So you could eventually listen in the large direction, as you have 3,5 m. Have you tried ?
Because my room is a bit like yours and I listen in the large side of the room, not in the long side. But a room sound characteristics expert as you have probably estimated that it’s better like that ?
I’ve been on this merry go round in the last few years Dunc. You’ll get far better scientific and rigorous argument from other forum members, but my summary would be that, as you are experiencing, you can eliminate problem aspects with room treatment, but there always seems to be a price to be paid. It seemed to me that ‘taming’ problems can also take some life out of the overall sound. If the problem cured was sufficiently irksome that the trade off is worth it then job done, but if you don’t have obvious, specific issues then I’d avoid the Rabbit hole.
Playing around with the positioning of ‘normal’ objects in the room ( as you found with the 2 cushions) can be beneficial without introducing any undesirable side effects.
If you do choose to investigate room treatments the one thing I would observe from my experience is that sound dispersion products work better/have more benign negative effects than absorption products. Good luck!
That’s the best way to do it.
Measure at your listening position and around it.
Have some additional measurements near to the walls.
Then add treatment targeting those low frequencies.
If you choose the usual porous material based treatment (Glass fibre or Rockwool), you’ll need a lot of it.
The best would be membrane-based treatment; Artnovion has nice products able to target that difficult low end.
But I remember that you were saying that your room is problematic because you have big and large windows. Or my memory is not accurate….
Actually the other way round! From a sound quality angle, if you open the windows so you have no glass reflecting, in fact nothing reflecting. (Though not so good if you have neighbours, or live near a busy road!)
The best sound I’ve ever heard from hifi was my system playing in the garden - not as good a system as I have now, but virtually zero room effects.
Of course, that’s the bonus : opening the windows
Opening the windows is having the perfect absorber. Like a black hole for sound. And for free. Which is a pretty rare thing in the HiFi realm
My point was that glass is no different from concrete or brick.
There is a lot of myths around glass.
Yes, I think glass is at its worst at the highest frequencies, and they don’t radiate backwards direct from tweeters to behind the speakers. I have a large window in front of me, behind the speakers, nearly 12 ft wide by 5.5ft high - unfortunately (for sound) not openable - but then if it was open I wouldn’t be able to listen loud as it would be audible to neighbours. Being behind the speakers it isn’t as much of a problem as windows to the side or behind me (there are (smaller) windows to the sides but not at first reflection points, and a good distance away).
Ok, thanks for clarifying, but you are a bit playing with words. When I wrote « glass », I was thinking of windows of course.
You need to move the unit and put one bass trap in each corner behind the speaker at least, a 242 panel at first reflections point and some qrd diffuser on the back wall. See how it’s goes from this point.The room will sound better.
I’d be careful when choosing the corner bass traps.
Those sold by GIK won’t really help. The GIK Tri Traps are made out of Rock Wool which won’t do much in high-pressure zones like corners. Membrane-based absorbers are a better choice.
Artvonion “Sub Trap” or Vicoustic Super Bass Extreme VMT are more suitable in corners.
I wouldn’t use diffusers in a small room where space is limited and distances are short.
I’d remove the cupboard on the right and place GIK Monster Bass Traps at first reflection points (left and right walls).
The GIK Monster Bass Traps are not really bass traps; broadband traps would be more accurate.
I’d also add some treatment to the ceiling, like Vicoustic Cinema Round Premium or some GIK alternatives.
Then there is the back wall, not shown in the pictures.
Such a setup would undoubtedly make a lovely difference.
Yes your right vicoustic bass traps are better but cost alot more but I believe you get what you pay for.
What distance is the back wall away from listening position, the room will work better if you move the unit even to the back wall if possible.
Thanks!
Vicoustic Super Bass Extreme ?
Yes. Sound wise they definitely tame my mild but obvious lower frequency room issue without hurting the mids and highs.
P.S I had some 2” x 2” oak so simply cut to wall angle (45 degrees) two at 550mm. They sit nicely on the top of the skirting boards then just sat the panels on that. No need for the wall brackets
VicTotem Ultra VMT
@Thomas would these also be effective as corner bass traps? These would work well in my room since I can move when needing to open a closet door
DARKO Lyngdorf YOUTUBE VIDEO
Have a look at YouTube and type in Darko Lyngdorf in whic he compares three straight streamer-amp boxes Naim Atom, Cambridge Evo and Lyngdorf. The last box has very straight forward room correction using a microphone and a simple wizard. I think this is his first experience of room correction. I’ve seen room correction in action a few times and I have it integrated into my own speakers. The impact is dramatic. Very obvious. The tonal colours, the imaging and placemat of instruments in width, height and depth, snaps into focus. There is no boomy bass and the treble is clear and focused but non-fatiguing. The improvement in clarity is as subtle as being hit by a bus. Dirac room correction modules are available and could nicely integrate into a Naim system.
Vicoustic have been recommended to me by my hi-fi shop. The corner bass traps Daads shown on their website with a hand hold in the top so can be moved, but the totems look more elegant to me. They would both be Larger and more visually intrusive than I would like So I am continuing to ponder.
I believe Vicoustic will demo them in your home.
Thanks for this. DSP has the great attraction of avoiding big boxes so is an approach I would like to explore.
You refer to Roon.
Is this the same company that does the indexing/ playing software? Would you have to have that as well?
It seems you effectively need some sort of computer box to drive the DSP.
Is that installed in between the amplifier and speakers, And does it work with an integrated amp?
Thanks