[imlucid]

I'm contemplating putting 4'x 8' bookshelves in my "HT" room along the walls where the reflection from my front speakers would be. I'm hoping that this will help break up the sound reflection some. Is this a totally bad idea?


Kevin

 

[JimBookhard]

Quote:

I'm contemplating putting 4'x 8' bookshelves in my "HT" room along the walls where the reflection from my front speakers would be. I'm hoping that this will help break up the sound reflection some. Is this a totally bad idea?

That depends... what is it that you are hearing that you feel needs "fixing"?

 

[imlucid]

Well I'm not hearing anything yet... I have yet to move into the house! I was worried a bit about sound reflection off the side walls from my front speakers to the viewing position. We need a place to put these bookshelves and I thought they might serve a dual purpose of breaking up reflected sound and storing books!


Here is a link to the plan for that room:

My HT plan


Kevin

 

[JimBookhard]

From the room layout picture and diagrams, the large surface area of glass windows might be the biggest problem with your future theater room. What did you plan to do to treat this area of the room? You should be very cautious when dealing with reflection points in any room as you may destroy the natural decay/harmonics of the sound being reproduced in the room. You won't know what the room will sound like until you actually move in because the room layout shows that the room is not a perfect rectangle, so "formulas" (which are never perfect tools anyway) will not tell you much. Books also have a tendency to absorb sound waves, although if the bookshelves are made of wood, that may be good for the sound. Absorbing sound waves can also deaden a room more than desired -- this will depend on the number of books in the shelves, etc. If you are planning on a 4' x 8' shelf on each side wall, those are pretty large book shelves and if filled totally with books, could create some deadening of the sound in the room. Also, bookshelves (like wood diffusers with vertical panels can create phase anomalies which you can hear) You should wait and see what kind of sound you get before doing anything, IMO. Then, however you decide to acoustically treat the room, always take a "minimalist" approach with any treatment you choose, including book shelves.

 

[imlucid]

Ah, thanks for the info Jim.


As for the windows, we are planning on getting some pretty heavy drapes to control the lighting of the room.


If needed, we might also get drapes for the opposite end of the room as it is open to the diningroom/entrance way.


But as you say, I guess I'll set things up and see if I have any sound issues then.

 

[JimBookhard]

Quote:

As for the windows, we are planning on getting some pretty heavy drapes to control the lighting of the room. If needed, we might also get drapes for the opposite end of the room as it is open to the diningroom/entrance way.

While light is a gremlin to most home theaters, the acoustical properties of glass is just as bad.


For the rear of the room (dining room/entrance way), if you can install one of those doors which "retract" on a track into the wall, it would sound much better than drapes for this area of the room. Drapes can absorb a lot of acoustical energy, so if you are placing them at the front, I'd be leery of also placing them at the rear. Combine this with the possibility of bookshelves at the sides and you may end up with a "dead" sounding room which might result in surround or music images much smaller than you might like.

 

[imlucid]

Quote:

For the rear of the room (dining room/entrance way), if you can install one of those doors which "retract" on a track into the wall, it would sound much better than drapes for this area of the room. Drapes can absorb a lot of acoustical energy, so if you are placing them at the front, I'd be leery of also placing them at the rear. Combine this with the possibility of bookshelves at the sides and you may end up with a "dead" sounding room which might result in surround or music images much smaller than you might like.

OK, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for all the feedback Jim!


Kevin