wgb113's Listening Room

wgb113

Super Member
Happy New Year! Figured I'd start a thread on my system Jan. 1st and have some sort of photo diary throughout the year. I should have done this last year as my room underwent a big transformation. Since I didn't I'll post some of those pictures first.

Equipment is as follows:

2006 iMac with AIFF files running iTunes and OSX Lion
connected via Toslink to:
Behringer DEQ2496 applying modest room correction
connected via Toslink to:
Benchmark DAC1 USB
connected via balanced XLR to:
Dynaudio BM5A MKII active studio monitors
sitting on Auralex MoPads
Michael Green's Room Tunes TunePak

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The TunePak was doing an okay job of controlling some of the slap-echo but the room still sounded too live for my tastes and the bass was boomy.

I spent last winter researching room acoustics from both the pro-audio approach and the HiFi approach and decided to attempt some DIY treatments. I decided on building SuperChunk style traps for the front corners and soffit style traps for the wall-ceiling junction around the entire room. First I had to measure.

Using REW a Tascam US-144MKII, and a Behringer ECM-8000 I experimented to find the best placement for the listening chair and the speakers. My goal was to get the bass under control.

Before:
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After:
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I constructed frames using 2x2s and Roxul Safe & Sound (for wood) and installed them after painting the room.

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I ended up around late April/early May with this:

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I had outgrown my CD rack so off to Ikea for another solution:

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The Headphone collection was growing as well:
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This summer I decided I wanted to finally get a turntable.
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I decided to keep the first because it was only $50...and also ended up with this:
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Then I needed something to put them on...along with the growing vinyl collection. Off to Ikea!

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So here's how she sits today 01/01/13:
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The only thing planned for 2013 is to replace the DAC1 USB with the DAC2 HGC and sell off the Behringer. We'll see how that plays out.

Bill
 
Thanks Rome! It's nice to have a dedicated space again.

I also forgot to mention that I had an electrician buddy run two dedicated outlets for the audio equipment a few weeks ago. I was getting a nasty buzz through the speakers when I replaced the overhead can lights with LEDs. The dedicated runs solved the problem.

Bill
 
Nice office space, you are making IKEA proud. I noticed the Danish flags, my wife is half dane.

Yeah...the Dynaudios don't come with grill covers so I rigged some to keep them protected when not in use.

Gotta love IKEA for reasonably-priced, good looking furniture!

Bill
 
Very very nice.....Some selection of headphones you have there......I really need to get me a nice set.:music::music:
 
Very very nice.....Some selection of headphones you have there......I really need to get me a nice set.:music::music:

Yeah...this room's directly under my daughter's bedroom...any listening after 9:00 is on a set of cans.

Bill
 
Ditched the desk and got the speakers out into the room and onto stands:

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Soundstage is wider and DEEP. Bass seems less extended but a little less boomy as well.

Currently contemplating a pair of LS50s.

Bill
 

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Thanks! It's the definition of "near-field" for sure. They're about an inch lower on the stands vs. the desktop but getting them out into the room really opened things up.
 
You've got everything covered! Quality gear,good looking dedicated room with sound treatments! Job well done:thmbsp:
 
Thanks Donny. Count me in as one of those people smacking self firmly in head asking why I didn't tackle room-acoustics earlier. It really is right up there with speakers as far as how much it influences what you hear from your favorite albums.

Bill
 
BEAUTIFUL. LS50s sound excellent! Even compared to the bigger brother, the Blades. I wish I had the money for a pair of those but then again that's why I'm in school :D Enjoy!
 
Also, it looks like one of the turntables you tried out is the Pro-Ject Essential yes? How was it? I want to either get myself the Essential for my birthday in July or wait until Christmas and try out the Debut Carbon.
 
Of the five tables I've tried the Essential was a solid third. Third was a noticeable step up in sound from the two ATs. That said the Debut III was a noticeable step up from the Essential and the Carbon another step up from it. I'm new to vinyl but the Carbon setup sounds really good to me.
 
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