Where does my back wall start?

[jmschnur]

I have a 24x18 room. The speakers (currently B&W 801 series 80) are along the 18 ft wall. The listening position in on a couch about 20 feet away.

The wall has built in book shelves full of book above (with a 6 wide 4 high) ft hole for a picture window. 2' below the book shelves is a built in cabinet system that comes out from the structural wall. These cabinets (with doors) run the entire length of the wall and are 18 inches deep and 30" high coming up from our hardwood floor. The room is an open one with no doors; just hallways and a stairway down.

I have 2 questions:

1. What should I use as the wall boundry for placement purposes; The "real back wall" or the doors of the cabinets?

2. Would ML Summits work in this room? I have ML Clarity's/Cinema combo in my TV/video that is very nice and might conisder a change in the listening room (although the B&W 801 have served me well over the last 25 years with only a xover upgrade and replacement capacitors a few years ago.

Joel

 

[twich54]

Joel, welcome, nice size room , I too am a B&W fan. I find it interesting that you state your listening postion to be twenty ft from your speakers, WOW !! assuming they are approx 8' apart wouldn't that be more like 10-14' back ??

Anyway regarding qusetions asked:

1) I'd say the cabinetry/bookcase

2) Summitts would be awesome, you have plenty of room to give the breathing room they deserve !!

Give us pics to look at Joel !!

 

[jmschnur]

Thanks for your reply. I have attached a jpg of the speakers in the room.

The speakers are 9 feet apart. There is a baby grand (Sohmer) in between them. I mis wrote abut the couch. It is 18 inches from the other wall-but there is a bay window with another 18 inches or so of depth behind and above the couch. Thus the speakers are about 16' from the couch.

Joel

 

[Robin]

Summits and HT room...

I have a 24x18 room. The speakers (currently B&W 801 series 80) are along the 18 ft wall. The listening position in on a couch about 20 feet away.

The wall has built in book shelves full of book above (with a 6 wide 4 high) ft hole for a picture window. 2' below the book shelves is a built in cabinet system that comes out from the structural wall. These cabinets (with doors) run the entire length of the wall and are 18 inches deep and 30" high coming up from our hardwood floor. The room is an open one with no doors; just hallways and a stairway down.

I have 2 questions:

1. What should I use as the wall boundry for placement purposes; The "real back wall" or the doors of the cabinets?

2. Would ML Summits work in this room? I have ML Clarity's/Cinema combo in my TV/video that is very nice and might conisder a change in the listening room (although the B&W 801 have served me well over the last 25 years with only a xover upgrade and replacement capacitors a few years ago.

Joel

Joel,

Welcome to the ML Club!
Your HT room is a good size. What percentage do you listen to music vs. HT?IMHO, I think your HT room should have some sonic room treatments. I would recommend covering the picture window and your baby grand piano. As both of these will have less sonic resonance if you cover them. Your built in cabinet will resonate as well.

To answer your questions:

1). The doors of the cabinet.

2). Summits would be fantastic in your HT, being di-pole speakers they would be able to really open-up in a HT of your size.
HTH

What kind of electronics would you use to drive Summits?
Good luck with your audio quest.
It is good to have you here.

 

[jmschnur]

Thanks to all of you for for your comments. I appreciare your feedback. I will adjust the 801s accordingly.

I have a separate room for HT/TV. It is 12'x14'. That is where I have my Clarity's and Cinema speakers with a HSU 1225 sub woofer and NHT dipole surrounds.
That room is for TV and DVD's etc. I have a Nec HT1000 projector for the DVD's and HDTV viewing in that room.

The room with the B&W 801s is only for stereo music listening. playing the piano, reading, and conversation. We listen to most types of music (Classical, Opera, Jazz, Blues etc).

Covering the Piano would not be easily acceptable. How would you suggest I cover it? I am negotiating about covering the picture window with some Japanese type treament. At the moment I close the blinds for serious listening. Even that makes a big difference.

I am currently using a Carver 1.5T (600 watts/channel) for the 801s. I place good speaker wire under the floor boards when the room was being redone. The electronics is in a closet seperate for this room. I assume Carver could drive the Summits. I use a computer (in the closet) with all our 1100+ CD collection ripped to a hard drive (lossless). The pc is in the closet and on our wireless home network. I use a Lynx ONE D-A sound card that goes to a Amber pre-amp and then to the Carver. I could use the Lynx as the pre amp as well but ee have a tuner and the preamp makes the swithcing easier. I use a portable PC (Dell) in our listening room to access the audio pc and choose music etc.

Robin,

I see you have a Theater center speaker. Is there a "toe in" tweak to tune the aim point of that speaker?

Joel

 

[Craig]

The 600W Carver is more than enough power for the Summits. The Summits are more efficient than previous electrostatic models and therefore give you a much broader range of amplifier possibilities especially with lower powered tube amplification. I would expect that you would notice more detail, imaging, soundstage and powerful tight bass with the Summits over your B&Ws once they are optimally setup in your room and broken-in.

 

[tonyc]

jm, welcome! Just drape a heavy quilt over your piano when listening critically. Your room would be great for Summits. I bet your B and W's sound great too!

 

[Robin]

Music Room & Separate HT Room...

Joel,

Your two listening rooms sounds like a wonderful situation. I would agree, just a quilt over the baby grand piano would be enough. However they do make fitted factory made black baby grand piano covers, I've seen in use, but it all depends on your personal preference.

As far as a "Toe-in" technique for my center channel. I used Jeff's "Tape Measure" technique, with my Theater i. I sat in my central sweet spot, then adjusted the angel of the Theater i's electrostatic panel until it was pointing in a down direction, angled perpendicular with my head. As you maybe able to tell from the photos of my system, my Theater i is mounted from above and the sound disseminates extremely well, is very clear sharp and revealing. Jeff's "tape measure" technique works equally well not only for my front mains, but wonderfully for my center channel as well. I highly recommend this technique.
HTH

Summits with your Carver amp., will be wonderful in your music listening room...

 

[jmschnur]

Thanks for all the advice!

I think I am tweaked out and will start watching some DVDs.

Joel