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Originally Posted by doping panda /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I have been considering buying some nearfield monitors for a few months now. My room has been the single thing preventing me from purchasing a set. My listening environment would be a small, untreated bedroom shared by two people. I don't have measuring tape so I can't provide a precise measurement of my room size, but I would estimate it to be 10x9. Due to the size of the room, nearfield listening is the best, possibly only feasible, option if I were to buy speakers. Although my room may be large enough for nearfield monitors, I'm ignorant as to whether or not it is acoustically sound to have nearfields in my room. Since I was looking mainly into active studio monitors, almost all of views I have about room interactions come from the pro front. These views regard room interactions as extremely important, near or equal in importance to the speakers themselves. Because of this, some claim that one ought not to buy high quality monitors unless one has a properly treated room. I've even read an anecdote claiming a Behringer monitor in a well treated room was superior to ADAM A7, a much higher quality monitor, in an untreated room. Of course, personal taste may partially account for that claim, but it doesn't alleviate my worries about not having a room that is acoustically appropriate for monitors. Such an anecdote deters me from buying monitors despite that I've been wanting a pair for months. Of course, I can buy room treatments, but I'm not sure how well I can treat my room. Even assuming I can treat my room well, the cost of doing so may mean I won't have enough money to buy a pair of monitors that I really want. Is one's listening environment really so crucial to the perceived sound quality of nearfield monitors? Ought one not to buy a high quality monitor until one has an acoustically sound room?
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I'm using nearfield Omega single-driver monitors and an Omega sub in a spare bedroom. I listen nearfield -- speakers are wider apart than I am in front of them. And I have number of bass traps as well as first reflection points covered with GIK acoustical treatment. Recommendations:
1.) In a small room, with monitors, nearfield will probably be your best bet
2.) Stand (or better yet, sit) in the room in the candidate listening position. Clap your hands. Try talking to a friend. In my room the acoustic problems were obvious. Hand claps had about a 2 second decay. Even normal speech had a weird sound / echo. So I knew my room sucked.
3.) There is a very helpful acoustics Circle on AudioCircle.com. Provide room dimensions and equipment, and several vendors and a number of DIY'ers will help. I went with GIK which manufactures a nice product for a reasonable price. DIY if you’re up to it might be even cheaper.
4.) My treated room sounds great. Less the help to set up the speakers / room from AudioCircle and the addition of GIK sound treatments, I'd be better off with good headphones. Now with Omega Super 6 single driver speakers & Deep Hemp sub, and RWA amp DAC and tube preamp, no headphone on the market stands a chance to outperform what I hear from my 2 channel system in my small room.
5.) Check out Omega Loudspeakers (also on AudioCircle) for a good value in speakers. I've owned dozens of speakers over the years. Dollar for dollar Omega's are truely amazing. The Super 6 are my second set of Omegas. I would need of ton of money to find a speaker worthy of considering an upgrade. Read user comments on the Omega Circle. Louis does no marketing or promotion. The followers you see are strickly word of mouth recommendations from a very avid fan base, of which I'm proud to say I am one. If you are interested in his product give Louis a call. He is very honest and dedicated to his craft.
6.) Don't underestimate the value of a properly treated room.
Good luck. Kent