If you have a great/ exceptional room you don t have to spend that much on gear i think to get good sound.
But custom rooms do drive the cost up considerably
But custom rooms do drive the cost up considerably
Ron's Favorite Private Rooms + Systems of All Time
- Thread starter Ron Resnick
- Start date
I couldn't disagree w you more. I've heard way more awful sounds in big/custom spaces than I've heard superior sounds in small/non custom spaces.
I'll take Audiophile Bill, Montesquieu Tom, UK Paul, Blue58 sounds over any number of grander more expansive rooms/system complexes. Even Purite Keith with his Cessaro Liszts in a typical London Victorian living room, other than one flaw, kicked total ass.
These are all superlative sounds on so many levels in totally manageable domestic situations.
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Where we *can* agree is that the room (acoustics/power/noise) is king, and the best sounds are holistic ecosystems, where you can't divorce the system from the room or vice versa.
But this fantasy that you need an enormous custom built room is just that, a fantasy.
Good points here.
When you think about the superior sounds you have heard in small/non-custom spaces, do you think those systems would have produced greater believability and realism in a dedicated, custom-built room?
Maybe I should put it in terms of having a dedicated, custom built room is the easiest runway to getting state of the art sound and believability?
Elliot G.
Industry Expert
I also agree, that you need a good room, not saying that only big rooms are good. There are reasons they make different speakers in different sizes!
The room is one of the factors however its just one leg of the tripod. I've heards great sound in a reasonable sized room and they do not necessairly need to be custom built just handled properly for the specific space and area. I will say that if you are going to go to the top of the food chain it really helps to design the room and perhaps build it. I mean by this the huge enormous speaker systems that exist generally will not perform well in a cramped poorly executed space. I will speak of my product so I dont offend anyone . It is much easier to use a Marquis in a "normal " room than a Majestic or a Noblesse and that would be my suggestion to the future owner. If you want the big boys then we need a more appropriate space so that after the project you are not disappointed.
I tend to prefer large systems regardless of room size
just don´t like postcard sized soundstages
a supersynergestic room-system can sound stellar one day and total crap the next without anything changed
my system sounds better when high barometric pressure
I live 92 meters above sea level.....
just don´t like postcard sized soundstages
a supersynergestic room-system can sound stellar one day and total crap the next without anything changed
my system sounds better when high barometric pressure
I live 92 meters above sea level.....
Well, you'll never know, so it's a mute point. I have the interesting data point of a total transformation in sound of my system from one room to another, my first (and way worse sounding) room approx 50% bigger than this one, both rooms non custom.
So I know first hand just how amazing a room can be.
But I genuinely don't believe you can extrapolate and say a system will deffo sound better in a bigger more neutral space.
Ron, you remember the Cessaro Liszts demo I took you to?
That room, and much of ancillaries, was *way* "better" in terms of size by your measure. Yet the Liszts sounded average there compared to the so called "worse" room I first heard them in.
The worst rooms I have heard were dedicated custom built. Reeked of fake foo sound. The best rooms, custom built or not, were reasonably big. They allowed systems to play effortlessly, but were not necessarily treated or shaped or custom built for audio.
only room treatment here is Persian rugs, plants
large window surfaces, profiled wood paneling and big volume helps together with the dog
large window surfaces, profiled wood paneling and big volume helps together with the dog
only room treatment here is Persian rugs, plants
large window surfaces, profiled wood paneling and big volume helps together with the dog
Same goes for Yamamura, Vyger - Mayer - Pnoe, 2 Altec 817 systems, silvercore's warehouse, another dual FLH in Germany (that's now 5 dual FLH's in the list), Kondo Sigma MAAT. In digital SS, Henk's Grands and AG trio room at the factory. None of these rooms are much treated or custom built, but reasonably big
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If i would really go for ultimate sound reproduction it would be room design first , at least 50 % of the cost would go there
I don't know much about rooms. What I have observed is an appropriate sized speaker in a room that has treatments of some sort generally sound good.
A room to small for the speaker with no treatments and a big fat couch facing the rack are usually blabla.
My room sounds best with the curtain partly drawn on the window side and the diffusion on the other pulled partway across the 50" wide opening to the kitchen. Sitting on the end of the ottoman with nothing in front of me.
A room to small for the speaker with no treatments and a big fat couch facing the rack are usually blabla.
My room sounds best with the curtain partly drawn on the window side and the diffusion on the other pulled partway across the 50" wide opening to the kitchen. Sitting on the end of the ottoman with nothing in front of me.
You need to control reflections ,unwanted reflections disturb listening and dont allow you to focus on the music
Exceptional rooms get you into the vibe automatically and allow you to focus on the music and make you dont want to leave.
Ps i m not saying i have done any of that , i just take living circumstanses as they come
Exceptional rooms get you into the vibe automatically and allow you to focus on the music and make you dont want to leave.
Ps i m not saying i have done any of that , i just take living circumstanses as they come
Elliot G.
Industry Expert
I think many over think this and hire " experts" but most of these experts are not expert listeners. As we have found out in equipment design science is important but its not the whole story . I believe the same is true with rooms.
Building a sound proof room or a studio or something else is not building a listeneing environment. I dont believe there are a lot of people that truly understand whats required.
I am not saying there are none only that building listening rooms for audio listeners is not a huge Industry and what most people think is ok is not at all. People think about things like sound proofing which is a whole different subject. If you are hiring someone best to make sure that what they do is what you want. WORD!
Building a sound proof room or a studio or something else is not building a listeneing environment. I dont believe there are a lot of people that truly understand whats required.
I am not saying there are none only that building listening rooms for audio listeners is not a huge Industry and what most people think is ok is not at all. People think about things like sound proofing which is a whole different subject. If you are hiring someone best to make sure that what they do is what you want. WORD!
Ked, can you list out your 5 favorite room+systems? I think I know you like zerostargeneral, Yamamura and some others. But it is good you list out in this thread.
Afaic visual is also quit important .
If its a empty cold room , im not comfortable .
Luxurious styling / comfy seats it all adds to the experience
I have spent most of my life living in Australia which has house construction (since WW2) similar to America. I lived in Cambridge and London for 16 years and got used to the solid construction of the old houses. When I came back to Australia I got a shock at how bad the typical room sounded compared to those old solid British rooms. I have several friends here in Melbourne who are fortunate to have old houses with very solid internal walls, and it is obvious to me that this contributes to the quality of sound reproduction.
Absolutely agree, but I would add that you also have the order of importance right - the room is most important, followed by the set up, then the gear.
I have to admit that it sometimes amuses me to see audiophile with poor rooms and no knowledge of setup spending their time and money on a revolving door of uber gear.
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