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Is it even possible to set up a system in 12x12 room?

I am moving next week and there is an extra room that is 12x12 with 9 foot ceiling. This will not be my main system but I have an extra gear I would like to use. I have never set up a system in a square room and definitely not this small of a room. I have a couple pair of 8 ohm 87 db monitors that go down around 40 to 50hz and a pair of 6 ohm 87db floorstanders that go to 27hz with ports in the front. I have a el84 tube amp that is 25 watts and a 150 watt solid state amp with a tube Preamp. The couch will have to go directly on back wall and may be able to pull speakers 2 to 3 feet off front wall and maybe a foot or so off side walls. Is there anyway to make this enjoyable to listen too? I know I'm going to have to treat room but where would panels perform best or am I wasting my time?
paulcreed

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mapman
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mapman
21,887 posts
 
It all depends. If its any consolation, I have 2 very different 12X12 rooms set up pretty well these days. One in particular is especially challenging, the other not so much. So yes it can be done. Way more things will work well in a small room compared to a large one. The key to any room offering tight quarters is often that less = more. With that in mind, just try different things and see what works out best.

Whenever quarters are tight and the listening position cannot be far from speakers, I tend to steer away from larger speakers with widely spaced drivers, like many but not all tower designs. Those usually require farther distance to listening position for the drivers to mesh properly.

In my tougher room, my wife’s acoustically challenged sun room with hard tile floor,  lots of windows and cathedral ceiling, I’ve settled currently on a pair of Vanatoo Transparent One Encore speakers (on very short isolating floor stands located near corners and angled up slightly) that work fabulously well in there. They also happen to be the smallest and least expensive speakers I’ve ever tried in there.

My other room is more conventional size and construction (couch near rear wall also) and my main gear is located there. Currently I run a pair of Kef ls50s with a separate powered sub there, but I’ve run many other suitable monitors and floor standers there as well also with very good results over the years.
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