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Where To Take My HT Next?

post #1 of 11
4/26/12 at 9:49am
Thread Starter 
Hi All,

It's been a long few months of refreshing my apartment.

I started with HT stuff. Using the help of many knowledgeable members of the community, I purchased the following within the last few months:

Denon AVR-2112CI
(2) Energy RC-70s
(1) Energy RC-LCR
(2) Energy RC-10s
(1) SVSound PC12-NSD

I already owned an HTPC, a 46" Samsung LCD(46LN630) PS3, and DVR cable box.

I just painted this week. Since my HT also serves as a living room, I painted my hallways and living room a light coffee cream color with the wall behind the TV a chocolate brown. It looks great at night!

Anyway, I'm thinking about where to go from here. I saw a handy DIY guide on the forums recently with great steps to build Acoustic Panels.

What's everyone's thoughts and comments about moving forward? What else is there to do to make it even better? Should I start with Acoustic Panels or is there something else? Perhaps a larger TV? Art is on it's way - just painted, so I'm contemplating what i'm doing with the walls.

Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks! (Attached is photos and rough schematic of the room - approximately 21x17x9)








EDIT:

P.S.... The WEGA CRT in the corner is my retro-gaming corner!
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post #2 of 11
4/26/12 at 10:04am
It sound like you have a fairly nice system there, and I would assume that you have the room acoustics more or less tamed with the room correction of the receiver.

If it was my system I would want to get a completely different speaker system. What you have is not too bad, but for $2400 or so you could go to a KEF or PSB system that would IMO sound significantly better.

For example, PSB Image T6 speakers with a C4 center and B5 speakers would be in that price range and be a great improvement.

Similarly, KEF Q700 speakers with a Q600c center speaker and a pair of C3 speakers would be under $2500 and would also be very good.

You have a very nice receiver there and the system will certainly be improved by installing better speakers.
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post #3 of 11
4/26/12 at 10:08am
The biggest issue I see in your system is your listening position. With your seating against the wall and and your system firing across the short axis, you'll have some significant acoustics issues. My suggestions are:

1. Get some measurement equipment and measure your response.

2. Based on the measurements, decide on treatments.

3. A thick panel behind the seating, with a standoff from the wall of 4" to 6" would be the first spot I would target for treatment.

Craig
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post #4 of 11
4/26/12 at 10:57am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by commsysman View Post

It sound like you have a fairly nice system there, and I would assume that you have the room acoustics more or less tamed with the room correction of the receiver.

If it was my system I would want to get a completely different speaker system. What you have is not too bad, but for $2400 or so you could go to a KEF or PSB system that would IMO sound significantly better.

For example, PSB Image T6 speakers with a C4 center and B5 speakers would be in that price range and be a great improvement.

Similarly, KEF Q700 speakers with a Q600c center speaker and a pair of C3 speakers would be under $2500 and would also be very good.

You have a very nice receiver there and the system will certainly be improved by installing better speakers.


Thanks for the advice, but I just bought these speakers 3 months ago! Haha. I listed them so people know what I was working with already. I'm pretty satisfied with them, and given I'm in an apartment, I have no real desire to upgrade until I settle one day and get a house.
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post #5 of 11
4/26/12 at 10:59am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by craig john View Post

The biggest issue I see in your system is your listening position. With your seating against the wall and and your system firing across the short axis, you'll have some significant acoustics issues. My suggestions are:

1. Get some measurement equipment and measure your response.

2. Based on the measurements, decide on treatments.

3. A thick panel behind the seating, with a standoff from the wall of 4" to 6" would be the first spot I would target for treatment.

Craig

Thanks Craig!

Where do I start with measuring equipment?

I found a DIY that includes 6 panels made from Owens Corning 703 24x48 boards. If I mount these to wood and cover them with fabric, would that be a good solution? I know those are only 2" thick, so perhaps I should double up?
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post #6 of 11
4/26/12 at 11:14am
Room symmetry is important, and it appears as if you're ok in that regard. The mains spacing off the sidewalls is good, this will help wrt imaging etc. As noted above,...measurments trump the questions/concerns,....and it's a fun learning experience too.

If you leave the room config'd in that manner, as Craig said, a totally absorptive rear surface behind you is essential. Also, I'd space the surrounds farther away,...equidistant yet further away. Like in the corner above the PC monitor, and in the other corner above the CRT (I too have a retro gaming 4:3 40" HD Sony CRT,...stunning pic to this day,...but ~300lbs or so).

The measurements will enable you to better optimize the sub/room interface. Also, the sub/mains interface,....without measuring capability, you're flying blind. Knocking down any excess room energy in the subwoofer operating range can save all important amp headroom, also help smooth response significantly. You'll be able to assure the mains and sub are playing nicely, not destructively.

I'd consider some 4" thick SBIR absorbers behind the mains/center, and bring the center as forward as possible to mitigate any diffration, or negative interaction from the stuff surrounding all that. Ideally, the center, which carries so much of the load these days, should be identical to the mains in every way,....physically and acoustically. The immediate surroundings around the center should be wide open, or total absorption. So much of it's energy is radiated in directions other than straight ahead. This energy needs to be attenuated,...not reflected back at the listener resulting in a smeared blend of direct and reflected.

Sure, I've left out/forgot stuff,...however you've got to begin somewhere,.... BTW; nice system to begin with, you're farther along than the vast majority that seek this type of advice,...so good lookin' out.

My take....

Best of luck
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post #7 of 11
4/26/12 at 11:17am
BTW; the rearwall absober behind the listeners needs to be very thick,....OC703, w/4" air gap minimum. There are artsy type panels for such.
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post #8 of 11
4/26/12 at 12:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by FOH View Post

Room symmetry is important, and it appears as if you're ok in that regard. The mains spacing off the sidewalls is good, this will help wrt imaging etc. As noted above,...measurments trump the questions/concerns,....and it's a fun learning experience too.

If you leave the room config'd in that manner, as Craig said, a totally absorptive rear surface behind you is essential. Also, I'd space the surrounds farther away,...equidistant yet further away. Like in the corner above the PC monitor, and in the other corner above the CRT (I too have a retro gaming 4:3 40" HD Sony CRT,...stunning pic to this day,...but ~300lbs or so).

The measurements will enable you to better optimize the sub/room interface. Also, the sub/mains interface,....without measuring capability, you're flying blind. Knocking down any excess room energy in the subwoofer operating range can save all important amp headroom, also help smooth response significantly. You'll be able to assure the mains and sub are playing nicely, not destructively.

I'd consider some 4" thick SBIR absorbers behind the mains/center, and bring the center as forward as possible to mitigate any diffration, or negative interaction from the stuff surrounding all that. Ideally, the center, which carries so much of the load these days, should be identical to the mains in every way,....physically and acoustically. The immediate surroundings around the center should be wide open, or total absorption. So much of it's energy is radiated in directions other than straight ahead. This energy needs to be attenuated,...not reflected back at the listener resulting in a smeared blend of direct and reflected.

Sure, I've left out/forgot stuff,...however you've got to begin somewhere,.... BTW; nice system to begin with, you're farther along than the vast majority that seek this type of advice,...so good lookin' out.

My take....

Best of luck

Quote:
Originally Posted by FOH View Post

BTW; the rearwall absober behind the listeners needs to be very thick,....OC703, w/4" air gap minimum. There are artsy type panels for such.

Thanks for the wise words, man!

So you agree, (aside from maybe a bigger television )that acoustic paneling is my next logical step?

The mains are probably a good 7" off the TV wall. They've got 2 ports each in the back, and read plenty about giving them breathing room.

The room pretty much needs to stay that way as of now, since it's designed that way. The cable comes out of the TV wall, and well, I just painted 2 days ago and made that wall chocolate already ;p . When you and Craig say an absorptive surface behind me, do you mean above the couch pressed against the wall?

Good thinking on the surround placement. I've been noticing that I was having a small surround sound-stage lately, but couldn't put my finger on it. I'll have to look into some speaker mounts.

Regarding the WEGA - YES! CRTs are the only type of television to accurately reproduce SD content from retro consoles. (Aside from an XRGB) Luckily my Grandmother had this lying around so I've got my Master System, SNES, Dreamcast, and Saturn plugged into it via SCART RGB Splitter to YUV component converter box. Looks outstanding. That was last year's project...

When you say 'knocking down excess room energy', does that mean the acoustic paneling?

Would the panels be installed behind, and above the mains as well as above the couch? Does it matter if they're directly behind the speaker or higher up on the wall?

Thanks for the compliment. I'm a computer guy but have always been into HT and music. I'm going from project to project lately upgrading a bunch of stuff and finally decided to move on from HTiB type systems and get something worthy. I'm glad you like it!
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post #9 of 11
5/2/12 at 6:26am
Thread Starter 
Any other recommendations?
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post #10 of 11
5/2/12 at 8:37am
"Where To Take My HT Next?"

To a nice dinner? A movie?

Sounds like these guys already helped you out with the room treatments. Another direction is room measurements with a calibrated microphone and REW and then sub EQ hardware. I haven't made it to that stage yet, so someone else will have to help you.

Did you get your sub sounding good? That's the way to take it even further.
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post #11 of 11
5/2/12 at 8:47am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cel4145 View Post

"Where To Take My HT Next?"

To a nice dinner? A movie?

Sounds like these guys already helped you out with the room treatments. Another direction is room measurements with a calibrated microphone and REW and then sub EQ hardware. I haven't made it to that stage yet, so someone else will have to help you.

Did you get your sub sounding good? That's the way to take it even further.

Dude, I haven't even brought myself out to a dinner and movie in forever, let alone my GF. The HT will have to wait on that.

Yeah, room treatment will be next I suppose.

The sub sounds amazing. The gain control helped a lot.
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