Speaker vs Room Size

[Hipgrncln]

Having a new house built and will have a smallish room for library/2 channel music room. @ 16ft x 12 ft x 8.5. Have Aeoni right now. How will it fit ???? Any other speaker suggestions ???

Bob J

 

[risabet]

Common dimensions.

Length and width share a common multiple of 48 and a LCD of 4 so watch out for standing waves. Careful placement should minimize the waves but be prepared. Try setting uip the room in both the lond direction and the short direction. Good luck.

 

[Wayne]

Having a new house built and will have a smallish room for library/2 channel music room. @ 16ft x 12 ft x 8.5. Have Aeoni right now. How will it fit ???? Any other speaker suggestions ???

Bob J

I'm watching along with you for answers........ my room is 16x13x8...... with an opening to the rest of the house. I am considering ML's smaller than yours "Clarity's or Mosaics" maybe I should think bigger... I'll be watching as well .. GOOD LUCK with the new house.

 

[Jeff Zaret]

Wayne,
My room is 17x22. I have it set up the "wide way". The entire backend basically opens to the kitchen and the rest of the house. I have Sequel II's and CLSiiZ's and it is a bit tight will all of them but sounds great .
My point is do not limit yourself. Look at all your possibilities.

Good Luck

Jeff

 

[zaphod]

Length and width share a common multiple of 48

hmm, any room dimensions are going to share a common multiple - just multiply them together. how important is the common multiple? i've always paid more attention to the LCD.

and a LCD of 4 so watch out for standing waves

the easy solution in trying to keep the dimensions relatively prime is to build the room with one measurement a prime number.

and don't forget the vertical dimension. that 16X13X8 room has the height evenly divisable into the length. not as crucial as having the length and width relatively prime, but still a consideration.

 

[roberto]

standing waves are...

hmm, any room dimensions are going to share a common multiple - just multiply them together. how important is the common multiple? i've always paid more attention to the LCD.



the easy solution in trying to keep the dimensions relatively prime is to build the room with one measurement a prime number.

and don't forget the vertical dimension. that 16X13X8 room has the height evenly divisable into the length. not as crucial as having the length and width relatively prime, but still a consideration.

Hola. Let me say something. The standing waves will be there in every room, no matter how big or the shape we make the room. We have to deal with them...right? My advise is, use your feeling and liking of the music, by moving the speakers at least three feet away from the back wall and at least one feet from the side wall. If you set the speaker near to any corner, you will have one note bass more evident, so play the music that you like most and try to get the scenario and the musicians playing for you. Mark with masking tape the floor where you found the place that you liked most, (so you can go back again) and still move around. Don't do it only one day...spend time with last speaker's location and then, move then a little bit, toe inn or toe out...to fine tune your liking!!!trust your ears...they will tell you how to do it!!!
Hope this can help!
Happy listening,
Roberto.

 

[risabet]

hmm, any room dimensions are going to share a common multiple - just multiply them together. how important is the common multiple? i've always paid more attention to the LCD.

the easy solution in trying to keep the dimensions relatively prime is to build the room with one measurement a prime number.

and don't forget the vertical dimension. that 16X13X8 room has the height evenly divisable into the length. not as crucial as having the length and width relatively prime, but still a consideration.

You are correct, the multiple isn't that important. The LCD <b>is</b> far more important. Regardless, the best room is none, which would allow the signal from the speakers to reach your ears with no reflection. Since that is at best impractical, a room with no parallel walls sized to the "Golden Ratio" of approx. 1.618:1 would give no common denominator in any dimension and would distribute the standing waves generated acroos the audio spectrum. Proper room dampening would then be used to clean up any remaining resonances, particularly in the bottom octaves.

Those of you with small, stand mounted speakers and a patio can get a glimpse of the free field response of your speakers by placing them outside and listening in the near field. It is very informative to do so IMO.

 

[Steve]

Can you eleborate a little more on the "golden ratio"? What does that mean with regards to room dimensions (length vs. width vs. height)? I too am designing a house and a room for my speakers, so this is a great opportunity to optimize my listening environment.

 

[risabet]

Can you eleborate a little more on the "golden ratio"? What does that mean with regards to room dimensions (length vs. width vs. height)? I too am designing a house and a room for my speakers, so this is a great opportunity to optimize my listening environment.

The "Golden Ratio" 1.61803399, also known as Phi, is a commonly occuring ratio in nature, interestingly, Phi is used by Cardas in designing their cables. Anyway, take a width dimension of 12ft, multiply by Phi and the length of your room should be 19.4164ft, then using 12ft again, divide by Phi and get the height dimension of the room, or 7.4164. Using these numbers gives you a room without related ratios in each measure. The height is a little low but this is the least important measurement so you can probably increase it and not have too great a problem. Of course if you start with larger dimensions this is less of a problem. For a greater discussion of the mathematics of the "Golden Ratio" and its relationship to the Fibonacci numbers see the following website <a href=http://www.mcs.surrey.ac.uk./Personal/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html#quote>Golden Ratio</a>