Hello Doc.... this is excellent news....
Sorry... but Im going to try to talk "engineer",
even though I don't know how - so please try to read between my mistakes. I'll look the fool by using the wrong words - but this is to
to wait until I know more.
In the end, I only have one real question from this very long winded post. In your experience, "Do you think it is "likely" these efforts
can bring me enough understanding, to justify the time spent?"
Also, most of my information here is just description - Im not actually asking for analysis. Its to complex for an internet analysis, at least until I get some specific test results. Im just asking to be judged if my general direction and theory is headed in a good direction, or am I being a "nutter"?
I've studied enough to see the intellectual page you are on, but a lot of the print is still to fine for me to make out clearly. I have fair knowledge of sound wave dynamics, room size & structure, effects of materials & their placement, speaker positioning, and hardware performance - per the concepts in the Master Handbook of Acoustics and several hundred online articles. I came to believe, during my studies, that physical room acoustics are so important, they "have" to be understood and improved first thing, because they color everything else so much. Since you've done this kind of work for real, and I am just a novice "wanna-be", I believe you can correct me if I am off target.
My plan is to develope a good feel for the effects of various equipment/acoustic treatment arrangements, so I can fairly "guess" how to design/build/improve a super audio/HT experience. I plan to perform dozens of tests, comparing the differences in graphed responses of these three equipment/test set ups:
1 - Use a Dayton portable 75w RMS x2/bridgeable amp powering either a small pair of high quality speakers or single 10" sub (using the amp's 50 t0 150 Hz low-pass filter).... to determine test-unit performance for various speaker placements/configurations.
2 - Use this same amp to power my HT's speakers individually and as subsets - mains, center, surrounds, right side, left side.... hoping to see how typical speaker placement and design effect the graphs.
3 - Perform a normal REW analysis of my personal HT equipment and configure my system for best performance. This will give me an endpoint standard for comparison, and let me hear "all my system can be"...
Unfortunately, I will be learning in my 1300 cu ft room, which I have probably overkilled with 2020 watts (7.1 ch x 110w, 2x integrated 350w "mains" amps, and 550w SVS sub amp) and all speakers are "large room" designed (maxed out Onix "Rockets" and Axiom surrounds). Might be a bit "heavy"?... I'll see, ahh hear... when I get the new Rockets.
On the bright side I am very single, so there is no "Wife Approval Factor", and I have built dozens of acoustic panels, for everything, but the carpeted floor. The panels are meant to mitigate exaggerated bass response and calculated room modes. Im using thicknesses of solid #703 fiberglass up to 16", with a rough "mean average" around 6". Half of the panels are either smaller domed "clouds", large and trianguler front "corners", or a few ovals and irregulars for "spot" work. The other nineteen panels (4@24" plus 15@6") are freestanding, rectangular, and 4" thick, with a full absorption face and mildly refective side. While my room volume is low, it does have good dimensions (15'2 x 11' x 7'10), and I can adjust both % of panel coverage and panel placement, to tune the space.
OK... enough is enough... for one post.
You had to work hard to get the "Designers Award", and I'll bet you went thru much the same thing I am planning. Do you think this will be some valuable research/experience? and do you think it might help me to become more "wizardly", in an acoustic design sense?... after all, my goal is to get MUCH better at this stuff. By the way, what does "this device will be RAAD" mean?... although Im sure it is...
Thanks for you patience and insights and hope you are having some good holidays... Hermit...