the listening room: "golden ratio"?


I too am about to build a listening room, actually, I'm building a garage and adding the room over the top. There seems to be a lot of advice to pay attention to the "golden ratio" which, essentially requires a room at least 25 feet long, by, roughly 17. this seems really "BIG". The rationale for the size is based on the theory that the lower hz frequency has a "wave length" of 25' or something to that affect. However, there are few speakers that reach down to that range. I have BW N804, whose freq. response is around 40hz. I was thinking of getting some N803's which add a bit, but still nothing close to 20hz. As nice as it might be to build a 25'X 17' room, I'd like to stick to somehthing around 15 X 12, roughly half the total size of the garage. How much would I "lose" in that size? The other consideration is the cost of heating this room, living in the north, my electronics would not like to spend the winter out there at -30 and electric base board heat would run up a hell of a bill.
thoughts?
joeb
joeb

Showing 1 response by tireguy

Look at this site and then you'll understand why things are the way they are http://www.rivesaudio.com/listroom.html it explains how to calculate room nodes and why they are important. If you have the means to have them design your room it would be a good idea- everyone has an idea how to make a room sound good(myself included), but these guys do KNOW how to make a good sounding room, in fact they do it for a living and in this field you would have to be good to make it. If nothing else look at the link I gave you and try the equations with all the possible room dimentions you are thinking.