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New Place - What Would You Do?

Caution: Epic novella.


Just as I was about to downsize, I’ve decided to move back to a larger place. I will be getting my gear/software back from my ex in about a month or so. What I need to do is plan where I’m setting up, and how. I need to budget to tame the rooms sound-wise (curtains, rugs, panels if needed...). The house layout is insanely open, great for your feng shui, terrible for sound.


Here's a link to the floor plan of the house. with measurements and a few photos to give you an idea of what I'm up against. These are old photos. The place has zero furniture at the moment and all of downstairs is now hardwood (you'll see carpet in living room photos).


The house is a nightmare for audio. I’m familiar with this floor plan from a former life, and this is the worst version possible. You’ll notice there’s markings for speaker cable access as well as built in speakers (JBL I think). This can all be accessed by the coat closet next to the downstairs bathroom. I think the original owner had his gear rack in there. At one point I was considering using the master bedroom – which would be perfect, but I’ve been domesticated so I think I’ll keep it as a bedroom. Anyway, I’ve got 3 potential listening rooms.


1) Family room. It includes the kitchen, and really, entry area. Besides the kitchen and catwalk, it’s a 20’ ceiling. The upper rooms form a circle around the perimeter. While it’s the largest room, it’s also one I don’t think I can tame, even dedicating more money than I’d like for sound treatment. Additionally, the idiotic placement of the office doors, and almost floor to ceiling windows on one side make placing a tv a daunting task. About the only thing I’ve figured is just put it in front of the window. Sadly, it’s a room I’ll hang in a lot, so maybe the TV will still be there and some stand-mounts.


2) Living room. I’m 90% sure this is the room to use. It’s relatively contained, although about 70% of one wall is open, to the dining area and the 20’ entry ceiling. The guy that built the place fancied himself an AV buff, so there’s speaker wire running to the green X’s. The living room is where he’d obviously set up his screen and projector and “surround” system. The ceiling is tiered, and 12’ high in the center. Same w/dining. Also the room that sadly makes the most sense for a screen.


3) Bed 2. In my old similar layout, I had this room extended over the wasted space entry, it was about 12x19, with reinforced joists and dedicated panel. It was awesome. This room however is about 10x12, has 2 poorly placed doors, but is at least carpeted and contained with a 10’ ceiling. So, tiny. Welcome to the SF Bay Area!


As mentioned, my ex has had my gear for 5 years, but I’m getting it back – woo-hoo! Plus, about 2k LPs and 1.5k CDs. I’m assuming it’s all in working order but who knows. Fingers crossed!


Current Gear:
- BAT VK-220 amp
- BAT VK 3Xi pre
- Oppo BDP-105? CD/DVD (Been so long I don’t remember)
- Music Hall MMF 7.x turntable
- Thiel 2 2 speakers
Also:
- Adcom GFA-555 II amp
- Adcom GFP-585 pre


Yes, it's all just mid-fi but might start building as I put my life back together again. I'm 20 years behind the curve. I'm also really a 2-channel music person first and foremost. I'd like to get my digital collection on an NAS, but not a priority. I'd also like to figure out this streaming thing. I'm 100% clueless. I'd love to keep my current gear and just add on. 5 weeks ago I was looking at getting some bookshelf speakers for my townhouse, but now? I'm considering some KEF R700/7's, as I'm not sure what shape the Thiels are still in.


So, you can recommend what you think I should do, or what you'd do for you! There's a lot of things I'm just not aware of on the market. I'd love a 75" TV but where would I put it? How?  Feel free to ask questions, this already got too long! I appreciate any of your thoughts on this.
128x128uncle_monkey
uncle_monkey's avatar
uncle_monkey OP
54 posts
 
Thanks for the thoughts!

Yikes on the LPs! Nothing she'd do would surprise me. I have no idea about their state, my ex is a miserable human being and I wouldn't put anything past her. But I swear, if she did something like embed the LP's into a kitchen floor, she'd be part of the new patio. I'm hoping being lazy, she never moved them from the stereo room and they're still in their installed shelves. I used to be so - um - OCD that I cataloged all of them on recipe cards. I probably stopped that practice in the 90's, but that would be a good 80%+ of my collection.

In my prior similar floor plan with my dedicated listening room - although the sound was perfect - I found I didn't listen nearly as often as I did when the system was in the main living area in my old, humble bungalow. So that's something I want to avoid. Turning the master into a dedicated room could be done - but I'd be faced with the same issue. I want to live with music like I used to 30 years ago.


Right now my current speaker cable is 12ft. The system as it sat had the rack between the 2 speakers. Balanced from pre to amp. I have a box full of MIT, audioquest, etc., but I think the longest run is 15 ft.


I guess my biggest concern with the family area is there's literally no place to put a $%#& TV. Except right in front of the giant picture window. In my other home with the same floor plan, there weren't office doors, the entry to that room was next to the bathroom (it was a proper bedroom) so that wall had a giant built in cabinet with the TV inside of it.

Yeah, the room I hang in makes the most sense - but taming it is going to be a daunting task. The beauty of the family room though is I can hear it fine in the office, and I can hear it fine in my studio (Bed 2). I suppose really if I want a movie room, that's what the living room could be used for. I don't have to worry about WAF any longer, and if I "entertain" it's going to be casual and probably outside by the BBQ.


A trial run is probably a good idea - at least to get an idea of what I'm facing. I do have the Adcoms right now. Maybe seeing if my old B+W DM14s still work would give me an idea of what I'm facing. The downstairs floors are hardwood on concrete slab, so vibration isn't much of an issue.
Thanks again!
glupson
7,842 posts
 
noromance summed it up nicely. Forget about getting it "perfect". Put it where it will be used the most.

Next step is realizing that what was at some ex for five years is not that appealing anymore.
kudelka8
34 posts
 
Sounds like a good time to upgrade you power supply. Hospital grade wall outlet (Furutech or Wattgate), perfect path contact enhancer (and a PPGate, if you’re flush enough)" , dedicated lines. That is what I’d do first if I was moving to a new house. No time like the present.
A big room you can always adjust, there’s less you can do to solve a small room’s acoustics. So I’d put it in the larger room.

my own attitude is that for heaven’s sake I live in this room. I read here, I entertain here, I nap here, and so on, besides playing music here. So I’ve made sure my speakers are perfectly located, and put a lot of thought into antivibration techniques, and I’ve placed furniture and bookcases and carpets to make the best of the space acoustically, but beyond that, I try not to obsess too much   over acoustics. 
Try placing a box of record albums in front of your component rack between the speakers. I stumbled onto that tweak, and was shocked by how much it improved the soundstage (in this room, with this system). Simple as that. 

kudelka8
34 posts
 
Sounds like a good time to upgrade you power supply. Hospital grade wall outlet (Furutech or Wattgate), perfect path contact enhancer (and a PPGate, if you’re flush enough)" , dedicated lines. That is what I’d do first if I was moving to a new house. No time like the present.
A big room you can always adjust, there’s less you can do to solve a small room’s acoustics. So I’d put it in the larger room.

my own attitude is that for heaven’s sake I live in this room. I read here, I entertain here, I nap here, and so on, besides playing music here. So I’ve made sure my speakers are perfectly located, and put a lot of thought into antivibration techniques, and I’ve placed furniture and bookcases and carpets to make the best of the space acoustically, but beyond that, I try not to obsess too much   over acoustics. 
Try placing a box of record albums in front of your component rack between the speakers. I stumbled onto that tweak, and was shocked by how much it improved the soundstage (in this room, with this system). Simple as that. 

bkeske's avatar
bkeske
5,564 posts
 
Looking at the plan and video, my initial thought would be the living room too. Personally I would want my listening room downstairs close to the other areas I will be using on a normal day/evening. The windows are a bit tough, as will be the large opening to the entry hall. But, that could/may also be a bit of a ‘plus’, especially if you could put the speakers on each side of the fireplace. Problem is, to move your speakers into the room 3 ft or so will begin to ‘push you out into that opening as far as seating (12’ will diminish fast). Or, speakers on the front wall with the window behind (with window treatment), but then the open ‘side wall’ will be a challenge while being more closed on the other (fireplace) wall.
The two story family looks like a nightmare for sound/acoustics, especially with all the other glass, openings, and kitchen beyond.

Good luck.
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