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room placement question

I'm looking into buying a new house and I'd like to make sure that the room I choose to place the speakers will work well (unlike my current place where I didn't think about this at all).

I have seen a lot of floor plans that look similar to the one in the link below, and I just wanted to see what are people opinion on how well the speaker could be placed in the "great room".

http://www.stonecrofthomes.com/floorplans/stonecroft-charleston.pdf

I was thinking of placing the speakers on the window wall, but my concern is that there's a solid wall on the left side of the room, but on the right side of the room there is no wall since it opens to other parts of the house. Is this lack of symmetry something to be concerned about?

Thanks.
jibbonacci
zargon's avatar
zargon
453 posts
 
Yes, you should be concerned. There have been numerous threads by people who have imaging problems caused by asymetric rooms, especially where the side walls are not the same distance, length or material. I would strongly recommend you avoid that situation if possible.

On the plus side, the room ratios and cathedral ceiling are all quite good, especially if you put the the speakers on either side of the "optional fireplace". If you could extend the dinnette wall well past the right speakers reflection point it might work acceptably well.
jibbonacci OP
31 posts
 
Thanks a lot Zargon. That's pretty much what I was thinking, I just wasn't sure. Also, I'm guessing the lack of a back wall shouldn't cause any problems (since I'm assuming the reflections off the back wall wouldn't be something desired anyway).
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,854 posts
 
You might want to consider listening more near field if possible in order to avoid undesirable room effects. Small monitors would be a ggod fit for that.

Or the other way to go for a wide variety of potential listening locations would be with omnidirectional speakers that radiate sound in all directions. This will tend to fill the entire room with sound more evenly and lessen the effects of openings to the side and such.
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