Great posts everyone. You sound like quite a bit more than a beginner to me too. Something I have found to be beneficial is to put plants and trees in the corners of the room. This has high WAF too. Also, if you have a coffee table, try to cover it with some non-reflective material, or make it easily movable. Lastly, if it is practical for you, move your speakers out into the room for serious listening & mark their location. Moving your speakers out into the room can solve quite a few imaging and bass boom problems.
Help w/ beginner s room treatment
I am going to be moving into a new house soon and I have a room that is about 16*14 that I'm going to be using for music and movies.
I've never done ANYTHING to "treat" a room for resonance’s, reflections, etc. I know how to place the sub to minimize boominess, and I'm aware that keeping speakers from back and walls can help with smearing. However, where are the most important areas to put up sound-dampening materials (for mid/hi frequencies, and low bass frequencies). I've heard it is the wall behind the speakers and that wall opposite of the speakers, but people have also said that side wall treatment eliminates smearing of sound.
As for low frequencies, I will have a sectional sofa around the back wall opposite the speakers (and on some of the side wall, too). I think this may help as a "bass trap."
So -- can you start from square one about which walls are the most important to treat/address? I'd like to "fix" those first and my wife will still want things to look good. The room is a family room that can't accommodate big book cases and such all over the place, and the sofa will be backed up against the wall (sorry, but it has to be that way). Much of the rear wall (the one opposite the speakers) is taken up by two large (reflective!) windows. I was thinking some drapes might help here?
Any advice/education would help. I'm at the point where I want to make the best use of my equipment by fixing my room, and not just keep buying better stuff for the same flawed listening area...
I've never done ANYTHING to "treat" a room for resonance’s, reflections, etc. I know how to place the sub to minimize boominess, and I'm aware that keeping speakers from back and walls can help with smearing. However, where are the most important areas to put up sound-dampening materials (for mid/hi frequencies, and low bass frequencies). I've heard it is the wall behind the speakers and that wall opposite of the speakers, but people have also said that side wall treatment eliminates smearing of sound.
As for low frequencies, I will have a sectional sofa around the back wall opposite the speakers (and on some of the side wall, too). I think this may help as a "bass trap."
So -- can you start from square one about which walls are the most important to treat/address? I'd like to "fix" those first and my wife will still want things to look good. The room is a family room that can't accommodate big book cases and such all over the place, and the sofa will be backed up against the wall (sorry, but it has to be that way). Much of the rear wall (the one opposite the speakers) is taken up by two large (reflective!) windows. I was thinking some drapes might help here?
Any advice/education would help. I'm at the point where I want to make the best use of my equipment by fixing my room, and not just keep buying better stuff for the same flawed listening area...