Toys In The Attic: or A Very Tight Space

by thomasedison on Opinions Please
From the listening chair.
looking back to the listening seat
Looking left.
Looking right.
LNRT bass traps on the ceiling.

Description

I have put this system together mostly in the last year, and mostly with used gear. The only piece I've had longer is the Rega Planet cd player and my Standesign rack. The biggest challenge and restriction on my system is my awful listening room. The only dedicated space I have is a converted attic with low sloping ceilings and a small overall space. The room is 12 feet wide and 13 feet deep. The high point of the ceiling is a center spine 7 1/2 feet high which runs from the front to the back of the room. The ceiling slopes steeply down to the right and left sides of the room hitting the side walls only 1 1/2 feet above the floor. I have mounted Auralex sound absorbing squares over half of the ceiling, especially at the first points of reflection. I still need to add bass traps.

In this space it's hard to get a sense of how good my system could be. To compensate as best I can I am listening nearfield, with the speakers sitting 4 ft. from the front wall and 1 1/2 feet from the side walls. The speaker drivers are 5 1/2 feet apart (toed in to directly face the listening chair) and 5 1/2 feet from the listening chair.

Any comments on how to best tweak the space or equipment for my setup is welcome.
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Components Toggle details

    • Rega P3 Turntable
    My first entry-level audiophile table, and nice easy set-up player for me.
    • Rega RB-300 Tonearm
    stock with table, but modded the wires to install female rca's on the table so I could run better interconnects out.
    • Rega Exact Cartridge
    about 300 hours on it. Sounds good, and is my first upgrade after initially using a Grado Gold. Much more refined.
    • Rega Planet CD Player
    Original Plantet but still works great. Running it as a trasport now.
    • Benchmark DAC-1
    Latest version. Wonderful unit. Thinking of having the Analog stage modded.
    • Musical Fidelity A-5 Integrated Amplifier
    I probably don't need the 200 watts/channel to run my small floorstanders in my small room, but I like knowing i have it in reserve.
    • Von Schweikert Audio VR-4
    These are the latest VR-4jr's. I got them used and they sound so much more detailed and musical than the Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grands they replaced.
    • Standesign 5-Rack
    Metal frame with MDC shelves and points for top turntable shelf.
    • Analysis Plus Solo Oval Crystal 8 Interconnects
    I have two 1M pairs of these, one from the modded Rega P3 to my MF A5, and one from the Benchmark DAC-1 to the A5. I like these better than the Nordost Blue Heavens they replaced.
    • Stereovox latest digital coax cable
    from transport to DAC. Great detail. The only cable in my system I bought at retail price. Worth it.
    • Analysis Plus Solo Oval Crystal 8 Speaker Cable
    Single run, Shotgun with the big AP spades. I will need a second pair to biwire my Von Schweikert's.
    • Audience PowerChord
    I have this running the Benchmark DAC-1
    • Cardas Golden Reference Power Cord
    This is running the Musical Fidelity A5.
    • Panamax Max 1000 Power Filter
    got used. Running all my gear except my amp.
    • Myrtle Cuboids Footers
    Used under all my gear. Bought on a whim from a guy on Audiogon who cuts them himself in Oregon. Improved the sound when swapped in for my BDR cones.
    • Auralex Studiofoam squares
    1ftx1ftx 2in squares. On my walls and ceiling for sound absorption. Definitely took echoes away from my small room walls and ceiling.
    • Trends Audio UD 10.1
    USB/Coax converter. Takes My U.S.B. cable in from my laptop and converts it to digital coax. I use a Steriovox coax cable out from the Trends to the Benchmark DAC 1. It is seamless, but is limited to 44.1 mhz.
    • Apple iBook G4 laptop
    I use the iBook as my source for digital music files. The files are ripped as Apple Lossless and stored on a 500gb external hard drive and hard wired to the laptop via a USB cable.

Comments 27

Showing all comments by chadnliz.

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The rear ambience was really impressive but again makes back wall distance critical. My panels worked great on the cheap I used stryofoam insulation for a backboard with batting material for absorbtion and covered it in needled cotton wrap from Wallmart to match room, I used Owens Corning sheets also, but this way works as good and cheap.
I used on sides in other house but this new room doesnt allow for them so its used for slap echo behind me.

chadnliz

Thomas, pay close attention to the bass...make sure it is to your likeing, I enjoyed the JR's when I was shopping for speakers but was only nervous about placement near back wall (or I should say how far I could place them from back wall) and powerful bass that may thrill at first but make sure its not bloated. Hope you love them, buying new gear is a bunch of fun.

chadnliz

Yup, while your room isnt ideal atleast you have one! I spend more time dreaming of a room of my own than I do thinking of any upgrade. You have some nice gear that I have no doubt you enjoy and just think someday you will have all this education and understanding of audio that you can employ in hopefully a great room to further enjoy this hobby. In close I would suggest you load up on music in these few years then only upgrade when a new room dictates. In the end if you feel this is a good path to travel you will have a killer collection of music, and a room that can be the perfect companion for your educated well thought-out equipment choices.
My favorite saying goes like this, Never cry when you dont have shoes....many have no feet!

chadnliz

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