New House Dilemma

[Supreme]

I have recently moved and the new front room is a bit of a puzzle in terms of setting up the hi-fi. At the moment it is threadbare and just about to be decorated but I have to think in advance as to where I’ll put the speakers as I can then base all plans around that. It’s an odd room as we have two doors (opening out of the room) and stairs coming from upstairs down into the front room leaving no obvious place for hi-fi and speakers to be set up.

(Photos below)

I currently have floor-standers but an upgrade is on the horizon and think I will go for bookshelf speakers when I do. The speakers in the photos aren’t plugged in but is this a good place for speakers in this room? Any suggestions would be most welcome as I really don’t know what to do and I have to plan ahead for this.

The room will be carpeted and have heavy curtains on the windows, pictures on the wall etc. The stairs are being carpeted next week with an array of bookshelves at the top of the stairs. I know that this will provide some acoustic dampening.

The future shortlist for speakers is as follows; Kef LS50, Q-Acoustics Concept 20, Acoustic Energy Reference 1 or maybe the Spendor SA-1 as they are reportedly unfussy about positioning.

 

[DocG]

Hi Supreme,

It is a challenging room indeed. Do you plan to send the TV sound through the speakers too?

If not, I would place the speakers both sides of the door (3.60 m wall - I guess you can tunnel the speaker wire under the carpet?), and hang the TV on the wall with a tilt-and-turn bracket (on the right side of the door). You can put the hifi under the stairs (in some made to measure rack or cupboard?).

How about that?

Edit: the position on the photo would hinder the circulation in the room, IMO.

 

[Supreme]

In an ideal world I would like to have the TV sound coming through the speakers but I don't think so in this room. May invest in a soundbar at some point.

The hi-fi under the sairs is also in my thinking. I like the idea of a tilt and trn bracket for the TV.

The sofa might go against the wall with the windows though, it really is a blank canvas.

Thanks!!

 

[Supreme]

Edit: the position on the photo would hinder the circulation in the room, IMO.

Can you explain this comment please, I'm not sure I understand 🙂

 

[DocG]

Edit: the position on the photo would hinder the circulation in the room, IMO.

Can you explain this comment please, I'm not sure I understand 🙂

Yeah, pardon my English! I mean that you could run into the right speaker when going through the room, from one door to the other, or from the stairs to the door (3.60 m wall), risking to tip it over. Does that make sense? :shifty:

 

[Supreme]

Yes. Thanks 🙂

 

[Supreme]

bump*

 

[matt49]

bump*

Hi Pete,

It seems to me that the chief constraint is the position of the sofa, and that you really have no choice but to leave it where it is. In that case the Doc's suggestion looks like much the best way forward. This has the advantage, as the Doc implied, of siting your speakers where they aren't in the way. And this means you can bring the speakers out from the wall a bit more than you'd be able to otherwise, space between speakers and rear wall being one of the most important factors determining SQ.

No doubt you'll also be giving some thought to acoustic treatment, e.g. on the wall behind the speakers and behind the sofa ...

:cheers:

Matt

 

[CnoEvil]

Hmmm!

Other than the more obvious (sensible) suggestion that the guys have made....there is a more "off the wall" one.

Panel off the area under the stairs, leaving access through some sort of small door. The hifi could be hidden in there, out of site; and the TV could be mounted on this panel, between the speakers.

The couch would have to be moved to under the windows, which would need blinds to stop reflections on the TV.

You would need to install either an IR extender or an RF converter to control the system by a remote control.

It's a slightly bonkers suggestion, but it might be made to work.

 

[floyd droid]

I dont think its so bonkers Cno, that under stair void has been bugging me all day. I keep coming back to this thread for a butchers, bit of head scratching then leave it be. The sofa has been giving me grief too.

Tricky dicky room.

 

[CnoEvil]

I dont think its so bonkers Cno, that under stair void has been bugging me all day. I keep coming back to this thread for a butchers, bit of head scratching then leave it be. The sofa has been giving me grief too.

Tricky dicky room.

We're a sad lot..........it has to be said! :help:

 

[floyd droid]

Yeah I know. But lashing down with rain , cant be bothered to fire the amps up , and a chance to scat somebodys lounge with no financial outlay. Got to be good eh.

 

[Supreme]

Hmmm!

Other than the more obvious (sensible) suggestion that the guys have made....there is a more "off the wall" one.

Panel off the area under the stairs, leaving access through some sort of small door. The hifi could be hidden in there, out of site; and the TV could be mounted on this panel, between the speakers.

The couch would have to be moved to under the windows, which would need blinds to stop reflections on the TV.

You would need to install either an IR extender or an RF converter to control the system by a remote control.

It's a slightly bonkers suggestion, but it might be made to work.

If I didn't panel off that area under the stairs - with speakers with rear firing ports would I get some weird sonic rumbling from that void? Maybe put some heavy open shelving in there for the hi-fi/AV equipment or upgrade to speakers without ports. I like the idea.

BTW, thanks for all your thoughts.

 

[skippy]

Another suggestion, if you have the room place the back of the sofa against the stairs.

Black out blinds on the windows, TV in the middle with your speakers either side.

Behind the sofa you could build a cupboard for items that you don't need so frequently and then above the sofa you could leave as open shelving for DVD,s, CD's. The problem is whether your sofa will encroach into the bottom of your stairs or the doorway on the right hand side of the TV.

 

[CnoEvil]

If I didn't panel off that area under the stairs - with speakers with rear firing ports would I get some weird sonic rumbling from that void? Maybe put some heavy open shelving in there for the hi-fi/AV equipment or upgrade to speakers without ports. I like the idea.

BTW, thanks for all your thoughts.

It's not always easy to predict what will happen, but a lot can be mitigated with sensible acoustic treatment. If you work on the possible (staircase) variations, it should be possible to get both hifi and TV sorted.

Though not the same, it reminds me of my dealers room for demo evenings, where the speakers are placed in front of the staircase (see post 6, first picture): http://www.whathifi.com/forum/accessories/an-evening-with-touraj-moghaddam-vertere?page=2

 

[Supreme]

Another suggestion, if you have the room place the back of the sofa against the stairs.

Black out blinds on the windows, TV in the middle with your speakers either side.

Behind the sofa you could build a cupboard for items that you don't need so frequently and then above the sofa you could leave as open shelving for DVD,s, CD's. The problem is whether your sofa will encroach into the bottom of your stairs or the doorway on the right hand side of the TV.

Just tried this. Problem solved. Thanks!

 

[CnoEvil]

Another suggestion, if you have the room place the back of the sofa against the stairs.

Black out blinds on the windows, TV in the middle with your speakers either side.

Behind the sofa you could build a cupboard for items that you don't need so frequently and then above the sofa you could leave as open shelving for DVD,s, CD's. The problem is whether your sofa will encroach into the bottom of your stairs or the doorway on the right hand side of the TV.

Just tried this. Problem solved. Thanks!

Brilliant. :cheer:

 

[MakkaPakka]

You will likely get the best sound by having the speakers on the wall where the windows are.

Having speakers different distances from side walls will do your sound no good at all (note in cno's example the acoustic panels to make up for the unneveness) and you also want to be firing down the long end of the room.

Unfortunately what's best for pure sound quality isn't usually the best for living in as the sofa wouldn need to be in front of the staircase and may inhibit free movement.

 

[Supreme]

Thanks. We have been here for a few weeks now and having just sorted out most of the boxes it was hard to see how we would have things. Skippy's solution worked a treat. I had tried it before and didn't like it at the time but with all the boxes gone it's fine and the natural solution. Happy days and soon time for some new speakers.

 

[CnoEvil]

Unfortunately what's best for pure sound quality isn't usually the best for living in as the sofa wouldn need to be in front of the staircase and may inhibit free movement.

You are right there......it's nothing but a bloody torture......on almost every front you can imagine. :wall:

......wouldn't be without it though. A bit like Mrs.Cno really. :shifty:

 

[skippy]

Supreme,

Good to see you have a solution. While we're doing a room makeover I'd be tempted to change the radiator to a longer panel and half the height. This'll give a better spread of heat and aesthetically, it'll look a little better balanced, rad should cost about 100 quid or so.

 

[Supreme]

Supreme,

Good to see you have a solution. While we're doing a room makeover I'd be tempted to change the radiator to a longer panel and half the height. This'll give a better spread of heat and aesthetically, it'll look a little better balanced, rad should cost about 100 quid or so.

I'm thinking that I might take the radiator under the window away completely and put a huge one over by the kitchen door. Will have to have a chat to a heating engineer first but I have never really got why people would put radiators under windows, it just causes draughts

 

[skippy]

Supreme,

Good to see you have a solution. While we're doing a room makeover I'd be tempted to change the radiator to a longer panel and half the height. This'll give a better spread of heat and aesthetically, it'll look a little better balanced, rad should cost about 100 quid or so.

I'm thinking that I might take the radiator under the window away completely and put a huge one over by the kitchen door. Will have to have a chat to a heating engineer first but I have never really got why people would put radiators under windows, it just causes draughts

Windows are usually the coldest part of the room so placing a radiator underneath warms the cooler air by convection and helps eliminate the cold spot, your house though, you can put it where you want