The challenge of a cramped home office

[jimtranr]

Having more or less whipped my primary and bedroom audio systems into trap-assisted listening shape, I decided to tackle a considerably more challenging project: my home office. I spend a lot of time there (actually, here) writing unpublished mysteries (to keep my brain from vegetating) at my computer, so much of my "listening" is in fact Internet-streamed background, typically classical.

While listening in that mode isn't critical, I'm also currently trying to evaluate hi-rez download program on that platform* to determine if I want to install a hi-rez music server in my primary system. For that I needed a somewhat more hospitable acoustic environment than my cramped, furniture-stuffed close quarters provide. Without any environmental adjustments, decent frequency balance, imaging, and soundstaging was understandably elusive, except with me sitting four feet or so away from the computer desk.

*Windows 7 desktop, Counterpoint SA-2000 line stage, Sonographe SA250 amp, Paradigm SE-1 stand-mounted speakers, Wireworld Solstice IC's, Liberty 14-ga. SC.

Given the tight fit and effective lack of placement options, I didn't expect to achieve much, but I decided to toss a couple of 37"-high 9" Tube Traps into the mix wherever I could stuff them. Here's a diagram of the outcome after playing (within the very tight limits imposed by the room's configuration) with location and orientation:



The red lines on the traps indicate diffusor orientation. While placement is hardly ideal, frequency balance and imaging are much improved over the untreated setup, even when I'm sitting close to the computer, and there's more bass solidity. Surprised the heck out of me.

[Portugal]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing!