regardless at my friende of my place. So room treatment should not affect that and it is for other benefits..

[@wraspire]

The diffusers break up the reflected sound bouncing off from the front wall so you can heard more direct sound from the speakers. So the benefit is better definition, better clearity.

[@LevonArakelian]

Hi Thomas! I've done some studio and concert hall acoustics professionally and from what I can see you've done a pretty nice job so far :) Great to see that you've put a lot of time and effort into researching it before actually doing it. One of the most important measurements to look at is the RT60 (Reverberation Time). Try to get a flat RT60 graph, rather than just a flat frequency response. About 10-20% raise in the bass region is usually OK if not welcome. Of course you have quite a small room, so the RT60 is probably going to be quite low, maybe around 0.3-0.5s If I had to guess. Generally I wouldn't recommend RT60 of less than .5 seconds for most types of music. You can already check it using the same measurement you took with your MiniDSP mic in REW, if you haven't already done so. I would be happy to look at your measurements and help with acoustic treatment advice if you'd like to share them. P.S. Never listen to acoustic advice from people saying you need a carpet haha. Carpets usually only absorb the high frequencies which are usually already well absorbed by most of the surfaces and even people in the room. I can't count how many times I've seen rooms treated only by carpets and similar fabrics that made the acoustics even worse, because of the absorption imbalance they create when used improperly. Greetings from Armenia!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Wow, that is a lot of info. It will help if you can help me take a look at the measurements. Can you email me at [e-mail]?

[@LevonArakelian]

@@ThomasAndStereo sure, will be glad to. just emailed you.

[@cau8365]

Thank you for all the things you do Thomas!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

My pleasure!

[@hi-fihaven2257]

Great work on the acoustic treatment. My acoustic treatments really helped with booming bass, and center imaging also. Love the gear rack man, looks awesome.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks and glad you did some room treatment.

[@woohunter1]

My kitchen is ceramic tiled floor, when I’m playing with my dog, and she is running around barking, it is loud and very annoying, but as soon as she runs in the next room that has wood plank walls and a big area rug, so much better!

[@criticalshot516]

"Grab the neck of the singer." I thought you gave off some serial killer vibes; now it's confirmed! Just joking...don't kill me.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Haha, sitting in Thomas room too long will raise your killing intent :)

[@JosephTongret]

Laughed so hard I spit out my pringles!

[@shawnwu3170]

Haha, I thought Thomas 'hate' the singer too much so that he wanted to grab the neck instead. :D

[@ccwnyc5671]

@CRITICAL - We geeks are an odd and dangerous lot.

[@pharoahamunra]

I have some gik acoustics room treatment products.killing echo is great for your sound.big congrats on almost 30k subs.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks, yeah, treating the room really makes a big difference.

[@gramblor1]

Your voice is so relaxing.

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

Thanks Thomas ! I make my own accoustic panels , i was going to have a how2 video but it got a lil exspensive and alot of work but they work great !! Their 4 ft × 2 foot peg board with real treated wood 1x2 inch for the frame and 3 inch accoustic pading on the back side, the front panel is covered with a polyproplene almost the same material as the Klispch RP waveguide rubber material , Its actually premium cabinet liner which has tiny holes like the heavy duty peg board tiny holes that i used that way so the sound gets filters before it goes into 3 inch foam . Their heavy and very sturdy , with rear ported speakers sometimes i lay a big thick towel over the center to catch the frequency better but i had to setup as a filter that way it didn't reflect the sound waves, worked out great ! Thanks again Thomas !! You cracked me up saying 30k people listing to A china man lol A guess your Mr. Sifu Audio 😆 not Sensei lol

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Nice, have you ever made a video on it, like how you treated your room>?

[@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120]

@@ThomasAndStereo I sure haven't Thomas, not yet and me room is so dead silent after fulo treatment , i also done alot of small things also , For example no cables touch each other or glass or metal , under my cutting boards i use very soft rubber matts for any vibrations from the audio gear , 4 carpet mats already over top of already carpeted Rooms lol double drapes and i have 4- 4ft x 2ft panels , but having close to 15 foot behind my listing chair helps alot from refraction of back wall , what i call frequency off the wall sounds like echos down the hall 😆 but even behind my chair a couple feet back I have alot of pillows I know that may sound crazy but it sucks the low bass right up ! Speaker stands all have spikes , and the top plate of the speaker stands have very soft rubber matts (premium drawer liner) cut out to also help damping vibrations from bookshelf speakers , in the future i will have a video on this its so important no echo when i clap 😆

[@WelkySchullin]

Ty for sharing. Looking for the next one...

[@kohnfutner9637]

When I clap in my room it sounds like your treated room without treatment. I'd like to get some good bass traps and first reflection diffusion panels I guess.

[@oldskool80sfan12]

Great stuff. Lucky for me I didn't do any room treatment, my problem was having big speakers in a small room, I had to crank it up to get great sound but once its at lower volumes it looses details and stereo now I have bookshelf speakers and it sounds magnificent!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah choosing the right size matters.

[@NBK6KP9]

I learned so much much from all your videos

[@ccwnyc5671]

As a teen, I remember the treated rooms at Carston Studios HiFi store in CT. Black foam triangles everywhere. It was dead in there.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, I would love to visit an anechoic chamber one day. Thanks for the donation btw!

[@ccwnyc5671]

@@ThomasAndStereo I was 16 and had no money. I remember wanting a Madrigal set up. That's a blast from my past.

[@bdisaac1]

Bob Robbins KZbin video on speaker placement is worth a watch…he says you can do it with no treatment at all.

[@nikiforosf4824]

Very nice work and result... :)

[@trekjudas]

I have found that several thousand records make pretty good sound diffusers!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

haha

[@trekjudas]

Thomas & Stereo seriously, they really do!

[@C--A]

@@trekjudas Bookshelfs with lots of books (space them out leaving small gaps) are natural diffusers as the sound waves go through the gaps between the books. With the reflected sound scattering becoming non localised which sounds better than if it just reflected off a bare flat wall. Having thousands of records on a shelf can produce a similar effect. Plus if it's a small room it can make the music sound as if it is playing in a larger room.

[@ontherun8]

@Thomas & Stereo Hi Thomas, very interesting, where's Day 1 ? Thanks a lot. Mark ;-)

[@ThomasAndStereo]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i16VpqaNga6lntU Or go to the page to see all the days. kzbin.info/door/MVtSHXafOEcFN10FYygDTAvideos

[@chipmunk6386]

Nice video Thomas.! 👍

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@sean_heisler]

Great video! Love your room. Treating your room makes a big difference in so many ways. I did it a number of years ago but am continually tweaking it. I have absorbers on the front wall where you have diffusors but I've seen it both ways and in fact I see more diffusors there. It's a debated topic but I believe they deal with midrange and lower frequency reflections off the front that cause late reflections. I think diffusors there might be better as I recall they will diffuse that energy back into the the room but not in a way that confuses your brain and as a result your room sounds bigger and livelier but controlled. You might just stick with those diffusors. I need to try diffusion there. You could always sell me your's if you decide to go with absorption. :)

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Haha, thanks!

[@bynahelemaal]

3:06 xD that one frame inbetween

[@oliviere5957]

I like your anime collection I see the Basilisk in the background :-) Yeah looking to buy an amp soon not sure which one as yet.

[@stevenp9555]

Thomas truly agree with your experience, may I Know the acoustic panel you put on the door, my room door rattle play loud with strong bass.

[@takank3544]

I once asked you about those diffusers but no feedback, now I got the answer lol.

[@RealHIFIHelp]

Well done Thomas.

[@briankt69]

Guess I’m lucky, my room is 20 x 20 with 12’ cathedral ceilings and has fireplace in corner and that’s the starting point of my system sense tv is above the fireplace and points to the far corner of the room. Big archway to the left to foyer and front door, big archway to kitchen to the right of the room(all this is I’m facing the tv). And a doorway to the hall to the left of my seating area. Carpet on floors, lots of furniture, curtains (for looks) around my archways. Pictures on the was like normal sense this is the living room. And I need no treatments at all to me. My system is loud and clear and amazing to me as is.

[@supabayes3284]

Another great video. I agree that room treatment is vital and the only way that people realise is when they hear what a treated room can do. The same for DSP which I learn during 2018 Tokyo High End show with the Trinnov demo. If I may give a suggestion for you to check out in future. Get a loaner set for the Trinnov Amethyst. It is indispensable for my setup now. It does frequency and phase correction and allows me to hear even more space between instruments and into the ambiance of the recording. You mentioned the expensive 2k that bass traps that the studio replace with ... are those the PSI Audio AVAA C20? I know that quite a number of studios are adding the PSI traps as they are compact and movable. I shift mine around to find the best position. Something not possible with the passive traps.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

No but I like to try PSI. Trinnov? I wonder if they can send me a loaner.

[@carlos2bass]

Great room Thomas,what about putting the diffusers on your back wall and the absorbers on the front wall. As long as your sweet spot is at least 3 feet from the diffusers you will get better results imho.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Hmm.Great idea..I will have to try one day.

[@ponchantos]

Hello Thomas After choosing the right speakers, would you treat the room first or upgrade the gear (source) next? Nice review as usual Thanks

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Depends how bad my room is. Most room can get away without room treatment actually. You probably will get a more noticeable difference with upgrading your gear first. Also, it depends how good your front end is already.

[@Peter-ii4xq]

You know what you are doing. Can you also make measurements? Sending a sweep through the speakers. Then you can adjust both room and the speakers to each other. Great to have that kind of a room. I only worry about the kevlar. That could make the sound less naturall and more harsh. Good luck.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, I need to get better at that.

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

"Now i am used to it" the curse of any audiophile..... it helps listening to regular hifi sets in between to re-appreciate what you got:)

[@JamesWilliams-gf8gm]

Looks good to me.

[@erikalexander6602]

Should have considered building a large base trap in long end. Also traps/diffuser/absorbers in all corners

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

Just discovered the 'joy' of slap echoes in my livingroom. Looking for some affordable solutions, we are on a different budget lol. One day i will have a dedicated room, i hope:)

[@shiroitake]

Did I miss something, where's Day1? Awesome vid btw.!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i16VpqaNga6lntU

[@shiroitake]

@@ThomasAndStereo Thank you, actually I saw that title but thought it was a different series.

[@rsa008]

This is unfortunately too true. Room treatment is the way to go. I recently bought a big REL subwoofer, and I have problems controlling it.

[@johnm1133]

Can confirm as a physics student, the more I learn, the less I realise I know.

[@ohjoy40]

I understand the frustration with acoustics and room treatment. You can ask 100 people and get 100 different answers. I have been designing, setting up and calibrating some of the worlds best system and I have found a few tricks that work everytime and in every circumstance. I also have a post on my page on Dave Wilsons WASP setup procedure which is also excellent, but he doesn't address room treatment. There are a number of things that are important to understand when tuning a system. First speaker placement is critical. Proper speaker placement will provide a balanced frequency response of the system. Second which is the biggest miss-conception in audio is you want a dead room. Reflections are good, you just want them to be delayed and controlled. You must be very careful with absorption materials because they can hurt the sound more than they can help. Absorption creates comb filtering issues, were it will absorb at certain frequency's and reflect at others. Diffusion is a much better choice if slap echo or early reflections need to be treated. You "Cannot" position speakers with acoustical treatment in the room ! The key is having only what needs to be in the room you want the room to be as much a blank slate as possible. Take down drapes, pictures etc. You will find that when speaker placement is correct you will hear the least effect of the room on the system. Once speaker placement is just right which is when you dont hear issues with the room and the bass and overall sound is the most coherent across the whole spectrum. This can come down to very small movements in speaker placement to get it just right. If you attempt to position speakers randomly in the room and then try and treat it will be a nightmare trying to get good sound. If placement is limited and restricted then I would suggest taking the steps i mentioned, mark that position on the floor and when you want to do critical listening move the speakers into that position. Once speaker position is dialed in ( which can take many hours to days to get just right ) Then one by one you can bring in acoustical treatment to fine tune the sound. But when speaker placement is right you will notice you dont need much. You "DO NOT" want absorption on the front wall !!! Diffusion if anything. In fact I dont like much if any absorption the only place is on the back wall behind the listener. and the type of absorption material should be very light and see threw not this heavy large panels !!! It should add control but not over damp the sound. The only place I like absorption is on the floor, with a area rug. So take the time to learn proper speaker placement first and then "carefully" add treatment one by one ( so you can hear what each piece does ) and you will know if its helping or hurting the overall sound of the system. If you look at many of the state of the art music systems MOST do not use absorption, but diffusion to control reflections. Kevin

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Hi Kevin, sorry for the late reply as i wanted to read this comment carefully. Thank you for your suggestion, it is much appreciated.

[@ohjoy40]

Thomas & Stereo your very welcome feel free to check out my page I have some good articles on system design and calibration. facebook.com/latourhighendaudio

[@ohjoy40]

I do use the 1/3 rule as a starting point, 1/3 the distance into the room. I also prefer speaker placement if possible on the long wall rather than the short wall. That is assuming you have the space to have reasonable listening distances focus on getting the bass right first as that will let you know your close. Listen to a wide range of music the right distance from rear walls will effect low bass energy and detail and side walls have a big effect on upper bass lower midrange. Do not toe speakers in yet because your trying to get the widest soundstage and yet good focus. You can then fine tune the toe in ( if needed, depends on the type and design of the loudspeakers ). To give you a coherent image across the front. Like a panoramic picture. The right position will also give you the best imaging and transparency

[@toddhupp]

your room(cave) looks great Thomas! Wonder what is in the bass traps? The diffusers are very hip!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, I don't know!

[@wetcat833]

You have good tastes in guitarists. Go Gabbie...

[@alexhunnter]

Impressive and nice explained 🍷

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@twochaudiomg2578]

that is a nice room From what i see

[@mattbonaccio3522]

How's the imaging after the treatment? I only once heard a high-end system in a decently treated room, and I remember being stunned at how precise the imaging was. It was as though you could get up and touch the performers, in between, outside of, and behind the speakers..

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes, everything is more in focus. Imaging is more precise.

[@generax]

Hi Thomas. What is your final room dimension again? I ask this although you have mentioned in 3:53 that it's 13ft by 19ft because at 6:13 I compare the proportion between the Vicoustic diffusers (2 ft wide each) and your back wall (the wall behind the speakers), the wall should be able to fit about 5-6 of them which should make the width of the wall (aka, the room) be at most 12 ft (instead of 13ft). I reason I really know your exact room dimension is that I am about to build a new listening room and I got only 11.33 ft of width, max. I am afraid that it is too narrow for an optimal listening experience.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

It is 13x19 ft, I measured it before posting it. You can always sit closer to the speakers. Can you put your speakers on the long wall?

[@dalechalfont112]

Treatment is my very next step too and I plan to buy primaacoustic panels too. It's basically all you can get in aus. I'm going to get 2x 24x48x3" panel packs, and buy each 4 pack seperately so I can see what difference it makes after the first lot. I don't want to jut put 8 panels in and realise it is too much. I will either do all 4 corners first or the front corners and rear wall first and then go from there. My room is very small and square and whilr bass problems are obviously big I also have a close rear wall, and I think if I ran out of will to buy more I would rather bass trap 2 corners and treat the back wall than have smoother bass but still have major rear wall reflections forever.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Seems like a good plan.

[@agentm83]

Wow, that's a lot of anime (Cowboy Bebop is my favourite anime series)! I like the idea of room treatment, but it'd be difficult if you rent an apartment or something (aside from obviously adding a carpet if necessary).

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yes, that is one of the challenge renting a place.

[@Curi0u50ne]

I like Burobu anime myself

[@toddhupp]

Looks very pro!

[@christophereverdy4509]

I love your analysis and your honesty! and now that you speak French, maybe a video in the language of Quebec...

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Haha, I went to highschool in French but my French is not too good as I have not used it for a while. My kids in elementary school are correcting my French now!

[@danbrodersen5838]

Thomas, what are those beautiful 4 driver towers of yours? Do they sound as great as they look?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Those are silverline Sonata Mk1. They sound really good, it is probably one of the speakers I will never sell unless I find a MK2 or Mk3.

[@renantebarroga6154]

Hi...I am in the montreal area...would love the contact info of the Tony. Maybe have a listening session with you on audio gear

[@ThomasAndStereo]

His email is [e-mail]. This name is Tony. Yeah for listening session, even my buddies can no longer drop by, after all this COVID is over, sure.

[@stanleymah3010]

Your room looks really tidy now, Thomas!

[@savardmathieu415]

The room looks nice! I am moving in a few weeks and I will have a dedicated space for the system :) , I am planing to add some room treatment too. On a side note, I knew you were in Canada but didn't know you were in Montreal!

[@ChiefExecutiveOrbiter]

Good points 👍 what about popcorn ceilings for sound absorption? Lmao 💀

[@redbuzz6677]

Great video, again. If you built a new room from scratch, what size would you like?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I would add at least 3 more ft wider and the highest ceiling I can afford.

[@djhmax09]

Lol I thought you were so cool for having those diffusion panels too! Also what happens if you do your setup on the longer side of the wall? I know it’s not ideal but it’s functionally better for me. I just want to know what I’m missing. Appreciate any input and thanks for the video!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Haha,. In all the rooms I have been to, system tend to sound better when setup on the longer side of the wall. I wish I could have done it that way.

[@djhmax09]

@@ThomasAndStereo oh, really? That's interesting

[@gwapster13]

I’m fortunate my room has no parallel walls, has irregular shaped multilevel drop ceiling, and things around it are different shapes and materials. Didnt even need any “acoustic treatment” products. 😀

[@ThomasAndStereo]

That is awesome! Yes, there are some room I visit that are not treated that sound better than some treated rooms I have been to.

[@Raymondey]

Nice!

[@tothemax324]

I made my own acoustic panels from watching YT tutorials, really easy and saved a lot of $$

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yup, best to DIY it.

[@sickjohnson]

Thomas, you are always too modest, no doubt you know the diffuser is to cancel out mid to mid-bass standing waves and un-muddy that range of waters. Did I fall for the trap? You might need two more bass traps for the back corners of your room for your big Focals, but I love a deader room so I can crank it up. A+ because we all know your are not done.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, I need to find the energy to finish the room.😅

[@hudo]

Why did you shorten the room? And did you find some room simulation software where you can play with dimensions, speaker positions and treatment, and see how frequency curve looks like in different positions, before you really do the construction work and measure with REW?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

No it was more for looks that I created the room that way. So I can push all the speakers into the other room and my main listening room looks clean. The room was shorten to what make sense because I wanted the new small room to be big enough to be a room.

[@m.r.3128]

I concur fully man, my previous home (1980's build Australia) had horsehair plaster, albeit with polished floorboards but the plaster alone absorbed plenty of resonance. My next studio will require much more thought including bass traps and absorbing panels as differing building materials will be used. It's a pleasure to watch your channel each and every time mate, condolences to your family. There are a shiit load of products available

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks, yes make sure you get good bass traps. They are expensive but the return is well worth it.

[@m.r.3128]

@@ThomasAndStereo At the 'time' I had Polk 10b's (infinite baffle) which may have impacted the room - my next task is open baffle (so I best get it right). DIY bass traps?

[@anoxicfiltrationplenums]

Are those speakers : Avalon’s ? If so, great speakers would love to own them . 👍

[@ThomasAndStereo]

No, they are silverline sonatas

[@drewabe1410]

The key factor, wife ok with it!

[@drewabe1410]

Ordered 9 panels lol

[@Curi0u50ne]

I’m sure I’m not the last person to mention you should have had carpet and underlay in that room as well as everything else

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I guess you did not watch the video.

[@tabl10s]

C'mon Man, Jack's are not outlets. Have you tried/considered LEDE(Live End/Dead End) room treatment? Have you treated the upper corners? Do you cover the TV during sessions?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Oh! Thanks for the correction. Yes, I am aware putting a blanket and treating upper corners. The problem is my bass trap are so talk on one side, it is touching the ceiling. There is a heat pipe on the left ceiling so there is no space for a corner trap. I did not want to do one side only.

[@shawnwu3170]

May I know what is the name of the circuit breaker and the outlet? Did you hear difference after you replace them or see a benefit?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I think it is generic as I did not buy audiophile grade. I installed them extra so it was not a replacement.

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

We GIVE YOU A +++ for EFFORTS. 👍👍👍. AND ALL THE SYMPATHY FOR YOUR FAMILY’s LOSS

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Thanks! Appreciate it.

[@michaelmityok1001]

My main rig is in the family room and i cant treat it really as i dont control the interior decor. I am stuck with the room as is, although the room has wall hangings and curtains so there is a little acoustic deadening.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Yeah, sometimes we have no choice. That is life.

[@benhahaj3226]

Where did you get the white diffusion panels?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

They can be found in stores, look for vicoustics.