Setting Up Home Theater / Listening Room

[DuncanS]

After a two month wait, finally got my GIK Acoustic panels in, almost, missing two 48" X 48' side reflection panels.
1. The first picture is (3) 24" X 2" side absorption panels, not installed just sitting down stairs, have to mount the two 48" panels first to create the proper spread, but there not here yet. I got the art prints, scenes that make me feel good.
View attachment 62141
2. This picture are the rear wall diffusers, 4 of them, the closet panels and the little cut out where the entry door is.
View attachment 62142
3. This picture are the bass traps. Had to modify them a tiny bit as they both went over the outlets that the two subs plug into. Fairly easy to correct and then I added shims at the very bottom to tighten them up against the wall.
View attachment 62143
Now, I am certainly not concerned but will have to recalibrate the system as subs got moved and just over all sound although an improvement needs to be dialed in for the improvement.
Speaking of improvement, right off the bat, hands down a large improvement, the biggest is those little high vibrations went away and bass is as smooth as silk, can't wait to dial in the final.
Almost there.

I've got VU meter envy again!

 

[4-earredwonder]

I've got VU meter envy again!

Wouldn't you rather stare at the 77" OLED Screen, Dunc?

 

[JanBakker]

My envy goes way beyond that

 

[DuncanS]

Wouldn't you rather stare at the 77" OLED Screen, Dunc?

Only if it was displaying VU meters

 

[4-earredwonder]

Only if it was displaying VU meters

And replace the Yuletide Log?

 

[DuncanS]

And replace the Yuletide Log?

Lavatorial or arboreal?

 

[4-earredwonder]

Lavatorial or arboreal?

Are you insinuating the cookies left for Santa didn't agree with him?gluten free....my ASS!

 

[J. PUPSTER]

After a two month wait, finally got my GIK Acoustic panels in, almost, missing two 48" X 48' side reflection panels.
1. The first picture is (3) 24" X 2" side absorption panels, not installed just sitting down stairs, have to mount the two 48" panels first to create the proper spread, but there not here yet. I got the art prints, scenes that make me feel good.
View attachment 62141
2. This picture are the rear wall diffusers, 4 of them, the closet panels and the little cut out where the entry door is.
View attachment 62142
3. This picture are the bass traps. Had to modify them a tiny bit as they both went over the outlets that the two subs plug into. Fairly easy to correct and then I added shims at the very bottom to tighten them up against the wall.
View attachment 62143
Now, I am certainly not concerned but will have to recalibrate the system as subs got moved and just over all sound although an improvement needs to be dialed in for the improvement.
Speaking of improvement, right off the bat, hands down a large improvement, the biggest is those little high vibrations went away and bass is as smooth as silk, can't wait to dial in the final.
Almost there.

So awesome! What’s the best sounding, piece of strictly music you’ve heard so far?

 

[DuncanS]

Are you insinuating the cookies left for Santa didn't agree with him?

A burning log might put off Santa and as for the cookies

 

[marpow]

So awesome! What’s the best sounding, piece of strictly music you’ve heard so far?

Wow, J-Pup, hard to figure that one out.
For pure cranking it up surround would have to be Jeff Becks Rough and Ready and Foo fighters One By One.
For 2020 recent surround the Atmos of King Crimson tracks 2,3,4, I don't really like Schizoid, heard it too much, but tracks 2,3,and 4 really took me to a different place, and the Ultravox 5.1 Vienna, super good.
You know it's all about mood I'm in.
I love stereo and that is literaly mood based some days a lowly CD sounds fantastic.
I look at certain ATMOS music like Booka Shade for instance, recorded great, fantastic Atmos, BUT, not really a go to listening music, more like a cool novelty to me.
I am going to the ear doctor this Weds for my annual check and cleaning, and then the ear sound test, which I already know when the real super high frequencys come in my hearing falls off and I have slight ringing in my right ear, just want to preserve what i have, cuz once hearing is gone can't take a vitamin or excersize to bring it back.
Funny, even with that I feel I can actually hear pretty good.
One thing I used to be very stubborn about was only listening to the way the music came off the disc, like I was torturing myself to want to hear it differently/better. I would read threads where others would say add 3db here or turn down there.
Now, I have no rules, I might adjust my channels, slightly of course, from recording to recording. It's amazing how many recordings are different in style. Some vocals for instance are at sides, some phantom center, on and on. If I hear even the slightest that makes me uncomfortable, I adjust. That is a big learn for me.
J-Pup you really got me going, good question for the masses.
Maybe you meant strictly music as in instrumental?

 

[marpow]

Oh, I forgot to add one thing. When setting up your stereo speaker levels, left and right, I learned this from Steve Guttenberg, take a mono recording and that sound should be dead center between the two speakers, really good trick for overall set up.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Wow, J-Pup, hard to figure that one out.
For pure cranking it up surround would have to be Jeff Becks Rough and Ready and Foo fighters One By One.
For 2020 recent surround the Atmos of King Crimson tracks 2,3,4, I don't really like Schizoid, heard it too much, but tracks 2,3,and 4 really took me to a different place, and the Ultravox 5.1 Vienna, super good.
You know it's all about mood I'm in.
I love stereo and that is literaly mood based some days a lowly CD sounds fantastic.
I look at certain ATMOS music like Booka Shade for instance, recorded great, fantastic Atmos, BUT, not really a go to listening music, more like a cool novelty to me.
I am going to the ear doctor this Weds for my annual check and cleaning, and then the ear sound test, which I already know when the real super high frequencys come in my hearing falls off and I have slight ringing in my right ear, just want to preserve what i have, cuz once hearing is gone can't take a vitamin or excersize to bring it back.
Funny, even with that I feel I can actually hear pretty good.
One thing I used to be very stubborn about was only listening to the way the music came off the disc, like I was torturing myself to want to hear it differently/better. I would read threads where others would say add 3db here or turn down there.
Now, I have no rules, I might adjust my channels, slightly of course, from recording to recording. It's amazing how many recordings are different in style. Some vocals for instance are at sides, some phantom center, on and on. If I hear even the slightest that makes me uncomfortable, I adjust. That is a big learn for me.
J-Pup you really got me going, good question for the masses.
Maybe you meant strictly music as in instrumental?

Just meant purely sound quality, could be stereo. Clean and with 3D (you are there) out in the room imaging.

 

[marpow]

This will be my final post on this thread, more or less. Thank you Ubertrout for starting this thread that I kind of hijacked but became a good fit for me. Post # 6, started June 26th 2020 finished 1/27/2021. Super fun, very frustrating project, really took my time, talked to people, read and watched a lot, measured and remeasured beyond belief. Would have never happened if my wife didn't OK giving up one of our 3 bedrooms, that's pretty cool. I feel like I nailed it, no regrets, all planning with pen and paper worked out better than hoped for, works and sounds fantastic. Today I will recalibrate system, as I am convinced the pieces are in the proper places. I used Audessy correction a couple months ago to get it going, but today as I trust my self and my room acoustics that I will do everything manual with my Radio Shack sound meter. This way I will be getting pure speaker sound, compensating for nothing. Ditched the idea of DIRAC LIVE, MINI DSP, REW, etc., was making me crazy. Even thought about Trinnov, wow, now that is expensive. I will be driving this room, sometimes stepping on the gas and sometimes hitting the brake, my ears and my feelings will be my guide.
I will close with pictures of GIK Acoustic panels and room. Anybody ever wants to question or comment, feel free.
Thanks for all who have been positive. I call my room The Lazy Caterpillar. The room 12' TV wall X 14'. The pictures I took from iPhone makes the room look a little squished, but it is not.
This first picture, I got off the internet and was my vision.

 

[JanBakker]

Here comes that envy again

 

[DuncanS]

Here comes that envy again

yup, its a system just made to play the Beatles lovely Rita VU meter maid!

 

[ted_b]

As I continue to put my shopping list together for my new audio room I am currently concentrating on cabling, especially balanced (XLR) cables. I ran smurf tubes through the unfinished walls (now close to finished) and have pull wires all ready. The fact that I could not go to my rear surround locations as the crow flies means that I am looking at nearly 50 ft of run to my right surround (meaning buying a pair of 50 ft'ers although left surround is slightly closer). Is there a consensus on great sounding Neutrik/Mogami/Signalcraft/etc XLR cabling that won't cost me a grand a foot?

 

[timothyemerson]

This will be my final post on this thread, more or less. Thank you Ubertrout for starting this thread that I kind of hijacked but became a good fit for me. Post # 6, started June 26th 2020 finished 1/27/2021. Super fun, very frustrating project, really took my time, talked to people, read and watched a lot, measured and remeasured beyond belief. Would have never happened if my wife didn't OK giving up one of our 3 bedrooms, that's pretty cool. I feel like I nailed it, no regrets, all planning with pen and paper worked out better than hoped for, works and sounds fantastic. Today I will recalibrate system, as I am convinced the pieces are in the proper places. I used Audessy correction a couple months ago to get it going, but today as I trust my self and my room acoustics that I will do everything manual with my Radio Shack sound meter. This way I will be getting pure speaker sound, compensating for nothing. Ditched the idea of DIRAC LIVE, MINI DSP, REW, etc., was making me crazy. Even thought about Trinnov, wow, now that is expensive. I will be driving this room, sometimes stepping on the gas and sometimes hitting the brake, my ears and my feelings will be my guide.
I will close with pictures of GIK Acoustic panels and room. Anybody ever wants to question or comment, feel free.
Thanks for all who have been positive. I call my room The Lazy Caterpillar. The room 12' TV wall X 14'. The pictures I took from iPhone makes the room look a little squished, but it is not.
This first picture, I got off the internet and was my vision.
View attachment 62287
View attachment 62284View attachment 62285View attachment 62286
View attachment 62288View attachment 62289View attachment 62290

How did I miss these latest pics until now? Very, very, very nice. My desktop backgrounds look like your wall art!

 

[Sal1950]

As I continue to put my shopping list together for my new audio room I am currently concentrating on cabling, especially balanced (XLR) cables. I ran smurf tubes through the unfinished walls (now close to finished) and have pull wires all ready. The fact that I could not go to my rear surround locations as the crow flies means that I am looking at nearly 50 ft of run to my right surround (meaning buying a pair of 50 ft'ers although left surround is slightly closer). Is there a consensus on great sounding Neutrik/Mogami/Signalcraft/etc XLR cabling that won't cost me a grand a foot?

BlueJeansCable

 

[ted_b]

Sal1950, what BlueJeans recipe do you like the best? I have a 20ft pair of their Belden/Neutrik but haven't dusted them off in years. They are too short for current surround needs (and too long for front soundstage).

 

[Sal1950]

Sal1950, what BlueJeans recipe do you like the best?

I don't use any balanced XLR cabling here so it would be hard for me to recommend anything. In the very long configurations you need I'm not sure which of their offerings would be best, the very low capacitance Belden or higher noise rejection of Star Quad. I'd give them a call to discuss your specific needs.
https://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/balancedaudio/index.htm