2. misc-audio
  3. 136443-88940

Building a listening room from scratch

Hello all,

I am renovating a 19th Century townhouse in a distressed post-industrial town on the Hudson River.

I will have the 20’ x 30’ attic dedicated to my home studio/office and audio listening area. The ceiling has a steep pitch from the 12’ high center towards the 20’ wide walls, which are 3’ high. To make the building perform to a high energy conservation standard, I have lined the walls with 5.5" of rock wool (which has excellent acoustic insulation characteristics), and the ceilings with 14.5" of rock wool. Except for the three windows situated in a gable and two dormers, and my book and record collections and the audio equipment itself, the floor is the only hard surface, of wide-plank wood. My architect says that I should not sheet rock the walls or ceiling, that I should simply cover them with fire-resistant burlap and I will have a semi-anechoic room, similar to recording studios.

What do you think of this idea?

Thank you all,

unreceivedogma
unreceivedogma

Showing 5 responses by unreceivedogma

unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma OP
1,082 posts
 
It’s a gut rehab. Left the plaster on the brick wall.  Firred in the walls by 5”, filled in with rock wool. 

In Newburgh. 
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma OP
1,082 posts
 
Dweller, there is 14.5” of rock wool BEHIND the burlap, as described above. The house is being renovated to perform to a high energy standard. On the HERS scale of 0 to 150, with 150 being old existing homes, 100 being new homes, 70 being energy star, this will be a 40. That should cut my energy bill by 75%. The floor is 150 year old wood, we want to enjoy the beauty of it, and save money, so no tile. I will have 20 amp shielded service: how did you know I have a pair of monoblocks? NY Audiolab Julius Futterman OTL 3s, converted to triode and modified with audio grade caps by Jon Specter (Al Cooper’s cousin). 

Knownothing, rock wool is considered to be safe environmentally. 
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma OP
1,082 posts
 
Sisyphus, I would never indulge in this expense if it were not for the gut renovation.
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma OP
1,082 posts
 
Dweller:

The floor is supported by 3” x 6” wood joists. The cavities between them are filled with rock wool, to provide a thermal barrier between the two zones.

I’ve never had good bass. I got a second hand 15” Velodyne. Haven’t tried it in my own system, it tested and performed well in the system of the person I bought it from.

G:

i have braces across the ridge ridge but I like the height. I’m gonna keep it. 
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma OP
1,082 posts
 
whart,

Yes, those records will move into this space.

I’m a painter by training, though I veered into advertising photography and writing thanks to my politics (left of Bernie). I’m thinking just the natural colored burlap for the ceiling, and a deep slate blue dye for the walls.

Building code requires that the material be fire resistsnt, so that limits my options.

For me, the question is how dead do I want the room to be? My old room was full of hard surfaces: wood floor, tin ceiling, brick walls, one wall almost completely glass windows. Now I will be veering in the other direction. I can always harden it up with large framed movie posters hanging on the wall, etc.
More to discover