boomy bass
Aaron
Posts: 1,853
I'm convinced that I'm forever cursed with boomy bass. I guess the problem is that normally when you put speakers in a room, you put them near one wall and then you sit near the opposite wall. Unfortunately if you do that you're doublely screwed since you'll get bass reverberating off the wall behind the speaker and then again off the wall behind you. I position my speakers usually 1-2' off the rear wall and at least 2-3' off the sides walls, but that really doesn't do much if you're sitting against the rear wall. Unfortunately my rooms aren't very deep, so I really can't bring my sitting position far off that wall. The closer I sit towards the speakers the more I have to move the speakers closer together (or toe them in), both of which destroy the sound stage. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Aaron
Aaron
Post edited by RyanC_Masimo on
Comments
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Aaron,
What's the size of the room and the size of the speakers you're using?
How far from the wall CAN you get your head?
On the extreme end...
I doubt you want to, $$$, but.... You COULD treat the room with state of the art acoustic panels and tube traps. You'd need fairly thick panels to treat the wall behind your head. It'd help. (Just putting a blanket or like on the wall wouldn't really cut it.) -
Both my bedroom and my living room about about 10' x 12'. In my bedroom I'm using RT55's placed on the 10' wall, and in the living room I'm using RT800's on the 12' wall (along with 3.1 other speakers).What's the size of the room and the size of the speakers you're using?
Well, in my living room there really isn't a choice. The couch is against the other 12' foot wall, and I really can't afford to give up any more room.How far from the wall CAN you get your head?
In my bedroom my sitting position can vary, especially with my new rolling chair.
The current sweet spot seems to put me at about the back of the room, right at the door opening.
I imagine tube traps are about the only solution to my problem, but from what little I've seen, they are VERY expensive (as you've noted). I've also seen DIY tube traps, but that looks like a somewhat difficult project.On the extreme end...I doubt you want to, $$$, but.... You COULD treat the room with state of the art acoustic panels and tube traps. You'd need fairly thick panels to treat the wall behind your head. It'd help. (Just putting a blanket or like on the wall wouldn't really cut it.)
Aaron -
over the telephone, to his deaf son, whom did not respond.
Just kidding!!!
Where the heck that just came from, I don't have a clue!
Oh well, back to the subject... It sounds like you have a little more room (depth) to work with in your bedroom. You have smaller speakers, putting out less bass, shooting down the longer walls. It's nice if you can have at least three feet from your ears (in the sweet spot) to the nearest wall behind your head. Any closer and you get bass heavy.
If you don't like the sound stage you get from the 55s in what you might consider a "too close together" setting, you could pick youself up a used Carver C-9 and add it to your system. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at your new SDA field.
In your living room where the HT is, you don't have the two extra feet of breathing room. This is a problem not so easy to overcome. You have a few things working against you. (As I'm sure you realize.)
1) You ARE up against the back wall. (And can't help it.)
2) You have the 800s in front of you. (IMO from listening, can easily be too bass heavy in SOME environments.)
3) I believe your "3.1 other speakers" indicates two surrounds AND a sub. (More bass to contend with.)
4) I would have to guess, with your couch against the wall, your surrounds are on the same plane as you? (If so, you can't help this either and it probably doesn't help you.)
Honestly, "I" don't have a lot of solutions for you. You can try spiking your 800s and your sub to thick slate or solid concrete blocks. (The low profile ones.) Carefully match the sub to the 800s, and maybe try tube traps. ($$$.) Isolate all your electronics from vibration. (Inexpensive to $.) Other than that, I don't see a whole lot of options. Oh yeah, extend the room four feet. ($$$$$$$$$.) -
What's the minimum distance I should allow between the speakers? Right now I'd say there's 5-6' between them, and I can't imagine that I could allow much less. They are toed in a bit now, but I suspect I could probably point them straight ahead and get good, if not better, results.It's nice if you can have at least three feet from your ears (in the sweet spot) to the nearest wall behind your head.
I'm actually using a C-1 preamp right now, but it will have to be returned to my housemate at the end of the summer. Right now I have Sonic Holography disabled for testing purposes.If you don't like the sound stage you get from the 55s in what you might consider a "too close together" setting, you could pick youself up a used Carver C-9 and add it to your system. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at your new SDA field.
...basically I'm screwed. All the bass in concentrated in the front of the room, and the couch has to be against the back wall. Luckily I don't listen to much music down there, so it doesn't bother me that much. I find movies pretty bass heavy, but sometimes it's kinda cool. I definitely don't turn my sub up past 1/3.In your living room....
I have the RT800's on slate as it is. I tried spiking them and didn't notice any improvement over the slate. I do agree that they are pretty finicky about placement, though it seems like all speakers are (RT55's and RTA-11T's, anyway). Anyway, I guess I'll just suffer.
Aaron -
You don't want your speakers to be any closer than five feet apart. If yours are 5-6 feet apart, you make the grade.
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You said spiking didn,t help. You might want to try different size spikes for the front and back. Experiment which sounds better as to tilted SLIGHTLY up or down. And do this for the sub. I should help to spread out the lower waves vertically and possibly eliminate standing waves.
Have you tried both in and out of phase with the sub? What do you have the crossover freq. set at.
I also had a situation with my 10Bs being less than what I like in the bass. I picked up a SAE parametric EQ. This coupled with a Soundcraftsman graphic made it possible for me to compensate for problemsin myliving room with similar dimensions.
P.S. Drop ceilings suck. They vibrate too much.Make it Funky! -
I really doubt this will help. The real problem is that I'm sitting against the rear wall.Originally posted by gidrah
You might want to try different size spikes for the front and back. Experiment which sounds better as to tilted SLIGHTLY up or down. And do this for the sub. I should help to spread out the lower waves vertically and possibly eliminate standing waves.
That won't help since the bass problem seems to stem from the RT800's, not the sub (and the sub is adjustable). However, maybe if I put the sub out of phase with the speakers, maybe I can CANCEL some bass......that's a thought. I'll have to try that.Have you tried both in and out of phase with the sub? What do you have the crossover freq. set at.
Aaron
