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The ideal auditorium? Blank canvas

I am placing this under "Speakers", since it's all about building an auditorium that will become one with my speakers.

I have the opportunity to build a small auditorium in my garden (in Christchurch, New Zealand). This will be a house with one empty area for my audio and CD collection. It will be designed to be used only by myself, and maybe the occasional visitor.

My current music room is 4x3M, and I find that too small (acoustically). However, building an auditorium slightly smaller (max. 10m2) presents a huge advantage: there is no need for building consent and red tape...

I am using a pair of New Zealand built Image 414 http://www.imageloudspeakers.com/products/414.asp loudspeakers with a matching subwoofer http://www.imageloudspeakers.com/products/sub10.asp , powered by a Sony TA-FA3ES integrated amplifier - a combination that is very satisfying. I listen exclusively to classical; subwoofer helps a lot with organ, but is necessary in some other cases only.

The auditorium must be built with potential future uses in mind. It will have water connections for an eventual kitchen and bathroom. Whatever shape I give to it, it must be easily converted into accommodation / office later.

Since I have a blank canvas, what is your advice on:

- Ideal size, proportions (square? rectangular? other shape?)

- Ideal floor (carpet over concrete? over floating wooden floor?)

- Floor height? Should I plan a sitting area higher than the speakers?

- Ideal walls?

- Ideal height?

I suppose the ideal shape will be symmetrical.

Any advice would be appreciated. I plan to draw plans which I would publish here.
waryn

Showing 2 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
Mani+ Marty have pretty much nailed it.

I'd only add listen first before adding treatments. They are easy to add and may or may not be needed.

Also I find any wall adornments/decorations, including even block style picture frames with an inch or so of depth to help break up large parallel surfaces usually only helps.

Then of course room furnishings applied in the end like chairs or sofas and other decorative items that lack hard reflective surfaces can be used to help dampen the room acoustically (similar to how internals of speaker enclosures are dampened with sound absorbent material) if needed to provide some final tweaks to whatever extent needed.

Also thin but dense carpet over the concrete foundation works best from what I have personally experienced over the years in many rooms and houses.

USe your imagination to find things you like and want in your room that serve a purpose and also might help with the sound. Most room furnishings that can help a room sound good is not marketed to audiophiles and sound engineers!

You are a lucky guy! Having/building a room that works good for audio is a huge advantage that can elude many music lovers!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,636 posts
 
Waryn,

Looks pretty good to me.

I notice your speaker placement in the diagram almost half way into the room. That is very insightful! Some of the best setups I have heard have been set up that way. ITs something that most can never try or may not even be aware of. It works especially well with planars like Magnepan that I have heard. Jim Smith used to do this in his shop in Birmingham Alabama with the MAggies he sold. I bought a pair on the spot! Nver had the option of setting them up that way indefinitely though. I've attempted it as best I can in my larger narrow L shaped room where my OHMs reside about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way into the room with my listening mostly from the rear of the room from various locations (the OHMs are pseudo omni/ very wide range and retain high coherency regardless of listening position when set up well).
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