Listening Room

I have been through the creating a main living space in the House to be an improved environment for listening to the end sound from both music replays and end sound from audio visual.

If the most comfortable seat is wanted to be used and it means the moving around of furnishings to achieve this there will be a minimum of a raised eye brow from an observer with an interest in the room. There are fold away chairs that are very comfortable and suited to long periods of seating, look at the Camping Market or Carp Fishing Market.

These are compromises to be made between two people, there is nothing I can say to fix such a situation.

High Pitched Reflections of Windows are reasonably easy, close curtains or blinds, increase weight of material for curtains, or add curtains to be used with blinds.

Hard Floor reflections are again easy, add something soft, it does not have to be permanently seen, and does not have to be overly sized. Choosing the density to align to the room will be the trickiest bit to achieve.

Absorption is harder to manage, as it is most likely taking place in a non symmetrical happening, and soft furnishings are most likely to stay. Balanced Absorption can be improved if a dedicated Wall Panel or Two is produced, a partner can even select the Canvas Artwork, that would conceal the purpose of the Ab' Panel and leave only evidence of wall hung art. The Partner will need winning over to accept the locations selected for placement.

Bluetak Helps as the room produces less noise, other masked noise will manifest, ratting Picture Frames and Ornaments, each easily tamed by a few pea size Bluetak Pellets squashed in behind or under the offending rattler.

Once that side is done, if the Room still feels there is a upper frequency Roll Off, the Speaker Xover might need to be investigated for a little work carried out, to push forward Upper Mid's and Highs and Lean Up the Bass. Alternatively if there is seemingly too much emphasis on the Upper's Rolling them Off a little might be just enough to create a  Coherence  through the frequencies. Tweaking Xover's on Speakers not in Warranty Period is a common practice.  

Building the house of stereo was my biggest material achievement in my life. That's all I will say about the importance of having a dedicated listening room. But if you cannot rationalize it, afford it or have it wife approved, no biggie, enjoy what you got. A lot to be thankful for on this memorial day. 

@ghdprentice + 1

+1 KEF. I have the R500s that were a steal on close out a few years ago and to get a meaningful improvement I would have to spend probably 3-4 times as much and then would not have the very condensed thin tower 42" height footprint that I like, that makes for the excellent dispersion and which don't overwhelm the room.

They are on Sympoosium platforms which improved the sound dramatically over the KEF spikes/cups. I have a large open multipurpose den that extends into the kitchen eating area 30 feet or more from where the speakers sit (the back of the speakers are 3 feet from the wall). I listen often from the kitchen or when I am in the kitchen cooking/prep area.

Best listening chair - Ekornes stressless chair - expensive but worth it. First one is still in great shape 15 years old (leather worn out where your head touches with a custom cover, so it will go to one of the kids when they have the space/need). I got another one of the same model in a different color (believe it or not), still in production. It can't be in the optimal listening spot, so the KEFs are great. When I really want to focus on an album playing, I'll sit on a loveseat that is in the optimal position. It's comfortable, just not in the league of the Ekornes. 

From the "about" page on my website:

"Vinyl Sundays" is a music appreciation concept. It was first launched as a public venture as "Classic Album Sundays" by Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy in London in 2010 and has spread to cities in Europe, Australia and America.

The idea is simple: in an era where music is treated as a free commodity, or worse, like sonic wallpaper, music lovers should be able to A) enjoy the experience of immersing themselves in recorded music the way it is best heard: in its entirety, uninterrupted, on vinyl, and on a quality sound system so that the artist’s original intention is fully revealed, B) hear & discuss the artist & recording’s unique story, and C) share the experience with people from differing walks of life, united only by their love of music.

I had been wanting to give this idea a go in a salon-like setting, and gave it some trial runs in my NYC loft. With my move to Newburgh, I launched this as a monthly event. It has been going very well, so I may go for every two weeks.​

The best listening experience requires that I keep the seating for each event limited to five. Before entering the Audio Attic, guests will be required to turn off their cell phones and leave them at the door: there will be no exceptions. If you are tied to your phone by a umbilical chord, this experience is not for you.

If this concept interests you, go to the CONTACT page and tell me a little about yourself and the types of music you enjoy listening to. Your name will be added to a waiting list from which I will make invitations each month on a first come first serve basis and on an algorithm not quite understood by me. I will provide some wine: guests are encouraged to bring some wine and snacks.

​