Dedicated listening room vs gear in lounge

[essjay]

My vote is build a few systems, as you do have an entire place to yourself now so might as well enjoy it

[Levitator]

Hi Jazzluvva - firstly very sorry to hear of your personal challenges but it does sound like you're now heading in the right direction and I wish you all the best for a full and speedy recovery.

I personally don't have the space for a 'quiet' room and have quite a large room where I listen to both 2 channel and HT. Although at times I feel it would be nice to have my own listening room, it does allow me to share my love of music and HT with the family (my youngest is 16 and oldest 30 both of which are living at home presently).

Good luck with finding a special place - your home is your palace!

[EfeTe]

Jazzluvva,

I am heading exactly to where you are heading -2 different systems for 2 different "listening occasions".

Hope you have made up your mind about this too, and let's enjoy the ride of developing both systems!

Better days ahead for you mate.

[Rex Anderson]

Depends on if you want video (TV or movies) as part of your system.

I set up my room as multipurpose A/V. I listen to music in stereo and watch TV/movies in at least 5.1 surround if possible. My current setup is on 3 channel L/C/R, no sub or surrounds.

Use the room that will work the best and sound the best for your situation. My past 2 living setups have been the same, TV on the wall in the living room with 3 channel audio.

When I had a big house with a dedicated room, it was 5.1 with a projector and screen.

Best wishes to you.

[Rodney Gold]

I would always go for a treated dedicated room if possible..even to the extent of forgoing a larger untreated space over a smaller treated one.
As you live alone , you can choose.

[80B]

Jazzluvva, hope you're well on the road to recovery. Our family room doubles as the HT and 2-channel space, and it has served us very well to the point where I just don't have any interest in a fully-dedicated listening space.

Until seeing your post, I never quite put my finger on it, but the ability to watch TV and listen in a "social area" is just more pleasing to me. My wife likes to listen, and it's rare that we get a conflict about her wanting to watch TV and I just want to listen and perhaps read. If I had a good space for just dedicated listening I'm sure I'd like it, but if you end up having to choose, and don't have a lot of competition for the space most of the time, the bigger space can provide more flexibility.

[jazzluvva]

Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and for taking the time to reply. Some great ideas . TV/movies not a major consideration- don't watch a lot of TV so I;m happy to stuff that in somewhere. What I do of course will depend on the place I end up in. The place I want to tender on is at the moment best set up for "system in a shared space" situation. But a builder friend of mine has seen it and said"you could do that..." which would give me an ideal space for a dedicated room with smaller system in the shared space. Best of both worlds I think. The proposed listening space does have views that I find mesmerising. So fingers crossed. Thanks again , everyone.

[SuperD]

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I have dealt with cancer in our family more than once and I'm truly sorry for what you're going through but you sound like a fighter and I pray you beat the shi* out of it.

I have no need for a formal dining room, I don't collect fine China or things that collect dust in old wooden furniture so I added 3 dedicated lines to it, put up a 70inch tv and brought in all my beloved stereo/HT equipment. Its the best thing I've done with regards to my home. I'm on the first floor next to the kitchen and "my" room seems to be where we all congregate, watch movies, & listen to tunes. In a dedicated room, sonics may be better but I like being with my wife and kids more.

Dave

[jazzluvva]

Just a quick update. My tumour has returned , bugger. But, very good chance that it is curable , just need to decide on chemo vs radiotherapy. Best advice says chemo so , tally ho and away I go!
Before I got that piece of cheery news ( Last Thursday) , I bought a house. Nothing flash but has good bones and is close to water ( essential for me). Based on all the good advice I received here , I'm going the 2 system route. A smaller Yamaha based one for the living room , my big system is in a dedicated room which will be my sanctuary. I do have one more question- hope that's OK. IN my previous listening room , I had no windows so very easy to treat. In the room I'll set up in my new place ( I'll go short axis ) , there is a window at one short wall. The view is nothing special so not a consideration. Based on others experiences , am I best placed to put my speakers at " wall" end or window end. I can get very heavy drapes made so that isn't an issue. The rest of the room can very easily be treated.I doubt I'll have the energy to experiment a lot so would be very grateful for opinions here. Many thanks all.

[80B]

Jazzluvva, so sorry to hear about the tumor (or, as you say, tumour - are you in the UK?). I have one wall with windows, which is opposite of the speakers and TV screen. While it was having the screen which primarily drove us to have the speakers opposite the window wall, you do have back lighting from the window when you open it up. Not a sonic consideration (heavy drapes a good thing), but does come into the mix. One other thing, a big stack of gear in between the speakers can negatively impact the sound; a smaller stack is probably OK. YMMV.