Where would you put the hifi?

[JoelSim]

This is (fingers crossed) my new house, to which I will be moving in a month or two's time.

I'm happy to tell the missus that if I can decide the location of the hifi/tv then she can do whatever she wants to the rest of the house.

A bit of background. We love the main room which is the kitchen/living room, we will also have a dining room and another reception room.

My thoughts are that the main room is where it's at, the other reception, called Sitting Room on the plan can be used as an occasional room with sofa bed for guests. The dining room will be exactly that, with my ProAcs set up in there.

Going into more detail, I like the bottom wall of the main room, the door on the bottom left doesn't have to be used, so I will put the tv/hifi along that wall so that it fires down the room, and outside into the back garden when needed. This also allows a small hole to be drilled through into the dining room for the cables for the ProAcs.

Anyone got any thoughts?

 

[plastic penguin]

Might be worth checking where the TV ariel socket is situated. Generally speaking, if like me you play films and watch TV connected to the hi-fi, I try and work it around that principle.

 

[Craig M.]

the room is a perfect square, could be a problem acoustically.

 

[JoelSim]

Craig M.:the room is a perfect square, could be a problem acoustically.

There is a wall along the kitchen units in the middle, albeit with wooden slats looking through.

 

[JoelSim]

This is what I have in mind

The blue boxes are:

Sofa and two armchairs.

Then on the bottom wall, from left to right, speaker, tv, hifi rack, speaker. The wall is approx 3.5m wide so there will be room for the speakers to have some space. There is a tv there now so I'm guessing there is an aerial socket there.

 

[Anonymous]

How often would the sitting room be used? Id be inclined to have it in there. As long as your occasional guests can be trusted with your kit!

 

[ESP2009]

The sofa and chairs will help dampen acoustics, but what are the surfaces like generally?

 

[JoelSim]

bobbyg81:How often would the sitting room be used? Id be inclined to have it in there. As long as your occasional guests can be trusted with your kit!

Hardly ever. I would want to be in the best room with the hifi. The sitting room is much smaller.

 

[JoelSim]

Victorian floorboards throughout.

 

[ESP2009]

Another question: what is the room above? Is anyone going to be sleeping in it, particularly when you are using your hi-fi?

 

[JoelSim]

My bedroom, she is a relatively heavy sleeper tho'.

 

[Anonymous]

Just a thought, do you really want your TV to be positioned opposite the doors (if they are typical patio doors and made primarily of glass) as you would end up with a lot of glare on the screen, unless you had some pretty heavy curtains that is...

 

[scene]

Your suggestions for placement make sense. My concerns with the room are that the open plan nature, albeit with a open slatted/part wall and the wooden floorboards (on wooden beams, I surmise, as this is a Victorian house.). Actually a question, as where you are proposing to put the HiFi looks like an extension, are they still Victorian floorboards on wooden beams, or something else on concrete beams / solid floor...
You might want to invest in a tasteful rug, to cut down some of the sonic reflections and get some long curtains (to the ground) for the garden wall, to cover all those windows and the door. This will also help offset some of the squareness of the room, which otherwise will cause some sonic problems, as Craig said.

 

[JoelSim]

dougolada:Just a thought, do you really want your TV to be positioned opposite the doors (if they are typical patio doors and made primarily of glass) as you would end up with a lot of glare on the screen, unless you had some pretty heavy curtains that is...

It's a 6.2m long room, so I'm not too concerned about that, although I will obviously be mindful.

I can't think of a better position though, that will work for hifi and 2 channel movies.

 

[scene]

JoelSim:
dougolada:Just a thought, do you really want your TV to be positioned opposite the doors (if they are typical patio doors and made primarily of glass) as you would end up with a lot of glare on the screen, unless you had some pretty heavy curtains that is...

It's a 6.2m long room, so I'm not too concerned about that, although I will obviously be mindful.

I can't think of a better position though, that will work for hifi and 2 channel movies.

I have a 6.4m square room, a floor length curtain is the solution for screen reflections and sonic booming, and in line with live-end / dead-end acoustic theory

 

[JoelSim]

scene:Your suggestions for placement make sense. My concerns with the room are that the open plan nature, albeit with a open slatted/part wall and the wooden floorboards (on wooden beams, I surmise, as this is a Victorian house.). Actually a question, as where you are proposing to put the HiFi looks like an extension, are they still Victorian floorboards on wooden beams, or something else on concrete beams / solid floor...You might want to invest in a tasteful rug, to cut down some of the sonic reflections and get some long curtains (to the ground) for the garden wall, to cover all those windows and the door. This will also help offset some of the squareness of the room, which otherwise will cause some sonic problems, as Craig said.

Good question. It is an extension. They are proper floorboards but I couldn't tell you on what. there will be a rug in between the chairs and the AV.

I have Victorian floorboards already so not overly concerned by that.

I will also get good curtains.

 

[ESP2009]

The only other concern I can think of to voice at this point is that your precious hi-fi is in relatively close proximity to the kitchen and all the vapours and such it can emit. Will the cooker have an extractor hood? It is really quite scary how much gunk builds up insidiously over time thanks to cooking.

 

[JoelSim]

This is the room, you'll have to imagine about 2.5m behind this sofa as the length. Also find the other 'side' of the room ie the kitchen which gives an impression of the length. From the garden you can see the type of patio doors. The kitchen floor is currently a laminate of some kind, but that will be changed very quickly indeed back to proper wood. The dining room will house a big solid oak table and 2 bench seats (and my ProAcs).

 

[JoelSim]

ESP2009:The only other concern I can think of to voice at this point is that your precious hi-fi is in relatively close proximity to the kitchen and all the vapours and such it can emit. Will the cooker have an extractor hood? It is really quite scary how much gunk builds up insidiously over time thanks to cooking.

Hmmm. That will need to be monitored very closely indeed.

 

[scene]

JoelSim:
ESP2009:The only other concern I can think of to voice at this point is that your precious hi-fi is in relatively close proximity to the kitchen and all the vapours and such it can emit. Will the cooker have an extractor hood? It is really quite scary how much gunk builds up insidiously over time thanks to cooking.

Hmmm. That will need to be monitored very closely indeed.

A diet of salads, barbeques, takeaways and eating out is recommended

 

[ESP2009]

scene:JoelSim:

ESP2009:The only other concern I can think of to voice at this point is that your precious hi-fi is in relatively close proximity to the kitchen and all the vapours and such it can emit. Will the cooker have an extractor hood? It is really quite scary how much gunk builds up insidiously over time thanks to cooking.

Hmmm. That will need to be monitored very closely indeed.

A diet of salads, barbeques, takeaways and eating out is recommended

Sorted! Nothing to worry about at all, then.

 

[JoelSim]

scene:JoelSim:
ESP2009:The only other concern I can think of to voice at this point is that your precious hi-fi is in relatively close proximity to the kitchen and all the vapours and such it can emit. Will the cooker have an extractor hood? It is really quite scary how much gunk builds up insidiously over time thanks to cooking.

Hmmm. That will need to be monitored very closely indeed.

A diet of salads, barbeques, takeaways and eating out is recommended

Good idea.

Curry, salad, BBQ, curry, curry, BBQ, thai, curry, curry, kebab, salad (and so on).

 

[ESP2009]

By the way, Joel, the place looks very nice, indeed. Hope all goes well with the acquisition. Are you keeping the rather interesting piece of performance art?

 

[JoelSim]

ESP2009:By the way, Joel, the place looks very nice, indeed. Hope all goes well with the acquisition. Are you keeping the rather interesting piece of performance art?

I'm really excited. Mind you it's just taken me ages to find those pictures as it's been taken off the property websites.

The current owner is very artistic, the place has loads of character. The bathroom and small bedroom upstairs have to be seen to be believed.

The statue of liberty is going, but I'm half tempted to replace it with something as it is a fine piece, bigger than me too.

 

[6th.replicant]

It might be worth considering that if your hifi speakers are facing the windows, then when the latter are open the sound will waft outside and could disturb/annoy neighbours, which could lead to complaints. Arguably inconsequential, until you've guests for dinner and the bonhomie is still flowing at 1am, music is playing at what you think is a reasonable volume, then the doorbell rings and it's the local Council's anti-noise militia...

Had the above problem myself, and was actually amazed at how disproportionately loud the hifi seemed from outside when the speakers faced open windows. Re-poistioned the speakers at the window-end of the room, facing into the room, obviously, then cranked up the volume and went outside to gauge the 'disturbance level' - couldn't hear a thing.