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[Tornado Red]

Since you don’t plug this in, not sure if you’d technically call it gear or not. I have about a 19’x11’ music/movie room. I like the size, but the Achilles heel has always been a 6.5’ wide open entry into the room. We like the opening so don’t want to wall and door it off, but it goes down a 20’ hallway with 2 rooms off of one side plus a stairway. Anyway, it‘s been a nightmare trying to get the room correction right, plus it’s an awfully big space for the subs to pressurize. So this past week I made a little project that’s basically a portable wall. There’s 4 panels each 2’ x just under 7’, made of mostly 1”x4” with some 1”x3” bracing, and the panels are connected using piano hinges. I used Rockwool safe and sound insulation with a cheap broadcloth for cover, then added 5” furniture mover feet for it to slide on the laminate and to provide stability. I offset the feet (2 per panel) on each panel so they wouldn’t interfere with each other when folded. Waiting on a 10” black hook and eye set to lock the top when folded, at which time I’ll lose the blue strap. The ceiling is low there, but is about a foot higher once you come in the main room. Initial thoughts are this is working better than I thought, with the bonus of it keeping noise out, as well as the sound in. Probably one of better things I’ve done to improve the sound for the money.FYI, the little white fence is to keep 2 terriers out.

 

[Albert Dagger]

I have recently bought an apartment in Melbourne CBD and this is my old/new system. I used to have a 5.0 system, and it has now been upgraded to a 5.0.2.

I have a Denon AVR X6400H, a Panasonic BD for movies and CDs, and a Sony BD for SACDs and DVD-A. The TV is a LG OLED 55".
Speakers are all Monitor Audio, the Silver Series.

A picture facing the living room/kitchen:

Here you can see the 5 bed channels plus the two height speakers:

 

[GOS]

I have recently bought an apartment in Melbourne CBD and this is my old/new system. I used to have a 5.0 system, and it has now been upgraded to a 5.0.2.

I have a Denon AVR X6400H, a Panasonic BD for movies and CDs, and a Sony BD for SACDs and DVD-A. The TV is a LG OLED 55".
Speakers are all Monitor Audio, the Silver Series.

View attachment 76931
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A picture facing the living room/kitchen:
View attachment 76933

Here you can see the 5 bed channels plus the two height speakers:
View attachment 76934

Beautiful!!!

 

[Sal1950]

I have recently bought an apartment in Melbourne CBD and this is my old/new system.

Nice Hi Fi kit, and one hell of a view out that window!

 

[minimumtumbleweed]

View attachment 74786
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These Edifier P17 speakers arrived today, helping me on the journey to Dolby Atmos. I've been 7.2 for a long time now, going to retire my venerable Pioneer SC-61 receiver when a new Onkyo TX-RZ840 arrives, hopefully Friday. I wanted the Onkyo TX-RZ50, but being retired has its constraints so saving $700 going with the previous model. Power is the same, but I'll be missing 8K and Dirac, both of which I can live without. I'll be running the heights, side surrounds and rear surrounds using the Onkyo, with a 3 channel amp for the front stage. Should have 7.2.2 when I'm done (though the subs will not be 'stereo' on this receiver). I have the new heights mounted on top of the cabinet as shown so I didn't have to cut into the ceiling. I have each of them mounted on 2 rubber door stops, I'll be watching to see if there's any movement at which point I may have to come up with something more secure.

Might I suggest, if using the heights for Atmos, I've found the effect to be much more significant when putting them on the sides of the room rather than the front, and setting them as Top Middle. I think that having them in the front is better for say DTS:X but I honestly couldn't differentiate between them and the front mains when they were up front. Given that the vertical distance between your fronts and the heights is pretty small, I'd say you probably found the same (and apologies if this is no longer relevant, I know this is an older post).

 

[Sal1950]

A picture facing the living room/kitchen:

I see you suffer from the same open floor plan, badly irregular room dimensions as I do. Makes it quite difficult to deal with imaging and FR issues. I've been working on some room treatments that are working for me just to give you a few ideas though they don't seem very applicable for you.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/sals-system.614/post-1107850

 

[MTB Vince]

Here is a couple overview pics of my dual-duty music (stereo & multi-channel) and cinema system as it currently appears- including several new and yet to be upholstered or stained & finished acoustic treatments. The sound proofed 20'x14'x11' room is a bit crowded as it was originally purpose built as a dedicated stereo listening space 25 years ago.

There are two independent source, preamplification, and bass management signal chains in the custom built gear rack. All the silver components are stereo while the black components are multi-channel. The parallel front ends share the L & R main monitors and the subwoofer array. Seamless switching between front-ends is accomplished automatically with a pair of ARX RS-1 12v triggered relay actuated XLR switchboxes hidden behind the gear rack.

Two Channel Front End: Jay's Audio CDT2 Mk3 Transport, PS Audio Direct Stream DAC w/ upgraded output transformers & outboard LPS, Oracle Delphi VI Reference/Turbo PS/SME V/Benz LP-S turntable, Coincident Statement Linestage Mk II, Foundation Research V5 phono-stage, & JL Audio CR-1 electronic subwoofer crossover
Multi-Channel Audio front-end: OppoMod UDP-203 (SACD, DVD Audio, & Movies), 4k Apple TV, & Anthem AVM60 pre-processor

The bed loudspeakers are five identical stand-mounted active studio monitors. Overhead loudspeakers are the "special install variant" passive little brothers of the main monitors and voiced nearly identically. For both stereo and multi-channel use, the monitors cross over to a quartet of subwoofers at 80Hz.

Loudspeakers/Amplification: either 2x or 5x ATC SCM20 ASL Pro II active stand mounted monitors, 4x ceiling mounted ATC SCM12i Pro driven by 2x Meridian 557 power amps for ATMOS/DTS-X media, augmented by 4x Seaton Submersive HP subwoofers, & a DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 subwoofer EQ/delay

Power: 4x B-P-T BP3.5 Signature Plus (amplification) & 1x B-P-T BP2 (front-end gear) balanced power conditioners fed by three identical length dedicated 20amp lines (same phase) with isolated grounds.

 

[LB-V]

Here is a couple overview pics of my dual-duty music (stereo & multi-channel) and cinema system as it currently appears- including several new and yet to be upholstered or stained & finished acoustic treatments. The sound proofed 20'x14'x11' room is a bit crowded as it was originally purpose built it as a dedicated stereo listening space 25 years ago.
View attachment 77931

Okay, that is an insanely cool room...holy cow. Congrats on that! Jealous! I am going to show the wife these pics just to demonstrate that my level of...engagement...in the hobby is not nearly as deep as it could be!!

Very nice MTB Vince!!!

 

[alansanchez86]

Here is a couple overview pics of my dual-duty music (stereo & multi-channel) and cinema system as it currently appears- including several new and yet to be upholstered or stained & finished acoustic treatments. The sound proofed 20'x14'x11' room is a bit crowded as it was originally purpose built it as a dedicated stereo listening space 25 years ago.
View attachment 77931
View attachment 77932



There are two independent source, preamplification, and bass management signal chains in the custom built gear rack. All the silver components are stereo while the black components are multi-channel. The parallel front ends share the L & R main monitors and the subwoofer array. Seamless switching between front-ends is accomplished automatically with a pair of ARX RS-1 12v triggered relay actuated XLR switchboxes hidden behind the gear rack.

Two Channel Front End: Jay's Audio CDT2 Mk3 Transport, PS Audio Direct Stream DAC w/ upgraded output transformers & outboard LPS, Oracle Delphi VI Reference/Turbo PS/SME V/Benz LP-S turntable, Coincident Statement Linestage Mk II, Foundation Research V5 phono-stage, & JL Audio CR-1 electronic subwoofer crossover
Multi-Channel Audio front-end: OppoMod UDP-203 (SACD, DVD Audio, & Movies), 4k Apple TV, & Anthem AVM60 pre-processor
View attachment 77943
View attachment 77945



The bed loudspeakers are five identical stand-mounted active studio monitors. Overhead loudspeakers are the "special install variant" passive little brothers of the main monitors and voiced nearly identically. For both stereo and multi-channel use, the monitors cross over to a quartet of subwoofers at 80Hz.

Loudspeakers/Amplification: either 2x or 5x ATC SCM20 ASL Pro II active stand mounted monitors, 4x ceiling mounted ATC SCM12i Pro driven by 2x Meridian 557 power amps for ATMOS/DTS-X media, augmented by 4x Seaton Submersive HP subwoofers, & a DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 subwoofer EQ/delay
View attachment 77948
View attachment 77949
View attachment 77950



Power: 4x B-P-T BP3.5 Signature Plus (amplification) & 1x B-P-T BP2 (front-end gear) balanced power conditioners fed by three identical length dedicated 20amp lines (same phase) with isolated grounds.
View attachment 77952

That's a helluva setup/pad! Congrats!

 

[Sal1950]

Here is a couple overview pics of my dual-duty music (stereo & multi-channel) and cinema system as it currently appears- including several new and yet to be upholstered or stained & finished acoustic treatments.

Incredible room and system setup, I'm SO jealous!
Looks like you've spent just a bit of time sitting in that center seat. LOL

 

[Albert Dagger]

I see you suffer from the same open floor plan, badly irregular room dimensions as I do. Makes it quite difficult to deal with imaging and FR issues. I've been working on some room treatments that are working for me just to give you a few ideas though they don't seem very applicable for you.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/sals-system.614/post-1107850

Thanks.

Imaging is quite good in my system, despite the room dimensions and shape would suggest differently. It also sounds good, so for now I haven’t invested in any room treatment.

The biggest issue at this stage is that I have too many reflective surfaces and I should increase absorption. I have large windows on the left, timber flooring, a leather couch. No rug.

If I will ever invest in acoustic treatment, I’ll add absorption panels behind the front speakers, trying to reduce the reverberation time of the room. I did some tests and adding absorption surfaces improves a bit, the system also sounds slightly warmer. I cannot do that in the first-reflection areas (windows on the left, no wall on the right).

I’ve also tested a diffuser behind the couch and does not make any audible difference in my room.

 

[MTB Vince]

Thanks.

Imaging is quite good in my system, despite the room dimensions and shape would suggest differently. It also sounds good, so for now I haven’t invested in any room treatment.

The biggest issue at this stage is that I have too many reflective surfaces and I should increase absorption. I have large windows on the left, timber flooring, a leather couch. No rug.

If I will ever invest in acoustic treatment, I’ll add absorption panels behind the front speakers, trying to reduce the reverberation time of the room. I did some tests and adding absorption surfaces improves a bit, the system also sounds slightly warmer. I cannot do that in the first-reflection areas (windows on the left, no wall on the right).

I’ve also tested a diffuser behind the couch and does not make any audible difference in my room.

A diffuser was never going to work on the wall immediately behind your head @albertop. Diffusers require room to actually do the diffusing. In fact some diffusers (any sort of QRD or Primitive Root phase grating) will make the reflections sound weird, buzzy and much worse if your ears are near them like that! The appropriate treatment for the back wall immediately behind your ears would be a 6" depth (or greater) broadband absorptive panel. The only way to correctly deal with a strong reflection at that proximity is to wipe it out entirely.

While I love both the aesthetic and view available from your gorgeous condo, I don't envy you your listening space. Not in it's current configuration anyway. As a (much) younger man, I lived in several apartments with the same layout as your beautifully appointed condo. This advice isn't going to do you any favors at this point but for a living space like you currently have, sonic best practice would have been to rotate your speaker and listening position arrangement by 90 degrees. For best sound the LCR loudspeaker trio and TV ought to have ideally been placed in front of the windows (and that lovely view) and firing down the length of the room. That way the front LCR trio would enjoy a (relatively) symmetrical boundary environment while the couch and MLP would have had the wide open space which your dinning area likely occupies behind it. It would also have afforded you the ability to have both front and rear Atmos overheads if you had desired.

 

[MTB Vince]

After waiting on my local upholstery shop to have time to fit my project in for months I finally gave up on them. So yesterday I spent the day reupholstering the modified RPG BAD (Binary Amplitude Diffuser) Arc panels I employ on my front wall. These hybrid acoustic treatment panels offer pure absorption up to 1kHz, gradually transitioning to diffusion between 1kHz & 5kHz, and are a reasonably efficient diffuser above 5kHz.

When I bought them used on Audiogon over a year ago, they began life as the standard 4" deep RPG BAD Arc and sported only an inch of OC706 fiberglass behind the curved reflective "scatter plate". In my iterative placement experiments with them I discovered that they worked much better in my room when I extended their lower frequency absorption range by placing a purely absorptive panel with an additional 4" of OC703 fiberglass immediately behind them. In fact on my front wall they worked great this way, providing an added sense of depth and spaciousness to the soundstage vs using just the broadband absorptive panels I had previously employed at these locations.

These successful experiments led to me peeling the original Guilford of Maine fabric upholstery off the RPG panels and modifying the panels. I built 4" back-box extensions and loaded them with an additional 4" depth of 3lbs/cu. ft. rigid fiberglass. This extended the efficient low frequency absorption of the modified 8" deep panels right down into the upper bass region.

The unfinished modified panels worked great but still looked pretty ugly though. I'd intended from the beginning to reupholster them to color match my existing treatments if they proved useful. I was initially concerned the curved face plates would make them much harder to upholster vs my prior rectangular DIY broadband absorptive trap projects, hence my original intention to farm out the upholstery job to a professional. However even with using the same decidedly non-stretchy fireproofed Guilford of Maine acoustic fabric for the job, it turned out to be no more difficult than the rectangular DIY panels I'd upholstered previously.

As the before and after pic below suggests, the end-result works and looks totally pro IMHO!

 

[Sal1950]

As the before and after pic below suggests, the end-result works and looks totally pro IMHO

Great job, looks perfect.

 

[barfle]

As the before and after pic below suggests, the end-result works and looks totally pro IMHO!

I “upholstered” the front of my room (well, I covered it with speaker grill cloth) to improve the spousal acceptance factor, and although I had some strange angles, I didn’t have any curves. Great job!

 

[Sonik Wiz]

I “upholstered” the front of my room (well, I covered it with speaker grill cloth) to improve the spousal acceptance factor, ans although I had some strange angles, I didn’t have any curves. Great job!

Have you posted a pic of this? I'd love to see this.

 

[MTB Vince]

I “upholstered” the front of my room (well, I covered it with speaker grill cloth) to improve the spousal acceptance factor, ans although I had some strange angles, I didn’t have any curves. Great job!

I'd like to see this too @barfle.

 

[barfle]

Have you posted a pic of this? I'd love to see this.

It’s in post #9 of my build blog.
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/barfles-bonus-room-bijou.32232/

 

[MTB Vince]

It’s in post #9 of my build blog.
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/barfles-bonus-room-bijou.32232/

Found it. Thanks for the link and directions. You did a clean looking job of applying the fabric. In the Home Theater world that sort of fabric false wall used to hide your front stage gear is referred to as a "screen wall". It's unfortunate you were not able to center the front LCR trio on the room's centerline. I would expect the asymmetry to cause some issues with the RH side of the image and soundstage. Did you apply any acoustic treatments behind your screen wall? How about tilting each loudspeaker (the center channel in particular) so it's optimal vertical acoustic axis is aimed at the listener's ears? The radiation pattern of those sorts of planar dynamic tweeters tend to have a very narrow vertical listening window.

 

[Albert Dagger]

I have recently bought an apartment in Melbourne CBD and this is my old/new system. I used to have a 5.0 system, and it has now been upgraded to a 5.0.2.

I have a Denon AVR X6400H, a Panasonic BD for movies and CDs, and a Sony BD for SACDs and DVD-A. The TV is a LG OLED 55".
Speakers are all Monitor Audio, the Silver Series.

I have decided to go ahead and install some acoustic panels in my living room. I went for four Vicoustic Cinema Piano in white frame/white panel. Got them this morning and installed them in the afternoon.

Apart from adding a rug, which I might do in the future, I don't think I could mess more with this room. I am happy with the sonic improvements, but I think that - architecturally - the living room doesn't look as 'clean' and nice as before, to put it nicely. My wife, who is more direct than me, thinks they look ugly and heavy. Hard to disagree, I must say.

I'll have to check with Vicoustic if painting on the panels makes any difference, technically, because I could consider that. I am also thinking about a wooden or metal trim to frame the four panels. I don't like seeing the sides, which don't look as premium as they should for the price (you can see the fixings).

Overall, it was a worthy investment and I am happy with how the system now sounds.