Need Help Designing a Dream Room

ozfly: what a fortunate man you are. i dream frequently of doing what you now have the chance to do for real. sean is absolutely right. it is no small undertaking to design an aesthetically and sonically pleasing room; it takes either expertise or much trial and error. i prefer the former. there are many things to consider, in addition to those you note. for example, you ought to choose very quiet heating and cooling sources and the kind of lighting least likely to cause interactions with your electronics. employ an expert in HOME acoustics. don't make the mistake in hiring an acoustic engineer used to designing sound enhancements for hockey arenas. ask and ask and ask before you begin. there are many who have knowledge to impart. one person to whom i'd recommend your speaking is alan goodwin of goodwin's highend in waltham, MA. i spent a rainy afternoon last november talking with alan about the design of acoustic spaces; he is a fountain of knowledge, gotten the less preferred way-- trial and error. do have fun and please try to convince your wife of the beauty of wool oriental carpets to cover a part of her wooden floors, especially in front of your speakers. i envy you your puzzlement. -kelly

ozlfly: i quite agree with albert about the importance of a sound foundation (pun intended) before applying acoustic treatment. two of the best rooms i've listened in have quite different foundations. the first applied construction much as albert has suggested but uses dual stud walls; this system employs room-within-a-room construction with two 2x6 decoupled stud walls, each covered with double thicknesses of 5/8" drywall and each wall lined with acoustic dacron "insulation." a 2" air void between the walls adds to the sound isolation in both directions. the second "foundation" is comprised of brick laid inside two-foot thick stone exterior walls (not practical, agreed, unless you've bought a cottage in the cotswolds). check out the chord audio listening room (in kent, england--no, not the cotswolds) for an example of a "brick interior" sound room:

http://195.40.133.90/website/main-gallery.htm.

i particulaly like the way the ceiling is treated. don’t know how it sounds but it sure as hell looks great. again, have fun, you lucky..... :^} -kelly

albert: i've absolutely no doubt that your sound room will rank among the most sonically pleasing i'll ever get the chance to experience. oh, i did tell you, didn't i, that i'm planning a little trip to dallas to participate in one of your tuesday night get-togethers, just as soon as you've got things all cranked up and dialed in? i have never heard anyone take more care than you in designing and overseeing your new soundspace. ozfly would be wise to emulate you. BTW, where are all those digital pics of the construction process you've taken with that whizz-bang new nikon? -kelly

ps- the chord electronics url in my last post won't work unless you leave the period off "htm" sorry. -fks