Dedicated Martin Logan Room Questions ??

[MOON]

Hello all,

I have the option of making a dedicated stereo room in my rec room. I will have complete control over the room to acoustically treat it ,whatever I want to do.

My stereo is currently in my living room , the demensions are 12 feet 3 inches wide , 21 feet long with 12 foot cathedral ceilings, dedicated lines for equipment . I am very limited to acoustically treating the room due to WAF and on the long wall there is a 3 person couch 18 inches from the front Oddessey woofer which isn't too good. There is a hall 7 feet behind the listening seat going to the kitchen. The distance center to center of the Oddessey panels is 7 foot 6 inches and they are 54 inches off the back wall and 23 inches off theside walls.

The room in the rec room would only have a height of 7 feet 3 inches, and the width would be slightly smaller at 11 feet 9 inches, the length would be the same as the living room 21 feet. I can however have one couch for the listening seat and treat the room extensively, plus the room would be sealed with a door to it. Keeping the Oddessey's 23 inches off the dide walls as in the living room would give a reduction in the dedicated room to about 7 feet center to center of the stators.

Would you do the dedicated listening room with the reduced ceiling height and the width of the room reduced slightly or leave the stereo where it now is ??

Thanks for the help,
Greg

 

[DTB300]

Would you do the dedicated listening room with the reduced ceiling height and the width of the room reduced slightly or leave the stereo where it now is ??

Obvious choice...Go with the Dedicated room. Talk to people in the know about room treatment and room design for great sound.

If you are going to have a dedicated room, do it right from the start.

Dan

 

[amey01]

I would put it in there and try, but I am biased. I've got to say that is my wildest dream. I can't think of any system component I'd rather have than a dedicated room - 'Logans included!

A quiet place to sit, not be disturbed and set up any way you like - you're set!!

 

[theWB]

Obvious choice...Go with the Dedicated room. Talk to people in the know about room treatment and room design for great sound.

If you are going to have a dedicated room, do it right from the start.

Dan

2 votes for dedicated room.:rocker:

 

[Rich]

Another vote for Dedicated Room

I agree. Go with a dedicated listening room. That is what I plan to do in the house we are about to move into. It gives you the ability to design the room according to your needs acoustically as well as to your own tastes. The low ceiling shouldn't be a problem since the ML speakers act as a line source and don't really have problems with ceiling reflections. And seven feet should be plenty of distance between speakers for a good stereo image. And there is nothing like having a sealed self-contained room to go listen to your music when you want to crank it up and other people want use the den to watch t.v. or whatever. Good luck with it.

 

[Beakman]

I'm going to be a dissenter here. While I may be new to the world of high-end audio one thing has come to my attention, the psychology of 'listening'. Enviromental surroundings, physical ambiance, and social activities can add just as much to the listening experience as presumably detract from it. Good music brought forth with good equipment is a joy. Sharing that with friends and family alike can be better accomplished in a social environment more openly than an isolated one where where pomp and circumstance overshadow the experience. Let your music live with how you live, out in the open .

 

[risabet]

Do you really have to ask? Really!

 

[DTB300]

Let your music live with how you live, out in the open

A dedicated listening room does not mean Solitary Confinement, or a dungeon for Grampa Munster.

It is a room designed from the ground up to obtain the best possible sound from your equipment. This room can be designed for both two-channel and HT entertainment.

Dan

 

[IWalker]

Hmm, I think there are reasons to go for both. Obviously, the sound quality will take a major step up if you go to a dedicated room...for me, though...I love being able to listen to music while walking around, cooking, etc...which I can do in a big open main area, even if the fidelity isn't the same.

If you only listen to MLs when you're sitting down and focusing on them...go for the dedicated room. If not, I'd say keep them where they are. For my uses I'd keep them where they are.

 

[MOON]

Risabet,

I had a concern about diminished sound quality going from cathedral ceiling to a new ceiling height of 7 ft 3 inches and the slightly diminished width of the room, that is the reason I asked the question to gain the experience of people off this site.

Beakmean,

I appreciate your answer as well, you have a point. I have a few audiophile friends that care about the quality of the reproduced sound but the average person who visits really doesn't care if music is being played through a cheap system or high end, it doesn't matter to them.

Good sound is my main concern and I will do the dedicated room now that I know the reduced ceiling height and slightly smaller width won't be a problem. The bonus is I will be able to acoustically treat the room , which I couldn't do in my living room.

Thanks for your answers

 

[twich54]

Moon, Hello, be sure to post pics as you proceed with your project, a work in progress photo show would be most beneficial for this very important topic !

Thanks !

 

[MOON]

Twich,

I shall try to keep a picture log. The room won't be getting started until about February due to a total kitchen renovation in January. I plan to put the owens corning soundproofing in the wall next to the living room and in the ceiling below the bedrooms so I can finally do late night listening without disturbing a soul.

Have to keep the wife happy as well, she gets a kitchen , I get a dedicated sound room. Sounds good to me. I think the final straw towards a dedicated soundroom is due to the size of the Oddessey's I just got.

Twich, I see you have a projector. I want to pre -wire a dedicated line to a receptacle in the ceiling for a projector in the future. Knowing nothing about projectors, is there a standard measurement from the wall the screen is on to the projector so I would know where to install the outlet in the ceiling ?

 

[twich54]

Twich,

I see you have a projector. I want to pre -wire a dedicated line to a receptacle in the ceiling for a projector in the future. Knowing nothing about projectors, is there a standard measurement from the wall the screen is on to the projector so I would know where to install the outlet in the ceiling ?

Moon, The distance is relative to your screen size, but most projectors have a fair amount of leeway (typically 2-4 feet). If not covered in your manual go to www.projectorcentral.com for i believe they have a calculation table on the site for your use.

FWIW I have a 76" screen and my projector is11' 6" back.

 

[socialxray]

You should go with the dedicated room. The ceiling height can be overcome. As for the living room and the social experience and all that, purchase some smaller Logans for that area. Clarities would probably do nicely.

 

[Burke]

Definitely go for the dedicated room ( HT)

I have the dedicated room, but this spring I am also going to get to rebuild it. I am going to build walls in side the walls to seal off the windows and close up the back wall that leads to the dining room / rest of the house.

What I am interested in knowing is how to treat the room. I know that I want to deaden up the walls and make sure that the walls are not parallel. BUt does anyone have any other tips / techniques for gettting the most out of a ML home theater / listening room.

Thanks
--john

 

[MOON]

Burke,

Like you , I am also interested in the treatments for rooms with Martin Logan speakers. I have noticed in pictures here some people using the Argent room lense. I wonder if tube traps help as well.

I found a great site on room acoustics today www.acoustics101.com

 

[DTB300]

Like you , I am also interested in the treatments for rooms with Martin Logan speakers. I have noticed in pictures here some people using the Argent room lense. I wonder if tube traps help as well.

Tube Traps DO help a room with Bass Response. With Bass Traps and my SMS-1 EQ I am able to get +/- 3dB from 20-80 Hz. Without the Traps and the SMS-1 only, I can get about +/- 8dB. The room is a major factor in how a system sounds.

I found a great site on room acoustics today www.acoustics101.com

You may want to visit the following forums which deal strictly with room acoustics:

http://www.musicplayer.com/cgi-bin/...rum;f=26;hardset=0;start_point=0;DaysPrune=0\

http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/rives/bbs.html

There is also an Acoustics Forum over at Audio Circles www.audiocircles.com

There there are a couple of sites:

www.realtraps.com - Ethan Winer

www.gikacoustics.com - Glenn Krauss

Ethan and Glenn will give you GREAT advice on what products to purchase and how to specifically treat your room for improved sound.

Dan

 

[theWB]

You may want to visit the following forums which deal strictly with room acoustics:

www.gikacoustics.com - Glenn Krauss

Glenn will give you GREAT advice on what products to purchase and how to specifically treat your room for improved sound.

Dan

I also found Glenn extremely helpful,and their products are very reasonably priced.

 

[DTB300]

I also found Glenn extremely helpful,and their products are very reasonably priced.

Agreed - as I use 8 of their panels in my room. Here is a great quote that I read from another forum on bass trapping and the results:

"What room treatments give you......is HUGE, DEEP, TIGHT bass at relatively low volume levels. The rest of the spectrum sweetens up too, bigtime. and the noisefloor drops"

When the bass is cleaned up and improves in terms of detail and accuracy, this helps take away the boom, which in turn helps other parts of the music stand out better - Mids and Highs. Hard to imagine what bass trapping and room treatments can do for your sound unless you experience it.

Dan

 

[theWB]

Agreed - as I use 8 of their panels in my room. Hard to imagine what bass trapping and room treatments can do for your sound unless you experience it.

Dan

Dan.I couldn't agree more.I use two of their Tri-Traps in my front corners and the improvement was dramatic. I use a pair of 244's directly behind my mains. I know that may sound unconventinal,but I really like the sound with no backwave. Give it a try it might suprise you.I think it really brings the soundstage out front and center and clears things up.:band: