Room to play with?

[matthewpianist]

In another thread @record_spot made a very valid comment that hi-fi needs to fit the available space, not the other way around.

Reviews and discussions of hi-fi often ignore this all-too-important topic, and the former frequently appear to assume that buyers can perfect the positioning of a pair of speakers (for example) without any real acknowledgement of reality. Very few of us can realistically achieve optimal set-up unless we live alone, expect the rest of the family to work around us or have the money to invest in a large property. I, for one, don't wish to live alone, don't think it's fair to dominate the household with my hobby at the expense of the family's needs, and certainly don't have the money to live in a house larger than we need.

Distance of the speakers from rear and side walls is one bone of contention, as is placement of a turntable (as discussed in the other thread I refer to). There's a need for most of us to find a balance between getting the most out of the kit in which we have invested, and making it work within our domestic means and needs. Let's be honest, we often have to accept that our room is largely unchangeable, and that it can substantially reduce the improvements made by working further up the ladder.

Thoughts and experiences?

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

A lot of truth there - applies even more to AV as there's usually a fireplace where the screen should go.

We extended a few years ago and built a room around accommodating stereo and AV, and it's one of the reasons why I'll leave this house in a wooden box...

 

[Juzzie Wuzzie]

Completely agree - and thus why I've gone "minimal" when it comes to most of my equipment (i.e. soundbars / Sonos) but do have one set of speakers on show in the lounge. That said, the Primalunas do glow nicely at night which keeps the other half happy.

In a first world problem scenario, we look onto a stain glass window of a church from our lounge, which precluded a television destroying the view. Alas, a good excuse for a projector and drop down screen!

 

[npxavar]

This were talk about being an audiophile can be relevant. Giving priority to the listening experience over other equally valid aspects of everyday life.

 

[plastic penguin]

I've always said this about room acoustics. Get that wrong and you've wasted money.

Agree it isn't about cramming what you can into the smallest room it's important you look at the room dimensions and building from there.

 

[WayneKerr]

Good question Matthew

I live alone but still desire a functioning lounge where my hifi is situated, consequently the positioning is compromised to say the least. Speakers on wall brackets and turntable too close to right-hand speaker, with listening chair hard against rear wall, but this is where they must be sited for the lounge to function as a living room. I have achieved an equilateral triangle with 9 foot sides and listening chair at the apex.

I will admit that my early experimentation with speaker placement was with a system costing 10% of my current one and was the best sound I ever achieved. However, it was totally unworkable as the equilateral triangle only measured 4 feet per side, putting the listening chair and speakers in the middle of the room.

In audiophile terms everything I have done is wrong and I am under no illusion my current kit would undeniably sound better if I allowed my hi-fi to dictate my lounge layout instead of me. In this situation I win and the hi-fi is compromised, and that is the way it will continue.

 

[DCarmi]

I know my speaker location is less than ideal. However to get round that I'd have to rejig the room and probably shift the TV to a less than ideal location. Basically the grief I'd get would not be worth it.

However, by picking battles and giving consideration to other's wishes I make progress.

For example: Two of our old chairs were getting a bit tired. My vinyl collection was too large for the current storage and beginning to creep into the the room.

Solution: Why don't a buy a new chair (used mostly for guests and we agreed we only really need 1 as a replacement)? By the way, if I also order a 2x1 Kalax, I can put that where the other chair was and store my LPs neatly.

I've suggested the possibility of replacing the old hifi unit and the TV one with less bulky and "nicer" ones which may also solve my speaker issue. She's been looking at TV

 

[Al ears]

Of course not all of us are in the position to own a dedicated music room, I certainly am not.
The system I had in my old house had to go once I moved into a more modern property, well essentially the speakers did and then the amplifier which was insufficiently powerful to drive my new speakers.
If good turntable placement was not possible I probably would no longer own one.

 

[leemccann1]

you have to just work with what you have got, and thats the comprimise of the room you have and also your budget.

More expensive euqipment (in my opinion) is still going to sound better than cheaper stuff given the same room and same postion.

ive just installed atmos speakers in my living room in the ceiling for my av set up, but they are not 100% perfect in terms of placements as my sofa is near the back wall but ive made the best I can and I think thats all you can do...

 

[record_spot]

So, after yet another marriage bit the dust last year (three and not counting any more) I moved to a new town, nice flat, bay windows, and the system is set up with as near an ideal as I'd want. Speakers fire down the room, and that's the main thing. I check their placement every other month or so, but really just switch between my CD player (Kenwood DP990-SG-look it up) and my Cambridge DacMagic 200M DAC. Currently I'm back to spinning a bunch of CDs on the Kenwood.

As to the wider question, most of us can't knock walls down, design a dedicated listening room, etc. That just doesn't happen. Lottery winners feel free to input.

For me, I won't be using room "treatments" because I don't want my living room to look like a recording studio. All I will ever do is shift my speakers around a few inches to get the optimum position and sound *for me*. Anything else is somebody else's chump change.

It's all rather like the award winning photo - it's really not the Hasselblad you need to set up, it's the camera you've got to hand. Same with hifi.

Oh and thanks for the shout out @matthewpianist - much appreciated.

 

[SteveH72]

I also find the same applies to aesthetics and finishes. My system is in our main sitting room, which is invariably our main family room. As such, consideration needs to be given to other furniture and decor, and the fact that other members of family have to look at it whilst it’s in the room. So compromises have to happen - quite rightly - out of respect to others. But compromise rules the HiFi world.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

design a dedicated listening room, etc. That just doesn't happen. Lottery winners feel free to input.

As stated, we did a room to use as the main living space, but designed to work around AV and hifi. No lottery win, just an extension to the mortgage too, paid off now after ten years.

That said, if I did it again, I'd place the AV speakers a little differently - but you live and learn.

 

[npxavar]

A month ago I sold my 7" Oberon 3's and now I make do with my modded 4" Klipsch speakers. My room just doesn't allow for generous bass output. When necessary I proceed to turn on the sub. Fortunately most of my music doesn't require the low notes to have a strong presence.

My living room is 10x16 feet.

 

[matthewpianist]

A month ago I sold my 7" Oberon 3's and now I make do with my modded 4" Klipsch speakers. My room just doesn't allow for generous bass output. When necessary I proceed to turn on the sub. Fortunately most of my music doesn't require the low notes to have a strong presence.

My living room is 10x16 feet.

My room also doesn't allow for generous bass output, hence me selling my Q Acoustics 3050i - great speakers but just too much heft for my space, resulting in boom. They need plenty of space and less hard surfaces.

 

[matthewpianist]

So, after yet another marriage bit the dust last year (three and not counting any more) I moved to a new town, nice flat, bay windows, and the system is set up with as near an ideal as I'd want. Speakers fire down the room, and that's the main thing. I check their placement every other month or so, but really just switch between my CD player (Kenwood DP990-SG-look it up) and my Cambridge DacMagic 200M DAC. Currently I'm back to spinning a bunch of CDs on the Kenwood.

As to the wider question, most of us can't knock walls down, design a dedicated listening room, etc. That just doesn't happen. Lottery winners feel free to input.

For me, I won't be using room "treatments" because I don't want my living room to look like a recording studio. ALl I will ever do if shift my speakers around a few inches to get the optimum position and sound *for me*. Anything else is somebody else's chump change.

It's all rather like the award winning photo - it's really not the Hasselblad you need to set up, it's the camera you've got to hand. Same with hifi.

Oh and thanks for the shout out @matthewpianist - much appreciated.

A friend who is a professional photographer always says to me that it's not the camera that takes a great photo, it's the person taking the photograph. On his advice I've stuck with my Nikon D3100 DSLR and 18-200mm Nikon lens and focused on developing my skills (which still need plenty of work!)

 

[plastic penguin]

Quite weird really, the RS6s took up less room than the TB2 and Dalis. It can only be because those compact floorstanders aren't as deep.

Both the standmounts work fine, marvelously actually, so I can't complain. Just shows, though, how marginal the set-up can be.

 

[record_spot]

A friend who is a professional photographer always says to me that it's not the camera that takes a great photo, it's the person taking the photograph. On his advice I've stuck with my Nikon D3100 DSLR and 18-200mm Nikon lens and focused on developing my skills (which still need plenty of work!)

The thing is, you'll not always have the Nikon to hand - you might well set it up and hone your skills, but the shot you need to take at short notice is going to be on the one you've got to hand!

Either way MP, enjoy the learning curve. I need to muck about with mine - two weeks holiday coming up in the Highlands in August, I'm hoping the new phone's camera's going to get a serious workout!

 

[record_spot]

As stated, we did a room to use as the main living space, but designed to work around AV and hifi. No lottery win, just an extension to the mortgage too, paid off now after ten years.

That said, if I did it again, I'd place the AV speakers a little differently - but you live and learn.

Good for you, happy for you.

 

[matthewpianist]

The thing is, you'll not always have the Nikon to hand - you might well set it up and hone your skills, but the shot you need to take at short notice is going to be on the one you've got to hand!

Either way MP, enjoy the learning curve. I need to muck about with mine - two weeks holiday coming up in the Highlands in August, I'm hoping the new phone's camera's going to get a serious workout!

I find the camera on my Sony phone pretty good for 'in the moment' photos. It's amazing how good these things have got. Dad recently bought a compact Sony HX-series camera - very much the sort of thing you could carry around all the time and capable of excellent image quality.

I'm off on honeymoon after marriage no.3 in September, and as we're going to the west coast of Scotland and then across to Northumberland I'm looking forward to taking some (hopefully) nice photos. You never know, a couple might even be decent enough to frame as memories.

 

[record_spot]

I find the camera on my Sony phone pretty good for 'in the moment' photos. It's amazing how good these things have got. Dad recently bought a compact Sony HX-series camera - very much the sort of thing you could carry around all the time and capable of excellent image quality.

I'm off on honeymoon after marriage no.3 in September, and as we're going to the west coast of Scotland and then across to Northumberland I'm looking forward to taking some (hopefully) nice photos. You never know, a couple might even be decent enough to frame as memories.

Congratulations to you and the good lady. Hope all goes well for the big day when it comes. Wester Ross is one of my favourite parts of the world up there in the far north west, so I'm aiming to get a few days in up there when I'm not gallivanting on the Fringe in Edinburgh. Good few things I want to see there too!