Reference System

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In November 2015, with the kids grown and out of the big 5-bedroom, 3-floor house, we moved to a smaller home situated on nearly two acres in north-west Goshen, IN. My new music room occupies the north end of the west half of my basement, in a room that is 46′ X 13′ x 7′ 4″. Further, I have two different sized and asymmetrically placed doorways, one that is 40″ wide by 78″ tall, starting 11′ 10″ from the front wall, another that is 34″ wide by 77″ tall, starting 28 feet from the front wall, both of which act as aperiodic vents. This large space also houses my small theater at the south end by the fireplace.

Some quick calculation reveals the room is about 600 ft² or some 4300 ft³. Based on room length, it can support full development of frequencies down to about 24Hz, with primary axial resonances at about 44Hz and 78Hz. But the room is amazing sounding, and exhibits remarkably little loading. In fact, during a visit to install and set up my Von Schweikert Audio ULTRA 9 loudspeakers, Leif Swanson, Chief Designer at Von Schweikert Audio said, “You seem to have some pretty cool things taking place with the room. Good length for the bass waves, and those doorways. I notice very little change to the bass walking around the room. You definitely scored with that room.”

Further room taming is achieved with the use of RoomTunes Corner Tunes, two Echo Tunes (one each at the tweeter’s primary reflection points on the ceiling), and the surprisingly effective Shakti Innovations Hallographs. Two 6-foot-tall by 4-foot-wide panels of Auralex Studiofoam Wedgies act as diffraction/absorption panels at the first side-wall reflection point for the speakers.