Got the go ahead from the better half to build dedicated music room.
Have choice of two rooms. One is 4mx4m the 8mx4m. I assume the bigger is best.
Any thoughts on direction of sound if that makes sense.
The 8x4 would be better, square rooms can be troublesome. I would place the speakers along the 8m long wall.
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Oddly enough, I’d say the opposite. Ideally, the listening room would be shoebox-shaped, with speakers at one narrow end, and listening position at the other.
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Ceiling height is crucial too – the higher the better.
Have a look at Cardas and other modelling (all should reveal from 'web searches).
Avoid anything close to square!
Thanks as ever guys. Ceiling height is 2.9 m
Between these two rooms I would take the same approach as Robert. It’s much easier to control side wall reflections. Another advantage is sitting closer to the speakers, which usually means a more immediate sound.
Certainly not square. Whether you would use the long side or short really depends on being able to give speakers enough room side and back.
Definitely the larger, and avoid square like the pkague!(Cubic like the grim reaper!)
4x4 is going to be bad. 8x4 is really no better in terms of bass performance, 8 being a multiple of 4! Make sure that none of the 3 dimensions are multiples if each other.
+1,
My experience Is that bass extension and soundstage Is better when placed on the long wall
Eeeek! Looks like I’m going to move house…
Build an extension
Large space does not mean immediately better .Some of the best sounds ive ever heard are in smaller intimate rooms .I think it depends on your prefered listening habbits . I like a sound that energises a room ,not sterile . Bigger rooms need more energy to energise. But then some folks prefer a totally clean sterile honest sound .
So its not that simple imo.
Why the word “sterile”, which has pejorative implications in this context? Some people like to hear the music as recorded, as far as possible not modified by the room or the gear: that is fidelity not sterility.
Just choose the room you like best. My system lives in a 3x4m log cabin with a ceiling height of under 7ft and it sounds amazing to me. Speakers fire between the 4m sides. One corner is chopped off for the doors and the roof slopes 4 ways so I guess reflection is not a problem. I also have bamboo slats across all the windows and carpet tiles on the floor which I think help. It just works.
By honest sterile ,i mean uncontaminated by resonances or colouration,not a negative but a positive to many ,im not meaning lacking in musicality ( whatever that means to folk)
Congratulations! Most can only dream.
If you’re going to do it, do it properly 
You’ll need to sort out acoustics and I’m sure an acoustics panel manufacturer would gladly consult.
My suggestion is to go with the larger plan, because while 4x8 is better acoustically than a 4x4, it’s not great either as multiples also add to room modes, though not as severely as a square room.
But the opportunity here is that the larger plan is relatively easy to, acoustically speaking, “shrink down” with proper bass trapping. Same for the ceiling, you might want to try a stepped diffusion or absorption cloud. Asymmetry is key and easily created using acoustic treatments. I would concur with placing the speakers shooting down the length of the room as first reflection points are pretty easy to remedy.
Good luck with your project!
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