Room shape/acoustics, what you need to know

[@kmf2153]

To combat a very reflective room, I built three 2’ X 4’ absorption panels and hung them behind the listening position. Then since panels are pretty unappealing to look at in the living room, I hid them by hanging a beautiful quilt that my grandmother made in front of two of them and I found a nice Pendleton saddle blanket to hang in front of the other one. You can’t even tell there are panels in the room, and they quiet the reflections a lot. Next I purchased a MiniDSP pre-amp with active Dir-ac room correction built in and activity configured the sound in the room with the software. This is the best sound I have ever had in this room. I am a happy guy.

[@kmf2153]

Huh??

[@yogiwp_]

Thank you for sharing. Interested in MiniDSP/Dirac, wondering if it can solve bass null problem in small room?

[@kmf2153]

The MiniDSP pre-amp with both the DSP and the Dir-ac has a lot of control over the sound that your system puts out. The Dir-ac Taylor’s the sound to your seating position by using an included mike, which you use to take 18 (!) measurements around your preferred seating position. It then makes a program to accomplish great sound where you sit. It works for me....And you make four different programs and switch between them whenever you want. Pretty cool. Be aware tho that this is a Chinese company, so if that freaks you out.....try something else. Check out the Hans B. Review of it.

[@dl6519]

"You want to be as far away from [the first] reflections as possible." YESSS!! So if your room is square-ish, go with DIAGONAL placement. This geometrically avoids the early sidewall reflections. Maybe go a little bit off of an exact diagonal to slightly stagger the distances between the woofers and walls to help smooth the bass. Steve your Cornwalls offer SIGNIFICANT room-interaction advantages over conventional wide-pattern speakers. They are much less sensitive to being near a wall because the mids and highs are directional, which means you can take advantage of boundary reinforcement with considerably less undesirable early reflection energy. This is going to sound counter-intuitive, but you asked for our ideas: Try placing your Cornwalls along the short wall, a bit wider apart than normal, and then toe them in aggressively such that their axes criss-cross IN FRONT OF the sweet spot. Because of their radiation pattern control they will not have a strong early same-side-wall reflection. In fact the first significant sidewall reflection for the left-hand speaker will be the long,.across-the-room bounce off the right-hand wall, and vice-versa. These reflections will arrive late enough that the ear will interpret them as "ambience" rather than "coloration" (arriving at the opposite ear also helps). This will also give you a much wider sweet spot because as you move off the centerline to either side, you are moving off-axis of the NEAR speaker but ON-AXIS of the FAR speaker. For example soundstaging was still good from where the first photo was taken at this link (not Cornwalls but the concept is similar; if anything the Cornwalls are even better suited): parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/06/17/new-gear-from-audiokinesis-and-resonessence-labs-t-h-e-show-2019/ Another advantage of this cross-firing configuration is that you won't need any sidewall absorption to tame early reflections. Absorption has this disadvantage: It is most effective at removing the short wavelengths (high frequencies), so it changes the spectral balance of the reflected sound. It has this effect not only on the first reflections but on all subsequent ones which strike it. And a significant spectral discrepancy between the direct and reflected sound is generally undesirable. Fortunately your room has a lot of naturally-occurring diffusion so you probably won't need any absorption even with conventional speakers.

[@dtann1414]

I really appreciate comments like this on Steve’s videos they are so insightful. Thank you

[@kevemaher]

There will still be room modes to deal with. Room modes are a function of the room's dimensions and construction materials.

[@grahamc1511]

Hi Steve, great video as always! I have a small room (12ft x 14ft at widest point) with an L-shaped configuration. It sounded truly awful when I first got here. After investing in a second hand Room Analyser hardware and software to assess where the sonic problems were I researched acoustic treatments and after receiving some advice from the excellent GIK Acoustics, I've used their bass traps in the corners and wall art and panels to catch first reflections and a crude diffuser on the back wall behind my sofa. Wow! What an amazing difference. I'm sure I've got some things yet to do, but the difference is chalk and cheese!! I can enjoy.my system agsin and thoroughly recommend aquainting yourselves with room treatments as a topic....not straight forward at first, but once you get the hang of it it will make a HUGE difference to the entire sound. Highly recommended. Graham, UK

[@stevefick3919]

I'm laughing about the "KEF KC 62" because just before I watched this video, I read a review about it. The reviewer gave it pretty high marks and explained how the drivers were configured. Both driver cones share the same motor structure. Pretty cool design and makes for a very fast sub. Not cheap, but if you're pressed for space, this is the ticket. I'm going to build a room in a section of our lower level basement soon. Probably 12 ft X 15 ft. With the input from your videos and Paul McGowan's new book and CD, I'm hoping to get outstanding sound from my system with the proper set-up. I've got to do SOMETHING to keep myself busy during our 2nd lockdown. (Ontario). Keep up the good work, Steve!

[@danielgeiger7739]

Just setting up a square room for 2.1 diagonally and am quite happy with the result. It includes carpet, speakers out, back wall full of books, home made art absorbers & corner bass trap, etc. Diagonal set-up is hardly ever addressed, but I think has a lot of potential: no sidewall reflection, speaker away from rear corner.

[@rockobill7637]

would you be able to post your distances to the walls?

[@danielgeiger7739]

@@rockobill7637 Speakers are about 6' apart and about 3.5' from the front/side walls; not sure what to call that in a diagonal set-up. Listening chair is about 6' from each speaker, so I have close to equilateral triangle, in a almost near field arrangement. This will depend A LOT on your speakers. I have a pair of B&W CM6 S2. I just placed an order for a Pearl Acoustics Sibelius SG. I expect that I can position those closer to the wall and get a bit less near-field experience. Although I have a sub (REL T9/i) the Sibelius has much greater bass extension on paper (Sibelius 32 Hz. vs B&W 48 Hz @ -6 db; REL is 28 Hz). I may get away without a sub and all the complications of room notes in a squarish room. I am not into heavy bass. We'll see ...

[@rockobill7637]

@@danielgeiger7739 hey thanks for the info...to be sure I'm clear, your speakers are on either side of a corner with you sitting basically in the opposite corner?...square rooms are a challenge, aren't they?...i've got a sort of diagonal placement right now too but can't seem to get it spot on...either that or I'm developing ocd...so the incremental moving continues.. good luck with it all...you're working with some nice speakers there...can't hurt🙂

[@danielgeiger7739]

@@rockobill7637 you got it. My room is sort of square but one corner Is cut off, so electronics are in corner opposite the cut-off corner. Speakers are on each side of that corner, so about 5' from corner, but only about 3-4 feet from side/front wall. The back wall is covered with 7' book shelves as a diffusor. I sit in front of the bookshelves, maybe 3" from my back wall, which is not a corner, but the back wall is parallel to the a line going from one speaker to other. Sorry, can't insert picture here. it took a bit of fine tuning with toe in and getting distances right. I moved one speaker about 4" forward and suddenly I got center image, depth, extension beyond speakers. Also moving speakers by 2" closer or further from the front/side walls makes quite a difference. I would have never thought this is so touchy, but it really is.

[@rockobill7637]

@@danielgeiger7739 thanks for the details... always have to laugh at the diagram that always accompanies placement advice...a perfectly shaped room with two speakers and a bald head...no other furniture, doors, etc....

[@noself1028]

Thanks for this video, Steve. Until now, literally none of the guidance I've seen on room acoustics has mentioned the possibility of placing the system on the long wall of a rectangular room so that it fires across, rather than along the length of, that room. For aesthetic and ergonomic reasons, that's how my system is set up, and with some basic room treatments and Dirac Live EQ, it works quite well.

[@roberte.andrews4621]

Good episode, Steve! Room treatment is so important and often overlooked. I could do more with my 15x18 studio apartment here across from the beach. I have the walls covered with framed photos, many with glass surfaces. All very reflective. Not good. Popcorn ceiling is OK, as far as it goes and wall-to-wall carpet good, but I really need more absorbent surfaces. I'll experiment with acoustic panels, but there isn't a lot of room, unless I take down some pictures. I have some time before I can have another Music Depreciation Party (Spike Jones invented them.) and invite all those single senior ladies in for cheap champaigne and hors d'oeuvres, because of this tragic pandemic. We'll have reason to celebrate when this plague runs its course. In the meantime, you are keeping us entertained and informed with your great store of knowledge and kind personality. Music connects us at the heart, so you are my mensch!

[@francois-xaviergonnet7216]

The worth set up for your system is parallel walls, especialy behind the speakers and behind you. It will create a terrible echo with some nasty resonance points. The solution for that : cover the walls. Even a simple fabric will change your life... Remember a good set up is not the one where you kill all the reflection from the walls. Managing the reflections is better than killing them... Most people don't know but the 3D effects the best stereo makes also come from the reflections of the walls. The reflections distract your brain in the way it can't figure where the point source is anymore... it give you the feeling the music come from a place outside the room, or from behind you... it's really cool !

[@illgattapardo]

Thank you for your video. Your tips, especially covering the tv, have helped make a very noticeable difference to my system. Much appreciated.

[@rojona]

Yes this is a very important topic for not only listening rooms but concert halls, small music venues, and recording studios. My experience as a recording engineer that mixes records in my living room, is that you shouldn't empty out your listening room but put your full bookshelves to the sides of your speakers for example. They make excellent a diffusers. Definitely use some carpets. Sear Sound's Studio A has irregular sides and uses diffusers on the ceiling, carpeting on the walls and spot rugs on the hardwood floor. While that's probably ideal, that's not possible in a home environment. Even racks of clothing make excellent absorbers. If your room is boxy, the sound waves and reflections need to be disrupted and the best way is to fill the room with soft sided stuff just like what you see looking at Steve's room.

[@Wuppie62]

But those actions merely manipulate the mid- and higher frequencies, I presume. While the bass, the standing waves seem to be a bigger issue in a room with brick/concrete walls and floors/ceilings. Those lower frequencies seem to need a different approach (i.e. bass traps). And what about placing some absorbing screens close next and behind you listening position to reduce part of the indirect/reflected sound (or an earchair)?

[@Krell666]

Great tips. Room acoustics is probably the most important element in the end sound. Cheers!

[@stepherino29]

Wow this was really helpful - Yes, always adapting, always perfecting! Thats true for all facets of life I think. Very much looking forward to your room update. It will take time but the journey will be fun to watch. Thank you!

[@edwardbalboa5528]

It will be 400 years before Steve's rooms is finished

[@bigblueocean]

You in a rush Edds?

[@titosirj6262]

I thought that was his stock room

[@geoCow]

I read that heaven is acoustically perfect. There is no music in hell- all the vinyl and cds melt.

[@mr.hansen5195]

@@geoCow I heard they prefer st(r)eaming

[@The2dawgs826]

Steve, 16×34, mid room listening area, 4 corner front speaker placement, front 1/3rd sub area...high ceiling...sounds remarkable!

[@freekwo7772]

I have a square room and I almost about to tame it. The most important is put something in the room corners that absorbs the sound like furniture or bookshelf with books. The last thing I will do is diffusor or absorber behind the couch.

[@DakTirCue]

My listening room is about 25' x 15' . I have done every concievable configuration in regards to long wall, short wall, subwoofer placement, ports plugged or unplugged, etc. I settled on placing the speakers along the long wall, ONLY because I have double door jams on either side of the couch I listen on, It completely bleeds off the reflections.. I was getting MUCH boomier bass and muddiness when I has the setup on the short wall. I also spread the speakers out much farther than my distance to the speakers. I get pretty nice separation and soundstage. Those eternally open double doors were a godsend to my quest for musical enhancement. carpeting helps too....

[@DIY-valvular]

Maybe the ideal listening room for an extreme audiophile would be a 30ft diameter spherical anechoic chamber with a hole on a side. Such orifice is intended to the mentioned audiophile can insert his head through it, lets call it "the glory hole"... And then, the extreme audiophile will get his head off from there and obturate the aperture because he will found that his head is causing reflections in his perfect sounding listening room!...

[@keywestjimmy]

It's the same video from this wk I think. Just as good the second time Steve! You give practical tips. Eg near field is 5'. "Angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection." Corners are special cases and cause problems because all sound reflects straight back. Treat first reflections, corners and perpendicular to listening position. Done.

[@davidgoeller5843]

This video saved me the cost of a speaker upgrade! ...and also cost me an amplifier upgrade... I was kind of disappointed with my Polk Monitor 10s and thought that some of the drivers may have needed replacement. Following the subsequent furniture rearrangement after watching this video I realized that the problem did not lie in the Monitor 10s (which sounded significantly more engaging) but in the old Pioneer amp I was driving them with, which seems to have gone totally haywire on the right channel recently. I had been eyeing a craigslist listing for a good deal on a B&K ST140 with a Forte Model 2, but felt it was a little out of my reach since I thought I'd want to upgrade the Polks as well to get the most out of it (which is probably still true lol). But the torture of being able to hear one gorgeous channel and one gross one, and the prospect of leaping into true audiophile territory at a fair price was too much for me to bear. Thanks for pulling me one step further down the audiophile journey

[@docdeens4030]

Good luck on your project, Mr Guttenberg!

[@aussierob7177]

Hi Steve my audio room is 26 feet long, 15 feet wide and 9 feet high. The speakers fire down the long dimension. I have heavy woollen curtains covering the side walls which can open and close if needed, Behind the speakers is a ceiling to floor heavy velvet motorised curtain which hides a 9 foot window. The floor is covered with thick pile carpet. The rear wall has thin curtains which can open to expose most of the wall. The ceiling is the only true reflective surface. The speakers (KEF LS50 Meta) are 2 feet from the side curtains and 3 feet from the rear velvet curtains. They are 15 feet to my listening position, The rear wall is 7 feet behind me . The centre of the speakers are 42 inches from the floor. The sound of the Metas are truly spectacular. No harshness , glare or brightness.

[@kevemaher]

If you are completely satisfied with your sound, when leave it as is. You may be surprised, however, at the huge variation in frequency response in the bass (20Hz - approx 300Hz), even with all the thick materials. If you feel inclined, you can use REW (free downloadable software), a calibrated microphone, and some cables and splitters to measure your system's performance.

[@edwardbalboa5528]

I suspect Steve is a 600 year old vampire..... In fact Im Pretty sure he is

[@kloss213]

Horn systems can work with your space and the walls can become part of the horn. Conventional dynamic designs tend to fight the room and are greatly affected by placements and room shapes and sizes.

[@shamansrattle]

A friend placed his very large speakers in a 35' diameter wooden yurt with a 17' peak. There are no standing waves. Open a couple of windows and the sound gets even better.

[@bobb.9917]

Great basics for awareness in our given spaces...I am always tinkering and listening...fun stuff! 🙃

[@chrispicquet733]

I have been setting up listening rooms for years and in my opinion,the short wall is the best configuration for accuracy.

[@petethegreekre]

It's worth people watching it that might have missed it the first time. It's about the main component.

[@mkfmkf55]

Finally, we get to see the mysterious secret room. Lots of work will be needed to get it to sound & look pleasing, but definitely worth the time, effort & expense.

[@sudd3660]

i agree on all of these tips, and i would add that the listening triangle always should be adhered to, equilateral triangle that is. and of course have a symmetrical room vertically.

[@scottyo64]

Except with Maggies

[@irashapiro9189]

It may be my room but I have a much better soundstage with an isosceles triangle versus an equilateral.

[@sudd3660]

@@scottyo64 some open baffle or dipole speakers might get better results in some rooms. like magnepans.

[@jeffkalina7727]

I am with DL on the Diag. set up. I tried all 4 sides and this was way best in my room by far.

[@homeaudio-ny7cv]

I installed acoustic panel board at the back of the two walls (behind the audio equipment and speakers & the listening area). A kind of construction materials for the wall of meeting room with evenly distributed holes and acoustic linings inside. It works very very well. Sugest to all audiophiliacs when they plan to refurbish their listening room/lounge/living room.

[@tomchippie6725]

Gutts.........nice tip with the sound proof panels behind the speakers. Tanks.

[@Jeton6]

really excited to catch your review of that KEF KC62 sub, Ive been eager to catch your reaction to and analysis of it.

[@vladimirdorta6692]

Great Audiophiliac video, as always. Room acoustics is, second to speakers, my main interest in audio because the room and the position of the speakers within it determine much of the sound of any speaker. For the lucky ones who have lots of leeway, the "rule of thirds," that is, placing both speakers and listening chair at about 29%-33% of the room length (or width) is an important first step. If that is a no-no because the speakers and chair would be too far out, then the "rule of fifths" is the second-best solution. A third important criterium is to have three continuous walls around the speakers, and having the speakers placed at different distances to those walls and to the ceiling, with the speakers placed symmetrically (same distances to boundaries on both speakers). This is what I have found most important in my long audiophile life (since the 1970s).

[@Harry-Giles]

Wow. Love the tshirt Steve!

[@Unpreeeedictable]

For the vast, vast majority of music lovers the best thing to do is pull the speakers out from the walls and listen in the near field. You will get very acceptable sound with basically no effort and at no cost. You're welcome.

[@geoCow]

Opening a door at back of room can make a huge difference. Different thickness curtains and room dividers (screens) too.

[@MickTimmy]

I used to keep my rear door closed but after trying it with my door open, I agree. Not sure why, but it definitely sounds better.

[@rolandrohde]

Steve forgot the 1/3 or 2/3 rules. If you can, go for the short wall placement and move your listening area to the 2/3 or 1/3 distance along the ling wall. That should give you a boost in good sound

[@liamo4]

It’s great to see the room opening up and all the external light Steve. Seeing the outdoors and all that natural light makes a huge difference.

[@RustieZeplin]

I have large windows behind my listening position. Instead of using typical drapes or curtains, I use thick faux fur to help absorb sound reflections. It's worked very well.

[@meutubedou]

Soon after Steve gets his room “Audiophiliac Acoustically” perfect, New York City has a massive month long black out & Steve’s seen carrying a crying towel that matches his new multi-colored sad face shirt😂🤣

[@ramilopez6921]

What’s optimal distance between speakers? I saw about the distance from the walls from the side and back, but what about from each other? Thanks

[@stevevlahos1]

I moved my subwoofer to the right of the right speaker instead of it being to the left. Basically I shortened the L/R speaker distance and it made a world of difference. I was amazed at how much better they sounded just doing that. My goal is to get wall treatments for behind the speakers and maybe for the sides of the room. Getting it all dialed in. 😊

[@quantumdave1592]

Actually the long wall with seating position against rear wall cuts down standing waves and allows wider speaker separation. Soundstage size can be huge and more involving.

[@C--A]

You definitely don't want to be sitting against the rear wall for music and also mivies, any audio expert will tell you this. As you will hear the reflections from the rear wall right after the sound hits your ears. Muddying the sound. Whereas a listening position 5 or 6 feet in front of the rear wall is fine. As now after the sound hits your ears it will take longer to hit reflect off the rear wall. Giving a better tonality of sound from the front left and right speakers.

[@rabit818]

Room acoustics? It’s wherever the wife tells you where to put your stereo system.

[@richardpeters2193]

No matter what, a bookshelf speakers on a stand is always smaller than a shorter tower speaker with the wife.

[@Ks2paK]

Why wasting your time on wives?..

[@freekwo7772]

Good one! 🤣

[@ikealamp53]

Only to men who aren't leader of the household.

[@freekwo7772]

@@ikealamp53 take it easy 😃, they will call #metoo after you 😂

[@vinylrules4838]

I am surprised Steve said nothing about forming a equilateral triangle with the speakers and listening position.

[@idolhanz9842]

Im using 2 high efficiency Klipsch la Scalas in the rear of the rectangular living room and JBL's and a sub up front for music and theater surround sound. Control and front rear balance is by a Yamaha DSP-1 unit.

[@SubTroppo]

It would be handy to know what Steve would do to create the ideal listening room if he were to build his own new (but modest) home. Same for a multipurpose room in the same new-build.

[@NoEgg4u]

I'm not home now. Please post this video, again, tomorrow. ;-)

[@cytowing3353]

I have Klipsch La Scalas which are very position dependent and won't sound their best going by the traditional guidelines. I tried that for years and they never did sound that good in my 11.5' x 23' room. I read a paper by Paul Klipsch and did as he said. I put them in the corners on the long wall, toed in so they "crossed" right in front of the listening position. The difference was dramatic and they have been there since.

[@b97209]

Looking forward to your KEF sub experience with the Cornwalls. We added 2 T7is to our Cornwalls. Haven't been able to get to the point where it is enjoyable. The T7is are great with our new LRSs in the same room and same amps: Linn LK85 and Moon Ace.

[@zackw4941]

I have about $1k into a 2.2 system with JBL 580's I got on sale, dual Dayton 12" subs and an SMSL AD18.. My room is a rectangle and I'm squashed into the closed side with open doorways front and back on the open side. And I share my space with the dining table. My couch is against the walI and the speakers can only come out so far. think it's something like 13x18 all together? Anyway, to add some color and help with reflections, I bought cheap wall tapestries and ~1/2" thick carpet pads from Amazon and hung them up behind the couch and between the windows on the close side wall. Works surprisingly well and the tapestries look much more impressive with some material behind them.

[@michaelkistner6286]

Great info. Alas, I can barely use any of it. My room is awful. It's a common area of the house. And I'm irrationally attached to my current speakers that are way too big for the space. But then, life is about trade-offs. Strangely, I still manage to get a great deal of pleasure out of listening to it.

[@millmoormichael6630]

Try a room correction software, works pretty well. Anything like carpets or panels on the wall helps

[@michaelkistner6286]

@@millmoormichael6630 Room correction software is a good idea. Thanks. As for carpets and panels.... two words. Significant Other.

[@seanroddy4084]

Is that a tube top you have on ?

[@kloss213]

Square room? Try triangular placements and a good bit of room treatment.

[@millmoormichael6630]

I would probably spend 70-80% of my system budget on room treatments. It really cracks me up folks having 5-digit set-ups in crappy rooms.

[@themoistgreenorganic]

What about people with 5-digit setups and some room treatment? That’s where I am. Adding a bit more treatment as the wife allows.

[@joeycastillo1496]

Yes, room acoustics is the biggest challenge. And WAF , that decides what room acoustics is all about 😄😄

[@404010ful]

good video the house i grew up in had a room it was our den with wooden walls broadlem rug alot of books on our front built in shelves the floor underneath had a crawl space which shook the floor i had a entry level prologic system at the time and running movies or music the floor would shake like a subwoofer . the room was 35 feet length wise by if i remember 22 ft width . in a apartment floors are solid very different from what i experience ed in a house . one movie theater in Toronto the Uptown that room auditorium made me feel your in a plane with alot of turbulance. very different ceiling they had it wasnt flat . the older theaters sounded much better with their accoustics .

[@keeferdog5617]

OOOOOOPPPPSS- did I upload this vid again? YUP This is important and YOU will be tested on the subject......

[@ML-rm3vk]

Great therapy for my head and music great video thank you sir. Peace

[@jeremyhughes6485]

Excellent advice

[@davidhardy7356]

Thanks for sharing that valid information Steve but where is that link you mentioned to Paul's room solutions ? It never showed up on the top right hand side . Cheers !

[@xavi-HH-108]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmPCl4yjoa54rKc

[@dicmccoy]

You didn't really talk about square rooms. I'm still wondering about the issues with that size room and how to overcome them. Thanks for the video Steve. Very informative for those who have a rectangular room.

[@vinylrules4838]

Use a different room is best advice. If you don't have a choice, set up nearfield as Steve said.

[@dentboxhero1717]

Towel over your TV what a great idea. Do the family portraits and large framed wedding pictures too as those ruin sound the most. Get divorced and your dream sound will be achieved.

[@breakoutpete210]

Affirmative 👍

[@FelixtheMetalcat]

I guess it depends on the family attitude towards the music...🤣

[@cheapcheerfulrecordcollect8071]

I thought there was something about the rule of thirds. Speakers 1/3 away from wall, listening position 1/3 away from back wall. Good theory but not always practical. Your thoughts ?

[@davidplaut4461]

That rule is for photography

[@cheapcheerfulrecordcollect8071]

@@davidplaut4461 - I know but I heard somewhere applied to room, speaker and listening arrangements

[@N8zAdventures]

Great video! Like the simplified - important bullets only - summary of room acoustics. Other youtubers would have made it a 30 min video with far too much detail :)

[@alee3875]

At the moment my room setup is mid-filed. With speakers and subs just 2m from sittings. This seems to work best.

[@wmalinak]

Bit about "old stuff" better #UpAgainstThe Wall -- Klipschorns, Bozak, Linn were spec'ed to use the walls. Not so for my newer kit.

[@ryanchenoweth5673]

I can’t see the link below to your friends room setup that you mention in this video? 🧐

[@badgastein2]

For multi channel or 3D sound it must be a square room....the speakers are then in a virtual circle/sphere.

[@kenp1508]

Would four speakers, one in each corner, resolve this question. I think the problem is that steve is sticking to a resolve that has no hope of ever working

[@darkblueturbo]

My room is L shaped. And the long wall is glass. And the bottom of the L is open, going to another room. It’s a nightmare. Near field listening with the big heavy curtains pulled across the glass wall is the only way.

[@greatblarg]

I'd love some help with subwoofers and room acoustics. Not just placement, but choosing the right sub to fit the space. Front firing, downward firing, ported or sealed... For tall narrow rooms, etc. SVS has these nifty *tall* subs, downward firing. PC-2000 and PC-4000, and I wonder if they would work in my smallish office with high ceilings...

[@kevinsmith5318]

Maybe you will hopefully cover it by the time i finish your video but... what about an ‘L’ shaped room? My dinning room is open to the living room. So with my placement is such that one speaker is besides wall while the other is not. Placement for me is limited by the size of the speakers (Klipsch R820FB). Suggestions?

[@Michael-xz1nk]

Looking forward to the new KEF sub review with new Meta's or originals....

[@wmalinak]

More reviews the better! However, I really like my [old] LS50's with SVS PB-2000 Pro for music.

[@Hare_deLune]

Wait, this is the exact same video we saw last week! When I saw the notification, I thought this was going to be a 'part 2' video. What gives? Re-runs on the Audiophiliac Daily Show??

[@JohnDoe-np3zk]

you are having flashbacks

[@Hare_deLune]

@@JohnDoe-np3zk Ha! XD

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

I had to take it down, this is the replacement

[@Hare_deLune]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac O.K. Thanks for the reply! : )

[@wmalinak]

​@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac -- Déjà Vu -- either Glitch in the Matrix *or* CSN&Y.

[@trekjudas]

Ok, I'm going against the long wall of my room. My couch is a foot away from the rear wall. to Compensate I have paintings stuffed with foam behind me and a LOT of throw pillows behind my head.

[@firebladeclements]

Steve "well we almost made the hoarder show sweetie"

[@edwardbalboa5528]

I like this guy

[@therazmatazz732]

That tube shirt is great.

[@beataignioranza]

about the near field listening thing… I well understand the advantages (which seems huge, read: avoid room interferences as much as possible), but is there any disadvantage??? 🤔 if someone knows something about that and cares to shed some light…

[@rockobill7637]

yeah i feel that i might lose what little hearing i have left

[@beataignioranza]

@@rockobill7637 i guess you are supposed to adjust the volume accordingly 😅

[@rockobill7637]

@@beataignioranza nah, I'm with the volume control as others are with balance controls...I don't touch it😄

[@moon-light1354]

I want that tube shirt....

[@dilbyjones]

I’m still wondering about the charcoal pellets one audio guy uses

[@ikealamp53]

6:14 you know someone is old school when they have a broom instead of a vacuumcleaner 😄

[@georgemclean-o7h]

I've never seen anything about unmatched pairs, ie Klipsch/Zu etc? Do I need support or what?

[@mpp9964]

What happens if I build a round room? Or an oval room?

[@23brett132]

I have a near square room 20*22*10 ft in that 22 ft width there are stairs of 3ft width can an klipsch 600m sound good in it or should I look into some floor standing speakers?

[@francescotenti193]

Yes, this video was posted just a few days ago.

[@axxxxman]

if it were possible, I would go up there and help him set that room up.

[@samhite9105]

Where do you get you cool collared shirts?

[@andyanderson3352]

I just turned my balance knob a little to the right and it took care of my problem.

[@dusanmal]

Most of the talk on this subject is in 2 dimensions. What to do with the ceiling? Our current home living space is square in floor-print but also equally tall (20'x20'x20' though after 8' height ceiling converges to 20'). Another peculiarity that many homes have are large openings (in our case asymmetrical 8ft and 10ft on the opposite side). Any suggestions on both subjects? I am not sure if one or the other (I mostly suspect height) causes my main problem but something is dramatically getting all the life out of the sound.

[@kevemaher]

The equal length and width of your room is greatly enhancing one frequency and depressing others. The 20' dimension corresponds to abut 60 Hz. So you have problems at 60, 120, 180, etc. Some frequencies will be enhanced, others will be attenuated. Room treatments, especially behind you, will help a lot. Don't get the foam egg crate style. Look for true fiberglass absorbers. These are a bit expensive, but you can really improve your room for about the cost of a good amp. If you can't treat the room, the next best thing to do is to move your listening position and speakers so that they both are at a good compromise position. A good rule of thumb is to place the listening position at about 1/3 of the room length away from the back wall (actually 0.38). For you, that's about 7.5 feet, and place the speakers at the same distance from the front wall. The freeware program called REW can help you to fine tune. All you need to buy is a calibrated microphone (about $100), an adjustable stand for it, and some cables and splitters. After applying room treatments, an equalizer (!!!! yes, equalizer !!!) can help tame the wild fluctuations in the bass without affecting the time response. Rooms with unequal dimensions like 8x10 will have resonances at frequencies corresponding to the two widths (115 Hz and 144Hz). The front to back resonance is at the 10' dimension if that is your setup. Some sound is being lost in the peaked roof. This is a difficult problem to solve without seriously remodeling the room or treatment. I have been able to achieve +/-5dB variation from 20 to 20 kHz in my 14.5' x19.5' x 8' high room, using absorbers and scatterers on the front and back wall and a 30 band graphic eq. Alternatively, if you're digital, you can apply software room correction. Beware that equalization will attenuate the peaks much better than amplify the dips, since the large amplification required for some dips will clip most amplifiers. Experiment!

[@kevemaher]

Oh yes, also place absorbers in all the 4 corners. Eight feet high will help immensely.

[@progste]

How do windows factor into this? Do I just count them as walls or not?

[@svhx1]

I think glass reflects sound even more than a regular wall. It should be covered by a thick curtain.

[@Hare_deLune]

Glass is a hard reflector, as well as a resonator. Windows are problem areas. If you like to DIY, you might try to fabricate a temporary filler for that space, that you could remove at the end of the listening session. Otherwise, you will be facing some sort of compromise. Rhyming not intended.

[@progste]

@@Hare_deLune thank you voth for the answer, I'll just try to stay away from the windows in that case.

[@davidhardy7356]

Javier Hernandez thanks for the link .

[@brianmcnamara1431]

Hey Steve, love your videos! I need some advise on that cinder block room you mentioned. I just bought a new house and the basement has a 13x18.5’ cinder block room in the basement that I’m converting to my dedicated audio room. It’s also 4 cinderblock walls and I’m trying to figure out what’s best for the walls. I don’t want to put up stud walls and drywall so I’m looking for a different solution. Any suggestions?

[@finscreenname]

IMHO there is things you can do that will get certain results but there really is no rules. What works in one room may not work in another. Like the whole moving speakers 1/3 into the room and your sitting area 1/3 into the room. In a 18 foot room it would make you 6 feet from the speakers.

[@woohunter1]

In my 12’ x24’ room, I’m about 4’ away from my floorstanders. I played around with speaker placement, audyssey, mini dsp, room eq wizard with a measurement mic, lots and lots of reading, this is what I came up with.

[@vintagehifilover]

That's a nice problem to have with that much real estate for your listening room. I'm looking forward to what you're going to do with that space.

[@joedavenport3263]

Didn’t you just talk about this subject?.

[@verlasseneorteinniedersach5076]

He did 😂

[@idray986]

Yep, it showed kefs yet to be released kc62 sub a couple days to early.

[@arminschmidt3888]

Reupload maybe :)

[@mikehuntington4440]

I was wondering what happened to that older video. I commented more than I usually do and then it got taken down. It probably was because he showed the new KEF subwoofer too early.

[@ostapnakoneczny834]

He did, but he mentioned the new Kef sub before they did. On Monday I found nothing ( i.e. no corresponding KEF announcement about the sub)on the net . But today , lo and behold, it's all over the net...

[@bofranzen2838]

What about a L-shaped room?

[@trippmoore]

What if your room has lots of windows that are always open? I live in Hawaii and I have jalousie windows that I've taken the jalousies out of, so it's just window screen. So essentially I have a rectangular room (sort of) with lots of huge openings along the walls. I'd estimate that my room is only 50% wall ad 50% nothing! How do I deal with that?

[@reveme]

Headphones. Closed back headphones