Hypothetical "ideal" room for Merlin VSM speakers?

George Cardas's golden ration sized room (16ft wide, 26ft deep, 10ft tall) would be a great room for the VSMs though I may scale it down a little bit (maybe around 15 by 23 by 9) to better fit into most homes/basements. The room should have some simple room treatment at the primary reflection points along the side walls (speakers set up alog the short wall), at the room corners, and at the junction of the sidewalls and ceiling. A tetxured ceiling of some kind (or maybe a mildly sound absorbing celing tile), wall to wall carpeting on the floor. For any speaker, I would like de-coupled wall, a solid (concerte slab) floor, and insulation in the wall. By isolating the room and keepig the noise floor down, the VSMs will sound even more startling in thier ability to protray small and large scale dynamic levels. While I'm dreaming on here, a good and very quiet
AC system for the room with low noise registers etc to keep the room cool while a pair a big Joule Electra OTLs are powering the Merlins! :-)

Happy listening,
Rich

Hi Rich:

Thanks for you insights!

I currently use the Roomtunes Tunepak, but I always see Echobusters in photos with the Merlins. My impression is that the Echobusters are slightly more absorptive than the Roomtunes (which I think are designed more as reflective and diffusive room treatments). Is this true and does one work much better than the other? Also,do you think that the Merlins would benefit from ASC tube traps, or are the corner treatments of the RoomTunes and Echobusters sufficient?

Finally, what do you think is practically the smallest Golden Ratio sized room in which the Merlins will work well?

Actually, in the show photo's your are referring to, Merlin used a bunch of old Micheal green Roomtunes that Bobby P. has been using for years. While the echobusters similar product may be a bit more absorptive, it should work just as well with the Merlins.

Other types of room treatments can work well with the VSMs. Tube traps are fine products, but proper placement of the speakers in the Golden Ratio sized room will distribute room modes well enough that they should not be necessary. I have customers who have used ASC wall panel, echobuster, tube traps, Argent Room lenses and other products successfully with the VSMs.

On a Golden Ratio sized room, I don't imagine you would want to get the room width less than around 12 or 13 ft.... and that is NOT just for the Merlin VSMs, but most good conventional dynamic speakers given how close the speaker will start getting to the side-walls.

BTW, The roomtunes Tunepak will do a nice job with handling most midrange and higher loading/reflection... you are off to a good start with your room.

Rich

Hi Rich:

Thanks for your insights; they are appreciated!

One final question, if I may:

I read that you can effectively treat a room with plants alone (diffusion?) and I often see alot of dense foliage placed around the Merlin speakers in show photos. Are there particular areas around the Merlins where this diffusion is most effective? (should I just feel where the cabinets resonant the most?)

Again, thanks in advance for any insights you can provide!

Plants are excellent difusive elements. If the room is a bit narrow, plants can be quite effective between the speaker and the sidewall. In general, behind and inbetween the speakers is a nice spot too, or, for example, if your listening chair is close to the wall behind you, some plants that go up to at least ear height situated behind you can help difuse some rear wall reflections.

Happy listening,
Rich