A touch of brightness

[Antoine]

It's simple physics. You'll never get past a bad/mediocre sound in a room as reverberant as a bath room. No matter the number of band-aids. Have you ever seen an acoustically untreated music studio or a great sounding demo room at a dealer?

Apply the right amount of absorption and diffusion materials in the right places and you'll be amazed of the SQ you can get. I'm sure you'll also discover that really bad music productions/recordings are rare.

People often think about the walls and floor but forget there's also the ceiling that can be acoustically treated, invisibly as well. I'd advise anyone who serious about getting great SQ at home to find an expert in home/home theater. acoustics who can measure your room and write a plan to treat the room, considering your aesthetical wishes. It's what I did and it's the best money I've spent in this hobby. It'll not only improve musical enjoyment but also the comfort level of living in your own house.

[rwjr44]

It's simple physics. You'll never get past a bad/mediocre sound in a room as reverberant as a bath room. No matter the number of band-aids. Have you ever seen an acoustically untreated music studio or a great sounding demo room at a dealer?

Apply the right amount of absorption and diffusion materials in the right places and you'll be amazed of the SQ you can get. I'm sure you'll also discover that really bad music productions/recordings are rare.

People often think about the walls and floor but forget there's also the ceiling that can be acoustically treated, invisibly as well. I'd advise anyone who serious about getting great SQ at home to find an expert in home/home theater. acoustics who can measure your room and write a plan to treat the room, considering your aesthetical wishes. It's what I did and it's the best money I've spent in this hobby. It'll not only improve musical enjoyment but also the comfort level of living in your own house.

Great advice.

[Womaz]

I think the above would be a good option as I have no idea where to start. Problem is that will be rather costly I would imagine.
Thanks for reply

[Pim]

It doesn't have to be costly. Plants for instance, can work well as a diffuser. Curtains do a good job. It's up to you whether you want to spend money or do a bit of work yourself.

[rwjr44]

It doesn't have to be costly. It can be but it doesn't have to be. Please remember that your room is just as important a component as anything in your rack. The most expensive equipment sounds bad in a poorly tuned room. Just read the reports of the sound demonstrations at the various audio consumer shows.

When it comes to room tuning, diligent research is your best friend. There are numerous low cost methods to ensure that your room is tuned properly. Many room tuning companies will give you "free" advice if you communicate with them and there are many free tutorials available.

[Womaz]

All Ideas will be given consideration. I guess i have to decide what is most important, the aesthetics of the room or improving the SQ.
The rug is an interesting option, although it will mean spending cash and its a gamble whether it will make much difference. Its not that it sounds bad, it sounds awesome, but at times the brightness is there. My dealer thinks that my system sounds great ( he didnt supply me the 200 ) but he does say it does have a bit of brightness and sibilance.
I guess i was hoping there was things I could try rather than adding sound treatment , soft furnishings etc.
Some great replies though so thanks for all the input.

[Confused]

Time for new curtains perhaps .....

http://www.acoustic-curtains.co.uk/

[Womaz]

Time for new curtains perhaps .....

http://www.acoustic-curtains.co.uk/

Just bought some new curtains, so thats a non starter
Rug may be considered, but like I say maybe not keen to change the appearance of my room.
Looked at some of the tutorilas.....simple?? I think it must be me thats simple

[Damon]

Womaz,

Many things can affect the sound of the system and 'a touch of brightness' could be adjusted with cables, or it may be in some other part of your system other than the Dev.

I know that in the past, when I've moved my system around the house, the presentation of the sound always changed; soundstage/ image size (which doesn't matter too much to me, usually), the sense of space and all the other, finer points that we tend to listen for. If I could get rid of the dining room table and put my system there, I'd have a much better result than I do with my system in the living room, where it is now.

But to your point about brightness. A while ago my favourite dealer played some tracks for me in a very small room, about 10' x 13' max, and it was a surround sound system, with two subs, and Monitor Audio loudspeakers. He also had some plants, rugs, and acoustic panels on the walls. The first thing I noticed was how quiet the room was; just sitting there without music. The road noise evident in the main room was reduced in volume to a surprising degree. I mean, the quietness was really noticeable. Secondly, when some snappy music was played (Fireflies, by Owl City) the volume could be turned up a lot without a feeling of being overwhelmed. I believe completely that this capability was due to the absorptive elements in the room. The typical reflections that give the 'ringing' and even a kind of phase or timing confusion were effectively gone. That little room had none of the sharp brightness that I would have expected, nor the booming bass.

I am only offering this experience to pass on my own experience about the effect a room and the reflections can have on what we hear. I too like the spare, modern feel but it is not acoustically sympathetic to hi-fi. I think rjrw44's point about the room being as important as a component is a good one, and a good way to look at it.

As I said, I don't have a lot of flexibility in my own set up and I am convinced that I could have a better sound if my living space were different. But some in my life feel we need a dining table, and that a living room needs chairs and couches for guests.... strangest thing.

[Womaz]

Damon the women spoil everything
Rug will be given consideration. Acoustic panels too can look quite good from what I remember.
Experimenting with treble at -2.5 tonight and curtains closed. #

I do not have a choice of listening room either, as bedrooms way too small. My living room is a decent size at 14ft x 23ft, and the more I read the more i think its the room set up the issue, although I do hear it in my HPs too, only not as much.

A big fluffy rug may help.