Help...sub placement and choice for this crazy room... (1 Viewer)

[Scott_Jua]

My living room is a pretty non conventional shape. It's very very open, has nine foot ceilings, a cursed cubby hole to cram a TV into and just about no where practical to stuff a sub.
I am attaching a couple of pics...hoping maybe you guys can help me figure out WHERE in the room I could locate a sub. Here are some ideas on placement and keep in mind the subs I am considering (SVS 25-31PCi, HSU VTF-2, Velodyne CHT-120):
1. I have contemplated moving that TV stand out and cramming the sub in the back corner of the cubby hole.
Problem(?): having a sub that close to the TV and other AV units...would a sub cause distortion in the other electrical devices, and/or TV even if shielded? The SVS possibly could FIT but I don't think they're shielded so that may be a no-no.
2. Or sitting it in the crevice next to the right hand side of the fireplace, where it MIGHT be able to use that small column as snoic support while staying out of the way.
P: unsightly, self and WAF pending enclosure look/size as well as ability to hide wiring. perhaps more importantly in this location would be that on the mantle of the fireplace there are many pots and breakable items and a large mirror hung on the wall above mantle. would an SVS (about the only placement I could conceive for this monster), Velo, or HSU in this placemnt rattle things off the wall or mantle risking a more expensive and bad situation?
3. OR I was thinking MAYBE just maybe it could go uver the end table next to the couch. The problem with that solution is that there's no way to run a power cord to the sub...so this may not be a solution at all.
P: how the heck would I power the sub in this location? Wire I could always run under the carpet ina flat monster style, but there is NO place to plug in the amp for the sub. Does this mean this option is dead?
There are no other walls, nooks, crannies to stuff a sub in my house. I dreaded the day I would have to get a sub in this room, and it's either it works on of these ways or no way at all. Other than that and based on this criteria WHICH SUB would be best for me...keeping inmind the Velo will be a best buy at under 300$ brand new...???????????? :frowning: sucks...




if it matters...current stuff: SONY STR-D715, Bose 301 III, Toshiba 32" (later replaced by HLM507 or HLM617...
BTW...it's 99.9% HT instead of music...again if that matters in your reccomendations.

 

[Scott_Jua]

maybe Tom Vodhanel can help directly...or anyone who can figure out this room...??? (since I just realized he's a poster here)

 

[Scott_Jua]

what other subs could I use? will my old receiver do the job with a passive sub? I doubt it...

 

[Scott_Jua]

bump

 

[Warren_Sc]

Can you put the TV along the window-wall and put the sub in the TV nook? You couls also get a smaller sub and put it under the side table by the sectional and the chair, or under the one by the front door.
Is the first picture from a different house? It looks like there is a step down into that room that dissapeared. What does the wall with the window look like?
Do you really need a fireplace in Texas?

 

[Jay C]

Is the first picture from a different house? It looks like there is a step down into that room that disappeared. What does the wall with the window look like?

That step was the edge of his bar.

This is one difficult room and reminds me of a home I passed on because of the layout (the TV nook was above the fireplace). Based on your analysis and the room layout the only viable option is a behind the tv rack. I use a projector so I can't comment on any interference that may occur. Do you have another room you could use?

Sorry, I know I was no help, but where there is a will, there it a way. You could rearrange the couch to be where the seat is and put all the gear on the wall opposite of the windows and door. That way you could put the sub in the nook, and run just the cable to the receiver. I see no rears in the pictures, and the one shot of the windows is not enough to know the situation, but rears might be easier to add too.

Jay

 

[Scott_Jua]

the sub under the end table won't work...I didn't take into account that there's no way to power it in that position. No plug in the floor, we are on a concrete slab which is not raised. SO X that idea. :frowning:
All the pics are fromthe same house...just from pre-move in during the building stage to furnished. They're about a two years old now, but stuff is in the same place.
here's a pic of where the surrounds are. They ARE there...I had some Monster THX wire run through the walls and attic so I could mount them.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attac...achmentid=5430
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attac...achmentid=5443
Unfortuantely I am not going to attempt to rationalize re-arranging the whole living room for a sub for more reasons that the severe beating I would incur. So it looks like there are few options. Shielding being one question and which sub would be easier to work with being the second. One of two places I see now...the right of the Fireplace and in the TV cubby. Damn that Cubby!
And no...a fireplace in texas is for decoration... I tried to get another house...same floorplan and have them not build the fireplace in and just have it be a smooth wall...but someone closed on that house and we got ours. I like my house overall but this room kills my soul for HT.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

I vote to for Plan 1, to move the TV and electronics forward, and put the sub behind it in the cubby-hole. “Distortion in the electrical devices” is not an issue. If you get coloration on the TV screen, just pull it forward until it goes away.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[John Garcia]

Pull the gear in the cubby from hell out, and put the sub inside, behind, in the left corner facing the CfH. Your main speakers look far too close together to give good dispersion, even for Bose (Ugh, sorry).

Space the surrounds as far apart as possible. That is not a good location for them, as you will get immediate first reflection from the ceiling. If they are bi/dipoles, that might actually be better.

FYI: You are not allowed to list your gear in your signature. A link may be provided though.

We used the fireplace in Austin over the Thaknsgiving holiday, as it was in the low 30s.

 

[Luke_Y]

What about right under that end table thats next to the couch? Not a normal first choice location but I know a couple people who placed a sub in that location with no ill effects. It certainly helps with the SAF. As far as power and an audio cord to that location, do you have a basement or crawl space? If so you could put an outlet in the floor there or just under the couch (lots of people have them in the floor in newer homes for lamps). If no basement or crawl space you would have to get creative with wiring.
But, you couldn't fit an SVS under there :frowning:

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

Tough room,

If you can, I would experiment with all your options. #1 may prove to be the best ultimately, but it is always best to experiment with alternate placement options as much as time allows. Would a VTF-2 fit under the table near the sofa? If so, it might be worth going in that direction just to give you self one more placement option to try out.

Tom V.
SVS

 

[Mitch E S]

Unfortuantely I am not going to attempt to rationalize re-arranging the whole living room for a sub for more reasons that the severe beating I would incur.

She looks like a light weight... I think maybe you could take her
Seriously, there appears to be enough space next to the end table and chair to put an SVS 25-31PCi. What size fish tank is that? I used to have a 90gal and a 180gal in my HT and the sound of the pumps caused me to play everything louder... I took some beatings myself but shes no light weight (can you imagine the beating if she ever read this?)
Good Luck, Mitch (that's not my real name )

 

[Joe Sabato]

If this is a ranch style house or there is an attic or basement space available, try an Infinite baffle setup woth the subs in that space firing thru a register; that would solve the WAF factor and I understand they sound very good.
http://f20.parsimony.net/forum36475/index.htm
Try this link

 

[Scott_Jua]

After doing some intial measurements...even if I were crafty enough to run power under that end table...neither the VTF-2 or the Velo will fit under it without lifting the table off the ground . my house is on a concrete slab so there is no way to run a power outlet to that spot. :frowning:
john, my surrounds can be moved, but my mains are more or less stuck where they are due to how the room works as a soundstage. This is the best place for them...really...I've tried. And as for dispersion...I don't sit much out of the sweet spot (even my OLD Bose have semi-sweet spot) anyway, and for those sitting over on the arm chair...they aren't concerned too much with it anyway. However the surrounds are small AR (Edge??? is the model I believe) speakers angled slightly into the room, but are not going to be permanent. They do the job, and since my surround is only DP for now there' no discrete channel back there to care about. I know it sounds half-assed but it's actually pretty decent to experience for Such an odd room.
Tom, do you think a DF sub like the 25-31pci (seems like this is the sub I'd rather have and coincidentally enough about the only to FIT) will do ok in either the 1 or 2 position? In the 1 position will I get standing waves of sound and will it fill my room, or just radiate straight towards where that cubby points? In the 2 position will I lose alot of sound as the bass is disperced all over the place? OR will that slight jutt of a wall @ 11" help to direct some of it? How would I hook this up to my old receiver? Speaker level? Any problems with this...as I don't have line level on that receiver. the receiver is putting out 80xthe front 3 channels and I'm gogin phantom on the center...and the rears are pumping a whopping 25 watts :b . If it matters...
Keep in mind, I realize my gear is a bit old...but I am stepping up one at a time, with BASS being my concern for now. I haven't been INTO this tech since I last BOUGHT something which was about 10 years ago while I was in high school and at that time I had a limited budget. Eventually I'll have a more appropriate receiver, set of mains, and surrounds...but for now this will have to do.
mitch, it'a a 29 gallon reef...I have another 150 gal not set up though. pics

 

[Scott_Jua]

She looks like a light weight... I think maybe you could take her

no man...her Pop was a Thai Boxer, and she's just as fast and scarily powerful. :b I can't take her...

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

>>>Tom, do you think a DF sub like the 25-31pci (seems like this is the sub I'd rather have and coincidentally enough about the only to FIT) will do ok in either the 1 or 2 position? In the 1 position will I get standing waves of sound and will it fill my room, or just radiate straight towards where that cubby points?>In the 2 position will I lose alot of sound as the bass is disperced all over the place? OR will that slight jutt of a wall @ 11" help to direct some of it? How would I hook this up to my old receiver?

 

[Scott_Jua]

Tom and All Thanks for all the wonderful input. I'm gonna give the 25-31pci a try....Tom you've got mail.

 

[RayJK]

You could always try a DIY end table sub. I've seen some really nice ones that people have made.

 

[Scott_Jua]

tracking this thing is painful!!! Painfull I say! It sat in OH for days...now is in limbo between indianna and Texas I guess...assumgin it even ever left Indiana...does UPS deliver on saturdays??? :frowning:

 

[Scott_Jua]

it arrived today...update and review soon YAY!!!