# Help with acoustics



## Guest (Jan 4, 2009)

I have a room 30'x15' w/ 8' ceilings. Harmon Kardon AVR 254 with 7.1 set up. 

What are your recommendations on improving the audio charateristics of the room? Currently a "boomy" room, especially with Dolby TrueHD/DTS HD action movies. Louds are LOUD!!! Would like to "absorb" some sound without making the movie dialouge disapear. 

Just starting to make this into a home theatre/office so any suggestions welcomed. Below is a diagram of the room. Thanx.


----------



## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Hi Tim

The best thing you could do is turn things 90 degrees to face the left wall of the room. That will give you a lot more space behind the seating which is critical. Sitting with the seating right up against a wall will put you in a place where the bass will always build up.

After that, you'll want to treat the front wall, the front corners heavily, and reflections on the side walls. The area rug between you and the speakers is a very good idea.

Bryan


----------



## Guest (Jan 4, 2009)

First of all thank you for a VERY speedy response. That was my first idea, to move everything to take advantage of the length of the room. Here are the problems with that...

Sofa is so large (terrible problem right :sarcastic: ), that I would have to put it directly up against what would then be the left wall, otherwise there is no way to get around it. Then...where do you put the left surround speakers? Unless I put them on sofa tables directly behind the sofa (see diagram below).

How would that effect the spatialness/direction of the sound?

Thanks again.


----------



## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Well, yes, that's a problem when seating is too large for the room. Realistically, pretty much any L shaped seating like that is not going to be optimal but it is what it is. At least your main seating will be much better.

Mount the side surrounds to the sides of the main seating area. Mount the rear surrounds from the ceiling behind the seating. In the old arrangement, you wouldn't get decent surround anyway as the seating was at the rear boundary. At least some of the seats this way will have good surround field and bass response.

Bryan

Bryan


----------



## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

In your first configuration where the depth of the theatre area is 15', I wouldn't even consider using a 7.1 system..
As you have shown it, your LS, LBS, RBS, and RS are all on the same plane..That's not going to work..

With that design your only alternatives are to move the side surrounds further forward, either on stands or ceiling mounted..Forget about the back surrounds, they won't add very much to the overall surriund sound field..

The 90 degree orientation is the better alternative..
Is the sofa a modular unit?


----------



## Guest (Jan 4, 2009)

It is a modular unit, in three pieces. I'm tryint to come up with a way to split the couch into pieces, while still allowing for "Couch Potatos" to enjoy watching TV/Movies. This is the MAIN TV watching area in the home as well as movie watching.

And I only put the back speakers into the mix, because I had some small speakers sitting in the closet. Of course could live without those if necessary.


----------



## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

tmmths said:


> It is a modular unit, in three pieces. I'm tryint to come up with a way to split the couch into pieces, while still allowing for "Couch Potatos" to enjoy watching TV/Movies. This is the MAIN TV watching area in the home as well as movie watching.


Do you have just a TV in that room, or are you planning on putting in a projector as well?


----------



## Guest (Jan 5, 2009)

Just the TV. Samsung HL61A750 61" DLP.


----------



## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

tmmths said:


> Just the TV. Samsung HL61A750 61" DLP.


In which case, I would just leave it the way you originally showed on the plan, and just move your L&R surrounds further forward and forget the back surrounds..
Also, move your sofa further forward away from the back wall..
For TV viewing it should be fine..


----------



## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Prof. said:


> In which case, I would just leave it the way you originally showed on the plan, and just move your L&R surrounds further forward and forget the back surrounds..
> Also, move your sofa further forward away from the back wall..
> For TV viewing it should be fine..


What about just leaving the left + right surround speakers on the back wall, and remove the other two and moving the couch a little (1'-2')to the front??? :huh:

EDIT: He can point them to the seating position ...


----------



## Guest (Jan 5, 2009)

Interesting you should say that. I decided to leave things the way they were because of the size of the sofa, and I did move it closer/away from the wall, around 12" or so, last evening and it already sounds much better. We're getting some drapery panels for the windows to block the sun (southern exposure) which should help absorb a bit of sound as well. I lowered the level of the front/surround speakers and sub plus raised the center channel level a bit (since the throw is so short), which helped take care of some of the "Boom" and kept the dialouge bright without losing any of the Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD joy.

I'm also considering getting some bass traps for three of the corners (one has a door so no room there), and possibly some Broadband panels...as budget allows.

Thanx to all for the info.

:R


----------



## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

tmmths said:


> Interesting you should say that. I decided to leave things the way they were because of the size of the sofa, and I did move it closer/away from the wall, around 12" or so, last evening and it already sounds much better.


Are you still using the left and right rear (the one in the middle)??? ...if yes, try using just the speakers near the desk and piano (if they don't sound good try to move it closer to couch).


----------



## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

salvasol said:


> What about just leaving the left + right surround speakers on the back wall, and remove the other two and moving the couch a little (1'-2')to the front??? :huh:
> 
> EDIT: He can point them to the seating position ...


Yes..he could do that..It might be safer that way than having surrounds on stands in a family room situation..


----------



## Prof. (Oct 20, 2006)

tmmths said:


> Interesting you should say that. I decided to leave things the way they were because of the size of the sofa, and I did move it closer/away from the wall, around 12" or so, last evening and it already sounds much better. We're getting some drapery panels for the windows to block the sun (southern exposure) which should help absorb a bit of sound as well. I lowered the level of the front/surround speakers and sub plus raised the center channel level a bit (since the throw is so short), which helped take care of some of the "Boom" and kept the dialouge bright without losing any of the Dolby TrueHD/DTS-HD joy.
> 
> I'm also considering getting some bass traps for three of the corners (one has a door so no room there), and possibly some Broadband panels...as budget allows.
> 
> ...


To set the sound levels correctly, you really need to use an SPL meter..Then everything will be balanced..
Bass traps and panels will certainly help..


----------

