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Help Building an Audio Room

Hi All

I have been allotted a 15x15 x 10h room in the corner of my basement by the wife.
While I’m very happy to have a dedicated audio room, I have some questions and concerns. I’m hoping you all might be able to help. 

1) Three of the walls are poured concrete.  The space has crazy slap eco already and the 4th/back wall is not even closed in yet.

I am having the walls framed in, insulated, electrical, drywall etc. I am thinking of having them frame and build one wall an additional distance off the cement wall some amount so the room is not a square

Is that a good idea?  If so, how much out of square does it need to be to benefit from not being 15x15? Is 15x14 enough? Should I go for 15x13?  I can set up the speakers about any way I would like. 
 

2) Next question.  Should I have them install a certain type of insulation behind the drywall?  Money is an object, but now is my chance to build the room the best way I can within reason and to offset the square room I’m starting with. 
 

3) Anything else I should consider before/as they begin to frame, etc? 
 

Thanks very much!
 

jo1mtb
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 

Probably the best way to deal with room modes is a DBA. Four subs asymmetrically distributed around the room yields such smooth powerful deep bass a lot of the need for traps and such is rendered moot. 

jo1mtb OP
119 posts
 

Per the tool, looks like 13x15 x 9H is fairly decent and (barely) within the Bolt Area.  

That might a a good starting place.  To create the 15' wall, just leave as normal.  The 13' wall could be built with bookshelves in most of it. E.g. like the top picture Mr_Slate posted.  

There will be thick pad and carpet on the floor.  Maybe that's a decent start and then, work with sound treatment and furniture and speaker/listening placement.  

 

urbie
275 posts
 

you're going to have a big problem cuz the room is square that's the worst kind of room to have so you're going to have to do some major room treatment.

urbie
275 posts
 

yes making the room rectangle  will be a lot better than Square.

clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 

Great news!

Congratulations on your listening room.

And you are in the basement.  If you don't already have one, pour a really solid concrete floor slab.  It will ground all your components: turntable if you have one, even CD player, certainly speakers.  You will have an infinite mass below your sensitive kit.  Well...if not infinite, then the mass of the Earth at least.

Then run dedicated power lines direct from the incoming supply and put in a bigger deeper earth post.  This will save you a fortune in mains conditioners and silly expensive power cords.

Then set about your treatment of walls and ceiling others are advising you.

I have a room just like this and down there in the basement half your problems are solved from day one.

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