I've been working on designing a home theater space that also doubles as a critical 2 channel listening space. This room would be incorporated into a basement, but the design is open to really any size and shape options.
Because the size and shape of the room is completely open, I'm trying to determine what is the best acoustical shaped room. Up to this point I've determined that a 'golden trapezoid' shaped room with a tapered high ceiling is a good place to start.
I've been using various room calculators to determine the approximate size, and have several different room dimensions, all around the 18ft wide, 28ft long, and 9ft high area.
My problem is after the size and shape of the room is selected.
I don't want a room that plastered with hanging sound panels so I'm trying to create some interior room designs that will serve as the room sound treatments. For example: stone work that would act as diffusors, wood trimmed panelled walls containing absorbers, baffled ceiling panels acting as reflectors or absorbers, etc....
The problem in creating such a design is determining what type of sound treatment material belongs in which location:huh:. There are different schools of thought on this. Some say absorbers should be used on the speaker wall, first order reflection points, ceiling, etc... and as you work past the 'one seat of excellence' the absorbers change to diffusors. Others say that in 2 channel listening situations the need to create a large sound field is important and therefore using diffusors on the speaker wall, first order reflection points and ceiling points is important.:dontknow: (BTW - when I say first order reflections I just mean the reflection points between the speakers and the first listener - not all first order reflection points).
I've studied expensive listening rooms and theaters alike trying to find a common theme, but without luck. There are 2 channel rooms with either diffusors or aborbers, and there are home theaters with either or both in the various locations.
I see problems with both. If absorbers are added at the aforementioned locations, this would add to deadening the room and closing in the sound field. If I add diffusors wouldn't that spray sound around? That would create a larger sound field but wouldn't that hurt your imaging?
If anyone could advise me on what type of treatment should go in which location I'd greatly appreciate it. Once I know and understand this I can continue to create the interior design to naturally incorporate the proper sound control items.
I do understand I'm attempting to serve two masters by incorporating a 2 channel listening area within my home theater. But there has to be a happy medium. I do enjoy the one seat of excellence for my music enjoyment. If you design a room with great music listening properties that can't hurt your movie watching experience can it? When you're watching a movie you want to be surrounded by the sound and have all the depth and height which puts you there in the movie, but you're not listening to the audio in a critical manner. If it's doing it's job you can hear the dialog and experience the action but that's not your only focus, there's the picture as well.
Where as when you're listening to a music CD you also want to be there, but sound shouldn't be coming from around and behind you. Unless otherwise recorded, the CD was recorded in 2 channel stereo and that's how it was to be heard and experienced. The musicians are suppose to be seated in various locations in front of you performing and you should be able to tell where the piano is, the drums, where the vocalist is, etc... There should be an intelligible height and depth to each and every instrument.
Again, any advice would be appreciated:help:.
Because the size and shape of the room is completely open, I'm trying to determine what is the best acoustical shaped room. Up to this point I've determined that a 'golden trapezoid' shaped room with a tapered high ceiling is a good place to start.
I've been using various room calculators to determine the approximate size, and have several different room dimensions, all around the 18ft wide, 28ft long, and 9ft high area.
My problem is after the size and shape of the room is selected.
I don't want a room that plastered with hanging sound panels so I'm trying to create some interior room designs that will serve as the room sound treatments. For example: stone work that would act as diffusors, wood trimmed panelled walls containing absorbers, baffled ceiling panels acting as reflectors or absorbers, etc....
The problem in creating such a design is determining what type of sound treatment material belongs in which location:huh:. There are different schools of thought on this. Some say absorbers should be used on the speaker wall, first order reflection points, ceiling, etc... and as you work past the 'one seat of excellence' the absorbers change to diffusors. Others say that in 2 channel listening situations the need to create a large sound field is important and therefore using diffusors on the speaker wall, first order reflection points and ceiling points is important.:dontknow: (BTW - when I say first order reflections I just mean the reflection points between the speakers and the first listener - not all first order reflection points).
I've studied expensive listening rooms and theaters alike trying to find a common theme, but without luck. There are 2 channel rooms with either diffusors or aborbers, and there are home theaters with either or both in the various locations.
I see problems with both. If absorbers are added at the aforementioned locations, this would add to deadening the room and closing in the sound field. If I add diffusors wouldn't that spray sound around? That would create a larger sound field but wouldn't that hurt your imaging?
If anyone could advise me on what type of treatment should go in which location I'd greatly appreciate it. Once I know and understand this I can continue to create the interior design to naturally incorporate the proper sound control items.
I do understand I'm attempting to serve two masters by incorporating a 2 channel listening area within my home theater. But there has to be a happy medium. I do enjoy the one seat of excellence for my music enjoyment. If you design a room with great music listening properties that can't hurt your movie watching experience can it? When you're watching a movie you want to be surrounded by the sound and have all the depth and height which puts you there in the movie, but you're not listening to the audio in a critical manner. If it's doing it's job you can hear the dialog and experience the action but that's not your only focus, there's the picture as well.
Where as when you're listening to a music CD you also want to be there, but sound shouldn't be coming from around and behind you. Unless otherwise recorded, the CD was recorded in 2 channel stereo and that's how it was to be heard and experienced. The musicians are suppose to be seated in various locations in front of you performing and you should be able to tell where the piano is, the drums, where the vocalist is, etc... There should be an intelligible height and depth to each and every instrument.
Again, any advice would be appreciated:help:.
