New room problems?


I've recently moved my system to a new dedicated 2ch/HT room. In the old room (just your everyday living room) I had wide soundstage and deep bass. I had made no real attempt to optimize my speaker placement since I was building the new media room and knew I'd have to move everything soon. At my listening position in the new room, the soundstage is wide but strong bass response is hanging about 3 feet above my head. If I stand up the bass response is perfect as well as the soundstage. If I sit I have wide soundstage but little bass response.

New room: 18'x11.5x8' speakers on short wall with media cabinet and TV in between, room is carpeted, speakers are 8.5' apart, 16" from side walls, 28" out from front wall, 1" toe in to listening position which is 8' from speakers.

System (sorry nothing fancy): Jolida JD100 player into Rotel RSX-1056 surr processor, left and right signal sent to a Rotel RB-1080 amp for 2 channel listening into Von Schweikert VR4-jr speakers. Speakers are biwired. Interconnects are homemade using Chris Venhaus' method. Speaker wire is standard 12 guage braided.

None of the interconnects or cables were changed when I moved from one room to another. I've moved the speakers around quite a bit but have not been able to move the bass response down to my sitting ear level and I loose the nice wide soundstage if I push the speakers back into the corners or closer together.

I assume room treatments are in my future but which ones? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.
wrekkah

Showing 2 responses by ckoffend

The first three things that I would do are the following:

#1: temporarily place something in the corners, behind the speakers to absorb some of the sound eminating out of the corner (a tall plant, hang a large beach towel, etc. nothing permanent). Listen for change, if none, remove for now.
#2: place something under the rear of the speaker to angle it downward (or adjust the spikes accordingly). Listen for a lowered soundstage. Then add #1 back and listen again. Then remove if not satisfied.
#3: Toe in the speakers more, so that the speakers are just aiming at each ear. Listen, then add #1 back into the mix, then add #2 back as well into the mix, then leave #2 and remove #1.

If none of these items reflect any improvement, you will liekly need to play around a bit with moving the speakers in smaller increments forward and back, side to side. The toe in should help taking care of side wall reflecting and the forward tilting of the speakers should take care or change the reflection of the floor. Also, you can play around with just angling the upper module as well, either in conjunction with the bass module changes, which may be necessary to optimize to your goals.

Do you have the 4 JRs filled with shot? If not, I would do that, it definately helps in other areas and tightens the bass. Perhaps you have an undefined bass response and your have a couple of room issues that further magnifies this at different heights.

Also, you are sitting virtually against the rear wall, based on your measurements. What happens if you move your seat forward, combined with a bit more toe in?
The idea with the towels, bunched up and hung was purely a temporary test, free! Also, the towels if bunched up with dampen the bass and all sound waves quite a bit - no, not as much as product specific solutions will. But it is free and will/should begin to show what some absorbtion will contribute to the phenomina he is experiencing. Short term - free testing only!