Room Tuning Suggestions and tweaks (1 Viewer)

[Alan Howard]

Hi all,
I now have my new AVM-20 tweaked and sounding really good. Finally, 5.1 at last. I'm using an all Mirage setup: OM-7 fronts, OM-C3 Center, & OM-R2 surrounds. Also a Mirage BPS-150 sub. ANthem MCA-5 amp by the way.

Now, when it was just a 2-channel and sub system with an Adcom 2 ch preamp, it sounded good. Now it's very bright in the 2K to 8K range. I have hardwood floors and thin curtains. So where should I start?

A rug covering the floor between sofa and Fronts?
Wall treatments?
Or Heavier window treatments?

I'm also only using the RCA inputs/outputs on the preamp-amp connections. Should I move to Balanced IC's first or last?

Any help you guys could provide is greatly appreciated...
Alan

 

[Scott Oliver]

I think your questions pretty much answered themselves.

get a nice thick wool rug

heavier drapes would be good but if you work on enough other areas of absorbtion you could alleviate the need for this

treat 1st reflection points
floor - carpet will take care of these
ceiling - diffusor or absorber probably an absorber in your case
sidewalls - same as ceiling
back wall - I like diffusion behind me
front wall - complete the live end dead end formula by using absorbtive material up front

 

[Alan Howard]

Thanks for the info Scott. Do you have any suggestions as to what kind of diffusion and how to integrate into the decor so it won't stick out like a sore thumb? My system is in my den, not a dedicated theater. My dealer suggested using Acoustic Foam Panels to create some "artwork". But alas, I'm no longer very artistic.

 

[JamesCB]

I would like to say (IMO) that the ceiling is a VERY important conideration for treatment. It especially helps center channel intelligability. It seemed to make the biggest impact in my system (though I didn't have the brightness problem). Also, be sure to put an absortive panel on the wall behind your center, between the front L & R.

 

[Scott Oliver]

best way to get diffusion with high WAF is through the use of bookshelves. Nice thick books that are placed in a random fashion - meaning you don't want all the backs of all the books even with each other. They aren't as great as like some installs could be but for the home environment if you care about looks no listening room should be without them.

some other good diffusion products are argent room lenses or their DIY clones. I think they blend well into an environment, my wife is not as enthsusiastic, but in the end she conceded to having them in our living room

they are the black three column thingies

some other products to take a look at are the echobuster's stuff. they have both absorbtion and diffusion panels, plus a bass trap in a multitude of colors.
you can also do DIY alternatives to the professional stuff and get close to the look of it and effectiveness of it for a lot less money.


then one last diffusion option that I like but it is expensive is rpg's wooden diffusors

 

[John Robert]

Scott Oliver:

If that is your living room then you are the king of effectively negotiated WAF. And to think that my wife objected to my subwoofer color!!!

 

[Brian OK]

That is a SERIOUS 2 CHANNEL rig


...... ahhh Home Theater could only aspire to sound so good!!! I'm assuming this setup sounds good, of course.

Looks like a tube demo room to me (top photo)....And a photo of a non-HT fanatic...... where is the monitor/display ?

;*)......)

BOK