Home Theater Forum - View Single Post - Where do I begin, if I want to improve the sound in my room? Other advice needed...

George_W_K · 01-31-2004, 06:53 PM

Hey guys,

If you click on my Theater icon above, I have pics of my room for a better picture of what I am dealing with room-wise. You can go immediately to the "What the Room Looks Like Section". I have limited bandwidth since it is a free site, so if you are kicked out, it'll let you in eventually. Thanks, in advance for any help you all provide. Now on to my MANY questions.......

Thanks to this forum I have really put together a decent list of HT equipment. I have a little more to buy when the funds allow, but overall, I like what I have put together. Now, I'd like to look ahead in improving the room my set-up is in. After reading through this section of HTF I see that the room is as important as the equipment, if not more so. So, where do I begin? What do I need to look for in improving my sound? What areas do I need to research?

There is one thing I already know I'd like to improve on. I have a SVS 20-39 PC+. It produces bass well enough, but I know there is a lot that I am missing. My buddy Ferdinand recently bought the 20-39 PCi and in his room, it really shines. He showed me the opening scene from Martix: Reloaded and the vibration of the floor and couch was amazing. Feeling the low bass was a very nice effect I'd like in my room. I have Bass Shakers installed in my couch and while it gives a nice effect, they aren't as effective as Ferdinand's sub without Bass Shakers. Is there anything I can do to improve this in my house? What is causing the lack of vibration? Here is my theory, but please let me know if it is only part of the problem, or wrong completely: My house is built on a slab. Ferdinand's room is smaller, and he has a basement underneath. Are both of those factors as important as the other? Another buddy of mine, LaMarcus, moved his PCi from his basement to his upstairs and reported a huge improvement in bass. I don't totally remember the size of his living room, but it's probably at least as big as mine, if not bigger. So, this is leading me to belive that having a basement underneath is a huge factor.

I know I am babbling, so let me summarize. My house is on a slab. My exterior walls are not insulated. How do I improve my sub's vibration of the room? Will it automatically improve if I insulate and sound proof the room? What if I build the room on a riser? Do I need a bigger sub? What other factors do I need to worry about?

Obviously, bass in not the only sound I want to worry about, I want my room to be very accoustical over the entire frequency range. Please help.

01-31-2004, 06:53 PM	#1 of 14
George_W_K Member Location: NE Ohio Join Date: Feb 2003 Local Time: 09:55 PM Local Date: 12-03-2008 Posts: 1,358	Hey guys, If you click on my Theater icon above, I have pics of my room for a better picture of what I am dealing with room-wise. You can go immediately to the "What the Room Looks Like Section". I have limited bandwidth since it is a free site, so if you are kicked out, it'll let you in eventually. Thanks, in advance for any help you all provide. Now on to my MANY questions....... Thanks to this forum I have really put together a decent list of HT equipment. I have a little more to buy when the funds allow, but overall, I like what I have put together. Now, I'd like to look ahead in improving the room my set-up is in. After reading through this section of HTF I see that the room is as important as the equipment, if not more so. So, where do I begin? What do I need to look for in improving my sound? What areas do I need to research? There is one thing I already know I'd like to improve on. I have a SVS 20-39 PC+. It produces bass well enough, but I know there is a lot that I am missing. My buddy Ferdinand recently bought the 20-39 PCi and in his room, it really shines. He showed me the opening scene from Martix: Reloaded and the vibration of the floor and couch was amazing. Feeling the low bass was a very nice effect I'd like in my room. I have Bass Shakers installed in my couch and while it gives a nice effect, they aren't as effective as Ferdinand's sub without Bass Shakers. Is there anything I can do to improve this in my house? What is causing the lack of vibration? Here is my theory, but please let me know if it is only part of the problem, or wrong completely: My house is built on a slab. Ferdinand's room is smaller, and he has a basement underneath. Are both of those factors as important as the other? Another buddy of mine, LaMarcus, moved his PCi from his basement to his upstairs and reported a huge improvement in bass. I don't totally remember the size of his living room, but it's probably at least as big as mine, if not bigger. So, this is leading me to belive that having a basement underneath is a huge factor. I know I am babbling, so let me summarize. My house is on a slab. My exterior walls are not insulated. How do I improve my sub's vibration of the room? Will it automatically improve if I insulate and sound proof the room? What if I build the room on a riser? Do I need a bigger sub? What other factors do I need to worry about? Obviously, bass in not the only sound I want to worry about, I want my room to be very accoustical over the entire frequency range. Please help. My most recent home theater pics. These guys are from the 4th Cleveland HT Meet. Will you be in the next one? 5th Meet @ George's Thread 9-16-06 = Most recent MEET Post there and help our group grow!