Here's a couple of pics of my "challenged" room. The LCD is a Bravia 46 and there are FPM 4's and 5's (w PV1 sub) in a sloppy 6.1 array. The pic without the Bravia is the opposite direction, ie looking away from the LCD TV.

I currently have an Integra 7.2 receiver, it's non-HDMI and I'm looking to move into a BD soon (S550 or 55) and have been giving thought to upgrading the receiver at the same time.

The current set-up is very bright and I'm not sure I've made the right choices with the FPMs given the hardwood, high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows.

Any recommendations here? I'd like to retain my FPM investment, but am open to suggestions. Primarily looking for recommendations for AVR or separates. Budget say <$5k.

You won't like this: Drapes, carpets, wall treatments, bass traps.

Room EQ will help but you are starting in a hole (acoustically).

Swapping electronics or, even, speakers will not do it.

All speakers produce sound waves, and sound waves will always be sound waves. Different equipment will not help. As said EQ can help, but even that can be only helpful for one or two precise listening positions. If you want good sound you need absorption to tame those reflections.

LOTS of absorption!!! Between all that glass and hardwood floors, your sound will be very bright and will have serious bass problems. As the above recomendations state, LOTS of absorption needed. EQ might help, but can also make things worse (it won't help any of the ringing from reflections).

BTW, from the pictures provided, the use of drapes would also help with the video.

Yeah, but he has a killer view!

Just as a matter of curiosity I see that there are what look like mini blinds installed. Could they be used to scatter some reflections? Would replacing them with say roman shades with heavy fabric be of any use. Not likely I know but drapes would really change the visual charcter of the room.

Yeah, but he has a killer view!Oh, yes! But the A/V belongs in an interior room.

Just as a matter of curiosity I see that there are what look like mini blinds installed. Could they be used to scatter some reflections? Would replacing them with say roman shades with heavy fabric be of any use.Unlikely to have any more than a trivial effect. One needs density and mass to absorb sound.

Not likely I know but drapes would really change the visual charcter of the room.Sure.

BTW, when I last shopped for an apartment, I had to reject quite a few with spectacular views because of my concern (obsession) with good sound.

Thanks for the remarks guys. No doubt my GF is not going to consent to a major re-decoration and/or sacrifices to the view in favor of a sound system.

I'll just have to work with it...

Cheers

Thanks for the remarks guys. No doubt my GF is not going to consent to a major re-decoration and/or sacrifices to the view in favor of a sound system.

I'll just have to work with it...

Cheers
Yeah, for the most part you are SOL. You might check into this though. I think I saw that Hunter Douglas just introduced a sound absorbing honeycomb style blind that can be ordered in varying degrees of opacity, different colors, lifts up completely like a standard blind and I thought it was contemporary and good looking.

It doesn't need to be that bad. Find one wall that you wouldn't mind if it were 4" thicker. Tear away the sheetrock for the entire wall. Build out the wall framing another 4". Fill the area with dense fiberglass batts (denser than your regular Owens-Corning R-13). Finish with some kind of cloth, and/or perhaps a layer of SonoBlack felt pads. You can also put metal mesh or small-gauge chicken wire style netting inside the cloth, if you worry about durability.

For bass trapping, what kind of cloth you choose doesn't matter that much, so you can let the GF pick it out at Ethan Allen or whatever. I did this in my living room (large picture window, vaulted ceiling, WAF concerns, etc) and I'm really happy with the improvement.

It seems that the only available wall is behind the display and it has two doorways. Side wall seems to have a fireplace and, in any case, is partly blocked by a granite/hardwood bar.

Drapes, acoustical treatments, area rugs.

And also good EQ can help a lot. I've had amazing results in really realy horrible spaces with Audyssey. In cieiling speakers in a spa area that was hard wood ceiling, glass doors on three walls completely, brick on the 4th, and stone floor. Sounded HORRIBLE. Audyssey on a Denon receiver was a miracle for this horrendous space, and especially for the lackluster(cheap) in ceiling speakers.

Now, I am a strong advocate of starting with the proper room, especially for a primary system, but if you just can't do that, audyssey is about as miraculous as you can get.

Drapes, acoustical treatments, area rugs.

And also good EQ can help a lot. I've had amazing results in really realy horrible spaces with Audyssey. In cieiling speakers in a spa area that was hard wood ceiling, glass doors on three walls completely, brick on the 4th, and stone floor. Sounded HORRIBLE. Audyssey on a Denon receiver was a miracle for this horrendous space, and especially for the lackluster(cheap) in ceiling speakers.

Now, I am a strong advocate of starting with the proper room, especially for a primary system, but if you just can't do that, audyssey is about as miraculous as you can get.Da capo. ;)