Do's And Don'ts Of Room Setup For Audiophiles - www.AcousticFields.com

[@AcousticFields]

📢 *_Watch Part 2 Here:_* kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoWwfZKvp7ZmmdU

[@hastingb]

Just cemented in the chimney and boarded up the windows. Shag carpet will be here next week.

[@GraveMistake1]

Hahahaha

[@chrislowe357]

why not just get rid of the chimney altogether?

[@woodybear8298]

Hope you bought enough for the walls too.

[@dadof8kids712]

Damn, I boarded up the windows 1st so I had to rent a crane to lift up the cement truck so I could pour directly into the chimney

[@joesbarbecue1]

Told my girl I'd have to forget her, Rather buy me a new ampereter, So she made tracks saying this is the end now, My speakers they talk back, they're just two way friends now.

[@btinaustin]

LOL, We are looking at buying a new house. My wife doesn't know it, but every home we look at I mentally picture where my stereo setup would go....Is that bad?

[@firebladerio]

Me too

[@marottajoe]

A wise man once said. It is easier to apologize than to ask permission.

[@Lucas-ck1po]

+Giuseppe Marotta HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

[@baneparkour]

btinaustin not a bit mate

[@ElectricEclectic]

I have told my wife about all the acoustic problems in our homes at least several times per week for the past 10 years. Yeah I’m that nutty about acoustics. I can tell if something has been moved, or added or subtracted just by ear alone... and I get a little weird about it. For example, the ottoman position interferes with center channel clarity. She can’t hear it, but knows it bothers me. Our current house was chosen specifically because it has an acoustically detached 400 sq foot room that is twice as long as it is wide, with flat 8’ ceilings. I told her it was to be the theater room... but it had already been discussed thousands of times before, so she already knew. Anyway, a few weeks after moving in I had a team of contractors dismantle the room to run the wires and install the speakers. mount the projector, etc. Needless to say, if it was a surprise to her... it might not have been a welcome one. So... tell your wife. If she objects... get a new wife. :)

[@mattbeall9482]

Well stated and true. But again, if you don't have a dedicated room but instead are using an L shaped living room with picture windows --- no luck. It'd be useful to have a video on how to deal with rooms that are far from perfect, since that's what many of us are dealing with.

[@AcousticFields]

Hi ***** The problem is that irregular shaped rooms create too many acoustical distortions. Equipment set up, side wall reflections, and a host of other variables make these rooms impossible to support accurate musical playback. Some acoustical manufacturers will advise you otherwise in order to sell you product telling you such issues can be overcome... I simply will not. I'd rather be honest with people than make a quick buck off of mis-selling. Thanks Dennis

[@richardsinger01]

Thats so funny. While you search for the elusive audio nirvana at the end of the rainbow I'll get on and enjoy my music. How that I know my house is completely incompatible with good sound reproduction can save a lot of money by not upgrading my equipment too :)

[@Magnulus76]

Indeed. Lots of people enjoyed music on less than ideal equipment.

[@FURognar]

most of us simply dont have ideal rooms. In which case I say room EQ is your friend.

[@HollywoodNobody]

“I’m seeing some things that are very disturbing.” We’re talking about improper room setup for listening to music here - not ISIS torture videos, right? 😁

[@FrightfulAccountant]

I drive 3 hours a day and i listen to the stereo all the time. The influence of the windows on my sound is the last of my worries. Getting the audio to beat the buzzy Honda engine with a 6800 rpm redline, that is the real issue!

[@AcousticFields]

F, Yes, noise is everywhere in a car environment. This is a much different listening environment than a room with windows. I have done extensive noise and absorption work inside a car environment. The noise floor which you are referring to is the first issue that must be dealt with in any mobile audio environment. After that issue is addressed (minimized) then comes absorption and diffusion treatments.

[@daviddavidsonn3578]

buy a better car that is better acoustically treated, won't be cheap though

[@Condor1970]

This gentleman obviously doesn't realize most people have their nice stereos in rooms where there is lots of furniture, a kitchen or dining room entrance, lots of windows and odd coves and angles. It's called a HOUSE. Virtually any room can be made acoustically pleasing with properly positioned sound absorption panels and bass traps. These things can also be disguised as things like hanging tapestries, floor rugs, and odd shaped art works and upholstered furniture.

[@AcousticFields]

+Condor1970 We work with dual usage (living/listening) rooms on a regular basis. The balancing act is always aesthetics versus acoustic function. Men prefer function. Woman prefer appearance. Most of the time, the appearance factor over rides function. Our data and experience do not support your statement that most rooms are dual usage. I would say that the ratio is 40 % dual usage and 60 % dedicated based upon our experience with end users over the last 8 years..

[@petarst]

+HurtlockerTwo he is right, you are wrong.

[@HellaHipHop]

hurtlockertwo. he is right, you are wrong. stop bitching at FREE information. its all to be taken with a grain of salt and or backed against other resources.

[@Xyphren]

your "End users"... you mean rich people right?

[@rwoodford9812]

Great points! I have a horrible room, worst then most. I use the McIntosh MEN-220 room correction system. it completely changed my sound in positive ways. Best investment I have ever made. I could not move my room around to accommodate my system, so I decided to use Room Correction and it was amazing how it fixed so many issues. It was most likely less than flying a so called expert to tear up our living space to attempt to correct room issue that can't be corrected without some kind of room correction.

[@FlorentNoirot]

straight to the point, no bs, not trying to sell you anything besides implicitly his services. Kudos

[@AcousticFields]

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

[@shmehfleh3115]

After watching this, I've come to the conclusion that I'd be better off setting my stereo up in a train station than the room it's in. I'm sad now.

[@AcousticFields]

+Shmeh Fleh Room size and volume must be matched to usage. There is a direct relationship between volume and usage. Fill out the room form information and I will compare your room size and volume to our data base. www.acousticfields.com/free-acoustic-treatment-room-analysis-tell-us-room/

[@KapinKrunch]

Me too... It makes me want to return all my shit. I have 2 windows and 2 sliding glass closet doors. looks like I have to buy a heck of a lot of treatment panels or heavy carpet. covering the closet doors in carpet will look horrible

[@seigeengine]

They make closet doors of glass? What?

[@KapinKrunch]

seigeengine​​ Yes they do, but this video is overblown in my opinion. With room correction you can make your system sound pretty damn good. I think you have to know what to listen for to find issues in your room. Because after setting everything up I like my system just fine. Im not worried about acuostics anymore.

[@seigeengine]

Aaron Mcroodle Obviously. The guy is clearly a loon. This entire video basically amounts to "speakers equal distances from the walls, and if your room isn't a perfect featureless box, you might as well just be deaf."

[@jerryjohnson4625]

I'm having my 8 ft window removed and taking my rear wall out. Gonna be chilly though, its 17° outside.

[@TheSlothofDOOM]

Hahahaha

[@RedHmong]

sound like I should live in a box to get the best sound lol

[@drfranzatutube]

in a box and ideally the speakers and the listening point should be suspended mid air. :).

[@bendeco]

That's why movie theaters are boxes.

[@jacobsteele7138]

Wish I could afford to fix my theater room like Dennis recommends. He knows his shit. I have used his advice to make my room much better, especially by elevating my two subs at different heights. It replaced that boomy sound smearing with tight impactfull bass. It cleaned up dialogue as a result. You will not find anyone on KZbin that gives you better advice. Thank you Dennis.

[@AlmaRockeraOficial]

I hate covering up the only window in my studio, I did it for a long time. I felt like I was in solitary confinement 😂 so came to the conclusion that it was more enjoyable to be in my studio for hours when I can get a break and take a look outside see the trees, plants birds etc... it doesn’t feel like I’m closed up in a box and I get more creative writing music. So I decided to get me a $600 pair of head phones to get the room out the way when mixing, I switch between my speakers 🔊and headphones 🎧 all the time and my room feels alive.

[@Gamez4eveR]

This is what I learned and how I made my at best average Philips HTR5000 sound actually unbelievably good (TL;DR): 1. Equilateral triangle is god 2. Tweeters at ear level (I use only 2 satellites, in stereo) 3. Speakers must face you (toed in so that you can only see their fron when looking directly at them) Suddenly my "setup" had real soundstage, separation and imaging. Physics is great. As far as room treatment goes the less echo the better. If you have echo in your room, treatment is the only solution. Echo means reflections. Reflections can lead to all sorts of disasters. Sound is a wave, waves reflect off of surfaces. Obvious, I know.

[@mondoenterprises6710]

All very good points. Any room with a good system probably is not perfect and needs or would benefit from some acoustic treatment. For my 22x40' living room there is a glass and hard surfaces problem. I thought the floor rug over the uninsulated hardwood floor and 2 sofas would be enough. The 4 4x5' large windows each has a honeycomb vertical shade. Still not enough to stop all the echo and reflections I was hearing. The large glass frame wall art over the enclosed fireplace and large mirror across the room from it and me in the middle of them for my listening position was interfering with my music listening. So I draped 3x4 wool rugs with eggcrate foam behind (about 25% of wall space) and got such a great effect from it, I am a believer in acoustic room treatment for a better listening experience. My sound is dialed in now and fills the space with the warm 70's analog tone but with the clarity of cd which is the sound I have been chasing for years now. I have even ordered acoustic room fabric panels to make the room even sound better and for cleaner design. I also placed carpet tiles under each floor speaker and the sub. Yes, the room is not perfect. But I think my sound has improved 5-10 fold and I am hearing the cd thru the system with much less sonic clutter. I feel like I am hearing my cds the way they were intended for the first time. And yes, though I hate to do it I will probably take down my mirror and glass frame art for even better listening. A painful compromise for sure! But I can listen for hours now with no Fatigue. Sound is warm and focused, no longer hard and bright. And that was not the case before...It's like before I was listening to the sound interact with the room surfaces. Now I listen to just the music thru the mid-fi system closer to how it was intended.

[@AcousticFields]

M, What a journey you have had. I am glad you have reached as the British say,"The top of the mountain".

[@tonyg1951]

I have the situation described - a 2 metre wide patio door on one side of the speakers and an open area on the other side. I have to fire speakers across the room which is 4 metres wide (length is 7 metres) I have thick curtains over the patio door when listening and considering draping a similar curtain on the open side but this will make the room very small (4 x 4 metres). I am installing three 1200 x 600 x 50 wall panels on the facing wall behind me to absorb the reflected sound. Its all about experimenting but also accepting the limits of a home we have to live with

[@AcousticFields]

For some this is the case, for others, it is not. The issue with fabrics and drapes is that you do not know the rate and level of absorption. This data is critical if you are serious about hearing everything in your music and voice.

[@Olemier]

This guy is like a stern professor. I was thinking “yes, sir” the entire time.

[@AcousticFields]

O, The issue today is that there is so much misinformation on the web. There are certain requirements that can not be compromised. It is just physics.

[@Olemier]

Acoustic Fields I like that, straight to the point and super informative. I didn’t mean to make it sound negative, the video was awesome and probably the best I’ve seen on the subject. On that note you’d make a good physics professor hahah

[@AcousticFields]

@@Olemier No worries. We all appreciate your following.

[@DarthHater100]

Every viewer of this video: "Oh man, I purposely installed a closet and a window thinking it would _improve_ my sound. What a beginner's mistake! Good thing I watched this video and learned I shouldn't do that. I guess since I have a closet and window, I should never listen to audio. Learned so much here!"

[@atamoura]

I died when you said "PLEASE no glass" hahaha

[@AcousticFields]

T, Yes. Glass has a negative impact on the middle frequency ranges from 800 - 2,000 Hz. I understand the need for small amounts in control rooms. It is function based. However, personal listening rooms and home theaters do not need glass. There is no need to look out the window if the music is good. Use your ears to see the music.

[@atamoura]

Oh I completely believe you, and I love your videos! Thank you for all the info. Just thought it was funny given the fact that you don’t see a lot of people irked by glass. If I want to cover my windows, what solutions do you suggest?

[@AcousticFields]

T, It all depends on room usage and where the windows are located. I will need to know much more about your room. Fill out the information in this link. Include photos of all room surfaces. www.acousticfields.com/free-room-analysis/

[@AcousticFields]

T, It depends on your usage. The position of the window for usage determines treatment.

[@williamnegron4154]

Tamer hillarious! My glass will stay. Don't want any bugs or burglars to steal my expensive equipment

[@SmittyFan]

At 2:08 you mentioned no cavities. If their is a closet with a closet door would that door cancel out the cavity of the closet or will it just go right through the door?

[@AcousticFields]

J, Cavities resonate and produce sound. Closing the door will provide a barrier against upper frequencies, but will have no impact on lower frequencies. To minimize the resonances, fill the closet with winter clothes and keep the door closed.

[@tagtag-connected5263]

Some of us depending on built or bought later the dimensions are not always ideal. You do the best you can and get room correction software to do the best you can.

[@AcousticFields]

Always do the best you can and this also holds true for developing a stratedgy to match your chosen usage. We see people constantly using tactics without a strategy. You cant know where you will end up without a plan to get there.

[@Oneness100]

Also, another thing that comes to mind is when we have a listening room, will the amount/type/placement of room treatment change much when we change the speakers in the room? The reason why I ask is that some of the smaller speakers don't produce that much in the 20 to 40+Hz range as will some of the larger speakers. I'm just wondering if we have to be cognizant of that when we perform any room measurements and change from one speaker to another. Should we also be thinking about altering the room treatment to compensate for any such differences?

[@AcousticFields]

It is the low frequency response in our rooms that is the most critical. Speakers with larger diameter, low frequency drivers produce more energy and that energy must now fit into your room. Speakers that produce lower frequency energy must be matched with room size and volume or you just have a bunch of "energies" walking all over each other. More low frequency energy produces more low frequency pressures and this excess pressure requires more low frequency absorption. You need to use an absorption technology that deals with sound pressure issues, not boxes filled with building insulation or foam. Thanks Dennis

[@MrNiceKnife]

I’ve seen many a video about room correction, et. This was among the best, concise, and to the point.

[@AcousticFields]

Great to hear!

[@aesopm9200]

So a question... walk in closet a bit behind the listening position, on the side. Pretty large. Put a door there or not? Was originally thinking yes door for symmetry but now wondering about the loss of cubic feet and bass for what is a normal sized, neither tiny n or large rectangular room, small enough there will be bass room nodes. One might imagine some damping in the "closet" if that was an issue but of course it creates an asymmetry, albeit behind the listening position and not on the back wall. Good place for records.

[@AcousticFields]

All empty "boxes" resonate at the frequency of their dimensions. Fill closets with clothes.

[@warywolfen]

Here are some tips. Speakers should be placed about ear level above the floor, around 6 to 8 ft. apart. They should be at least a couple of feet away from walls, otherwise the bass can be "loose" and "boomy." Never stick speakers in corners. If you have a choice of several rooms to choose from, pick the one that has the fewest parallel flat surfaces, ie, a sloping ceiling is better than a flat one. Also, it's for the three pairs of flat surfaces to have different dimensions. For instance, a room that's 12 by 18 feet, with a 7 foot ceiling, is better than one that's 12' X 12' X 7'.

[@AcousticFields]

Clyde Wary Thanks for the comment. Each room size and volume requires different set up distances. Each speaker height and radiation pattern takes different distances apart. A speaker at a 2' distance from a room boundary surface will cause unwanted SBIE artifacts. We always have to be very careful with generalizations.

[@warywolfen]

The 6 - 8 ft spacing is optmum for recreating the proper stereo image, to duplicate the original performance. Of course, if the original recording involved more than two microphones (at ~ 105 degrees) with a mixdown in the studio, this kind of goes out the window. In such a case, there really is no original performance to reproduce. About keeping the speakers away from walls, I can't say EXACTLY how far they should be. But if they're too close, that results in loose and boomy bass.

[@BigYouDog]

Clyde Wary So after listening to this, unless I have the perfect room, save my money and buy an MP3 player. Most of us have to live in the real world and sound from one channel reaching my ears 1000th of a second later than the other, well I will just have to suck it up and live with it.

[@the_nondrive_side]

Clyde Wary your tips are way better than his.. 10×16×24 is approximately the perfect room for modal spacing. So really just not setting up in a small room is the best tip ever. 8x8x8= headphones

[@jackcaynon9746]

He's right. There are Klipsch speakers that are designed to be placed in corners because the folded horn uses the corner as a virtual bass horn. So, you do have to be careful about generalizations.

[@cme4brain11]

I appreciate these educational videos, but they do not account for the typical rooms that we live in, nor the fact that the listed effects are NOT appreciated by the general public. Rooms are rooms, built as they are, without perfect dimensions. If the main speakers do not have the exact same distance from the walls, then all you do is to set up your AVR to delay the signal to the closer speaker by specifying a different speaker distance. While they suggest no fireplaces, glass walls/windows/doors, if that structure is there, what are you going to do? Only when you are building a room do you have control of this. Also, after the first or may second reflection, the amplitude of the sound has diminished enough to not matter in the real world.

[@AcousticFields]

C, You are correct. Most existing rooms are deficient in many of the requirements necessary for stereo playback. Stereo playback in a room has requirements in order to achieve the full benefit the science offers. Reflections from side walls and their time signatures impact center image focus and definition. Low frequency fundamental management is critical to harmonics through the mid ranges and distances from speakers to boundary surfaces impact both of these variables. If one knows what is required to full fill the science of stereo playback in small rooms, It becomes easier to make adjustments and treat the issues.

[@ongbaklegends]

What about glass walls behind the speakers, e.g. in a sun room / conservatory ... ?

[@mocheen4837]

I have an alcove in my movie room as well. I just use the space that I was given. It sounds pretty decent to me.

[@AcousticFields]

If you are happy then mission accomplished.

[@dhelton40]

Really great advice, if you are building a house or picking a house plan. For the rest of us in the real world, we have L shaped rooms, with fixed features like fire places and stairwells. These are not going to change, so maybe we need a video on how to cope with less than optimum speaker placement, or perhaps wall treatment to address these issues.

[@AcousticFields]

If your room is not frequency response friendly, you must make it so. If walls are missing, then create them with free standing panels. If reverb times are too high, lower them with treatment on the walls. Most rooms can be fixed if the intent to succeed is high enough. We find that most people just complain about their rooms with no clear intention on solving the issues. Its almost like the complaining is the goal.

[@Loussiere]

Hi Mr Dennis, I would ask you this, what is more apropiarte on a HI FI or called today HI END audio system for home app, apply a DPS Equalizer with a previews análisis with RTA and Software, and then apply the transposed equalization in order to moderate the room+audio-system response, OR, analice the room acoustics problems and design the specific treatments? or in your own opinión what do yo prefer and why? Your answer surely will be interesting to me!

[@AcousticFields]

G, That depends. If you start with room first and manage as many issues as you can, before you introduce signal processing, you use less and keep the cumulative power of processing to a minimum. Be careful with processing. Our music today is so processed I always wonder if the talent is really in there somewhere. Always get the room correct first, no matter what your usage.

[@Loussiere]

Thank you Mr Dennis, your answer is so clever and help me to much, I have a Facebook group and forum about this beautiful hobby, and we have a grate debate about this teme, there some people from the Car Audio HQ that they advocates is in favor to use DSP for all including equalize! but my facebook group is for hi fi on homes! Than you! Regards.

[@bellab2510]

I have room 15' X 20'. Almost just like drawing in this video. Unfortunately ceilings are only 7' high + right above the coach there is a metal support beam that goes from side to side (it's a basement). When I sat in the middle of the room listening to music, all rear part of the room behind me always felt somehow dead. No reflection was coming out at all. I guess that is because that metal beam on a ceiling which creates some sound barrier . After some experimenting I put in the rear corners another set of speakers .That worked .It's still very far from ideal listening room but it somehow compensates sound in the dead area behind me. I keep rear speakers not as loud as the front ones and this somehow revives whole room acoustically. Looks like there is no better way for this particular room. Anyway thanks for all your videos. I really enjoy them .

[@Ryansrangereport]

My room is 186 X 140 and I have to set up my speakers on the "140 side" because of doors. Also if I place them the same distance from the wall I'll hit a speaker w/ the door. I have acoustic treatment on the walls to help, is there anything else I can do to make sure I'm not missing out on a better sound. If I spaced them = distance from the wall they would be almost 8 ft apart.

[@AcousticFields]

Hi Ryan, Fill out the information in this link: www.acousticfields.com/free-room-analysis/. I will run the correct source locations for you.

[@Ryansrangereport]

Thanks, I've actually done that before. I sent you a couple of photos, but I've added some room treatment since then. Today I bought 4 Sonex 24x48 panels to go w/ the 2 ATS 24x48 panels that I already have including the two bass traps.

[@SOS89140]

Wow! Nice to see instruction from someone who actually knows what they are talking about. Thanks.

[@AcousticFields]

Thanks. Any time I can help I'm always happy to so drop me a line with any questions. Cheers Dennis

[@rwoodford9812]

I have a horrible room, worst then most. I use the McIntosh MEN-220 room correction system. it completely changed my sound in positive ways. Best investment I have ever made. I could not move my room around to accommodate my system, so I decided to use Room Correction and it was amazing how it fixed so many issues. It was most likely less than flying a so called expert to tear up our living space to attempt to correct room issue that can't be corrected without some kind of room correction. If anyone needs feedback I am here to help.

[@chrislowe357]

QUESTION - i want to flush mount a pair of KLIPSCH CORNWALL 3 speakers into a wall. as you know these tower speakers are ported in the front. i've done a little bit of research on this (its hard to find any information on this though) and what i came up with was a design such that i would build a 4 inch concrete structure inside the wall that would house my cornwall 3 cabinets with about 1 inch clearance on the top and sides and then seal the speaker cabinet against the concrete structure with a rubber foam. this design meant to isolate the speaker from the actual wall. its a baffle type wall that will house the rest of my equipment also. speaker cabinets will be flush with the actual wall. what are your thoughts? from what i've read, if i understood it correctly, is that the sound will be amazing except the bass will need to be turned down quite a bit as it will be overwhelm the mids and the highs. my room that i'll be installing this in is not the perfect room shape. its in my home. i'll be compensating a lot with electronics and whatever sound treatments that are practical. the main purpose for this is to build my entire home theater system into a wall for a cleaner look, security, and saving space. your thoughts?

[@johnwaterhouse8426]

Thank you Dennis, for the response. I agree that anything worth doing, is worth doing well. Hence, my research. In addition to the laws of physics, the laws of economics dictate a compromise. In order to develope my craft, I will have to make the best with what I have at this moment. Which equates to thinking " outside the box", ( my 10x14x8ft room) to create the best environment to accomplish that. Its inspiring to learn from one who is at the top in their field. From one who is clinging onto his slippery slope. Thank you for raising the bar.

[@seigeengine]

You're talking about someone who you just watched a video of where they moan that any room more complicated than a box is too difficult. If that's the top of any field, that's terrifying.

[@Gluggggen]

I need a room.

[@soundknight]

0:45 sound doesn't travel at a constant speed. 1, at different air pressure it travels faster or slower 2. Through different substance like water or steel it travels at different speeds 3. In space it doesn't travel at all 4. If the object creating the sound is moving away from you or forwards you it travels at different speeds which produces variation in frequency. (Doppler)

[@AcousticFields]

B, This type of comment does not help further understanding of acoustics. Sound does travel at a constant speed when I am referring to sound in small rooms. Pointing out this kind of variance does nothing to contribute to people's understanding of sound in small rooms and does even less to show your real understanding of the issues at hand.

[@kk-iw9uq]

Acoustic Fields are you saying that temperature or atmospheric pressure never fluctuate inside a building? Sure he used some extreme examples but as you’ve referred to how large an affect small discrepancies and unfavorable settings can have isn’t that worth noting? Sure it’s only small changes due to air temperature or density but doesn’t any change make his statement correct? With all the other less than desirable things like coves and cubbies that can create just as small a change isn’t a more appropriate response something along the lines of “you’re correct, I misspoke and misinterpreted the point I was making” instead of belittling his point?

[@trignite]

I would've liked to hear more about surround sound speaker placement, e.g whether or not to mount them on the ceiling facing down, how far away from the walls and behind the listening position, does it matter if the sub can't be centered? most people who have a home theater setup can't have a center subwoofer because the cabinet the TV sits on is in the way so it has to be left or right of the cabinet. And other stuff like the floor material e.g carpet, stone, wood etc.

[@AcousticFields]

T, Speaker locations are room size/volume dependent. There is no way for me to generalize.

[@ratheruninspired]

I live in a 1930s era bungalow. My living room has windows to one side and is open to the dining room on the other. The room I wanted to use for a listening space has a closet (similar to the abovementioned) and windows on the other side. Hardwood floors throughout. :( Is there any hope? I planned to pull the trigger on my first system this summer but I'm wondering if I shouldn't wait until the basement is finished (which will be way down the road).

[@AcousticFields]

Hi Rachel, Yes there is hope, there is always hope. If you go to this page on my site www.acousticfields.com/free-acoustic-treatment-room-analysis-tell-us-about-your-room/ and fill in the details about the dimensions of your room I will be able to give you my full feedback. If you then want to repeat the process with your basement layout I can advise as to which will work best. Any questions please let me know. Thanks Dennis

[@AcousticFields]

Rachel Dickson Hi Rachel, hope you are well. Just wanted to check if you'd seen my previous response namely: Yes there is hope, there is always hope. If you go to this page on my site www.acousticfields.com/free-acoustic-treatment-room-analysis-tell-us-about-your-room/ and fill in the details about the dimensions of your room I will be able to give you my full feedback. If you then want to repeat the process with your basement layout I can advise as to which will work best. Any questions please let me know. Thanks Dennis

[@ratheruninspired]

Thanks Dennis. I purchased my first two channel system last week. I look forward to hearing hearing your thoughts on the best way forward.

[@AcousticFields]

Rachel Dickson Will be happy to. Please fill out the form here www.acousticfields.com/free-acoustic-treatment-room-analysis-tell-us-about-your-room/ so I can see your room dimensions and I can work the best positioning from there. Thanks

[@ratheruninspired]

I'm measuring now. Thanks!

[@betitos007]

Well shit, it sounds like we shouldn't have any speakers in our cars and have a perfect square basement for stereo listening only. I wonder what his listening room looks like? He should make a video showing us his setup. Its impossible for lots of us to have a room anything close to what he's describing 😬

[@AcousticFields]

A, You can visit my personal studio at www.acousticfields.com/sacred-ground/

[@Xyphren]

Rich people is who this guy is talking to

[@georgepopescu1327]

What about that alcov, what solution do we have here? Can a thick curtain partially solve this problem or it's useless, you really need a wall?

[@AcousticFields]

G, Alcoves are resonating chambers of energy and produce their own sound. The density and treatment types on all walls impact sound quality.

[@visia101y]

I have a stunning vintage audio setup in my room. After watching this video I can see that my room and the surrounds are perfectly placed as well as the speakers. However I've been wanting to move my system into a 2x3 meter garden shed, sheet metal. Do you think this is plausible with sound dampening?

[@AcousticFields]

Hi Visia, The correct term is damping which is a reduction in amplitude or strength of a frequency. I can not think of a worse environment or shell than a sheet metal shed. On top of that issue, it is too small for multiple sources.

[@visia101y]

Acoustic Fields Thanks for the quick reply! Though that may be the case. I'll be looking at it more tomorrow, double checking dimensions and seeing if a change in material may be possible. Otherwise I'll stick with my room! Thanks!

[@mbot48]

He should make a video on how to deal with the irregularities mentioned instead of "no closets" or "your speakers should be equal distance from the wall." This is would be nice to know when building a mixing room from scratch. But when your studio is already set up in a room, how do you deal with it?

[@AcousticFields]

M, Two-channel, stereo playback has requirements no matter if monitoring in a mixing venue or just personal listening. You must have side walls and the front wall that are contiguous at specified distances. Speakers /listening position need to form an equilateral triangle. All of this data is available on the net.

[@mbot48]

Ok, but what do you do, if you can't have your monitor set up to optimal settings. For instance my set up is not in the middle, meaning the walls to the left and right isn't an even distance from my monitors. Will sound absorption panels help at all?

[@AcousticFields]

M, They will help but you will have phase issues. Sound is distant dependent, especially side wall "sound".

[@AGC828]

Good basic advice for speaker placement...BUT, I'd add sound treatment on all walls and ceiling and floor. This is after doing some custom reno work to the walls. Sound suppressing maybe. As the walls might be "paper thin". Basically build a HT sound treated room. If it works for a custom HT room install...

[@AcousticFields]

A, Sound suppression is not something we use in acoustics. Home theater rooms that have a wood frame construction need to be 2" x 12 " studs. This approach allows you to use a barrier (in most cases) and sound absorption technologies within that stud space depth. A 2" x 12" stud wall will not move. You need rigidity when dealing with multiple low-frequency sources.

[@martyjewell5683]

Interesting perspective. I have two rooms with speakers, both have two speaker, two channel stereo with open archways. Dining room is 12X12X10' with a bay window and is open to living room. Living room is 12X15X10' with a bay window and open to dining room and front hall, both openings are arches. Living room has two solid walls and dining room has three solid walls. Suggestions for speaker placements????? A new house is NOT an option.

[@AcousticFields]

M, For two-channel playback, it is critical that the front and side walls are joined and form a U. The rear wall can be open. Without side walls, it is difficult to manage the energy requirements to create a strong center image, separation, depth, and height. Try and position speakers equal distance from side walls.

[@martyjewell5683]

Acoustic Fields, thanks for the suggestions. Part of the fun of speaker placement is finding out what works best. I've been a hifi enthusiast since 1975 when I got my first system; Pioneer SX-434, BIC-920 and KLH 31's. It's been a long road. Helpful video.

[@ikemi1]

I like this video because he talks about speaker distance from side walls. Not many others talk about that.

[@AcousticFields]

The time signature of the primary, secondary, and tertiary reflections from sidewalls is critical for image focus, resolution, and balance.

[@ikemi1]

@@AcousticFields Thank you Dennis. The reason why I mentioned it is because I'm unhappy with the sound of my setup. My left speaker is 1 metre from the left wall and my right speaker is 5 metres from the right wall. I could change the whole living room around and place the speakers along the shorter wall and this would give me more symmetry.

[@AcousticFields]

@@ikemi1 These are two channel requirements for proper set up. Not my rules. Its our laws of physics.

[@howardmilstein9915]

This video hit my small problem. Your drawing shows the “ alcove” ( pocket on the left of the loudspeaker.) My room has a 4’ wide a opening by 1 foot deep alcove at the middle of the left speaker position to the front adjoining to back wall. I seem to get a touch of image shift to the left... depending on program sources. The right side is STRAIGHT- drywall to the front wall. How could that ‘alcove’ be fixed? 2 bass traps on both sides equally to the front wall? A small room divider ( what material??) on the left alcove strait to he front wall??? Thanks Howard

[@AcousticFields]

H, Yes, it is important that both left and right walls be as similar as possible.

[@youngtevanced8818]

But why some home theater speakers have hook holes so you can place them on the wall, if it is not recommended to put them near the wall?

[@AcousticFields]

Speaker manufcaturers are trying to sell product. The sales department usually gets in front of the physics.

[@nerdMike]

Hi, on 5.1 I ve put my surround speaker 1.5/2 feet above ear level, is it right? Sometime is fine, same case not. Dolby specifies this but most people say the opposite leaving surround on ear level, but they are distracting..

[@dr.zoidberg4313]

Ah yes, the old one eared robot head principle.

[@danparish1344]

Dr. Zoidberg I laughed, comment underrated!

[@DakTirCue]

great comment. literal lol

[@lolmysteries]

You demonstrate a 2 channel system being equidistant to each other and the walls, but what about the rest of the channels in a home theater; especially, the center channel?

[@AcousticFields]

D, Multiple channels produce many issues. Most of those issues relate to the distances involved, the distribution pattern by the speakers, and a host of other variables.

[@maninthesuit666]

assuming the right side where the glass is, is also your first reflection point, if you place a 20cm thick rockwool basstrap infront of it, but leave the top bit open (because you dont want to make a 3 meter high absorber obviously) would that help the situation?

[@AcousticFields]

Hi Jan Hajšen Glass surfaces must be completely covered. Any part of the glass seen, will be heard. Rockwool destroys the middle range frequencies by over absorbing. It is the biggest myth in acoustics, second only to drywall. Use fabric in layers to cover the glass. Fabric should be 1/2" thick and have numerous layers. Thanks Dennis

[@showmak]

Thank you for your informative videos. I am placing my speakers on ceramic tiles, I have rubber feet and metal spikes, which one should I use and why?

[@AcousticFields]

+showmak Use rubber feet. Placing two hard surfaces together (steel and ceramic), will not restrict vibration transmission from source and floor and may even damage the ceramic tile surface..

[@showmak]

+Acoustic Fields thanks again for your advise. I man learning a lot from watching your videos. Keep it up.

[@Paradroidx]

I noticed that most audio gear, like midi keyboard and most audio interface have little rubber supports on the bottom

[@arnaldogoncalves7838]

I have a problem with the living room that I am refurnishing and including a new table for the Hi-Fi and a pair of speakers I bought abroad. The left side of the room is not exactly the same as the right side. It has a reentrance and a window. Usualy I have a thin curtain covering the window from above the window to the floor. In this case would you suggest something? I apreciate your reply. Thanks a lot. Regards. Arnaldo Goncalves

[@AcousticFields]

A, Fill out the information in this link: www.acousticfields.com/free-room-analysis/

[@kschlegelx1]

Good stuff. My room has some challenges for sure. My system is enjoyable but I would love to hear what dialing in a remedy for my issues would deliver. Left side cavity depth issue. Right side brick fireplace and window with wood blinds.

[@AcousticFields]

Fill out the info in this link. Schedule a time slot within the electronic calendar to speak with Dennis

[@andysmith-ne1qs]

Your take on L shaped rooms please . Great vids btw , learnt a lot , thanks !

[@AcousticFields]

When you are dealing with a two channel set up, the front wall and sidewalls must all be equal distance from each other.

[@Missony74]

Man, it is a great lesson - 90% of people in the entire world listen to music on Headphones, silly Bluetooth speakers and they are so happy!

[@AcousticFields]

I do not know what the percenatges are for the world. I have a good idea of what our clients want.

[@Wayne_Robinson]

I wonder what the result would be of making a room's rear wall as absorptive as possible such that the room was effectively open-ended at the back. If enough rear depth was available it should be possible to mostly trap all but the very lowest frequencies.

[@AcousticFields]

W, No room is "open ended" at the back if it has a boundary surface. You must treat three sound fields within a room when it comes to low-frequency pressure management. You must treat floor to ceiling, sidewall to sidewall and front to rear wall. You can bend the laws of physics but you can not break them.

[@Wayne_Robinson]

@@AcousticFields I mean to say a back wall that is non-reflective (anechoic) as much as feasible, such that a minimum of reflections occur from it. In that sense there would be no acoustic boundary there. In that case no room modes that involve the back wall would exist (no axial, tangential, nor oblique reflections to establish those modes of resonance). Obviously there are limits to what can be achieved in terms of absorption so some reflections are inevitable in practice so nobody is going to have a truly "infinite" space on the back of the room.

[@AcousticFields]

W, You are confusing wave pressure with ray distribution. Low-frequency pressure is a series of pressure waves that go through everything and I mean everything even concrete. Reflections are reserved for middle and high frequency energy. You can not treat one wall when it takes two walls to create the axial modal issues. You will get phase issues treating only one wall.

[@cbcdesign001]

How can the distance between the sides of a speaker (usually solid wood) and the walls possibly affect sound when the speaker cones are in the front of the speakers facing the sofa? Your comment would have some merit if the speaker cones were angled towards the walls or the ports were at the sides but otherwise I cannot see what you are getting at with your diagram.

[@AcousticFields]

cbc, Stereophonic sound reproduction is a balancing act between the direct sound (straight line) from the speakers and the reflected energy from the side walls. The reflected sound (side walls) must be managed to create a time signature that does not compromise the direct sound energy.

[@SantanKGhey1234]

how about a door or entry way to get into a room? kinda hard to get into a listening room if there is no way in

[@AcousticFields]

It is best to have no doors or walls. Rooms create too many problems. Doors are best positioned behind the listening position. The front and sidewalls are best left alone for treatment requirements.

[@TexasScout]

Ok, your main point “speakers need to be equidistant from the walls”, just will not work in my house. I can’t build an audio room. My home theater will be in 1/4 of a huge room. This room is 38 X 38. It includes the living, dining, entry, and kitchen. The kitchen is in the northwest corner, the dining in the southeast, the entry in the southwest, and the AV on the northeast. Ceramic tile on all floors. How do I deal with the lack of a wall on one side of my AV area?

[@AcousticFields]

T, Without equal side walls, you are violating a main requirement for stereo repoduction. You can use a series of panels to create a wall. Panels can be on casters.

[@TexasScout]

Acoustic Fields Oh, yeah... my wife would love that.

[@AcousticFields]

T, I can only assist you with sound quality issues.

[@TexasScout]

Acoustic Fields understood, but I thought you might at least offer some ideas to mitigate my dilemma. “Build a sound room” is not an option or 99% of us, we have to work with what we have. I’m not bunking my kids together so I can have a home theatre.

[@AcousticFields]

T, Our data does not support your claim of "99 % of us". Most clients we work with have a dedicated room for theater or two channel listening. They understand the requirements for two channel and theater sound quality and realize space and treatment requirements. Rooms which are living and listening present too many compromises to sound quality as is evident by your issues.

[@NoriBeatz]

Hi, is it better to have a rectangular room or a square room for producing and mixing? What is your take on this? Thank you for your video.

[@AcousticFields]

Recatangular rooms offer predicatable and consistent frequency and amplitude issues. You know where each frequency issues is, and how large it is in a rectangular room. This knowledge makes the treatment prescription more effective thus reducing those issues and increasing resolution.

[@NoriBeatz]

@@AcousticFields Thank you for your answer!

[@honkeyness9427]

My room is basically what is in this video - minus the alcove. I have a 2.1 setup. I'm getting a lot of complaints about not being able to hear or understand vocals - any advice on what to try first? No acoustic treatments yet. Mix of brick and drywall over brick which is balanced. Two small glass windows - basement. Two doors - symmetrical along long axis. Speaker on short wall as in video.

[@AcousticFields]

Hi Honkeyness, Lets take a more detailed look at your room. Fill out the information in this link: www.acousticfields.com/free-room-analysis/

[@dandelionboy7820]

I'm trying to build a space well lit by natural light for playback and mixing my music as well as just practicing with instruments. In another video I remember you mentioning to make sure all windows are placed above and outside the listening position. I understand nothing about this can be precisely measured without hearing the room but from your experience and assuming the dimensions of the room are ideal what penalties could be expected from having windows on the wall behind the speakers and on the side walls above the listening position? Also, ideally how tall should the ceilings be in a listening room?

[@AcousticFields]

Place the windows along the wall / ceiling boundary out of the main soundfields.

[@georgeanastasopoulos5865]

Another excellent video. Thumbs up. However, most of us do not have all of these ideal conditions! My stereo system is up against a wall, but behind it is a window; but covered with curtains, and with a middle light curtain. Therefore, what am I going to do to try to get the ideal, correct sound so that music directed to that central point, or area from the two speakers gets? Later I am going to add a small subwoofer. However, for now what can be done if there is a window in front of the house; the living room?

[@94nolo]

Absolutely dense with useful information beginning to end. Thank you

[@AcousticFields]

Glad it was helpful!

[@StonethrownMusic]

Real World Studios (Peter Gabriel’s studio) has a ton of glass in the control room. How did they treat it?

[@AcousticFields]

S, They work around the issues produced by the glass.

[@bbutler5090]

So, if you have an open floor plan where the room isn’t created by four closed in walls, but walls with very large openings and no doors, you’re screwed?

[@AcousticFields]

You can create a room within that open floor plan with our units. All of our units are on casters so "building" your new space is as easy as pushing a panel into place.

[@bentleygt3716]

thanks for sharing your good points. you're making a lot of sense , but where can you have a perfect room when a house is not acoustically designed for audio equipment ?. besides. where's the fun in enjoying music when you have to SIT STILL/FREEZE in a chair and not allowed to even turn your head to the left or right cause the sound will be distorted ?..

[@AcousticFields]

You can design for whatever sound stage and field of listening you desire. You first develop a sonic strategy for your room. What do you want to hear? Do you want a wide soundstage? Do you prefer a more focused presentation? You decide what you want to listen to and then design the room using the proper tactics to create your designed for sound quality. It strategy first, then using the tactics ( absorption/diffusion room size / volume etc.) to create the presentation value you desire. It takes planning and patience.

[@Mrcloc]

This is the difference between me and the audiophile business. I take pride in ALL sound reproduction, and that includes recording. My good quality audio isn't only reserved for my listening room. I record as high quality as I can, and even my PC speakers are set up correctly. So yeah, the difference between me (the guy with a passion for audio), and the audiophile business.

[@AcousticFields]

M, High-resolution recordings are a good start and should be considered throughout the playback and recording process.

[@romavictor1811]

That's nice but if your system is located in the living room that's irregular on all sides? What do you do? Solutions please...

[@AcousticFields]

+Roma Vic Hi Roma, Unfortunately, dual usage rooms present a large sonic compromise.In most cases we review, the living outweighs the listening requirements.

[@musabinho]

Valuable information, thanks 🙏

[@AcousticFields]

So nice of you. Thank you for your support.

[@TeenuArora]

My room is identical to the one you have shown here, left side being bigger than the right and unfortunately I can't change the position or re construct the wall. Can I add some home made Panels of rock wool to both the sides with equal distance? and have more panels behind the these panels on the left and right side for left over frequencies to be absorbed?

[@AcousticFields]

Hi Teenu Arora Thanks for the comment. I answered your question in this week's Google Hangout. You can see the part where I answered your question on this snippet of the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5O6iWypYqatoac If you fill in this form on my site I can take a closer look at your situation. If you can include photos then that would be great: www.acousticfields.com/free-acoustic-treatment-room-analysis-tell-us-about-your-room/ I hope it helps. Let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thanks Dennis

[@lucaspezia]

If I have no option, but put one of the speakers near a corner, what should I do to "fix" that problem? Some deflectors and absorbers around that corner could do something?

[@AcousticFields]

L, There are two types of acoustic treatments: absorption and diffusion. If you have to put one speaker in the corner of a room then you will have to place the other speaker in the corner. Both sources must have the same "start" point. The frequency and amplitudes are facing the same room dynamics. I will need to know much more about the room, speaker, and usage to prescribe treatment options.

[@WatchingTrainsGoBy-PassingTime]

Will curtains and tin foil on the windows in a bedroom work well enough? ALSO... What if your seating position isn't in the center of the room. In THAT case is it more important for the speakers and person to be centered together; Or is it more important for the speakers to still be the same distance from each wall? Because for the speakers to be equal distance from the walls, it destroys the model where I'm part of that equal distance where I'm listening to the both speakers.

[@AcousticFields]

You want to form an equilateral triangle with the speakers and listening position. The next issue becomes where in the room to place the triangle.

[@WatchingTrainsGoBy-PassingTime]

@@AcousticFields Thanks... I actually played with that for a bit the last couple days and I can't believe how just a few inces makes such a difference. (that's what she said.) SORRY.. It's almost mandatory to make that joke. Truth is that with very few adjustments to that triangle, the sound I'm getting from these speakers is outstanding. It's 6 speakers hooked in parallel/series and they've never sounded better thanks to videos like this I've looked up recently.

[@stephenfrancisvoros382]

Cool, you really know what's going on, you must of seen so many situations to over come, I'm learning more watching your KZbin tutorials than any other one, great work 👍😉

[@Goozoo965]

With all these modern open concept designs ill end up putting one of my speakers between the dishwasher and the fridge.

[@AcousticFields]

With that set up, you can place your sandwich on the right channel and your drink on the left.

[@SCMTW]

This is all great professional advice and well presented. At least it's very informative for room "set-up compromises" because very few family houses have the perfect room for acoustics. But I'm still a big advocate for the "Gomer Pyle Sweet Spot". If what you hear makes you close your eyes and smile - then that's all you need. :-)

[@AcousticFields]

Hi SCMTW, You are correct. It is the emotional connection to our music that is most important. One way to work towards this goal is to minimize room impact on our presentations.

[@TrevorRuby]

What do I do with the 8 Windows I have???

[@AcousticFields]

I would strongly suggest you find another room for your music. Large surface areas of glass produce frequency response issues and also noise issues. "Glass sound" will destroy your middle range music and the glass windows go diaphragmatic and start moving when you place sound pressure against them. This movement produces sound or if you ask your music, noise.This is the reason we design windows between control and live rooms at 1" thicknesses, using two windows with a calculated air space between them. You don't need 8 glass speakers in any music room.

[@sammyfromsydney]

Surely a good set of heavy curtains would mean the room doesn't need to be abandoned?

[@jimmymcgill5572]

What do you do for sound treatment in an asymmetrical room? Maybe 2 walls and completely open behind and to one side?

[@AcousticFields]

No, Stereophonic sound reproduction has certain boundary requirements.

[@jimmymcgill5572]

Acoustic Fields So if we have a asymmetrical layout, which most modern homes have in the living room, what is our best bet? Throw our hands up and say Ah we are fucked?

[@jjdente7666]

Ahh my god. Everything you just said to NOT do is my room. I have two cubbies on either side of my speakers and each have a large window in it. The rooms about 3300 cubic feet. Behind the listening position i have 10 feet or so but to one side of a large long cubby hole and on the other side a smaller one but its full of shelving and AV equipment. DO you think hangng curtains to cover up the cubbies would have any positive effect? My issue is lack of mid range bass, mapping my speakers out they should be around 135 db's @ 20 hz. I was only at 108 last time I tested with my REW mic.

[@AcousticFields]

Hi JJ Dente Thanks for the comment. I answered your question in this week's Google Hangout. You can see the part where I answered your question on this snippet of the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX3TfGewoLFoers I hope it helps. Let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thanks Dennis

[@colloidalsilverwater15ppm88]

Very nice. I did not knew about glass.

[@AcousticFields]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mendez77054ify]

So what do you do if you that have a wall that’s not symmetrical? I was thinking of putting a shelf and use it as rack and building some thick acoustic panels to put on the side. Will that work? I have one speaker that’s next to the wall and another one that’s like 4 feet from the wall

[@AcousticFields]

Create a new wall that has the same absorption rate and level.

[@Jdeneik]

I’ve read that the distance of the speaker to the side wall should not be the same distance from the back wall? True?

[@AcousticFields]

J, Varying distances depends on many factors. As a general statement, you are correct.

[@johnwaterhouse8426]

Hi Dennis. Have watched many of your videos. Your knowledge of acoustics and the science of sound is impressive. If I am understanding correctly, there is no perfect room size to conquer all sonic issues. We can, however, minimize these issues to get the best results possible with any given situation. Having said that rooms under 1500 sq ft are not worth considering, the majority of viewers out there, (myself included) are using a spare bedroom which usually falls at, or below that number. Although it is the goal to obtain a final product, our recorded music, as clean as possible without transient frequencies, noise, and the like, our main objective is to sound proof the space we work in so as to keep from having the police show up at our door. lol. Though I do not subscribe to the "fix it in post" to solve issues that could have been avoided during setup before recording, some issues can be cleaned up in the software. Adding reverb at the final stage, for example, will emulate room size. In short, could you maybe do a video that addresses the small room scenerio which will accomplish a compromise between sound-proofing and best equipment arrangement to achieve the best results? At the end of the day, anyone listening to our masterpieces of musical art will probably have their windows down while driving or have earbuds on. If the song is good, most will forgive a little 200hz rumble...Thank you for your efforts.

[@AcousticFields]

I believe this to be a slippery slope. We owe the artist and engineer the tools to create the best sound they can and just as importantly, a room where all sounds can be heard. We owe the music much more. Without history of quality to rely upon as a reference, you do not know if you are advancing the science of sound (music) or going backwards in quality. A compromise at below 200 Hz., reverb to emulate room size, a noisy room, where does the slope begin to turn back to source quality? It doesn't. It just keeps increasing and sliding until anything will pass as sound "quality". We owe our music much more. I know I do.

[@mcadid]

The room you describe looks exactly like mine. 14' wide x 18' deep with an alcove in the front left corner. The alcove is there to allow access to the attic via fold down stairs. Do you have suggestions on how to treat this alcove to try and improve the sound of the room?

[@AcousticFields]

Sure McAdid, shoot me an email at [e-mail] and I'll be happy to help. Thanks Dennis

[@georgephilis]

I understand the "no glass" rule but just wondering if there might be a way around it these days? Is the angle of a glass window more or less a factor? Would love to have an exterior soundproof window, but won't do it if I need to sacrifice acoustics. Any tips?

[@AcousticFields]

G, Place windows on the rear wall or at the ceiling wall intersection out of the horizontal sound field.

[@Atheistic007]

Do what he recommends. I went from our living room with an odd shape to a small dedicated audio room. My small audio room has made the biggest improvement to sound than any gear I've ever bought. Following what Mr. Foley mentions in this video is simple and is based on simple physics. Now I'm exploring acoustic panels and such. With a proper room, even a small change in toe in/out is obvious; whereas in a living type room toe in/out is meaningless.

[@AcousticFields]

You have just illustrated the importance of boundary surface balance. A good way to think of your room requirements is to view the source of energy. With two speakers and one listener, distance from sidewalls must be equal for both left and right stereo channels. Distance from speakers to listener must be equal to start. The stereo signal requires a balanced output from amp and a "balanced" room.

[@Atheistic007]

@@AcousticFields Yes, my room is a rectangle with one door and NO glass/windows. From my listing position if i lean forward or back 4", the bass changes. It's amazing.

[@phildirt3]

I have a vast high ceiling and house where i have sonos soundbar two play ones in surround and two play 3 s on landing it sounds pretty good. I know it could be better but I can’t do what u are suggesting it would be impossible

[@AcousticFields]

We give you a standard for sound quality that we have used for over 40 years. You must decide what parts of that standard you wish to use and which you can not.

[@themixedupkid]

Very informative video. Thanks for the advice

[@AcousticFields]

Glad it was helpful!

[@byronb.]

A lot of good basic information here. If you have a fireplace, can you just cover the opening with an acoustic panel or do you literally need to fill it? If you have to fill it, fill it with what? 🤔

[@AcousticFields]

The fireplace is a resonating chamber. You must fill it with the correct rate and level of absorption technology.

[@swinde]

I know there are some issues with "listening room", but it is unrealistic to think you can achieve the "concert hall" sound at home unless you have unlimited resources for your sound system. I would prefer that engineers try to make the recordings as accurate as possible, and I will listen to that in my room. (As if the performance was actually in my room)

[@AcousticFields]

S, The goal is not concert hall sound. A concert hall sound can only be obtained in a concert hall. The goal is to be able to hear all frequencies and amplitudes of each sound in the chosen source. The room can be managed to achieve that goal if we match size/volume/usage/treatment. Engineers should strive for accuracy at all times in source and rooms should be designed to meet that source resolution accuracy.

[@Oneness100]

When I talk/read about different types of speakers (dipole, bi-pole, ported, non-ported, electrostatic, Omni, etc.) some recommend their speakers be closer or further away from the back walls, and I've seen some high end speaker mfg actually want their speakers to be placed in the corner of the room. Also, is there any rules to follow with amount of spaces between each speaker? I've seen some have them placed equally within the room, but the speakers seem to be placed to close or too far away from one another. I've read various books/mags that suggest various calculations to determine the space between the side wall and the rear wall.

[@AcousticFields]

Great questions. The corners of a room are where all room modes end. It is a high pressure, low/mid frequency, area that must be avoided for speaker placement and treated with the proper sound absorption technology. It is much better to have a room without corners from an acoustical standpoint. Corners produce more problems than they solve. In fact, that said, I can't think of anything they do well support the walls and ceilings. Acoustically, all they do is cause room distortions. The speakers and listening position must be treated as a single entity. The "sound triangle" formed by the two speakers and the listening position must be positioned within the room and treated as a single unit. To start the positioning process divide your room into thirds, and place your speakers along the first "third" line and your listening position on the second third line. Start with your speakers at least 3' from the side walls and 3' from the front wall. Move your speakers together towards each other in 1" increments until you have a tight and centered image. Move your listening position back in 1" increments until you are happy with the width of the sound stage. After you have decided all is well, take a frequency response measurement in this position. If you still see unwanted energy below 100 cycles, move your speakers forward towards the listening position. Stay true to the 1" movement. Measure again. You will now see how your room is responding to low frequency energy. You must get the low end correct from the beginning or you won't have a chance with the middle frequencies. And as we all know, the mids are everything. If you need assistance with this process, send me your speaker size, diameter, and number of all low frequency drivers, and room dimensions. I will run your of gear/room size against our data base and give you some start positions to save you some time and energy. Send to [e-mail]. Thanks Dennis

[@Oneness100]

Acoustic Fields Thank you! Great information. I'm trying to figure this out for a future endeavor. My current situation is fine since my speaker system is pretty small as is the room and listening levels. I'm just trying to figure out some good food for thought as I search through the sea of products for my next system and look for a new home. As much as I might like one system, it may be not suitable due to a future room size. Both are unknown at this time. I hope to have a dedicated room maybe free of 90 degree angles. I like your response about corners.... Does that mean we should have rounded rooms instead? Just joking. My last house, I had probably one of the worst rooms imaginable. 20 ft x 20 ft with a ceiling that had a slope of 8 ft ceiling to about 16 ft. It was HORRIBLE. Glad I don't have that room anymore.

[@AcousticFields]

My pleasure, well here's some more info to help you along. Rounded corners are not advisable, but angled is best. Each corner angle should be different from the others in the room and away from any listening or monitoring position. Square rooms produce tangential (4 wall) modal issues that occur right in the male and female vocal range. This is something that must be avoided at all costs. When selecting a speaker system to match your room dimensions and volume, always look at the diameter of the low frequency driver. The difference in output of a 12" driver vs a 15" driver can be just 2-3 dB, but that is a lot of extra energy to try and deal with, especially if you are already experiencing low frequency issues, which 99% of the rooms I look at do. You do not need to "overpower" the room with low frequency energy. It is the attack and decay rate that must be allowed to run full cycle in any room, so you don't have "bass soup". This 'soup" is caused when the low frequency note is struck by fingers on a bass guitar and then the note is followed by modal issues jumping in and either causing bass boom or drop outs. the next bass note gets buried in the distortion of the first and all of this energy compounds and produces "soup". Each bass note must be allowed to "live" in the room, with attack and decay on its own volition, before the next note starts its attack and decay cycle. It is this attack and decay cycle properly managed through driver size, room size, and the correct low frequency sound absorption technology, that produces a bass line that has separation and definition. There is no reason that bass lines can not be as clear and as defined as middle frequency energy. Shoot me an email at [e-mail] and we can talk offline about some of this. Thanks Dennis

[@Oneness100]

Acoustic Fields Thanks! Always a pleasure getting responses from you. Actually i've seen some studios or home theaters with rounded corners. I don't know if they sounded very good, but I think they designed the room to have a certain visual esthetic.

[@David12005]

Thank you for the great tips. I adjusted my Triton One speakers so that the side walls were equidistant and the imaging improvement was immense. Thanks !

[@AcousticFields]

D, Its all about balance. You must balance the side wall reflections (time delayed room sound) with the direct sound (no room sound) from your loud speakers. The time signature of the reflections from both side walls must have the proper rate and level of absorption. Not all product absorption rates and levels are the same. This is why I spent 8 years developing my foam technology. It has the proper rates and levels.

[@dadabaimusic]

Thank you too, nicely explained, regards from Australia

[@sonofkikkoman]

I heard that it's bad to have a room with almost symmetrical dimensions, like a cube. Is that right? I have two "full range" tower speakers with 10" subwoofers in them. I have them positioned with identical lenght from the walls and they have the same distance from eachother and my listening location has the same lenght to them aswell. I've made two identical thin insulation foam (some fibre type material) "acoustic treatment" panels and have them next to my speakers on the wall. The bad thing here is that i have a very large window on the right side (a little bit further away from the speaker so it's not right next to it atleast) I do have big curtains for the window, but would it help to have some thicker stuff on there like molton? I'm also thinking of putting one of those acoustic panels on the back wall. These speakers do have a surprisingly flat eq but do have a slight bump down in the 4-5khz range. This setup might not be the best for a critical monitoring, but I do like to have it as close as I can, even though my setup is not ideal for that.

[@AcousticFields]

Hi sonofkikkoman Thanks for the comment. I can not respond to your room issues without knowing more about your room. Please fill out the information in this link. Once I have your room size, volume, and usage, I can better tell what your unwanted pressure areas are, where they are located within your room, and how strong (amplitude) they are. From that point, we can figure out how to manage both pressure and reflection issues in a systematic approach without generalizing or guessing. I am certain your music is too important to you to be guessing about how to make it better. www.acousticfields.com/free-acoustic-treatment-room-analysis-tell-us-about-your-room/ Thanks Dennis

[@ViniciusNunes-m8q]

My room is like this one except thts both side walls are glasse. Is there any hope for me? Heavy thick drapes??? A wooden huge bookshelf covering the back walls and some carpeting would do the job ?

[@AcousticFields]

+496 527 The issue with drapes is that you can not measure the rates and levels of absorption created by the material. You need a certain rate and level to create a sound stage image that has strong center and focus when working with the side walls. Just using any sound absorbing material is not advisable if your concern is accurate rendering of source. That said, sound absorbing material covering glass is welcome. A book shelf on the rear wall will not provide diffusion which is the correct treatment type.

[@ViniciusNunes-m8q]

Thank you so much for replying. My concern lays upon the glass side walls. The same equipment that i'm using has so much more detal and instrument separation when i play it in my bedroom, which has wood, and drapes, and not so much glass. What would you do if you had a large listening room with glass side walls? Is there any hope for me? Thank you

[@Chino780]

My left side doesn't have a wall for a while due to a door opening. Any tips on how to help with that?

[@AcousticFields]

You can create a wall with moveable panels. We do it all the time. Make sure each sidewall has the same density and rate and level of absorption or you will produce phase issues at all frequencies.

[@Chino780]

@@AcousticFields Awesome. Thanks for the tip!

[@Jedi71]

I kinda want to open a store called "Dos & Donuts."

[@AcousticFields]

M, People miss the importance of a proper set up. Even if the room has no treatment, you must set up correctly.

[@harrij.9542]

Dear Dennis, Can you recommend any good fabric material that is good for covering a window that is a primary reflection point in the monitoring room? Best regards,

[@AcousticFields]

H, There is no good fabric to cover a window. You have to have a technology that has predictable rates and levels of absorption.