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Post by matt1234 on May 29, 2018 20:57:50 GMT
Hi, would really appreciate some basic feedback as I start out: We are refinishing our basement. It's a very large rectangle - about 25' x 15' with a nook if you will popping out from middle of one of the long edges. I'd like to create a listening room in that space. The cement walls of the nook are 12 feet wide on the outside wall, with one side wall 13 feet, and the other 9 feet. (Sketch attached) I'm considering extending the short wall so I end up with a 12 by 13 envelop to start working with. Ceiling height is 9 feet to the joists, then another 16 inches to the sub floor above. Looking for feedback on: - Impact of an open "back" wall. I'd rather not wall it off or place the speakers on the open end given kids will be playing in the rest of the basement. - For the ceiling height to calculate room dimension: do I use 9 feet or 10.5? I'd plan to put Roxul or other insulation in the joists, then panels or drywall. - Panels or dry wall on the ceiling? Finally, would love to have advice on a guide or good 1 hour (paid) consult on basic building materials to use before the room treatments. Given we're starting with cement on three sides and open joists - seems a shame not to optimize building materials within reason. Many thanks!  |
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Post by Hexspa on May 29, 2018 23:44:40 GMT
Hi, would really appreciate some basic feedback as I start out: We are refinishing our basement. It's a very large rectangle - about 25' x 15' with a nook if you will popping out from middle of one of the long edges. I'd like to create a listening room in that space. The cement walls of the nook are 12 feet wide on the outside wall, with one side wall 13 feet, and the other 9 feet. (Sketch attached) I'm considering extending the short wall so I end up with a 12 by 13 envelop to start working with. Ceiling height is 9 feet to the joists, then another 16 inches to the sub floor above. Looking for feedback on: - Impact of an open "back" wall. I'd rather not wall it off or place the speakers on the open end given kids will be playing in the rest of the basement. - For the ceiling height to calculate room dimension: do I use 9 feet or 10.5? I'd plan to put Roxul or other insulation in the joists, then panels or drywall. - Panels or dry wall on the ceiling? Finally, would love to have advice on a guide or good 1 hour (paid) consult on basic building materials to use before the room treatments. Given we're starting with cement on three sides and open joists - seems a shame not to optimize building materials within reason. Many thanks! As the resident jester, I'm happy to help you misspend your money. lol jk
An open back wall has no impact. Meaning if you don't close it off then you can access the entire volume of your basement for bass. I guess you could call it a bassment.
I'm going to guess and say you should use the greater dimension for your ceiling height. Stuff the space with fluffy, cover with FRK at non-RFZ points and you should be gtg. Remember that you can install fluffy in the entire ceiling, not just in your nook, and reap the benefits since bass is cool like that.
Additionally, remember that, since your subwoofer should not be localizable, you may benefit from placing it outside your nook. Anecdotally, it seems like subwoofers like to 'see' the longest diagonal in your room. In your case, that means putting your sub in the rightmost upper corner. As always, you're free to use more than one to achieve maximum evenness in SPL.
Wish I could charge for advice but not yet. I don't know what you mean about building materials but if you mean adding drywall then just don't. Add copious amounts of absorption to your walls and cover it with something trippy, hip and acoustically transparent - like a Nirvana tapestry.
Cheers.
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Post by matt1234 on May 30, 2018 18:33:53 GMT
Thank you!
Is it worth extending the shorter side wall to make them both the same length?
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Post by Hexspa on May 31, 2018 23:30:32 GMT
Thank you! Is it worth extending the shorter side wall to make them both the same length? All I know is that symmetry is most important from your ears forward. I remember that 38% from the wall you'll face to the rear, 8.74', gives you that. Maybe someone else will chime in. |
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Post by rock on Jun 1, 2018 0:32:13 GMT
I've scratched my head over this question and I don't have a "scientific" answer but I do have a preference for a larger than smaller space. So my inclination is NOT to add the 4 foot extending partition wall. Now, in the interest of (pseudo) symmetry, I have this suggestion: First cover (at least) the over-extending 4 foot section of the left wall with 4" rigid FG (or rock wool) with a 4" air gap. Then build a partition frame only (no drywall) extending from the right wall to equal the left and fill the frame with 4" of unfaced rigid FG (or rock wool). The symmetry won't be perfect but I think going for a deader "open" space behind you is better than a closed-in reflective space.
All that being said, it might also help to cover more than just the rear 4 feet and extend your 4" FG forward to the front of the space. It does not need to be 100% coverage but besides covering your RFZ, you might add some extra staggered panels for flutter echoes.
Oh, and if this has not been mentioned yet, the back wall should be absorbent, at least behind your listening space.
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Post by Ethan Winer on Jun 9, 2018 16:17:03 GMT
If you sit no farther back than 8-9 feet from the 12-foot top / front wall you should be okay. Even another foot or two back isn't a problem because the reflection points are forward of where you sit. But near field listening is usually best, so staying near the front is a good idea anyway.
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