Room treatment, not sure how to start

[BeerCan]

I am moving my gear into a room that is 16' x 32' with windows on 2 walls and hard floors. it also has a dished ceiling. Right now the room is empty and the echo in it is so bad it is hard to hold a conversation.

I really want my 2ch to sound great in this room but I am totally clueless on how to treat the room. Where do I start? Do I get a measuring device? Is this something a first timer can do without to much trial and error or should I try and find an expert locally?

[dantes0929]

Originally Posted by BeerCan

I am moving my gear into a room that is 16' x 32' with windows on 2 walls and hard floors. it also has a dished ceiling. Right now the room is empty and the echo in it is so bad it is hard to hold a conversation.

I really want my 2ch to sound great in this room but I am totally clueless on how to treat the room. Where do I start? Do I get a measuring device? Is this something a first timer can do without to much trial and error or should I try and find an expert locally?

Its eazy... order lots of pillows and dump any place you want cover your walls behind walls whatever walls you have, floors and then when you like the placement order for yourself some panels, and return your pillows to the store.

[ellisr63]

You can download REW Software. Getting Started with REW

Then you can see what is up with your room setup.

[crwilli]

First, put your equipment and furniture in it. Set you speakers and get it sounding as good as you can.

THEN go to gik acoustics.com and ask for help...they are very helpful. Their site will also teach you a lot and help get you started.

If you want to get started, Find the first reflection points between your speakers and you listening position. Do both directions from both speakers. If possible, don't forget the ceiling reflection(may or may bot matter for you).

Then optional but if inclined, build the REW capabilities. It will help you really 'see' what is happening and you can then go from there. It gets you into acoustics 401...

[pete6737]

I watched every tutorial video on GIKacoustics.com. That's a great place to start. Bryan Pape from GIK has been helping me. He has been vey patient and helpful. The products are of very good quality and the prices are great. Highly recommended for your room treatment issues.

[WillydeWoofer]

Two different people did measurements in my room. The results tell you what to do.
Good luck.

[Douglas]

Dont be shy on furniture. Place a couple of side tables into the room and place objects on them for decoration and diffraction.

Place a carpet between the listening seat and speakers. Do not place a table between the listening seat and speakers, only the carpet.

Ensure you have heavy curtains on the wall behind the speakers. Place bookcases with books and your music collection behind the listening seat on the back wall. The general rule is dead behind the speakers, live behind the listening seat. Place a couple of paintings on the walls.

Adjust speakers and enjoy music. There is a lot one can do with normal furnishing before investing in expensive acousting devices. Make sure you have a lot of stuff (that you like) in the room to create absorption and diffraction.

[WillydeWoofer]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Dont be shy on furniture. Place a couple of side tables into the room and place objects on them for decoration and diffraction.

Place a carpet between the listening seat and speakers. Do not place a table between the listening seat and speakers, only the carpet.

Ensure you have heavy curtains on the wall behind the speakers. Place bookcases with books and your music collection behind the listening seat on the back wall. The general rule is dead behind the spakers, live behind the listening seat. Place a couple of paintings on the walls.

Adjust speakers and enjoy music. There is a lot one can do with normal furnishing before investing in expensive acousting devices. Make sure you have a lot of stuff (that you like) in the room to create absorption and diffraction.

Great advice to start by basic things you can do by your self. An open book furniture is great. Also curtains behind the speakers (between them at least) and the well known carpet between your seat and the speakers. Place a lot of rubbisch in your room.

Like above I played a few weeks and it sounded rather good. But ...... measurents tell you exactly what to do. I ended with an a-symetrical triangle in the room. I had never come to that idea by myself.

[FlashG1]

Jim Smith's book "Get Better Sound" has one of the more logical step-by-step approaches to dealing with room acoustics and precision speaker placement and voicing. One of my favorite low cost high-end audio accessories.

[WillydeWoofer]

Originally Posted by FlashG1

Jim Smith's book "Get Better Sound" has one of the more logical step-by-step approaches to dealing with room acoustics and precision speaker placement and voicing. One of my favorite low cost high-end audio accessories.

Great advice. I'm going to order the book and DVD's.

It makes me think about people buying an expensive musical instrument and think they can play at once very good. Also that costs effort and knowledge.

To go a step further. Every audio shop should start helping the client with the acoustics of his room. But I have never heard about one doing that.

Finally: Most sellers don't know what equipment you can let play together for a good result and what you cannot. Most of them are only interested in making money. I know even sellers that NEVER hear any musical instrument live. For me as a musician thats like horror.

Sorry that I am negative but these are my experiences after 40 years of hifi.

Most retailers/shop buy their stuf from a few importers. It would me a great luck, if these stuf would combine well and make some great music.
It's a pitty, but in life everything is going about making money, also in the hifi world.