Room acoustics for open plan space

[planetshilp]

Hi All,

Seeking your advice / tips on improving room acoustics for my setup in an open plan space.

Current Setup
Paradigm 6000 monitor (L&R)
Paradigm centre 2000 C
Paradigm h65-A ceiling speakers
SVS - PB 1000 (Ported) - Sub
Sony STR-AN1000 receiver

Issue:
Since this is an open plan space with one side to kitchen and glass doors on the other - it is not an ideal place for HT - but don't have other options! Please see the attached photos of the set up. Looking to add acoustic panels but not sure if that would help and hence seeking advice - should I even go that route and where to place them. Apologies - as I am still in very early days of my learning curve in this space!

Thanks

 

[highfigh]

Hi All,

Seeking your advice / tips on improving room acoustics for my setup in an open plan space.

Current Setup
Paradigm 6000 monitor (L&R)
Paradigm centre 2000 C
Paradigm h65-A ceiling speakers
SVS - PB 1000 (Ported) - Sub
Sony STR-AN1000 receiver

Issue:
Since this is an open plan space with one side to kitchen and glass doors on the other - it is not an ideal place for HT - but don't have other options! Please see the attached photos of the set up. Looking to add acoustic panels but not sure if that would help and hence seeking advice - should I even go that route and where to place them. Apologies - as I am still in very early days of my learning curve in this space!

Thanks

Sound in large rooms and spaces is much more difficult to control, partly because nothing will be between the listeners & sound sources (speakers), walls in the larger sense, the ceiling and floor (unless carpet or large rugs will be there) and if a listener moves, whatever they did for some seating positions won't matter for others unless by coincidence and that's rare. This means that above a certain level, reflections will be easily heard. A few acoustical panels may help for some sound but overall, place your furnishings between the speakers and walls and make sure multiple paths for reflected sound don't exist. Don't look it as if the sound is a laser beam, either- the speaker dispersion will make a big difference in this.

Any past advanced science & math studies will help in this.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I'd suggest improving it by doing a subwoofer crawl first and then consider to upgrade to better center speaker.

Crawling for Bass - Subwoofer Placement Tips

Do the Subwoofer Crawl. It's the easiest way to find the proper placement location for your subwoofer to get the best performance and sound.

www.audioholics.com

 

[highfigh]

I'd suggest improving it by doing a subwoofer crawl first and then consider to upgrade to better center speaker.

Crawling for Bass - Subwoofer Placement Tips

Do the Subwoofer Crawl. It's the easiest way to find the proper placement location for your subwoofer to get the best performance and sound.

www.audioholics.com

I would agree and the low end is important, but the mid-bass/mids/upper mids will be very annoying when the flutter and phantom sounds are audible. Besides, the low end should come last, after the rest of the spectrum has been addressed.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi All,

Seeking your advice / tips on improving room acoustics for my setup in an open plan space.

Current Setup
Paradigm 6000 monitor (L&R)
Paradigm centre 2000 C
Paradigm h65-A ceiling speakers
SVS - PB 1000 (Ported) - Sub
Sony STR-AN1000 receiver

Issue:
Since this is an open plan space with one side to kitchen and glass doors on the other - it is not an ideal place for HT - but don't have other options! Please see the attached photos of the set up. Looking to add acoustic panels but not sure if that would help and hence seeking advice - should I even go that route and where to place them. Apologies - as I am still in very early days of my learning curve in this space!

Thanks

I have not heard a lot of speakers but I have heard those. The 6000F speakers I did not like at all. The bass end was bloated in the 100 Hz range and a bit above. The midrange was recessed and the top end on the harsh side. In all honesty they were not speakers I could live with at all.

There are measurements on the 3000s and the speakers are similar with less bass drivers. So I expect your speaker choice is a factor here.

On axis.

Off axis response.

I suspect the bass of your speakers does not drop off as fast, but it might, as from my memory those speakers had the boom frequencies aplenty, but no deeper bass.

How people come to make a design like that, let alone market it is beyond me. Unfortunately this sort of thing happens far too often.

Those are NRC measurements and so can be trusted.

 

[ski2xblack]

Tough room and layout.

Without changing speakers, that room would be best in terms of acoustics if you would reorient/rotate the system one wall to the left, for a symmetric layout and orientation to corners and side walls with your mains. That obviously conflicts with the video part of the equation, though.

So back to how it's oriented in your photos...you could try and ameliorate the hard early reflections with treatments. The couch at the mlp being smack up against the back wall isn't ideal either.

Trying to fix a suboptimal room situation may be better achieved with a swap to different speakers that work for you rather than against you, as opposed to a bunch of room treatments. Speakers with narrower dispersion could be employed in such a way to sidestep the issues that arise from wide dispersion speakers in assymetric settings. Prolly help those seats on the couch under the window be more listenable vantage points too.

 

[TLS Guy]

Tough room and layout.

Without changing speakers, that room would be best in terms of acoustics if you would reorient/rotate the system one wall to the left, for a symmetric layout and orientation to corners and side walls with your mains. That obviously conflicts with the video part of the equation, though.

So back to how it's oriented in your photos...you could try and ameliorate the hard early reflections with treatments. The couch at the mlp being smack up against the back wall isn't ideal either.

Trying to fix a suboptimal room situation may be better achieved with a swap to different speakers that work for you rather than against you, rather than a bunch of room treatments. Speakers with narrower dispersion could be employed in such a way to sidestep the issues that arise from wide dispersion speakers in assymetric settings. Prolly help those seats on the couch under the window be more listenable vantage points too.

I would really advise a speaker change. I rarely react to speakers as badly as I do those. I could not listen to them long. I had to put them in the nasty category. Their measured FR is not encouraging, but somehow they seem worse than that. I suspect it is that bass peak and then rapid fall away. Very nasty indeed. Mucking about with the room will not help that.