| Hometheaterphile August 2009
 I’m Dedicated
to a Dedicated Room . . . or Maybe Not
I’ve often said that my next big audio-system upgrade
will be a dedicated listening room. I believe that to get the most out of an audio system,
a dedicated room is a prerequisite. But over the years, as I’ve continued to buy
better components to feed my system rather than move from my house, I also continue to
listen to music in a medium-size living room that, at least in appearance, has become
somewhat of a dedicated audio and HT room. Make no mistake: In this room, the layout of my
audio system is the top priority. The only real furniture is a pair of theater-style
chairs; they create a bit of a bottleneck for everyday foot traffic, but they provide the
best seating for listening. Finally, the blinds are always closed to cut down on the
sun’s glare, and sound treatments hang on each wall. Every decision made concerning
the room’s appearance is subject to my goal of maximizing the sonic possibilities of
what I have to work with.
How is this room not "dedicated" to
listening? I have to share it with my girlfriend. Before she met me, my girlfriend’s
idea of watching television was viewing a 19" TV from 15’ away, and listening
through the 10W amp and speakers built into the set -- they sounded like a clock-radio.
Needless to say, she didn’t watch many movies or TV shows. But now that she lives
with me, my 50" Pioneer Kuro plasma screen makes watching Jon and Kate Plus 8
far more enjoyable. Which means that, half of the time, my home-theater system is now her
HT system.
Before girlfriend
This can sometimes lead to conflict. If I want to watch a
ball game or movie, or listen to music, I have to have her cooperation or there will be a
distraction. Whether it’s the sound of her using the clothes dryer in the hallway,
talking on the phone, or simply walking by, it takes away from my focus -- and once my
focus is broken, so is my interest. This leads to less enjoyment of my A/V system, and
sometimes even a lovers’ quarrel.
Being someone who likes to try to solve problems, I made a
list of the pros and cons of having a dedicated room for an audio system vs. an audio
system in a shared living space. The goal of drawing up this list was to see which
environment provided the most enjoyment for the dollars spent. (The total retail cost of
my system is over $40,000.)
A dedicated room would allow me to arrange my equipment in
the space without having to consider or compromise with anyone. It can look any way I want
it to and be arranged any way I want, so long as it maximizes the loudspeakers’
ability to cast their optimal soundstage. I really do get incredible sound in my current
living room, but the room’s floorplan and the fact that it must also serve as a
living space mean that I’ve had to make compromises. Equipment must be positioned
between the speakers, which affects the speakers’ ability to provide a deeper
soundstage when I’m listening to music. In a dedicated room, the equipment would be
spread across the floor so that there were no physical obstructions that might have a
negative sonic effect. Once the two stereo speakers were properly set up, the outputs of
each speaker’s drivers would be able to perfectly integrate with those of its
counterpart, resulting in more precise imaging and a deeper soundstage. The speakers’
positions in the room would no longer be dictated by the room’s having to serve any
other purpose.
On the other hand, I also use my living room every day --
as a living room. If I turn on my TV, my A/V receiver also turns on, my stereo amp
is turned on, and all of my speakers are in use. Because my HT system is also in this
room, it is in use just about every moment we’re in the living room -- which is quite
often. When I get a product in for review, I’m not only using it when watching a
movie or listening to music for reviewing purposes, I’m also using it for everyday
enjoyment.
After girlfriend
But reviewing has a negative effect on my living room. When
a new 5.1-channel speaker system is delivered for review, the living room can look like a
disaster zone. With all the cardboard boxes and packing materials, the room is torn apart
for a short time. Once the review period is over, the boxes come back out and the room is
again in disarray. This never-ending cycle is sometimes overwhelming, especially when
I’m reviewing two or three such systems back to back. A dedicated room wouldn’t
be such an eyesore. I could always close the door -- out of sight, out of mind. My current
situation grants me no such luxury.
If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably gotten
the impression that I’m getting ready to make a move toward a dedicated listening
room. A dedicated room would make my girlfriend a much happier domestic partner, but would
it make me a happier hometheaterphile? I think not. The sound of my current living-room
system is actually compromised very little. Having a room in which I would have to make no
compromises at all is an attractive ultimate goal, but so is my overall enjoyment. My
journey has revealed that overall enjoyment and "no-compromise" enjoyment
aren’t quite the same. I fear that moving my audio system into a dedicated room would
actually decrease the use it would get -- I simply wouldn’t enjoy it as much.
Of course, improvements would be realized, the sound would be better, but at what cost? I
wouldn’t sacrifice my girlfriend’s enjoyment of my system just to maximize my
system’s performance capability -- sharing it with her is the most important
satisfaction I get from my system, and moving my system into a dedicated room would
compromise that.
Are you now, or have you been in, a similar situation? What
has been your solution? Please send me an e-mail and let’s compare notes.
. . . Randall Smith
randalls@hometheatersound.com
- January 2009 - Big Step
Forward, Bigger Step Back?
- April 2008 - Coming to Grips
with the Room
- October 2007 - A Conversation
with Nick Platsis of Anthem
- July 2007 - HDMI: A Talk with
Joe Lee of HDMI Licensing, LLC
- June 2007 - The State of My
High-Definition Experience
- April 2007 - A Conversation
with Tom Dixon of DTS
|
