This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
Most (all?) of the world’s great concert halls are ‘shoebox’ shaped, so that’s what I’ve aimed for in my music room - although greatly reduced in scale, of course.
I’m lucky that my music room has shoebox dimensions.
I have pondered putting acoustic tiles on the wall that has the shelves for the equipment (to soak up some - but not all - of the ambient sound bouncing off the walls), but I have never seen such tiles available for sale for the home. Does anyone have any ideas?
1 Like
There are several companies that deal in sound proofing and treating for home and professional settings. I’ve used one with diffusing ceiling tiles that have a sort of wave shape to them and deadening wall panels and high frequency absorbing wallpaper. I’ve used Daiken which as far as I know is only in Japan but Yamaha, and Kawaii both do room treatment internationally.
I’d be a little careful though. I once had a totally dead room and it was great for movies but rubbish for music. It’s the imperfections in the room that give music that live in your room feel. Remove those and it’s like being an ant trapped between massive headphones. The trick is to not overdo it. A light touch.
4 Likes
I asked Richard if he’d re open my old thread “The perfect listening room” again as I’ve been tinkering with my design further and came up with a second option.
As you can see I’m not really after the perfect acoustically perfect listening room (although that would be nice) but I’m after the perfect room to listen to music in.
It’s 50% a garden/day room to relax, lounge and chat with friends and 50% a hifi audio listening room.
The first design is just a large open plan room and the second is basically the same overall foot print but split into two separate spaces.
I was just wondering what forums members thought and if they had any further input.
Click on the images for a larger preview or click on the image again (twice) for an even larger preview.
Option 1
Option 2
View outside
2 Likes
@graham55
That’s really interesting to see.
Not just the main system, but the way you have your Quads.
Thanks for sharing 
1 Like
Forgive me if I am lagging a bit here in where you have got to. With the SL2s (keepers?) in such an environment, my intuition, and from having heard them playing (active) in a room with an 8ft ceiling, is:
1- better nearfield (say 1.1:1 – ish), which appears to be where you have the listening position sofa? i.e. so that any ‘mush’ gets lost behind here – and hopefully doesn’t come/bounce back.
2- if you want to maintain the room as a living space then, in case of need, you can use free-standing treatment panels, and simply park these away when not required.
As others have said, a square-ish room presents the bigger challenges.
3- An apex-profile ceiling (offering much higher than 8ft/2.4M) would appear to help prevent awkward reflections – I’d check with acoustsic consultants first.
Question – are you wedded to the SL2s, as such a space could accommodate an arguably (!!) better 'speaker, which would be better situated away from a rear wall. Solving the space with the SL2s seems fare easier and, obviously, keeps the 'speakers out of the way from a living perspective.
1 Like
Thanks. The NAT-01 and NA-PST should be sitting on the top and third shelf on the right, but are (or have been) with Naim for servicing at the moment.
I currently have six pairs of speakers, I just used the SL2’s as an example of where the speakers would be and where the listing position would be.
My current line up of speakers which I’m happy with:
SBL (black ash)
SBL (cherry)
SL2 (cherry)
Neat Ekstra’s
Cube Nenuphar 10 inch
Living Voice OBX RW
I could arguably sell some of my speakers and get a bigger more expensive pair, I could also split the space further into three separate spaces by sectioning off the big/main room on Option 2 into two rooms.
If I split the main room on Option 2 in half I’d have two rooms that were 11ft x 18ft which would give a separate day room and listening room instead of a large open plan day/listening room.
My current listening room is 22.2ft x 22.2ft and I find all my speakers work very well in this space.
Are they? If by “shoebox” you mean 3D rectangular, if it is the case, that the majority are that shape it may be simply due to simplicity in construction and lack of knowledge of acoustics. Certainly there are many that are not that shape, maybe the most common variation sloping or curved ceiling, then sloping floor not parallel to ceiling. Non parallel walls also not uncommonly feature, while many have tiered upholstered seats, boxes, ornate mouldings etc, that significantly scatter or absorb sound even when the absorbant effect of masses of bodies is not present. (Halls that immediately come to mind are Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Royal opera house, Cardiff opera house, and I believe several other internationally prominent opera houses, and that great former classical recording venue in London, Kingsway Hall (recordings from which often feature the periodic rumbling of underground trains beneath!)
Nic eto see your pic of doubled up ESL57s - matches ones I’ve seen before - but I was expecting to see a triple array Or is it the other pair in a different room?
Did you mean the post to be in this thread, rather than either the pics from listening position or system pics thread?
1 Like
The perfect listening room ?
My own personal view is skewed as I have never experienced a big system in a big room.
From importance would be…
Be comfortable to spend some time in with natural light sources.
A space that can also be used for activities other than just listening. Just having a listening room would make me feel somewhat a prisoner of my own vices - perhaps a large collection of booze and a big screen to watch Emmerdale.
Within short distance to a toilet.
On a ground floor.
Not too large and not too small.
Hang on, that seems just like my living room. 
2 Likes
There is another pair of ESLs fixed (upside down from the ceiling from where I shot that photo). They get their input from the AV-1 rear sound processor (second shelf down on the left) powering the NAP250, which is the middle amp on the bottom row of shelves.
I had a friend post the photo for me, so this is where it ended up. If she hadn’t posted the photo for me, it might never have made it onto this Forum!
1 Like
Interesting!
I have just posted a photo (above) of my ideal listening room!
Is that Symphony Hall in Birmingham, where the lovely Mirga plies her trade?
My original statement at the start of the thread:
"Just wondering what forum members think would make the perfect listening room if you could build it from scratch in a home residential setting.
What would be the perfect room dimensions? ceiling/roof height? ceiling/roof shape? wall construction? floor construction? etc etc etc…"
As an aside, I wouldn’t put the RAH in any list of ‘decent spaces’, as they’ve had massive struggles with managing the acoustics, as the RAH isn’t very acoustics friendly it seems – well not for the modern-day stuff.
1 Like