I beg to differ with the last couple of responses. If you'd really like to get the best sound possible from your setup, you really need to make an attempt to gain a solid understanding of how your gear, room acoustics, speaker placement and seating placement are interacting.
Get a cheap spl meter from Radio Shack and a cd with test tones from either rives.com, a website or a Stereophile test cd. Place the meter on a camera tripod where your head is when you sit in the sweetspot. Measure the response using the test tones (search archives here on how to do this exactly), and graph them on the chart you can download from rives.com.
If you play with speaker and seating placement & remeasure, you will be able to significantly affect in room bass performance. Often you will have peaks at some frequencies and troughs at other frequencies. Offer, you have to live with tradeoffs to get the best overall balance. Bass traps in the corners behind the speakers offer the biggest improvement in most situations. the room acoustics forum on audioasylum is the best place I've read up on this topic.
Good room treatment doesn't have to cost tons or look like hell. Natural fibre rugs, velvet curtains, upholstery and bookshelves can all contribute to improved sonics if diy or commercial room treatments aren't in your budget or to your liking.
Don't let anybody fool you. The room is probably your most important component. Cheers,
Spencer
Get a cheap spl meter from Radio Shack and a cd with test tones from either rives.com, a website or a Stereophile test cd. Place the meter on a camera tripod where your head is when you sit in the sweetspot. Measure the response using the test tones (search archives here on how to do this exactly), and graph them on the chart you can download from rives.com.
If you play with speaker and seating placement & remeasure, you will be able to significantly affect in room bass performance. Often you will have peaks at some frequencies and troughs at other frequencies. Offer, you have to live with tradeoffs to get the best overall balance. Bass traps in the corners behind the speakers offer the biggest improvement in most situations. the room acoustics forum on audioasylum is the best place I've read up on this topic.
Good room treatment doesn't have to cost tons or look like hell. Natural fibre rugs, velvet curtains, upholstery and bookshelves can all contribute to improved sonics if diy or commercial room treatments aren't in your budget or to your liking.
Don't let anybody fool you. The room is probably your most important component. Cheers,
Spencer