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Getting the closest to HiFi in small computer room

post #1 of 3
2/8/11 at 5:37am
Thread Starter 

Hi, I'm new on this forum and I'd like to start right away with a problem that has been bothering me for some time, maybe you can help me. I have my computer in a small room (2,20m x 2m which is about 7ft x 6ft) and this is the place I like the most to listen to my music. I already have a setup but I would like something that gets the closest to HiFi experience possible within the limitations. Right now I have a small amp which powers two Qacoustics 2020 speakers mounted on the wall at 2m high directed towards my ears. The room acoustics are not optimal and worse I sit in the middle of the room. The sound right now is good but I think I can do better. I have thought about what I could change and these are my options:

 

a) I buy a better pair of HiFi speakers and matching amp, I mount them about 3m+ high so there is more distance between speaker and ear

b) I look into monitors like the Swans M200MKII/III which I install on stands next to my desk.

 

I believe both situations will give me different results. The problem with my sitting position is I get little bass to my ears. I know this configuration is not ideal but I'm trying to get the most out of it. The room is untreated but that could be arranged if it's worth it. A subwoofer might also be an option. So how do I get closer to the HiFi experience? Thanks for helping already!

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post #2 of 3
2/12/11 at 3:29am

To get better sound you do not need to sit further away from the speakers.

 

My Rogers db101 speakers are either side of my computer screen less than a metre away from me.

 

So for positioning I would go with option b).

 

I don't know anything about the Swans speakers you mention but if I were you I'd buy a pair of bookshelf speakers second-hand. You will be able to get speakers of a quality vastly superior second-hand for the same price as new. You can also buy a second-hand amplifier of course and once again, for a second-hand price you can do far better for quality than buying new.

 

Getting bass in a small room is very difficult. However it could be that you don't really want true bass. By this I mean that most forms of popular music don't actually have any bass, instead they have a lot of lower mid.

 

So, if you use a an equaliser on you computer perhaps, you can just remove bass output as much as possible, increasing the frequency of the roll off until it starts to impact on the sound.

 

The true bass frequencies aren't going to behave themselves in such a small room, so as you aren't going to hear them properly, then if you remove them it will take away the problems that they will create for listening to other parts of the music spectrum.

 

Intelligently applied room treatments always benefit domestic rooms.

 

I recommend: Master Handbook of Acoustics by Alton F. Everest.

 

Also search the Internet for info on room treatments. There is a guy called Jon Risch who has written a lot about this, so try doing searches with his name.

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post #3 of 3
2/12/11 at 3:34pm

http://www.axiomaudio.com/audiobytecomputerspeakers.html

 

I connect my portable rig to this when I am in the office.

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