Flooring in a Listening Room

[Smitty43]

Hello folks I want to change out the Carpet it my listening room and want to go to Laminate wood flooring and was just wondering if anyone has done it and if they regret it or if it a big echo now ?? I need to get rid of this old carpet and update the room. So any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. My room is a small bonus room over the garage.

 

[Smitty43]

Here is a picture if that helps.

 

[Markoneswift]

There's only one thing that should be on the floor of a man cave. ROCK

 

[Smitty43]

The drapes have rockwool insulation behind them and I have bass traps in corners and Even the reindeer skin on the wall to the right has the same treatment so I think i have sound panels covered.

 

[Djcoolray]

Doesn’t rock reflect sound ?????

 

[Smitty43]

There's only one thing that should be on the floor of a man cave. ROCK

With a fire pit cooking LOL!

 

[Smitty43]

There's only one thing that should be on the floor of a man cave. ROCK

Fixed the title

 

[Markoneswift]

Doesn’t rock reflect sound ?????

Only if you're listening to the Black Mirrors

 

[gmc]

I have wood floors in my listening room, but put down a large area rug between the speakers and my couch. .

 

[N8Nagel]

Yes I would do a rug, I'm a big fan of Persian and similar which are actually better than carpet for listening rooms. Seems recording studio are where shabby Persian rugs go to live out their retirement so that should tell you something. That's not why I like them just a happy coincidence.

 

[motorstereo]

Taking the carpeting out of a room makes a huge difference in the sound. Much more than the corner bass traps and wall treatments. You can always put an area rug back in after you have some listening time and find that bare floor isn't to your liking.

 

[Seamaster]

hard surface on the floor is actually helping the sound

 

[CLB3]

I have wood floors in my listening room, but put down a large area rug between the speakers and my couch.View attachment 1146933 .

+1. My listening room has bamboo flooring with a large area rug. Works well.

 

[Smitty43]

Thanks for all the replies and I will use a nice rug. I got a friend with hardwood floors in his room and to me the carpet in my listening room asorsbs the sound and the wood would open it up. Sounds crazy I know.

 

[JT-3]

I did laminate and then a big thick rug from ikea.

 

[imral3]

Thanks for all the replies and I will use a nice rug. I got a friend with hardwood floors in his room and to me the carpet in my listening room asorsbs the sound and the wood would open it up. Sounds crazy I know.

Not crazy, you're spot on. The question is whether you'll like it in your space. If not, as mentioned an area rug will tame it back down for you. Good luck and be sure to post pics and results after the transformation.

 

[LotusFool]

I had wall to wall until my dog became incontinent in his later years. After he passed away we pulled out the stinking carpet. I don't care how much you wash, and dry vac, the smell of urine doesn't all go away. Right away the sound was soooo much like a gymnasium. Very echoy/ bright. I kind of liked it for a few days, but if you clap your hands in the room it sounded like you were in a small gym. So we installed a thin area rug leaving some of the hardwood floor bare. This suits my taste.

I suggest you clap your hands and listen to the amount of "lively-nes" of your room. I don't think you want as much echo as a gym, but too much absorption leads to a dead sounding room.

 

[GYMusic]

Your carpet is now absorbing higher frequencies. I would be more concerned whether you have a wood sub-floor or concrete. If you choose a laminate flooring and get some ceiling to floor flutter, then you could use throw rugs.

 

[chef free]

The floor is the closest surface to your speakers and therefore the fastest "first reflection" point. Because of this, it is critical to dampen those reflections for a decent image. I have concrete floors so I put down a thick, wool, area rug over two thick layers of carpet padding. It really cleaned up the sound in that room!

 

[cason]

My listening room is also a bonus room above the garage, looks somewhat larger than yours. I currently have carpet, but would love to put cork flooring in mine.