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Setting up Analog In a New Room From Scratch

I am fixing to move to a different house in about a month. Where I am now, I have been restricted about where I could set up my system and I am doing the old everything on a rack between and behind the speakers setup. In the new place, I get my own room to do what I want and it is 20 X 16. I plan to use one of the long walls for the speakers.

I want to set up my turntable in the best spot possible, but not in another room like some do. Getting up at all is enough sacrifice for me, I am not trudging back and forth between rooms. Now, I get a bit of rumble if I turn the gain up too high, too quickly and figure that slightly bad bass response results from room interaction. Where is the best spot for the table? On a side wall? If so, at mid-point? Some point of minimum reflection? Back wall? That would seem worse than behind and between the speakers. Something tells me that corners are out, too. I have a wall mount for my table that is about 42 inches high.

Also, I have 10' speaker cables that cost me more than I want to admit. If I locate the table (and other components) somewhere farther than 10' from the speakers, am I better off to adjust by:

1) Locating just the table in the best spot and then running longer phono cables to my phono stage, located with all other components (but not between the speakers)?

2) Locating just the table and phono stage in the best spot (to minimize phono cable length) and then running a longer IC from phono stage to preamp where the preamp is placed near the amp and so that the preamp to amp IC remains at 1m and the 10' speaker cable length is sufficient to reach the amp?

3) Locating everything in the same proximity to each other and getting longer speaker cables?

4) Some other option?

Thanks
motdathird
johnnantais
621 posts
 
There is one easy fix for wall mounts, assuming you can mount the wall-mount close to your equipment. I used to own a Rega Planar 3 which I sited on a wall-mount with the same problem you have now. What was happening was that the shelf that came with the wall-mount was vibrating - not the 'table - when the music was loud enough, and causing the rumble from my turntable. So I went to an acrylic shop and had a shelf made from a slab of acrylic, which I glued to the shelf with two-way tape. End of problem. Of course, all the other options of moving your table around would also work. A slab of marble also worked in the same situation, and at one point I had a three-layer sandwich of acrylic, marble, and the original shelf. But with each layer, the music improved. Cheap, and no longer cables needed.
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
I have recently gone through the same decisions you are facing. My choice was to implement a solution along the lines of what Uppermidfi has mentioned. I started with all of my components behind and between the speakers, using no ICs longer than 1 meter and speaker cables of 10'. This setup definitely contributed to feedback into the table.

Next I strung out the ICs between the TT, phono stage, pre and amp so that I only had the pre and amp between the speakers. The TT and phono stage where on a heavy rack outside of and slightly behind one speaker. I checked this location with the RS sp meter and there was a null there in the lower frequencies. The feedback situation was better but I was getting a hum in my BAT pre that I could minimize by turning my amp 90 degrees to it and moving it to the limit of the 1m IC between them. So I new I could do better.

I have taken the pocket book hit and purchased a set of 6m Nordost SPM ICs, (got 'em used here on the 'gon). Now I can set the entire front end across the room from the amp. No more hum. My digital components are on a rack with my pre and I have moved my TT to a seperate, light weight table with an extra piece of melomine under the TT. The low frequency feedback is nearly gone and the new table has brought the punch back to the bass. A kick drum now has a snap, not just a thud, and the image is much wider and more 3D. I am still experimenting with exactly where to place the front end pieces. Right now they are on a side wall about even with my listening position but not in the first reflection from that wall.

I would suggest keeping your IC from the table to the phono as short as practical to keep the capacitance down. It is also much easier, signal wise, to run a longer IC from the phono stage to the pre as the signal has been amplified and is less susceptible to noise.
motdathird OP
77 posts
 
Dan, I am particularly obliged to you for your response as it gives me some insight on alternate table setup locations and IC advise. I'm not sure that I will ever be able to afford 6m IC's, at least not of the quailty I have in my 1m pairs.

I am surprised there is not more experiences posted here. Maybe it is a dumb question or maybe I am asking it incorrectly. Or maybe most people just go with the between and behind spot and say to hell with it.
stephenr
8 posts
 
In many respects, the equipment and how it interacts electrically and vibration wise (due to room construction) will determine where the "best" spot is in any given situation.

Are the floors solid or suspended?
Are the walls solid brick or somesuch or wood and plaster?
How well can your electronics drive cables - the various components? If not well, you may need "expensive" interconnects.
Is the table suspended or not?
Got subs? speaks that go low?

and so on ....

The only real way is to try things out as every room/system interaction is different.

good luck and have fun!

regards,

Stephen
motdathird OP
77 posts
 
Thanks to all. I suppose I am left with only one question since I understand the notion of having to try things out as far as cables.

Does anyone have a recommendation for locating JUST the table? I do not even care that much about CD but I would like to put the table where it would be best and then adjust to suit it. I have a wall mount (solid) and a non-suspended table.
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