Post by Hexspa on Apr 22, 2016 4:41:16 GMT
Dear forum,
To treat and use a room to an enhanced degree the following operations must occur:
1. Selecting the largest volume.
2. Selecting the most ideal dimensions to include non-parallelity.
3. Orienting lengthwise.
4. Listening at 38% of the length.
5. Orienting speakers and head in an equilateral triangle.
6. Positioning tweeters at ear-level.
7. Obtaining professional monitors which have: flat and wide response, low distortion, transparent crossover, close-matching pairs and some frequency-adjustment options.
8. Ensuring the rest of your audio path and power supply are pristine.
9. Reducing ambient noise.
10. Positioning for symmetry.
11. Prioritizing symmetry for "behind speakers" (front of room).
12. Using thick, dense and large absorption across, and in, corners for bass treatment with priority going to 3-point corners.
13. Treating for early reflections.
14. Treating for "other" reflections (non-RFZ).
15. Prioritizing for number of absorbers (coverage).
16. Prioritizing for thickness of absorbers.
17. Prioritizing for size of absorbers.
18. Prioritizing for density of absorbers.
19. Adding diffusion.
20. Measuring the room with a linear-response condenser combined with room measurement software.
21. Ideally placing the subwoofer with a real-time analyzer.
22. Abstractly calculating modes using a room's dimensions and a purpose-build calculator.
23. Setting a monitoring level in dB (83dB being the large-room standard).
24. Posting your measurements for peer and expert review.
25. Consulting peers and experts before beginning.
26. Studying on your own.
27. Continuing to refine.
28. Subjectively evaluating the room and it's progress.
29. Testing translatability of work done in the room on other audio systems.
30. Having your room conform to a +- 10dB response and having a <500ms decay time. (is it <500ms or <250ms to be in-spec? I know this depends on the room's purpose.)
31. Positioning speakers at least 4' from any boundary to reduce comb-filtering.
32. Establishing listening position center, or just off, from left and right.
33. Widening (lowering the Q of) peaks and narrowing nulls. Albeit a side-effect of treatment.
Some of these points might seem redundant or pedantic but really I've either considered or have done all of the above in the quest for the most ideal listening experience. I know there are more points besides these but I'll add the ones I personally know as I remember. Others, such as time-alignment of drivers, speakers and other home theater-specific requirements, I'll leave out (not my AO).
My question, then, is what is the order of importance to each of these?
I ask because Ethan has emphasized many (if not all) of these at different points but repeatedly expounds about symmetry. He's also told me directly that treatment in a non-ideally-shaped room is better than an ideally-shaped room with no treatment. Well then what about volume? What about parallel walls, etc?
I think it would be a useful resource for all of us to know where to start, where to end up and how to best proceed in our shared journey toward the goal of a jaw-dropping sweet spot.
Thanks,
-m
To treat and use a room to an enhanced degree the following operations must occur:
1. Selecting the largest volume.
2. Selecting the most ideal dimensions to include non-parallelity.
3. Orienting lengthwise.
4. Listening at 38% of the length.
5. Orienting speakers and head in an equilateral triangle.
6. Positioning tweeters at ear-level.
7. Obtaining professional monitors which have: flat and wide response, low distortion, transparent crossover, close-matching pairs and some frequency-adjustment options.
8. Ensuring the rest of your audio path and power supply are pristine.
9. Reducing ambient noise.
10. Positioning for symmetry.
11. Prioritizing symmetry for "behind speakers" (front of room).
12. Using thick, dense and large absorption across, and in, corners for bass treatment with priority going to 3-point corners.
13. Treating for early reflections.
14. Treating for "other" reflections (non-RFZ).
15. Prioritizing for number of absorbers (coverage).
16. Prioritizing for thickness of absorbers.
17. Prioritizing for size of absorbers.
18. Prioritizing for density of absorbers.
19. Adding diffusion.
20. Measuring the room with a linear-response condenser combined with room measurement software.
21. Ideally placing the subwoofer with a real-time analyzer.
22. Abstractly calculating modes using a room's dimensions and a purpose-build calculator.
23. Setting a monitoring level in dB (83dB being the large-room standard).
24. Posting your measurements for peer and expert review.
25. Consulting peers and experts before beginning.
26. Studying on your own.
27. Continuing to refine.
28. Subjectively evaluating the room and it's progress.
29. Testing translatability of work done in the room on other audio systems.
30. Having your room conform to a +- 10dB response and having a <500ms decay time. (is it <500ms or <250ms to be in-spec? I know this depends on the room's purpose.)
31. Positioning speakers at least 4' from any boundary to reduce comb-filtering.
32. Establishing listening position center, or just off, from left and right.
33. Widening (lowering the Q of) peaks and narrowing nulls. Albeit a side-effect of treatment.
Some of these points might seem redundant or pedantic but really I've either considered or have done all of the above in the quest for the most ideal listening experience. I know there are more points besides these but I'll add the ones I personally know as I remember. Others, such as time-alignment of drivers, speakers and other home theater-specific requirements, I'll leave out (not my AO).
My question, then, is what is the order of importance to each of these?
I ask because Ethan has emphasized many (if not all) of these at different points but repeatedly expounds about symmetry. He's also told me directly that treatment in a non-ideally-shaped room is better than an ideally-shaped room with no treatment. Well then what about volume? What about parallel walls, etc?
I think it would be a useful resource for all of us to know where to start, where to end up and how to best proceed in our shared journey toward the goal of a jaw-dropping sweet spot.
Thanks,
-m
