Making Progress in My Room - Next Step???

[bikerneil]

My wife does not understand my obsession with the pursuit of improved sound in my music room, but I sure enjoy the process. I am retired and its a fantastic hobby to enjoy when I'm not riding my bike or hiking. (I tell my wife it could be a lot worse!)

Over the past few years I have learned a ton and my music room has improved dramatically. After lots of reading and studying about the importance of acoustically treating my room, I focused on this and made a number of changes over the past 12 months:

• Added 2x4 absorption panels behind my Martin Logan Montis speakers
  Moved my speakers out from front wall - now located at 48" from front wall
  Covered my 60" plasma tv screen with a thick, wool moving blanket
  Made an acoustic diffuser and placed it on mantle above and behind my speakers (below my tv screen)
  Made 2" absorption panels and placed them in the windows (behind the shutters) that are behind my ML's
  Made and placed bass traps in front corners of my room

The changes above have made a tremendous difference in my sound stage and the level of detail I hear in my favorite CD tracks. I was listening last night after implementing my last few changes and I felt like I had a whole new system and an entirely different set of musical recordings. I could have stayed up all night listening to the new results.

At this point, I feel like I am getting close to wringing everything out of my current set-up (but maybe I am wrong on that, please let me know - I am all ears). I would love to hear from the experienced members on this forum about the following: I would love to further expand the size of my sound stage. When I am in my listening chair I listen and I don't hear the speakers, they disappear and I see and hear vocals and instruments between the speakers - it's beautiful. I would love to widen and deepen the sound stage like I hear many on this forum speak about. I am hoping I might get ideas from others about the most logical next step to take in pursuing this goal.

Here are a few facts about my set-up:
- McIntosh MA6700 Integrated amp
- Martin Logan Montis speakers
- Sony HAP-Z1ES High Res music server player
- Analysis Plus Oval 9 Speaker Cables
- Transparent Balanced XLR interconnect cables
- Room size - 13' X 15' X 10' ceiling (see sketch)

I am guessing my next biggest opportunity for improvement is one of the following:
- Replace my integrated amp with separate amp and pre-amp (I am considering Pass 260.8 & McIntosh 2600)??
- Make some big changes to my room - remove the workbench along the left wall (my wife is not going to like this idea)??
- Or another interim treatment change???









I look forward to hearing ideas and recommendations from the experienced experts on this forum.

Thanks!

 

[bikerneil]

A couple more pictures...





Thanks!

 

[GW1800]

Wow! What can I say but this room is not doing you any favors. Is there anyway to get rid of the two desks on each side wall? Do you have another room that is more open with less windows? Just seems like there is way to much going on in this room. I would take the money that you want to spend on new equipment and dedicate a room for listening if possible. It seems to me to spend money on more equipment will be some what of a waste.

 

[bikerneil]

I am considering removing the workbench, but will probably keep the desk. I will build a room in the next house, but am stuck with this one in this home.

 

[twich54]

while you may be stuck with that room for the time being the good thing is you have proven that you're able to make the best of a bad situation ! Congrats on the improvements !

 

[bikerneil]

I have spent so much time focusing on the area behind the speakers I had not really thought much about the sides. Unfortunately moving to another room is not going to happen in this house. Removing the desks probably is not likely unless I was convinced I could absolutely positively produce drastic and dramatic improvement to the sound stage (I would still be stuck with 3 windows on the one side wall).

Based on what I am hearing here (and from RealTraps) I may stick with what I have for the time being, and not spend a lot of money on a new amp and pre-amp. I will save my $$$ for a true purpose-built 2 channel music room in the next house.

Honestly, I am 1000% happy with what I have. I visit lots of local high-end audio stores and I have yet to hear one that sounds better than my little room with an integrated amp. I have visited stores with $100K+++ setups that don't better or as good as mine.

All that said, I will still take any input that folks have for how to make further improvements.

Thanks!