Listening Room Acoustics

[matthewpiano]

As experiencing low or high extremes of blood sugar alters perceptions in other respects it seems quite reasonable to suggest that it will also alters hearing. Whether more minor fluctuations have any effect would be very interesting to discover.

Although I don't have any research to back it up, I'm convinced that it is the listener who changes and not the system. In my own experience my mood and level of tiredness have a direct impact on how much I enjoy listening to the music and there are times, when I'm in a particularly 'difficult' mood when I have to accept that I'm not going to be satisfied with anything.

It is a very interesting area.

 

[spoorarthur]

What also could help to solve problems with the bass is using a subwoofer. I wasn't (and in many ways am still not) a big fan of subwoofers, but decided to experiment with one anyway. It was in a time when I had to place my hifi in the bedroom for a short period. This room was small, and bass was very boomy. My father suggested using the sub and try it in opposite phase mode. Boy was I surprised. The bass was more extended, and the boominess was gone for a great part. The best solution however is still to optimalise the room.

 

[davedotco]

As experiencing low or high extremes of blood sugar alters perceptions in other respects it seems quite reasonable to suggest that it will also alters hearing. Whether more minor fluctuations have any effect would be very interesting to discover.

Although I don't have any research to back it up, I'm convinced that it is the listener who changes and not the system. In my own experience my mood and level of tiredness have a direct impact on how much I enjoy listening to the music and there are times, when I'm in a particularly 'difficult' mood when I have to accept that I'm not going to be satisfied with anything.

It is a very interesting area.

The psyco-acoustic aspects of how we hear our hi-fi is pivotal to what we hear and how we listen, getting a handle on how this works is pretty difficult.

A long time ago I had a T shirt with the logo "Don't mess with me, my biorhythms are down", maybe that should apply to listening to your hi-fi.

 

[BenLaw]

I think blood glucose levels play a key role in listening. You can only listen properly after dinner.

Signature changed, hope it meets with approval.

Much better

 

[lindsayt]

Some experimentation with speaker positioning is often useful. A good tip is to start with the speakers in the corners, play some music whilst bringing the speakers slowly out from the corners. At some point the bass should snap into focus. That's a good place to leave your speakers.

Then adjust toe-in till you get a the amount of treble that you're happiest with.

 

[ID.]

Some experimentation with speaker positioning is often useful. A good tip is to start with the speakers in the corners, play some music whilst bringing the speakers slowly out from the corners. At some point the bass should snap into focus. That's a good place to leave your speakers.

Then adjust toe-in till you get a the amount of treble that you're happiest with.

Good advice, in general, but some of us don't have the luxury of ideal speaker placement, even within a less than ideal room. Unfortunately, taking into account that my listening room was primarily my living/dining room, there were limited options for speaker placement, so one speaker was always quite close to a corner and both speakers were under a section of ceiling that was a foot or so lower than in other parts of the room - almost like having the stereo in an alcove.

 

[davedotco]

What also could help to solve problems with the bass is using a subwoofer. I wasn't (and in many ways am still not) a big fan of subwoofers, but decided to experiment with one anyway. It was in a time when I had to place my hifi in the bedroom for a short period. This room was small, and bass was very boomy. My father suggested using the sub and try it in opposite phase mode. Boy was I surprised. The bass was more extended, and the boominess was gone for a great part. The best solution however is still to optimalise the room.

An interesting post, worth thinking about what is happening here.

Effectively in the overlap area, where both sub and main speaker are working, you are effectively reducing the bass outbut by having your speakers out of phase.

While this may be of benefit in this situation you are effectively using a fairly broard 'notch' filter to remove the troublesome bass but messing with the phase at the same time, decent tone concrols may have done the same job without the phase issues.

However, as a temporary fix it's a pretty good idea, credit to the 'old man'.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

Whilst I agree to some degree Dave, out of phase will only cancel bass in some areas of a room. It may still reinforce in other areas. Impossible to predict the complex interaction of drivers and room boundries. I guess (maybe), the universal inclusion of a phase switch suggests that this simple tweak may in some circumstances be useful. My sub has adjustable phase and I find 30deg the best. Only trial and error can determine the best settings.
Cheers

 

[Overdose]

I have been contemplating a more powerful amp just because I am interested in what something with a better grip on the bass drivers may do to the sound. Actually, another point for many active monitors (studio monitors) is that they often allow varying degrees of control of certain frequencies to help get a flatter in-room response. Unfortunately, the fact that they lack grills means that they'd be too tempting for my son for the next few years.

Never underestimate the attractiveness of exposed speaker cones to inquisitive and usually sticky fingers. You can imagine the value of speaker grills in these situations. That's one of he reasons I chose my speakers over more conventional actives.

And yes, bass boom is no longer an issue, I do however have an acoustic panel on the wall behind my head.

 

[davedotco]

Whilst I agree to some degree Dave, out of phase will only cancel bass in some areas of a room. It may still reinforce in other areas. Impossible to predict the complex interaction of drivers and room boundries. I guess (maybe), the universal inclusion of a phase switch suggests that this simple tweak may in some circumstances be useful. My sub has adjustable phase and I find 30deg the best. Only trial and error can determine the best settings. Cheers

Quite right, but this is pretty much the point I am making, the effects are variable and a bit hit and miss. Hence the thought that EQ might be more efective.

My personal preference is not to use a subwoofer for music, more trouble than it is worth for me, as long as the speakers have some bass.

If I am using small speakers where a sub is needed I try and go for minimum overlap, filtering the stereo speakes if necessary, this is common practice on pro systems.