Is my listeng room too small??


I have an opportunity to put together a simple set up. And I'm sure it'll be a step up from what I have now (NAD, Wharfedale, XLO). It'll consist of a Roksan Kandy K2 integrated with the matching cd player, along with a set of Monitor Audio RX 6's.
However, I'm afraid it may be too much for the listening room I have. The room is 12 1/2' wide, 22 1/2' long, and the roof is 7 1/2' high. I don't sit at the rear of the room as my computer desk is there, so the listening position is about 15' from the front wall. There is only the audio gear, love seat, and pc occupying the space. But the room will soon be treated with a dozen o/c 703 4'x2' panels as well. I listen to all kinds of music, but for the most part, I like Floyd, Def Lepard, Enya, Tom Petty and so on. I really like a full bodied sound, not boomy, but full. I still do need/prefer excellent imaging, big sound stage, instrument separation, instrument placement, and precise vocals.
I know I'm asking a lot, but it's what I'm after.
So, the question at hand. Is my room to small for the K2's and RX's???
And if so, any recommendations given my listening preferences?
128x128shawnlh
I'm one of the people who would kill for that room. Look at it this way: you could run your speakers 5-6 ft. from the front wall (I bet few speakers need more, and many less) still be listening 9-10 ft. away (for many speakers, maybe closer), and still have air behind you. I'm guessing lots of big speakers would work. High ceilings are nice, but oh well. Enjoy! J
Shawnlh,
Dude you are indirectly insulting the few/many of us who have much smaller rooms than you do...lucky you!!
The room L and W are fine. Mine is about the same (see system pic).

You can place the speakers 3 ft or more out from the wall behind them. Your listening position will have to be no more than 6 - 8 ft in front of the speakers in order for you to enjoy a proper soundstage in a room only 12 feet wide; that's simply how it works ;--) It's called "nearfield" listening (as in a control room or mixing booth) because you are close enough to the speakers (the NEAR field) that secondary reflections from the walls go behind your listening position and don't affect the holographic image (soundstage). So the only acoustic treatment you will need are not wall panels, but bass traps to eliminate standing waves and reinforcement nodes when or rather IF, they occur at your listening position -- otherwise, who cares ;--)

You do have one room dimension that, depending on the type of speaker you will use, can present a problem, and that is the low ceiling. If you had dipole speakers (panel or ribbon) like mine, the low ceiling wouldn't matter because those types of speakers radiate very little in the up/down direction. But cones and domes radiate omnidirectionally, (equally in all directions) so you WILL get ceiling and floor reflections from the RX6's. Now . . . since you are going to be listening "nearfield" (close to the speakers) the ceiling reflections will come down behind your listening position, so no problem with them -- but floor reflections will be a problem:

The bass reflex port on the RX6 is about 18" from the floor, and a lot of low bass comes out of it. This time, the problem IS that you are sitting so close ;--) and the floor reflections from the sound coming out of the port will be literally "in your face". So you have to kill that reflected energy which will conflict with the clean bass coming directly out of the speaker. There are two-and-a-half ways to achieve this:

1.5 = put the speakers on (approximately) 8 inch high stands (you don't want to get the midranges up too high above your ears ;--) Alternatively, skip the stands, but tilt the speakers back slightly until the excess bass reinforcment goes away.

2 = use some thick, cut-pile wool carpet, at least between the speakers and your listening position, and extending to the sidewalls. For best absorbtion, use WOOL, not synthetic, and DO NOT use a pad under the carpet. Broadloom comes in 12 foot wide rolls, so you can usually find remnants cheeep ;--)

And of course, you can combine both strategies.

Neil
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Thanks for the replies guys. And Neil, Thank You very much for your words of wisdom. Your advice is greatly appreciated.